Wine tasting review – 09 June 2012

Now that I have been to my first wine class (“From Vine to Wine: Wine 101,” about which I am planning several posts to share the information that I learned), I have started taking tasting sessions more seriously. There are two great wine merchants in The Triangle, and they each have tastings on Saturdays. So, each Saturday that I attend, I’m going to take notes and share them here. Today, I started out with the one at Wine Authorities, which focused on French wines from a few different areas:

Wine Authorities tasting on 09 June 2012

The first one (from left to right) was a 2010 white from the western coast of the Loire Valley in France. The only grape that is allowed to go into this type of wine (known as Muscadet) is the Melon de Bourgogne. The Amphibolite Nature was very light in colour, and had a faint scent of citrus. It was a little salty but crisp, and had nice acidity.

The second one was a 2010 Riesling from the Alsace region in north-eastern France, near the German border. Produced by Vincent Stoeffler, it was deeper in colour (more like a light gold) than the Muscadet, and had a sweet and lightly floral aroma. After swirling, it left medium-light legs. Though it was slightly sweeter, it had fantastic acidity, and a bright front taste.

The third bottle was a 2008 Malbec produced by Clos Troteligotte in the Cahors region of south-western France. It had a deep red centre, with light but bright purple hues at the outside ring. There was a mild, yet obvious raspberry aroma. As Malbecs generally have higher tannens, it was very dry, but this particular vintage was fruity as well… too fruity for my liking.

The last bottle was a 2009 blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre. It was produced by Chateauneut de Pape, and had a deep red centre that barely faded to the outer ring. It had a significantly higher viscosity, and corresponding higher alcohol content. It had an earthy aroma, but not even a hint thereof in flavour. It was very fruity, and I didn’t find it personally appealing either.

After this tasting, I went to this week’s event at HV Bottle Shop. In contrast to the previous tasting, they were sampling wines hailing from Spain:

HV Bottle Shop tasting on 09 June 2012

The first offering (this time from right to left) was a 2010 white from producer Protocolo in La Mancha. It was made from the Airen grape, which is one of the most widely planted white grapes in the world. It was almost clear in colour, and had a somewhat tropical aroma. That aroma was fulfilled by its pineapple flavour. It had a low viscosity, and was fermented in 100% stainless steel barrels. While it was refreshing, and had an interesting flavour component, it wasn’t my favourite of this session.

The second white was a Albariño, which translates to “White Rhine” (as in the river in Germany). It was a Riesling from the Rias Baixas region, and was vibrantly golden in colour. Interestingly, it was aged 80% in stainless steel and 20% in large oak barrels. It was mid-weight, mineral-driven, and had an excellent preserved lemon flavour. It actually ended up being the bottle that I purchased today, which is unusual given that I normally prefer deep reds. I believe that this wine will go beautifully with shellfish (especially scallops).

The third was a 2011 Rosé from the producers Bodegas Muga. This varietal, when produced in the old world, comes from grapes that are picked much earlier. Therefore, there is more brightness and acidity than in a new-world Rosé. It was almost peach or salmon coloured, and had very mild flavours of wild strawberry. It would be enjoyable on a very hot summer day.

The fourth was a red offering from Protocolo, and was 100% tempranillo. It had a low viscosity, and was very fruit-forward (especially with the corresponding black cherry aroma). Personally, I didn’t like the taste, and I didn’t think that it was even nicely produced, but it was a good value at under $10 USD.

The last wine was also from Bodegas Muga, and was a Reserva from Rioja. It was a deep purple-ish red throughout, with a negligible viscosity. Though there were earthy, woodsy aromas, the taste was more of pepper, clove, and spice. It was very bright in the front, and had high acidity. It was primarily (70%) tempranillo, but also had a bit (20%) of Grenache, with a remainder of other blends. I also was not particularly fond of the fruity flavours of this wine.

Overall, it was nice to taste a bunch of different wines that I generally wouldn’t purchase or drink. I’ve always enjoyed wine, but now I’m starting to get a better understanding of various aspects thereof. I’m certainly nowhere near an expert, but I have a better understanding with each tasting that I attend.

Cheers,
Zach

Amazon’s outstanding customer service

For many months now, the portable music player that I’ve used while running (a SanDisk Sansa Clip+) has been cutting out. The screen gave out completely, and then last week it finally died. I decided to buy the updated SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip, and, of course, purchased it from Amazon.

Just like all of the other purchases that I make from Amazon, this one was slated to arrive in two days. Amazon typically ships via UPS, and this order was no different… except that I never received the item. UPS sent me an email update stating that the package had been left at my front door. Oddly, though, I didn’t hear the delivery person knock or anything. When I went to look for the package, it was nowhere to be found. My guess is that 1) the UPS agent delivered it to the wrong address, 2) the UPS agent marked it as “delivered,” but didn’t actually do so, or 3) the UPS agent did indeed deliver it, but one of my neighbours or someone else in the community stole it. In any case, it was not the fault of Amazon.

I called UPS, and the recommended that I contact Amazon, even though it wasn’t Amazon’s error. I contacted Amazon simply to see what my options were. Within moments, the Amazon customer service representative emailed me a confirmation of my new order, and said that he had put it in as an overnight shipment for the inconvenience. Really?! An inconvenience? It was no inconvenience at all, and I was just trying to see if there was anything that could be done. Not only did I get a replacement sent out at no charge, but they sent it via the fastest available shipping option so that I could have it more readily. Now that’s customer service!

Out of all the years that I’ve been shopping with Amazon, I have only had one other problem (which they remedied promptly as well). So, not only are problems infrequent, but when they do arise, Amazon’s outstanding customer service representatives readily rectify the situation. They consistently go above and beyond for their customers, and that is why I will continue to bring them my business whether or not they have the absolute lowest price available. Customer service greatly contributes to the overall shopping experience, and that is far more important than price alone.

Thank you, Amazon!

Cheers,
Zach

Vote for Libera at the Great Exhibition 2012

Libera, the phenomenal boys choir with whom I work, is a contestant in the 2012 Great Exhibition, which celebrates the “Greats” of Great Britain. They are currently in the category of “Undiscovered – Britain Music / Entertainment.” Though that is their primary category, they even have a chance of being in the Top 10 overall (that would take less than 1000 more votes)! Please take the time to go to their section and vote:

http://www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/libera-boys-choir/

Registration is free, easy, and only takes a few moments. You can then say that you helped get an outstanding choir some well-deserved recognition throughout the UK.

Libera - Robert Prizeman directing

Thanks for the help!

Cheers,
Zach