Winery Visit - Chateau Morrisette

On Sunday afternoon, 9 of my friends and I decided to take a trip to Chateau Morrisette for their open-house weekend. Some of my friends were in the Geography of Wine class, but others were just along for the experience. We got really lucky because during open-house weekend at Chateau Morrisette they offer free wine tastings!

The beautiful Chateau Morrisette winery.

Chateau Morrisette is located just off the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd County, Virginia. It is known for bringing a unique style and character to both its wine and fine foods. My boyfriends parents had taken us there once before last year for an amazing dinner, but we were not yet 21 and couldn't sample any of the wines. This time, we got a free wine tasting with 12 different wines ranging from dry to off-dry to sweet to fruit. We were only supposed to taste 9 wines, but the employee who was hosting our wine tasting was so friendly and generous that she gave us 3 extra! The dry wines that we tasted were a 2010 Chardonnay, a 2010 Viognier, a 2011 Dry Rose (which was the wine of the month), a Liberty, a 2010 Cabernet Franc, a 2008 Merlot, and a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. The dry wines were mostly very tasty (the Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite because it didn't have the typical over-powering peppery or spice taste of other red wines but was more subtle and fruity), but the Cabernet Franc gave off aromas like reminded me too much of a matchbook and the Merlot tasted a tad bit too leathery. The off-dry wines that we tasted were The Black Dog, a 2010 Vidal Blanc, and a Blushing Dog. These were all amazing--I bought a bottle of the Blushing Dog because it was my favorite of the day and only $10.99! It had lovely aromas of sweet florals and tropical fruits and tasted crisp, refreshing, and fruity. The sweet wines we tasted were a Sweet Mountain Laurel and a Red Mountain Laurel. The first was white and the second was red, and they tasted almost exactly like white Welch's grape juice and red Welch's grade juice, respectively. I preferred the Red Mountain Laurel because it had a nicer aftertaste than the Sweet Mountain Laurel. The fruit wine that we tasted was a Blackberry Wine, which was delicious and very sweet. 

All 10 of us and the host of our wine tasting!

After our tasting, our host continued her generosity by taking us back into the section of the winery where the wine is made and aged in either wood barrels or stainless steel. This part of the winery was supposed to be reserved for tours of Wine Club VPI Members, but since we were there for "educational reasons" she got us through. Seeing the countless amount of barrels in person was amazing; there were wood barrels (mostly oak) for aging the red, heavier dry wines and stainless steel barrels for aging the white, lighter off-dry and sweet wines. Our host told us that the stainless steel barrels produce more crisp and refreshing wines while the wood barrels produce more oaky and richer wines. Chateau Morrisette makes and ages all of their wines right there at the winery, so it was very interesting to be able to see how it works first hand. 

In front of the wood barrels.

Another great part about the winery was that there were dogs everywhere! Chateau Morrisette decided to name a lot of its wines after the owner's dog (Star Dog, The Black Dog, Our Dog Blue, Blushing Dog, Frosty Dog, etc) after realizing that putting pictures of dogs on the wine labels increased sales substantially. Chateau Morrisette also sponsors "For the Love of Dogs" which is medical research that benefits dogs with EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), which is an incurable disease that takes the life of countless dogs. Chateau Morrisette contributes a percentage of the gross adjusted sales to non-profit veterinary school canine genetic labs responsible for EPI research. Since I love dogs, this just made the winery all the better. 

The steel barrels, they were huge!

Overall, all 10 of us had a great time visting Chateau Morrisette. The wine tasting, service, and mini-tour just enabled us to enjoy it even more and to learn about all the different wines and the wine making process. We each left with at least one bottle of wine or souvenir from the wine shop, and since I will be in Blacksburg during the summer I will definitely try to visit Chateau Morrisette again soon. 

Enjoying our tasting. :)

Dinner - Zeppoli's (French Wine)

My boyfriend and I tasting one of the red wines.

My boyfriend, a few of my friends, and I went to our third and final wine dinner at Zeppoli's on Sunday night. I was especially excited for this dinner because it was French themed, and French wines are known to be tasty. We tried 3 whites and 7 reds, which I was kind of disappointed about because I prefer white wines over reds, but I was still interested in tasting a variety of French wines. The food that we were able to pair with the wines was the best yet, so I was glad that we decided to come to this dinner. 

My dinner included salad with calamari, Greek pasta salad, pasta pinwheels, cheese raviolis, garlic bread, and a variety of cheese and crackers.

First, we tasted the white wines. Though there were only three whites offered, the waiter said that they were very representative of the French wine culture. We tried a Chateau Gaillard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc first, priced at $11.99 with an alcohol content of 12.5%. This white had sweet aromas, mostly of florals and tropical fruits. It also had hints of buttery aromas. It tasted fruity, somewhat like grapefruit, and had a crisp acidity and dry texture to it. I enjoyed it okay, but would not rank it as my favorite white of the night. It paired very nicely with the cheese and crackers, though. The second white that we tasted was a Chateau Suau 2010 Bordeaux Blanc Sec, priced at $10.99 with an alcohol content of 12.5%. This white smelled very much like honeysuckles and peach, and tasted equally as enticing, mostly like citrus fruits. It was very crisp and refreshing, with a good balance between sweetness, acidity, and tannins. Though it had a pretty high alcohol percentage, it did not have much heat and had a very smooth finish. I paired this with the Greek pasta salad and the salad with calamari. It was my favorite white of the night. The last white we tried was a Prochaine 2009 Chardonnay Vin de Pays d'Oc France, priced at $10.99 with an alcohol content of 13%. This had more oaky aromas than the first two whites, and it tasted much more musky and woody. It was a very creamy Chardonnay, but it did have hints of fruits like mangos and pineapple. I did not really enjoy the aftertaste of this white (possibly it was not completely matured due to less aging), but it did pair nicely with the pasta pinwheels which were heavy in cheese. 

Next, we moved onto the red wines. The first one was actually a Manoir Du Carra 2010 Beaujolais noveau, priced at 10.99 with an alcohol content of 12.5%. This tasted extremely unfinished and was not very enjoyable. Apparently this was supposed to be a direct representation of the 2010 growing year, but I don't see why someone would buy something that tasted bad for solely this reason.  The next red was a Jean-marc burgaud 2010 Beaujolais Villages, priced at 14.99 with an alcohol content of 12.5%. This was much better than the Beaujolais noveau  because it was actually aged properly. It also had aromas of dark berries and spices, but had a hint of vanilla as well. It was still full-bodied and balanced. I paired it with calamari and it went together well. My favorite red of the night was a Clos de sixte 2004: Lirac, priced at 11.99 with an alcohol content of 14.5%. It's aromas were very strong, smelling mostly of plum and spices. It tasted mostly like dark berries and jam, had a fully body, great tannin, as well as a lot of definition. It was easy to see why Robert Parker gave it 88-90 points! 

Personal Wine Dinner – Wine, Cheese, and Dessert

Over the weekend, my boyfriend (Travis) and I decided to have our own wine dinner, pairing wine with cheese and desserts. We asked Travis’ parents for advice on how to appropriately pair wines with different cheeses and desserts, because they have thrown these types of dinners several times. We had a ton of fun, and now that we are familiar with some wines that pair well with what cheese and desserts, we definitely want to host a wine dinner for more of our friends in the future.

First, we paired a 2007 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine with St. Andre cheese. The bottle was $19.9, but since I had never had an icewine before, it was definitely worth it. The wine itself is considered a Canadian dessert wine and is made from grapes that are left to freeze on the vine long after harvest. The result of this process is delicious. The wine’s aroma was dominated mostly by tropical fruits, like mangos and apricot. Its taste had equally as bold fruit flavors, was very complex, and was well-balanced between acidity and sweetness. The crispness of the wine surrounded my palate and the finish was silky and smooth. The cheese has a soft, buttery texture, tangy edible rind, and tastes similar to Brie but with more intense flavors. The strong, cheesy flavors matched perfectly with the fruitiness of the wine. 

Next, we paired a Sandeman Madeira with chocolate cheddar cheese and blue cheese with crackers (because this wine is supposed to pair well with hard or veined cheese). The bottle was roughly $18.99, but again, experiencing this new type of wine made the purchase worthwhile. The Sandeman Madeira is made in the “traditional” manner on the Atlantic island of Madeira where the rich soil and volcanic subsoil give the wine a unique character. The wine is enhanced by the winemaking and ageing process in “estufas.” The wine description suggested that it would pair well with rich desserts, like chocolate, which is what led us to try it with chocolate cheddar cheese (with was tasty, but a little strange due to the combination). The wines aroma was dominated by nuts and cream, and it tasted medium rich with nutty and complex flavors that surrounded the palate. It was well-balanced between acidity and sweetness and had a good tannin structure and a clean finish.

Lastly, we paired Cooper Noche chocolate dessert wine with éclairs. This combination was brilliant. The Cooper Noche has received several awards, including “Best in Show” Town Point 2008, Gold VA Governors Cup 2009, Gold Medal Tasters Guild 2007, and a People’s Choice Award. The wine is described as “Virginia Norton infused with essence of chocolate” which results in a sweet, red wine with a chocolate aftertaste. Unlike some other dessert wines I have tried, this wine did not have a syrupy texture, which I was happy about, and tasted mostly of berries on the front and chocolate on the finish. The aromas were similar, reminding me of chocolate covered cherries. While this dessert wine would be a good match for following almost any meal, we paired it with éclairs, which was delicious.

Although my boyfriend and I splurged a little to experience this wine dinner pairing with cheese and a dessert, having a traditional “wine, cheese, and dessert” dinner was really satisfying, especially after learning about different flavors and pairings in class. Now that we are getting into wine even more than we were before, I have a feeling we might host several more of these types of meals in the future. 

Tasting - Dr. Loosen Bros Riesling

Name: Loosen Bros Riesling 
Variety: 100% Riesling 
Region: Mosel
Country: Germany 
Year: 2010
Price: $30

Wine review: Dr. L embodies the elegant and racy style of Riesling from the steep slate soil vineyards of the Mosel valley. It is fruity with a refreshingly crisp taste that cools the palate making it an excellent wine for spicy foods. 

My review: This was my favorite Riesling, and my favorite overall wine, that I have tried yet since being in this class. I would rank it a 9.5 out of 10. The fruity aromas were refreshing and enticing, they smelled mostly of tropical and citrus fruits. It tasted equally as refreshing, with a range of fruity flavors (mostly apples) on the tongue and a cool, crisp finish that surrounded my entire palate. It did not have much heat, with 8.5% alcohol, very low tannins and acidity, and a great balance of sweetness. I did not pair this with spicy food (I had it with crab cakes and asparagus) but would definitely try it with something spicy next. 

Tasting - Bodegas Triton Tempranillo

Name: Bodegas Triton Tempranillo 
Variety: 100% Tempranillo 
Region: Zamora
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $30



Wine review: Meticulously vinified in small lots and aged in the best French oak for 15 months, the wine has a distinctive balance of ripe red fruit flavors and a delicate spiceness. A hint of dark chocolate completes the long finish. 



My review: I enjoyed this red wine a lot; I would give it a 9 out of 10. It smelled beautifully of black cherries with hints of spice, and it tasted equally as satisfying. It had flavors mostly of dark berries and a tad of pepper, but its dryness allowed it to go down smoothly and with a long finish. It did have a good amount of heat, with 15% alcohol, but it was still easy to drink because it had a good tannin structure and balanced acidity and sweetness well. I paired it with a crab cake dish with asparagus and rice and it went very well. Though it was a little expensive for my budget, I would definitely treat myself to it again someday. 

Tasting - Cartlidge & Browne Chardonnay

Name: Cartlidge & Browne Chardonnay 
Variety: 100% Chardonnay 
Region: North Coast, California 
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $8.99

Wine review: Tropical fruits, ripe citrus, and a gentle oak spice are key notes of this subtle, elegant Chardonnay. It pairs beautifully with poultry, seafood, and light cheeses. 

My review: This was an okay Chardonnay, but not my favorite that I have tried. I would rank it a 6.5 or 7 out of 10. The aromas were nice, mostly of sweet fruits but it also had creamier, buttery hints. It tasted very oaky but was a little too dry for my liking. It was definitely creamy and rich, but it did not have as many fruit flavors as I would have liked. It didn't have much heat, and it was balanced between acidity and sweetness. I did not pair it with any food, but would probably drink it with seafood if I got it again. 

Tasting - Black Box Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon 
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 
Country: California 
Year: 2010
Price: $20


Wine review: Rich aromas of dark fruit complemented by a deep, lush body. The finish is soft and long with lingering notes of berry. 


My review: This was my first experience with boxed wines, and it was a pretty good tasting Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not a huge fan of spicy red wines, which this was, so I would rank it a 7 out of 10. It was a great value, considering I got 4 bottles of wine for $20 dollars and they will last longer since they are stored in the box. The aromas were very strong and intense, mostly of dark berries and spices. The tastes were equally as strong, ranging from black berries to spices to herbs. The wine was well balanced, with equal proportions of acidity, heat, and tannin structure. It was not a sweet wine, but it did have a smoother finish than some other reds I have tried. I did not taste this wine with any food, but I would probably buy it again in the future now that I know it is a pretty good red wine and a great value.