Quaffing

NV Maison L. Tramier & Fils Roncier Rouge

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- to med ruby, watery rim
Nose: pronounced intensity, developing, earth, dried red cherries, mushroom, spice, black olives
Mouth: light bodied, med acid, low tannin, med+ alcohol, med intensity, med- length, earth, stewed red fruit
All in all: Good quality; drink now.

NV Roncier RougeThe nose is quite rustic: almost in an oxidative Spanish kind of way. I also get some vegetal mushroom or black olive character going on, which is reminiscent of some Negroamaro or even some French Syrah that I’ve had. So far, very atypical. A dominant dried cherry note even reminds me of Sangiovese, and I can’t decide whether or not this wine would be best marketed towards wine-savvy customers who are used to a rustic style despite lack of a vintage or Protected Geographical Indication, or towards those who want a fruity-earthy bridge wine, for the same problem.… read more

Life

2013 Term 2 Week 4 – FNH 330 is a total joke

Last week ended off nicely. 5 of us went to the Sandbar on Granville Island for Dine Out Vancouver and then we went clubbing afterwards which was high-energy yet somehow boring and bordering on chore-like as the night went on. I’m definitely not a club-goer: glancing at awkward guys who dance like they’re hailing cabs and saving my female friends from over-friendly chaps aren’t really my favourite things, but if I have to go a club, I’d at least like to dance 1) drunk; 2) oblivious to anyone around me but my friends; and 3) to guilt-free Top 40 music (hey: time and place, right?) which I didn’t even get: the music was shitty(/shittier) and I knew little to none of the music.… read more

WSET Advanced

2007 Faiveley “Paulée” Bourgogne

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale to med- garnet
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, strawberry, spice, spice, savoury
Mouth: dry, light bodied, med+ acidity, low to med- tannin, med alcohol, med- to med length, spice, redcurrant
All in all: Very good quality; drink now.

We compared this basic Bourgogne to a Premier Cru Burgundy that was thirty dollars more. This is great value for a basic Pinot without breaking the bank. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this wine in particular, but you really get that true Burgundian character out of this for every single dollar. Sure – it lacks a bit of haunting secondary character you might expect from a red Burgundy, but that’s why it’s 20 dollars. I’m not entirely sure why, but my table had a hard time determining which of the two wines was which.… read more

Quaffing

nine bottles for six bodies

Yeah – part of my job is that I get to taste a lot of wines. It’s really helping with stressful midterm season, and my co-workers and I decided to taste some stuff at one of our houses (Thanks! I’m sure we annoyed your neighbours oops). Unfortunately one of us was sick and couldn’t make it, which really sucks because we tasted some pretty cool things, but I guess more wine for us OH WELL.

Also, we all had these blind with the exception for the last one, which is always fun. I’m glad everyone waited for a co-worker and I to close and travel to the place – I’m sure everyone was itching to open the first bottle, which was delish.… read more

Tasting

wine 101 @ UBC

So yeah! I led the first tasting of this school year at the UBC Wine Tasting Club. It was awesome and complete with me spilling wine while demonstrating swirling, me speaking horrendously quietly and fast while avoiding the tens and tens of eyes on me, and me silently freaking out and wondering if people were getting bored as I barked on and on about the noble grape varieties. Which is great, because that’s me being normal.

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating.

What was also fantastic was that Holly brought her Le Nez du Vin set which was amazingly fun. People were trying to quiz each other with smells or just smelled the little vials in general. My favourite picture was the one with the goat-looking beast with weird fangs (“Musk”).… read more