Cellar Notes: Los Dos Garnacha 2018

Date Wine Consumed: 4/24/2020                                       Type: Red Still

Country: Spain                            State/Region: Campo de Borja

Brand Name: Los Dos

Vintage: 2018                              Alcohol %: 14%               Price: $6.95

Grape Varietal: Grenache

Had Where: Home

See:
        Clarity: Clear
        Brightness: Dull?
        Concentration: Medium?
        Red Wine Color: Black cherry jello colored, which is similar to garnet?

Sniff/Smell:
        Describe: Red fruit, smoky, roasted, meaty, dark cherry, spicy

Sip/Savor:
        Body: Light - Medium
        Sweetness: Dry
        Fruit(s): Red berries, cranberry
        Fruit Condition: Tart, pithy
        Acidity: Juicy?
        Tannins: Soft
        Other Information: 

Swallow/Summarize:
        Aftertaste: Faint
        Finish: Short-Medium, more on the short end
        Balanced/Unbalanced: Balanced

What types of food/cuisine would you recommend with this wine: Steaks, roasted meats, beef stew and polenta, chorizo burger, meat lovers pizza, roasted beets with goat cheese

Your Rating: 7/10
         Reason: Not too acidic, easy drinking. Acidity rounds out in the mouth, seems sweet at the back of the mouth

Additional Notes: Screw cap. Purchased at Empire Wine.

Cellar Notes: MAN Vintners Warrelwind Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Date Wine Consumed: 4/23/2020                                       Type: White Still

Country: South Africa                     State/Region: Western Cape

Brand Name: MAN Vintners

Vintage: 2019                                  Alcohol %: 13%            Price: $6.95

Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Had Where: Home

See:
        Clarity: Clear
        Brightness: Bright
        Concentration: Pale
        White Wine Color: Light straw

Sniff/Smell:
        Describe: Green apple Jolly Rancher, kiwi, citrus notes, slightly grassy, light spice

Sip/Savor:
        Body: Light - Medium, leaning more to medium
        Sweetness: Dry
        Fruit(s): Lime, citrus, pineapple
        Fruit Condition: Tart, pithy
        Acidity: Mouth Watering at times, other times barely notice it
        Tannins:
        Other Information: The acidity is short lived

Swallow/Summarize:
        Aftertaste: Medium
        Finish: Medium
        Balanced/Unbalanced: Balanced

What types of food/cuisine would you recommend with this wine: Seafood (I used this wine to cook some mussels and shrimp - delicious!), grilled vegetables, light pasta dishes (pasta salads)

Your Rating: 6.5/10
        Reason: My feelings on this wine change with each sip, but it is still enjoyable. 

Additional Notes: Screw cap. Purchased from Empire Wine. Drank this wine at room temperature. Would my thoughts be the same if I had chilled the wine first?

Cellar Notes: Trapiche Vineyards Malbec 2019

Date Wine Consumed: 4/21/2020                                       Type: Red Still

Country: Argentina                     State/Region: Mendoza

Brand Name: Trapiche

Vintage: 2019                              Alcohol %: 13%               Price: $5.95

Grape Varietal: Malbec

Had Where: Home

See:
        Clarity: Clear
        Brightness: Dull?
        Concentration: Medium?
        Red Wine Color: Garnet

Sniff/Smell:
        Describe: Cherry, raspberry, red fruit, tobacco, smoky, oak, band-aid/iodine

Sip/Savor:
        Body: Medium, on the lighter end
        Sweetness: Dry
        Fruit(s): Plum?
        Fruit Condition: Ripe? Baked? Jammy?
        Acidity: Mouth Watering
        Tannins: Smooth
        Other Information: First few sips tasted like cigarettes

Swallow/Summarize:
        Aftertaste: Medium
        Finish: Medium
        Balanced/Unbalanced: Balanced

What types of food/cuisine would you recommend with this wine: Grilled meats, Buffalo tofu bites, chips with a roasted tomato salsa, jalapeno kettle chips, savory crackers, salty cheeses

Your Rating: 6.5/10
        Reason: The cigarette smell/taste was a bit off putting, but drinkable

Additional Notes: Screw cap, don’t need to look for a bottle opener. Purchased from Empire Wine.

Cellar Notes: Jacob’s Creek Classic Chardonnay 2018

Thanks to the current climate, I have a lot more time to do the things I have put aside. Like this blog. I’m currently taking a wine class, and one part is to take cellar notes. Basically a brief summary of each wine we drink and using the S’s (see, sniff/smell, sip/savor, swallow/summarize).

Date Wine Consumed: 4/18/2020                                       Type: White Still

Country: Australia                       State/Region: South Australia - Barossa Valley

Brand Name: Jacob’s Creek

Vintage: 2018                              Alcohol %: 12.9%            Price: $4.95

Grape Varietal: Chardonnay

Had Where: Home

See:
        Clarity: Clear
        Brightness: Bright
        Concentration: Pale
        White Wine Color: Straw

Sniff/Smell:
        Describe: Peach, melon (honeydew), slightly peppery

Sip/Savor:
        Body: Light-Medium, more towards medium
        Sweetness: Dry
        Fruit(s): Lemon, citrus
        Fruit Condition: Tart, Pith (slightly)
        Acidity: Mouth Watering
        Other Information:

Swallow/Summarize:
        Aftertaste: Faint
        Finish: Short
        Balanced/Unbalanced: Balanced

What types of food/cuisine would you recommend with this wine: Baba ghanoush, grilled vegetables, roasted chicken, light pasta dishes, grilled octopus, steamed whole fish, risotto

Your Rating: 8/10
        Reason: Nice, easy drinking wine. Acidity not too strong, very pleasant. 

Additional Notes: I picked this wine because of the low price, and to see if taste is price dependent. In this case, it's not. Screw cap, don’t need to look for a bottle opener.

Food Shopping

I had a plan when I walked into the store. Just needed the ingredients for pasta salad, chicken to strip for meals, water. 

Let me emphasize the "I had a plan" part.

If I had wrote it down, I may have just stuck to that list. But I was going by memory, and got distracted. Very, very easily. So I bought snacks. More stock even though I have enough at home. Pickles. Chips. Salsa. Bread.

I am currently working on the list for next week's meals. Writing it down, let's see if I stick to it.