John's Wine Blog

  Name: Apothic Red Variety: "winemakers blend" (zinfandel, merlot, syrah) Region: California Country: USA Year: 2020 Price: $11 Winery Review: " Bold flavors of dark fruit and spice from the Zinfandel, complemented by the soft mouthfeel and black fruits from Merlot, layered with the soft blueberry notes of Syrah, and finally supported by the structure and dark fruits of the Cabernet. We used soft vanilla and mocha toned oak to enhance and support the wines elegant appeal." Wine Folly: It notes Zinfandel's primarily flavors as smoky, exotic spice, with California grapes having a more blackberry flavor than sweet flavor like Italian Zinfandel does. Syrah is noted to have similar notes as zinfandel and merlot with more emphasis on fruity flavors. My Review: It makes sense that Zinfandel is the primary grape used in this blend- I immediately smelled the s moky sweet flavor that wine folly noted is a characteristic of Zinfandel. The merlot/zinfandel combination...

  I started out this wine journey at my house- where my mother gave me a bottle from her stash. The first bottle was: Name: Incarnadine Variety: Pinot Noir Region: California Country: USA Year: 2020 Price: $27 Winery Review:"the sky ablaze with golden and rose...a delightful glass" Wine Folly: Wine Folly starts about by saying how Pinot Noir's are the most popular light bodied red and is loved for its red fruit and spice flavors, along with soft tannin finishes. It says that it is best paired with foods like duck, chicken and pork. My Review: Wine Folly's food pairing suggestions I agree with totally. Because of the lightness of this red- it would pair with other light flavored foods, like chicken. I was very suprised with this wine- I think that I can now say that pinot noir is my favorite style of red. The light tannin's and sweetness- but still being able to have body and flavor, is what attracts me to this wine. Roquefort: This is a blue cheese that I picked o...

  Name: Wisdom Point Variety: Shiraz Region: Western Cape Country: South Africa Year: 2019 Price: $27 Winery Review: "savory earthy aromas due to the influence of "fynbos". The Afrikaans name for the surrounding natural belt of shrubland vegetation. Notes of black olive and pepper add distinct character to its mulberry and dark fruited depth and intrigue." Wine Folly: Also known as Syrah, it is the most planted grape in Australia. In Australia, they even have 100 year old vines that make some of the most coveted Syrah in the world! Wine folly notes that this wine typically has notes of peppercorn and plum. While they don't have anything on South African made Shiraz's, I would reckon that this climate and terroir is similar to that seen in southern Australia. My Review: This is a wine that I am trying at home so it is the most expensive bottle I have tried on my current list. At first smell, I was treated with fruity aromas that were not overly powerful or sw...

  Name: Kendall Jackson Variety: Chardonnay Region: Santa Rosa, California Country: USA Year: 2020 Price: $8 (small bottle) Winery Review: "fruit forward, divinely complex, approachable and exceptionally food-friendly" Wine Folly: This variety is notably one of the worlds most popular grapes and is noted to have creamy rich flavors. As such, this wine is typically paired with creamy, buttery foods- particularly lobster. It writes that varieties from the santa barbara region (like my bottle) often are sweet and have ripe apple/tropical fruit flavors. My Review: The second I smelled this wine I knew it was going to be like no other white wine I had tasted. It was distinctly unique with a bold, deep but fruity smell, this was a surprise as most white wines I have smelled have light fruity sweet smells. the taste follows the smell. It was like no other white wine I have had- more flavor and richness than I have experienced. Upon further research I noted that this was one of the b...