Nicole's Wine Blog

Name: J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine Varietal: Red Blend = 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Petite Sirah, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot Country: United States Region:  Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, California Year: 2020 Price: $27 (a gift from family!) Wine Critic Review:  " This regionally respectful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah is satisfyingly rich and hedonistically attractive on all fronts. Smoke-kissed aromas of black cherry, purple flower and light cola on the nose lead into a palate that is full of ripe black cherry and cola flavors, yet with a firm structure." - Matt Kettmann from Wine Enthusiast             Wine Folly References: California's Cabernet Sauvignons mainly come from the North Coast, specifically Sonoma and the Napa Valley. They're known for rich black fruit flavors that bring about full tannins and underlying cedar and tobacco notes. California is also known for Petite Sirah, which mainly exists in warmer valleys

I've always thought that the best-added bonus to wine was its accessories, one of which being CHEESE. I have and always will love cheese, in pretty much any form, so being able to pair it with wine and blog about it sounded like a pretty sweet idea to me. Luckily, my roommates were on board, too!! I did some prior reading and article-perusing and found a Wine Folly article about reliable wine-cheese pairings and sent it to the folks who joined me in this endeavor. We collectively decided on a Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and a Rose for the night's line-up, which definitely added a wide variety of flavors and additional cheese experience. The first two brands were two of many recommended to me by a family member, and the Rose was chosen as more of an economic choice... 1. Bogle Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon     Vintage Year: 2020 2. St. Chateau Michelle Sauvignon Blanc     Vintage Year: 2021 3. Barefoot Rose     Vintage Year: 2017      Our cheeses consisted of, fro

Name:  Josh Cellars Pinot Noir Varietal: Pinot Noir Country: United States Region: California (Central Coast) Year: 2020 Price: $17 Wine Critic Review:  " Red-cherry and light smoke aromas are fresh and charming on the nose of this bottling. The palate hits with bright flashes of raspberry and cherry, as sumac and star anise add intrigue and the acidity lingers long." - Matt Kettman from  Wine Enthusiast  Wine Folly References: Pinot Noir from the Wine Folly website -- Pinot Noir is the most popular light-bodied red wine, known for its sweeter, smoother, and more palatable flavors. It's described as having primary flavors of cherry, raspberry, mushroom, clove, and hibiscus, and only as moderately dry and medium-high acidity. It's recommended to be decanted for about 30 minutes, and best served in an aroma collector glass.  My Review: I'd say this was a pretty decent Pinot Noir experience! It had a lighter, bright red color to it that gave hints to its sweet flavor

Hello! Welcome to my wine blog! With only a few days of this course under my belt, it's safe to say that I will learn A LOT, and for that, I'm entirely grateful. I took this course with the intention of learning about a beverage that I have been and probably always will be surrounded by. My mother and her entire family are Italian, and I grew up trying wine at every family gathering and dreading the bitterness, and then having to take a sip of some champagne on New Year's Eve for good luck, which was only a bit more tolerable as a kid. These gatherings would also start out with an introduction of whatever wine the guests brought, which was never decipherable even if I tried. So, in short, my family members know a lot about wine, and I'm eager to enter the stage of my life where I can join the conversation!  Regarding experiences and preferences, I have a strong inclination towards reds and have little experience with whites. I blame my family for this, as there were alw