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| Professor Boyer and I before his afternoon presentation, Fork & Cork 2014 |
Wines
Savoy-Lee Winery
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| The Savoy-Lee Winery lineup. |
Name: Johnson Mountain White
Varietal: Rkatsitellie/ Chardonnay blend
Price: $19.00
Winery Review: "has the mature body and feel of nice Chardonnay
but the fun sprite acid of a Sauvignon Blanc
My Review: This smelled oakey, but on the buttery side. I enjoyed the chewy mouthfeel of
this wine and how it's acidity and pizazz of this blend balanced the dryness at the end.
Name: Cabernet Franc Rose
Varietal: Cabernet Franc/ Chardonnay blend
Price: $17.00
Winery Review: "A true Burgundian style Rose, a light fruity red wine with soft tannin no oak aging makes this the perfect sipper chilled or not".
My Review: I enjoyed the light feel of this wine and it's aromas of mango skin. This wine wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked, but reminded me of Pinot Noir and Sprite.
Name: 2008 Cabernet Franc
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Price: $19.00
Winery Review: "The more jovial side of red wine, great raspberry notes, nutmeg, and bright acid. Pairs perfectly with venison, bison burgers, and most any game (food or cards)".
My Review: This wine reminds me of a cigar I smoked last week. It smelled like vanilla and berries, and tasted like nutmeg. To me this seems backwards as I usually smell spice and taste fruitiness. I enjoyed the complexity of this wine because it highlighted it's unique flavor and earthiness.
Name: 2006 Johnson Mountain Red BDX
Varietal: Merlot/ Petit Verdot/ Cabernet Franc blend
Price: $27.00
Winery Review: "Aged in French oak for two years this full bodied wine shows dark cherry and plum notes with a long dry finish. Great with a steak off the grill!"
My Review: I saw the oak monster appear in this wine's aroma but it did not overpower the palate during the tasting. I really liked the plum color and texture of this wine. I would rather have this wine with pizza than steak, but that's just me.
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| I think we're getting into Fork & Cork spirit. |
Virginia Mountain Vineyards
Name: Chardonnay
Varietal: Chardonnay
Price: $14.00
Winery Review: "A crisp, clean white wine with an essence of pear."
My Review: I was pleasantly surprised by the life this winery was able to pull from Chardonnay. It was my favorite Chardonnay at the festival, it was fermented in stainless steel vats which allowed the grape's fruit to leap forward with hits of apple and pear. This wine had a semi-dry finish and left me refreshed.
Name: 2008 Cabernet Franc
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Price: $15.00
Winery Review: "A medium body red wine with hints of pepper".
My Review: I could smell, and taste the pepper with this wine. I am a fan of peppery sides with my pasta dishes so I will take note of that for next time I come across a Cab Franc such as this. I would consider this to be a full-bodied wine that is simple and manageable.
Name: Virginia Red
Varietal: Red blend
Price: $14.00
Winery Review: "A unique spicy sweet table wine."
My Review: I tasted the spiciness, while my friends tasted the sweetness on this wine. I could see this pairing well my my Chinese to-go order of lo main in the evenings, It would balance a sweet and sour dish nicely. Also, when I say spiciness I mean like men's cologne not hot peppers.
Name: Traminette
Varietal: Traminette
Price: $15.00
Winery Review: An winning aromatic semi-dry white wine with a burst of citrus.
My Review: Here we go, this is the bottle I took home with me. This wine reminded me of Pinot Grigio with it's citrus aromas and light, yet complex, flavor. I focused on it's lemon and arugula notes because this wine inspires a dinner menu.
FAVORITE WINE OF THE DAY: This was my top pick because it was balanced, refreshing and complex. I could drink this wine on it's own, or with a summer menu. Also, it's palate was approachable so sharing it with less wine-experienced friends was not a concern.
Bonus: Wine Slushies
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| Are those... wine slushies!? |
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| Of course we had to get some. |
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| Group shot |
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| Time for some food. |
Food and Wine Pairing
Food: Bull And Bones BBQ sandwich and chips
Price: $5.00
Pairing:
Mountain Rose White Table Wine
$13.00
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| This started out as a waiting-in-line bottle. |
My Review: This pairing was so unthinkably bad. The was wine overly-sweet and clashed with the vinegary spice of the BBQ and the saltiness of the chips. On it's own, the wine was buttery and sweet, the perfect movie theatre wine. However, it would have been better on it's own or with lite bites such as cheese and crackers, a cucumber sandwich and other poolside snacks. Even though these two clashed, we powered through.
Additional Photos:
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| Friendly pourer. |
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| Animal crackers found. |
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| Of course there's more wine. |
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| Plenty of sangria that day, see below for recipe. |
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| Fork & Cork 2014 |
