Hayden's Wine Blog

Name: Carnivor Variety: Zinfandel Region: California Country: USA Vintage: 2014 Price: $10.95 "Carnivor Zinfandel is a captivating combination of full-bodied flavors and elegant spice. Bold notes of dark cherry and blackberry jam complement hints of mocha and toasted oak. Carnivor Zinfandel’s rich flavors end with a plush, smooth finish" - Winemakers Notes I will not lie, I really did not enjoy this bottle at all. I think I may not be a huge fan of the dark cherry or coffee hinted wines after tasting this bottle. I drank this by itself and it was really overpowering, and kind of off-putting to me. Maybe this would go better with a big, fatty, bold meal, but on its own it was not favorable. Ultimately, it tasted like I was eating wood. Although it has a good reputation, it is not one that is going in my book of favorites. The aftertaste was also extremely foul and sour, almost old tasting. Hoping this was just a bad bottle or a poor match for me, but it gave me a bad ...

Name: Chateau La Paws Variety: Red Blend Region: Central California Country: California Year: 2016 Price: $9.99 "Combining several varietals, our Red Blend offers layers of dark fruits and spices." - Winemakers notes This wine was chosen strictly off of the label and their efforts to advocate for dogs, two in one! Anyways, this wine was heavy on the fruit flavor. Hints of strawberry, blackberry, cherry, and all those big jammy flavors were present in this glass, especially smell wise. This tastes like any typical fruity red wine, its a solid red blend, but nothing to blow you out of the water. A little bit of vanilla and an almost caramel flavor come in the aftertaste on the palate, but nothing too strong and honestly barely recognizable. Overall, I wouldn't buy this wine for the flavor, I would buy it for the cause. 

Name: Middle Sister Variety: Pinot Grigio Region: Santa Rosa Country: California Year: 2016 Price: $12.00 "An explosion of apples and pears, with a slight touch of mineral on the finish. Yummy with minestrone soup, fried calamari, ham and cheese sandwiches, antipasto platter of olives, roasted peppers and marinated mushrooms." This is a very crisp pinot grigio. I drank this on its own, and it was light and fresh, and definitely aromatic on the fruity side. I agree with the slight mineral finish, almost metallic in taste, but not necessarily unpleasant. Apart from the aroma, I think the flavor profile fell a little bit flat and lacked true depth and flavor. It was slightly lemony on the finish and in the aftertaste, and was overall a decent wine! Not thinking this will be m go-to, but I did enjoy it!

Name: Jean Marc Barthez Type: Bordeaux Rouge Region: Bordeaux Country: France Vintage: 2014 Price: $13.99 " Jean Marc Barthez, his wife Eliane and their children work their property and their vineyards with the greatest attention and experience of generations of winemakers. This is a great everyday wine! The nose is vibrant with ripe plum and dark berry fruit while the palate is structured with black cherry and a dash of black and green pepper. This is a fresh and accessible entry level Bordeaux that doesn’t require a meal." This was my first experience with a Bordeaux. It was much smoother than I anticipated, feeling more like a Pinot Noir. I drank it by itself and it was pleasantly fruity on the palate, nothing too harsh. It was really light and easy to drink, but kind of seemed like it lacked depth. I would drink it again, but it probably wouldn't become my go-to.

Name: Dont Rodolfo Variety: Tannat Region: Mendoza Country: Argentina Year: 2015 Price: $12.99 "Don Rodolfo Vina Cornejo Costas Tannat is an in intense red color with dark purple hues. On the nose, aromas of rich red berries and black currant, with hints of chocolate. It is a bold, expressive and exotic wine with soft tannins." To be real, this might be my new favorite wine. Grabbing it off the shelf solely because of the label, and weird grape that I had never heard of before, it quickly took my favortism. I paired this alongside a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs and a side of green beans. I really think its bold, yet subtle, body really upped the game of the beef. It was almost florally on aroma, but very subdued. I think it stood up to the meal very well, and I will definitely buy this one again.

Blu is a quaint little restaurant on the edge of Norman, Oklahoma that offers good food and a great wine selection, including wine flights. I went to dinner with a fellow classmate, and we enjoyed our time with good food and good wine! I ordered the "Passport" wine flight. It came with a Nero d'Avola, a Grenache, and a Malbec. All bold reds that were ready to be paired. First, we ordered a typical charceutterie board that had loads of stuff. Apples, feta, parmesan shavings, beets, hard-boiled eggs that were soaked in beets, priscutto, capicolla, salami, goat cheese, smoked salmon, capers, pickles, mustard seeds, strawberries, brie covered in jam, white cheddar, and an avocado. For this appetizer course, I paired it with the Nero d'Avola. This was the Stemmari Nero d'Avola from Sicily. It was sweet, with hints of raspberry. Its jammy body went really well with the fatty brie and the jam on top. I also thought it brought out the smoothness of the cheese.  It h...