Tasting: Simi Winery Chardonnay

Name: Simi Winery Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Sonoma, Cali
Country: US
Year: 2017
Price: $20

Winery Review: Aromas of green apple, pear and pineapple, along with some caramel and oak notes. Full bodied with more fresh fruit on the palate with a more creamy and caramel hinted finish. Enjoy with roasted chicken or turkey. 89/100. Jennifer Havers

My Review: Immediately after I opened the bottle I got a buttery-oaky aroma. It is extremely full bodied and probably the first wine I could easily get that sweet oaky taste without having to search for it. It's fairly fruity which gives it a bit of an acidic / tannic beginning, but the aftertaste isn't too dry. This chardonnay is a bit too buttery/oaky for me, but it has an overall nice taste. 

Tasting: Dreaming Tree Chardonnay

Name: Dreaming Tree Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Coast, California
Country: US
Year: 2017
Price: $16

Winery Review: In the glass, this Chardonnay emits hues of early fall hay barrel.  Crisp light yellow straw with a subtle mustard hint.  On the nose we get crisp pear and green apple aromas with lightly toasted… toast.  Overall a medium bodied wine. the opening palate of the Dreaming Tree Chardonnay is inviting, refreshing, crisp and melon-forward.  Lemon-peel, more pear and white Asian spice creep around the taste buds.  Mid-palate, a subtle smokiness shows a bit more of itself with some playful notes of thyme and spring flowers.  Towards the finish, the wine rises in brightness and we get some very refreshing acid over a medium finish of lemon-spice and grapefruit. - Grieg 4/5 

My Review: This is Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band wine, so that's fun. This wine is very crisp and fruity, but it doesn't hit you in the face with sweetness. It's very intense, and I get hints of citrus but mostly tree fruits like peach and apple. It's not too light for a white and has some body, and I wish I got more of an oaky flavor but didn't quite get there. Would try again, perhaps a different vintage, 

Tasting: Oak Leaf Vineyards Merlot

Name: Oak Leaf Vineyards Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Ripon, California
Country: US
Year: Non-vintage, I'm assuming a very recent year. 
Price: $3 (sorry)

Winery Review: An initially decent mouthful of light fruit is palatable, but it ultimately gives way to some bitterness and green, vegetal notes. Again, that punch of raw alcohol, though much slighter here than in the white. It’s passably drinkable in a way that the Chardonnay is not, but it’s hardly something to treasure and hang on to for when you’re grilling a filet mignon. Let’s call it a C+. - Christopher Null, Drinkhacker

My Review: I am kind of embarrassed to write about a Walmart exclusive wine but it was too cheap to not try it. It's fairly dry with some slight fruitiness. I get hints of a dark / berry fruit like a blackberry, but something vegetal is making it bitter. It's very middle of the road for me in most aspects - not a strong acidity and not too heavy for a red. A medium wine that I probably won't drink again unless I have to. 

Tasting: J Vineyards Pinot Gris

Name: J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Gris
Variety: Pinot Gris
Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Country:  California
Year: 2017
Price: $18

Winery Review: Hints of spearmint and minerals on the nose and ample ripe-apple and honeydew flavors on the palate add up to a substantial and well-balanced wine. Bright acidity lends a tangy undertone. 88 Points - Jim Gordon

My Review: Immediately I get a tangy and acidic taste - almost sour. It's dry and heavy on the tannins. I can definitely get a very green or ripe apple taste, but besides that I don't get much of any other fruit. The concept of minerality is confusing to me, but I think mineral is a good way to describe this wine. I did not pair with food, probably would try again.

Tasting: Starborough Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Starborough Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2016
Price $11.99

Winery Review: The quality of the vintage shows through in this wine, which is being produced in ever-increasing quantities. It's plump in feel, marked by ripe fig and melon flavors, with hints of grapefruit and nectarine. Drink now. - 88 Points  - Joe Czerwinski

My Review: The first word that I could think of to describe it was crisp. This white wine is on the drier side, and although it is slightly fruity it really doesn't have a sweet taste. I definitely get a melon taste and it's a bit tangy from the tannins (kinda acidic/punchy) - I personally wouldn't say it's plump. It tastes nice chilled, and I drank it without food. Would drink again.

My Introduction

Hello and Welcome to Hayley Can Wine! I am very excited to start learning more about wine because right now I know virtually nothing. I just turned 21 recently, and I really like being able to look over the drink menus at all the possibilities and just feel like a fancy adult. A wine menu is still pretty intimidating to me, and especially since it can be expensive at restaurants, I usually don't order any.

My experiences with wine are few - because most of the time whenever I go out to dinner I prefer a fruity cocktail. When I do have wine, it's a $10 barefoot bottle from Target (which I do enjoy) or a sangria. I've had red wine, rose, white, and even some bagged wine unfortunately. Right now, I think I prefer sweeter wines as I prefer sweet alcoholic drinks in general. I'm not a fan of dry wine, but maybe if I learned how to properly taste it I'd like it. Also, I like my drinks cold, so I think it's interesting that red wines are best at room temp but maybe I will learn to love it.

When I graduated from high school my dad bought me a bottle of red wine and told me we could open it when I graduated college. I have no idea what type of wine it is but I'm excited that by the time I graduate I'll actually know about it. I love random facts and sharing what I know, so I'm excited to learn a little wine trivia that will impress my family and friends. I don't think I'll ever be a wine snob, but I want to enjoy wine in as many ways as possible and have a better grasp of what I drink.