I attended a wine dinner at Zeppoli's Restaurant on Wednesday March 22nd. I also brought a friend with me to share the experience along with enjoying some good food and wine. When we arrived the initial tasting room was crowded so we sat at another table in the restaurant, but we still took part in the tasting that was offered. They served several hors d'oeuvres before as starters previous to the tasting.
There were 10 different wines offered (5 red, 5 white) and we also ordered entrees to go along with the tasting. The first wine we tasted was Vinterra Sauvignon Blanc 2015 New Zealand. By the time the wine arrived at the table we finished most of our starters but had a little fish, salad, and pasta left on our plates. We tried some fried fish & salad with the Vinterra and it paired very well. As expected the fish & cool lettuce complimented the fresh, tropical note of the Vinterra. This was a great kick off the dinner as it gave our mouths a flavorful start to the evening. As we waited for our entrees, we tried the next 5 wines served in this order respectively: Siegal San Elias Sauvignon Blanc 2016 New Zealand, Rubus White Blend 2015, Tres Ojos Rosado Calatayud 2016 Spain, Vinterra Pinto Noir 2015 New Zealand, Cortenova Primitivo 2015 Italy. Finally, our food arrives. My friend got beef ravioli with garlic & cheese a side order of bread and I got chicken Alfredo with broccoli. In our opinion we thought these were good meals to choose because we were familiar with them and believed they could compliment all the different varieties of wine we drinking. If it didn't complement all the remaining wines it would least be a good meal regardless. Good thing the 3 wines we paired with our entrees were all varietal reds with similar characteristics and features.They all had dark fruit tastes, with hints of spice & thick tannins which went well with the meats.The reds we drank with our main course were: Tres Ojos Granacha Castayud 2013 Spain, Rubus Reserve Red 2014 Australia, and Thorn Clarke Shiraz 2015 Australia. At this point in the evening we've been stuffed with so much food & wine that we almost said no to dessert, but since we had one more wine to try we figured why not. So we ordered a strawberry cheesecake to see if it would go well with the Mt. Monster Shiraz 2011 Australia. This pairing did not go as well as we thought. Even though the cake was very sweet & fruity, the wine was flavored with dark berryfruit & spice which gave the cake a unique taste. Still a very good dessert to finish off an extensive tasting filled with great food.
The service at Zeppoli's was great & I would definitely come back to this restaurant again whether is for wine tastings, lunch or dinner. This meal was probably the best Italian meal I've had in Blacksburg in the 4 years of me being a Hokie & I look forward to going back.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Tasting - The Royal Chenin Blanc
Tasting: 3/23/17
Name: The Royal Chenin Blanc
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Region/Country: Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa
Year: 2015
Winery Review: As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine. (site)
My Review: Scents of green apple with a vibrant & fresh feel. Tastes fruity with a high citrus content with a smooth finish.
Tasting - Codirosso Chianti
Tasting:3/23/17
Name: Codirosso Chianti
Variety: 90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo, 3% Colorino
Region/Country: Toscana, Italy
Year: 2014
Winery Review:
Intense vinous bouquet with hints of violets and dark cherry fruit. The flavor is full of ripe fruit and a hint of spice. It is well balanced and dry. The finish is persistent and satisfying. (site)
My Review: Scents of raspberry, cherry, & citrus. Tastes like plum, slightly tannic with a medium dry finish.
Tasting - Ca Bea
Tasting: 3/23/17
Name: Ca Bea Sangue Di Giuda
Variety: Barbera - Bonarda (Croatina)
Region/Country: Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardia, Italy
Year: 2013
Winery Review: From grapes grown in the Oltrepo Pavese region of Italy, this is a rare sweet, red wine with an intense fruity bouquet. A wonderful dessert wine. (
My Review: Smells of apple, kiwi, and violet with a fresh aroma. Taste like sparkling cider flavored with grape juice that was made very sweet. Its intense fruity flavors makes it great as a dessert wine.
Tasting - Barao de Figueira
Tasting: 3/23/17
Name: Barao de Figueria
Variety: 100% Siria
Region/Country: Doc Beira Interior, Portugal
Year: 2014
Winery Review: I found this a pleasant white, with flavors of yellow and white melon / pear, with a little green melon and minerality on the finish. The fruit is soft and slightly creamy, with a nice fruit / acid balance. Similar to the red, I’m not totally wowed by it, but it is quite pleasant and tasty wine for the price, and an interesting new varietal to me. If I had tasted this blind, my best guess would have been that it’s a Grenache Blanc. (site)
My Review: Hints of pear, apple, and honey. Acidic around the tongue with an almost refreshing taste. Well structured with a nice minreally feel.
Tasting - Alvarez de Toledo
Tasting: 3/23/17
Name: Alvarez de Toledo Mencia Roble 2009
Variety: 100% Mencia
Region/Country: Beirzo, Castilla Leon, Spain
Year: 2009
Winery Review: Our wine stands out because of its marked fruity character which brings out all the qualities and characteristics of the Mencia variety. Its time in the barrel accentuates these qualities by providing subtlety, elegance and complexity. In mouth is silky, fruity, with persistence and great kindness. (site)
My Review: Stands out with lots of cherry & dark fruits while you can smell the tannin. There was a taste of leather with a medium dry finish.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Tasting - Crane Lake
Tasting: 3/16/2017
Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Riesling
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Winery Review: Pale golden silver color. Muted aromas and flavors of nut brittle and caramel apple with a soft, shy, off-dry light body and a swift finish. A pleasant patio wine. 82 points (site)
My Review: It smell resembles peach, floral, mid-fruit, and coconut cream pie. Tastes medium sweet, balanced, and slightly acidic.
Tasting - Vinedos Real Rubio
Tasting:3/16/2017Name: Vinedos Real Rubio
Variety: Temprenillo Blend
Region: Rioja, Nothern Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Winery Review:Lightly baked berry aromas vie for attention with leather, spice and mild earth notes, and the result is disjointed. On the palate, this is tight as a drum initially, but more expansive as it unfolds. Cherry, plum, raspberry, vanilla and woodspice flavors finish pure, clean and easy. This is a fine yet manageable Rioja that's not trying too hard. 90 points - (site)
My Review: Smells sweet with honeysuckle & floral aromas. It was slight dry, medium sweet while there was a taste of cherry and spices.Very good red & would probably be better with a classic Spanish dish.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Tasting - Barao de Figueira
Tasting: 3/16/2017
Name: Barao de Figueira Reserva
Variety: Red blend
Region/Country: Beira Interior, Portugal
Year: 2013
Winery Review: This is a rich and spicy wine that has a pure streak of fruit freshness and a firmly tannic core. It is perfumed from Touriga Nacional in the blend, with red berry and black plum flavors coming through strongly along, balanced by acidity.88 points - Wine Enthusiast (site,site2)
My Review:It smells meaty with a hint of raspberry & pomegranate. Its not very strong but has a dried fruit taste with a medium balance with high viscosity.
Tasting - Garnacha de Fuego
Tasting: 3/16/2017
Name:
Variety:
Region:
Country:
Year: 2015
Winery Review: It has a light, almost neon-pink color and delicate strawberry and cranberry fruit notes, with a hint of pomegranate. It is fresh, lively, ripe, medium-bodied, and has more texture and length than one usually expects in a rose. RP 90 points. (site)
My Review: It has a light pink color and hinted delicate strawberries & pomegranate. It's fresh, live, medium bodied has more texture than you would expect in a rose.
Tasting - Villa Vitas
Tasting: 3/16/2017
Name: Villa Vitas
Variety: Ribolla Gialla
Region/Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Winery Review: Fresh and floral bouquet and a consistent and rightly acidulous taste. Its pleasant freshness and fruity notes of green apple are enhanced by its characteristic acidity. 87 pts - Robert Parker (March 2016).
My Review: Smells sweet with a touch of flowers, and oak. It was very balanced with a smooth, and slightly acidic taste.
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