Wine Dinner - Zepolli's Italian "Spain and Italy, Vino Di Vino"

Every other Sunday evening, Zeppoli's Restaurant hosts a tasting paired with hors d'oevres with a different theme each time. This Sunday, they had us taste the wines by region and presented us with a large variety of foods. There was a cheese plate consisting of a smoked gouda, a horshradish and herb cheese, muenster, and a few others. There was pasta piselli (shells with prosciutto and green peas in a creamy alfredo sauce), barbeque meatballs, a variety of bread (including an olive bread), turkey pesto wraps, two types of pizza (pepperoni and 3 cheese), and a Greek salad.

Pictured: Matt and I with the Opera Prima Tempranillo.

I went with my boyfriend, Matt (so we'll have the same photos). The seating was completely full. We were sat at tables with other Geography of Wine students, which gave us the opportunity meet and discuss our opinions of the wines with the whole table. The man hosting the tasting was named Matthew Burch and he mentioned that he's one of Boyer's independent study students. He even switched his major to Geography after taking this course!

There were 11 different wines that we tasted. We started with white, of course, had a sangria in the middle, and then went on to the reds. He chose to give us a full experience of the Cortenova line of wines, which I found very interesting. It was fun to compare the different varietals that came from the same winery. He also presented us with a selection of the Opera Prima line.

Pictured: 3 cheese pizza, barbeque meatballs, turkey pesto wrap, and scraps of the piselli pasta.

Pictured: The 11 wines that we tasted, in order from right to left.

1. Cortenova NV Prosecco DOC Treviso Italy - $13.99

Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 11% Light straw colored with greenish reflections. Fragrant bouquet full of flowers and almonds. In the palate it is fresh and clean with a soft body and a pleasing sparkle. The fruit is subtle and reminiscent of apples and pears with a hint of almond in the background. The finish is inviting. Can be drunk by itself as an aperitif or with seafood and fish, pastas with cream sauces, chicken, and fresh cheeses. 

My Review: I found this first one very inviting! This prosecco is a non-vintage selection that is very light and delicate tasting. I picked up on what the tasting notes meant by "greenish reflections." It tasted and smelled a little bit grassy in my opinion and was definitely more bubbly than champagne. It was "spritzy" and tasted excellent with the creamy pasta dish that we had. It also paired well with the cheeses that were presented.

2. Cortenova Pinot Grigio DOC Italy (Magnum) 2011 - $13.99

Presented Tasting Notes: Brilliant Straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots, and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine. Perfect also as an aperitif.

My Review: We tasted this wine on Thursday at the Vintage Cellar. I liked this one quite a bit and purchased a bottle on Thursday. I still am unable to pick up the banana notes but definitely sense the apricot and pear pretty strongly. I am able to specifically pick up the apricot smell prior to sipping. Both of these fruits are light in flavor and not nearly as sweet as other fruits. This wine is refreshing and probably one of my favorite wines that I've tasted thus far in this class.

3. AV Vinho Verde AOC Portugal 2011 - $9.99

Presented Tasting Notes: "Spring flowers and fresh fruit essences a natural freshness to dance across your palate." For a hot summer's day, you don't want an expensive rich white; you want Verde! There are few other wines that scream "summer" in the way Vinho Verde does. It seems as though that gently fizzy, wet stone-scented thing works equally well with hot dogs, raw clams, corn on the cob or any of the other classic foods of the season. Enjoy this at your Fourth of July barbecue, and consider it for summer picnics, shore outings and other alfresco events all the way through Labor Day.

My Review: I'm a BIG fan of Vinho Verdes. I find them refreshing and extremely tasty. However, in my opinion, they're all pretty similar. This particular one was light and sparkly. I would definitely enjoy this on a hot summer day. This wine smelled "grassy" and "gardeny." It tasted fresh and reminded me of cucumber water. This wine was especially well paired with the Greek salad.





4. Opera Prima NV Sparkling Moscato - $5.99

Presented Tasting Notes: A great value and a crowd-pleasing pour, Opera Prima Moscato presents an intense aroma of fresh grapes, fruit syrup and hints of white flower petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness, balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on its own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts. Serve well-chilled.

My Review: This wine was TOO SWEET. Of course, it's a Moscato so I should have expected that but the word syrup really jumps out at me while sipping this wine. It smells incredibly sweet, like liquid candy while also smelling sweet in a floral sense - almost like honeysuckle. I'm not a fan of wines this sweet, so I'll have to pass on this one.

We did not have any desserts served with this meal so I was unable to sense what it tasted like alongside something sweet.





5. Opera Prima 2011 Chardonnay La Mancha DO Spain 2011 - $6.99

Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 12% Chardonnay clean and bright in color, with an attractive tone. From fresh aroma on the nose, with a complex compendium of tropical fruits. Flavor is tasty, well balanced acidity and with memories of sensations obtained in the nose.

My Review: I was very surprised by this wine. I am used to Chardonnay's (for the most part) tasting creamy and buttery - which makes them not my favorite variety of white wine. However, this Chardonnay was not buttery in any sense. It was bursting with a fresh, fruity smell upon swirling and tasting refreshing and smooth upon sipping. It went down easy and definitely changed my mind a bit about Chardonnay's. I think I'll be a little more open minded in the future. I liked this wine quite a bit and purchased a bottle at the end of the tasting.

This wine also went well with the Greek salad, as well as the cheese and crackers. I probably wouldn't choose to drink this with the creamy pasta dish or pizza.


Onto the Reds!


6. Morada San Gria - $4.99

Presented Tasting Notes: A traditional Spanish drink made with red wine and citrus extracts. Garnet color and fresh on the palate. It is a very refreshing Sangria with around 85 grams of sugar. Serve well chilled, on its own or with lemonade and slices of fruit like peach, banana, or apple.

My Review: Bleh. Sangria should, in my opinion, ALWAYS be served fresh. It shouldn't ever be bottled to sit on a shelf. This tastes like straight up Hi-C Fruit Punch to me and I can't get over how non-wine-ish this is. It's fruit juice, and it's not refreshing. However, tasting this wine really makes me want to make my own sangria!




7. Aviva Vino 2009 "Aletta" Garnacha Campo de Borja Spain - $7.99

Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 14%. While most Campo de Borja Garnachas under $15 are simple, easy-drinking, medium-bodied fruit bombs, this is a dark, brooding wine that demands to be taken seriously despite its bargain price. This is like if someone just took the skins of blackberries and blueberries and through some sort of arcane beverage alchemy turned it into a bottle of lush-fruited elixir with great acid and firm tannins and only the slightest hint of the tell-tale cigar leaf common to its origin.

My Review: This wine smelled like...alcohol. It was robust and presented a lot to the nose after a few swirls. This wine was designed to be table wine, however, I found it too flavorful to be just a table wine. It was dry and bursting with blackberry flavor. I liked this wine a lot and it excited me because I haven't liked many of the reds that I've tasted thus far in this course.








 
8. Opera Prima 2011 Tempranillo La Mancha DO Spain - $6.99

Presented Tasting Notes: This Opera Prima Tempranillo has a bright ruby red attractive and clean with blue trim of his youth. The nose displays intense fruit aroma characteristics of the variety, red and black fruits of the forest: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries with Litter flavors and floral aromas as interesting violets and roses. The palate confirms the explosion of aromas of red and black fruits of the forest, reappearing for the initial retronasal aromas found on the nose.

My Review: This Tempranillo is dry and oaky. Upon swirling, this wine smelled like the artificial "black cherry" flavor - which is unusual because the tasting notes describe it with five other types of berries, excluding cherries. However, this wine was very full of berries in the sniff and taste. It was bursting with flavor and I enjoyed it! It has apparently won gold medals as well as being a Red Star winner.

I enjoyed the way this wine tasted with the barbeque meatballs because the meatballs were sweet and the fruit in the tempranillo complimented that well.


9. Cortenova 2011 Sangiovese di Puglia IGT Italy - $6.99
Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 12.5% intense, ruby red color. Strawberry, cherry fruit aromas. Fruity flavors, great body, supple tannins and a long finish. Food friendly style of wine. Excellent with rich pasta dishes and grilled red meat.

My Review: This Sangiovese was fruity, had a lot of body (tannins), and an unusual after-taste. The taste lingered, however, it didn't have a kick like some Sangiovese's do in the after taste. I enjoyed the lingering cherry aromas quite a bit.

This Sangiovese was excellent with the creamy pasta dish. It washed it right down and complimented the flavors well.



 
10. Cortenova 2010 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Italy - $6.99

Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 12.5% Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity. Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

My Review: This wine wasn't my favorite of the tasting. I've liked almost all of them so I suppose there has to be at least one that I'm not a fan of. This wine almost confused me because it smelled peppery to me, but then it wasn't spicy when I tasted it. It had a long finish and I was left in a pretty neutral feeling about this one.









11. Damilano 2009 "Marghe" Nebbiolo d'Alba DOCG Piedmont Italy - $16.50

Presented Tasting Notes: Alcohol 14%, Characteristic notes of violet and red fruit. Dry on the palate with good body and character; velvety and harmonious. Pairs well with hearty first courses, red meats, roasts, braised meats, game and aged cheese.

My Review: This wine was smoky and dry upon swirling. It wasn't TOO robust but it definitely had a lot of flavor with a shorter finish. It tasted as though it had been aged in oak barrels. This one, like the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo smelled spicy but didn't taste spicy. This one was also OKAY, and I'd be interested to see what it would taste like with a roast or meat.

I tasted this wine with the cheeses and it was too flavorful for some of the more bland cheeses. I think it would be good with something a little bit sharper like aged cheddar or gruyere.