Wine Class June 26, 2014

This is a weekly class put on by Payless Liquors.  I started attending these classes at the start of this year.  Really I think we started the first of January.  These classes have been great.  They are free, we try 6 – 10 wines per class and we get a 10% discount if we buy any of the wines.  Of course the shop wants to sell wine and I do think this class certainly is a great way to help increase sells.  This is a large shop and over half of the store is wine.  It certainly can be an overwhelming experience.  The classes certainly help make the wine shopping experience easier.

This weeks class may be favorite one yet.  The lady teaching was so good, her knowledge was amazing and her willingness to share this knowledge was equally amazing.  The wines were all good, some certainly better than others.

  This is one of my favorite Chardonnay.  It has flavors of lemon and lemon rind, limestone and nice acidity on the finish.  The wine has not been aged in oak but has gone through 100% malolactic fermentation.  I think this would pair wonderfully with creamy cheeses, creamy pasta dishes and, if I wasn’t allergic to them, oysters.

This Chardonnay is from Chile.  It has a sweeter fruit flavor than the first one.  I thought more like the flavor of lemon pie with a floral finish that had mild acidity.  I have a hard time picking a food to pair with this one, think of it more like a porch pounder.

This was the wine I was most excited to try.  100% Cabernet Sauvignon!  It has red berry , green bell pepper, and stone  flavors with medium tannins on the finish.  This wine has seen no oak so the fruit flavors really show.  I would serve it with steak and/or lamb.  For about 10 dollars this is a nice wine for the price.

This one is a new favorite of mine.  Very nice red and black berry, plums, bell pepper, black pepper, and cedar flavors.  It has a long earthy finish with nice acidity and high tannins.  I would serve it with a nice peppered steak.

This is a really nice Malbec.  It has red fruit, floral and vanilla flavors with a long finish and medium tannin.  I do think this is the perfect wine for burgers on the grill this summer.

This is the wine we bought!  It has a plum/prune, leather and Mexican mole flavors.  Very rich and smooth.  I really think a beef dish with chile powders will be perfect with this wine.

Let’s keep learning!

Cathy