Tag: Veneto

Tasting

16 Wines to Pair with your Disappointing New Year’s Resolutions of 2016

Posted on by Josh

Rarely do I scroll through my phone in the morning (still in bed, furthermore) and decide to go to an event on a whim especially after a slightly pixilated night involving absinthe and a plethora of Real Housewives taglines, but making quick decisions was one of my resolutions for the year – malformed somewhere in the summer – prompting a quick change and a leap out of the door. Were we supposed to RSVP? Yes, says my phone. Whatever.

I remember attending the Annual Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Marquis Wine Cellars last year: it was a last-minute invite by text after the first Guild of Sommeliers blind tasting seminar held in Vancouver. I remember forgetting my wallet, so I had to borrow money from a friend to donate to the Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, the charity who the event supports. … read more

Life · Travel

JOSH IS ALONE IN NEW YORK CITY: Day 1

Posted on by Josh

So this year, the Wine Bloggers Conference is held in New York, and a small group of us decide to spend some time in NYC as a pre-pre-conference excursion before heading to the Finger Lakes. But it was only literally just a couple of days before our flight to New York that I found out my airplane buddy Donita could no longer go due to a health issue, so besides the couple of Vancouver friends I would meet up with later, I came to the realization that I was going to be mostly alone in a city I recently denounced as being crowded and scary. THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS. GOD IS TESTING ME.

I was late to the interview to my current job because I couldn’t figure out how our own buses work and I’ve lived in Vancouver since I was born.… read more

Life · Quaffing · Tasting

Post-Pride and Pre-WBC15 Wine Dump

Posted on by Josh

Bit of a tasting note dump between the Maryland trip and Vancouver Pride, since I am not drinking for a week in a simultaneous effort to recover from Vancouver Pride antics and to prepare my liver for the Wine Bloggers Conference in New York. Huzzah. I am surprisingly doing well so far, and I have stepped into the world of non-alcoholic beer.

(I’ve failed miserably.)

There’s not really a common thread here, except for maybe the general Old World?

I’ve also found out that my travel buddy had to cancel her attendance to both the Wine Bloggers Conference and our pre-conference trip to NYC due to a health issue, so I’m semi-alone in NYC (semi- because I’m meeting up with some Vancouver friends still) and I’m a little scared but also super excited. … read more

Tasting

“Il Veneto In Un Bicchiere”

Posted on by Josh

A late post from December 30, 2014. I’m the worst.

ilvenetoinunbicchiere

Even in the winter, I shave my head every four days. I’m used to the brisk air and I sort of enjoy it, but there’s the unfortunate coincidence when Shave Day collides with a wine event, because that means I have to be judicious with how much I moisturize my head. The first rule of any wine event is to skip the cologne or perfume entirely – and I don’t wear cologne anyways – but sometimes I secretly break that rule, all in the name of male pattern baldness. Why are there no slow-motion hair commercials for guys like me with Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten playing in the background?

Thankfully, the wines of the Veneto are generally lively enough to pair with the subtle flowery scents of my head, and brisk enough to pair with a sunny winter day.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 10: Piemonte and Veneto

Posted on by Josh

Back to reality. It seems like everyone around me is getting post-holiday ailments but I’m doing my best to survive. The holidays were fun but thankfully, they’re never really over-the-top for me (besides last year’s Soave incident). I swatted all New Year’s Eve plans out of my view in favour for cooking myself a meal, drinking a bottle of wine, and sleeping at around midnight: and you’d think that would end up totally bumming me out, but I had a satisfying sleep as the planet fully rotated into 2015, and I woke up at a decent hour to do some wine reading.

I’m riveting. I know. No hangover: that was a thing, though!

I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I don’t plan that far ahead, and because I think it’s weird to make weird and shallow decisions at some quasi-arbitrary time of the year.… read more

Quaffing

Cantina Valpantena 2012 “Torre del Falasco” Valpolicella Ripasso

Posted on by Josh

Cantina Valpantena 2012 "Torre del Falasco" Valpolicella RipassoFor some reason I’m never drawn to Valpolicella these days – or ever, really – but I hear its name pop up more than I’d expect. I can see it becoming a trendy wine in Vancouver (if not already), it being a middling restaurant-friendly red with a spiffy name and style versatility.

It’s been a while since I’ve had actively had one. More than two years ago. (Ew.)

Black cherry and cola are the main stars here, and there’s a subtle dried herby undergrowth on the nose. Sage, I think. I learned well about herbs that one time I bought a bunch of them to bake chicken, and there was that one golden moment where I’m sure I made the ghosts in the house laugh when I accidentally snorted dried marjoram.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 9: Workshop #2

Posted on by Josh

Okay, let’s be real here: it’s the holidays, and during the entirety of the WSET diploma, there was inevitably going to be at least one class that combined horribly with a hangover, and that day was today. I’m stubborn and quasi-meticulous: I’ve never missed a class nor have I ever not written about a wine we tried, but I just don’t have the willpower to give birth to separate posts this time around. Not that anyone’s really counting on me, anyways. Insert booing crowd here.

The last workshop we had consisted of one flight of three wines and some written practice. Today consisted of two flights of wine and no written practice (thank the gods), and we promised our instructor that we would practice on our own as if we were promising our parents to not have a house party while they were gone for a week.… read more

WSET Diploma

“What I Like About You” – The Romantics: NV Adami “Vigneto Giardino” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Dry

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, bubbles
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, mineral, candied green fruit, green apple, pear, hint citrus, sprite/7-up
Mouth: off-dry, creamy mousse, med acid, med- body, med- alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med length, mineral, candied green apple, pear
All in all: Good (to very good) quality: this unmistakable Prosecco is intense in its Prosecco-y characteristics, has a creamy mousse, and a balanced mouthfeel. Though wholly fresh, the acid could be a tad higher. Drink now, not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Prosecco from Italy.
Is really: High-priced Non-Vintage Prosecco from Italy.

NV Adami "Vigneto Giardino" Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Dry[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 5]

Prosecco – Its intrinsic liveliness at its best always reminds me of the music that you find yourself jamming to no matter who you are.… read more

WSET Diploma

That one song you secretly like but aren’t supposed to: NV Valdo “Marca Oro” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, bubbles
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, mineral, green apple, pear, citrus, hint herbaceous, flint, floral
Mouth: off-dry, aggressive mousse, med acid, med- body, med- alcohol, med flavour intensity, green apple, mineral, citrus, pear, hint herbaceous, med+ finish
All in all: Good quality: the wine has structural balance and a relatively long finish, though the flavours are a bit simple and delicate. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Inexpensive Non-Vintage Sekt from Germany.
Is really: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Prosecco from Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, Veneto, Italy.

NV Valdo "Marca Oro" Valdobbiadene Prosecco Extra Dry[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 3]

Okay so for some reason I flat out thought this was lower quality than it was. I would like to go ahead and apologize to this wine, who did nothing but try to please me with its bubbly goodness.… read more

WSET Advanced

2009 Pieropan Soave Classico

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, watery rim
Nose: clean, med- intensity, developing, oak, nutty, floral, stone fruit
Mouth: dry, med body, med acidity, med intensity, med- alcohol, med length, citrus, mineral
All in all: Good quality; drink now.

2009 Pieropan Soave Classico

I’ve read about the definition and forgot about a million times, but the term “classico” refers to the original area in which these wines and grapes originated from. For example, since its inception, places like Chianti have extended to include regions like Chanti Rufina, which generally use the same grapes with different elements of terroir. “Classico” refers to those original areas in Italy.

Although Italian whites are known for their neutrality, they can often have a certain subtle nuttiness to them as well.… read more