Ashby's Wine Blog

  Name: Stellenrust Heritage Collection Bush Vine Chenin Blanc Variety: Chenin Blanc Country: South Africa Vintage: 2021 Price: $17 BBC Review:  If you’re looking for a smart Chenin Blanc with amazing depth, this 2021 is bang on target.   88% of the old-vine fruit is fermented in stainless steel, while the remainder is put into oak to give a greater degree of complexity. Then five months on lees produces a creamy texture that makes the wine ideal to serve solo, or with chicken. Wine Folly: From Page 98 of Wine Folly, Chenin Blancs are said to have many different tastes, but most commonly will have hints of yellow apples, pears, and honey. This wine had a more tart flavor than the text suggested, but given the variety of flavors chenin blancs can posses this is of little surprise. My Review: This wine was very tart for my taste. From the smell alone I could tell the flavor was going to be strong. As the glass continued the different flavors of the wine became more apparent, especially p

  Name: Fifth Note Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Variety: Sauvignon Blanc ("with a touch of Pinot Grigio") Region: Sonoma County, California Country: United States Vintage: 2019 Price: $25 Wine Enthusiast Review:  Floral in jasmine and orange blossom, this white is blended with 8% Pinot Grigio. The strong aromatics belie a simple, straightforward palate of melon and apple that shows moderate acidity. Wine Folly: From page 165 of Wine Folly, Sauvignon Blancs are said to commonly have an acidic taste, along with tastes of honeydew, peach, and grapefruit. This wine in particular did not have the acidic taste the book said it might have, but that could be due to the fact that it was tasted at room temperature instead of slightly chilled as recommended in the text. My Review: I liked this wine more than the Bordeaux earlier. The flavor seemed simpler and much easier to understand and enjoy. It felt light which was nice, and the fruit flavors were noticeable but not distracting. More aci

  Name: Chateaux Le Coin Variety: Red Blend (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon , and Cabernet Franc) Vintage: 2020 Region: Bordeaux Country: France Price: $25 WSJ Review:   "Red Bordeaux is prized by wine lovers and collectors the world over. This is classic Bordeaux, crafted with grapes from low-yielding, 45 year old vines. Its made for enjoying with food and boasts a freshness that will have you coming back for a second glass." Wine Folly: From pages 83-85, this wine is supposed to have flavors of black currant, black cherries, graphite, chocolate, and dried herbs. I certainly noticed the berries and chocolate flavors, but had a hard time picking up on the other flavors generally associated with this blend. My Review: As mentioned previously, the berry and chocolate flavors were evident from the first sip. As I continued through the glass I was able to notice a spicy flavor hidden in the background, likely the dried herbs taste mentioned in the text. This wine also had high tannin

       My name is Ashby Belcastro, and this semester I am taking the Geography of  Wine course at Virginia Tech. My experience with wine is close to none, which is one of the main reasons why I am taking this class. In the first video Professor Boyer spoke about learning the language of wine, and that idea really stuck with me.     The main experience I've had with wine came a few years ago while I was in Spain. Some of my classmates and I were in a tour group there where each night there would be a wine paired with the meal we were having. I have little recollection of the characteristics of the wine, but I do remember being surprised by how well seemingly unrelated flavors could pair with each other.      Coming from an Italian family where wine is a staple It seems almost wrong for me to be this out of touch with wine, but by taking this class I hope to remedy that. To speak the language and enjoy wine the same way my parents and grandparents do is a major goal of mine for this