Tasting - Bartenura

Name: Bartenura

Variety: Moscato

Region: Provincia Di Pavia

Country: Italy

Year: 2010

Price: $4.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: The inviting apricot preserves, honey, butter, and roasted almond aromas of this semi-sparkler pull you right in. It’s on the sweet side, with stone-fruit flavors kept alive by decent acidity. The palate bubbles and tingles and maintains its balance. Fine as an aperitif or with dessert.

My Review: This was the last wine I tasted of 5, so I wasn’t able to pick out a lot of flavors.  The first thing I tasted was the sweetness.  Now it wasn’t as sweet as a German Riesling but actually a nice touch of sweetness.  It would be great as a dessert wine or for someone who is just starting to drink wine.  I am usually not a fan of dessert wines, but with lower sugar content than expected I enjoyed it.

If food present, did it change the flavor: N/A

Drink Up!

-R.V.

Tasting - Finca del Castillo

Name: Finca del Castillo

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $4.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean towards raisin. The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spic flavors. Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato.

My Review: The first thing I got out of this was the spice, both on the nose and on the tongue.  The finish was not very strong and left you with a hint of raisins.  For a Tempranillo it was nice and light without too much spice.  I liked the wine but I have had better Tempranillo’s in the past

If food present, did it change the flavor: N/A

Drink Up!

-R.V.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Variety: Gamay

Region: Beaujolais of Burgundy

Country: France

Year: 2012

Price: $3.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice. Modest finish

My Review:  the initial smell was very fruity and sweet.  When I tasted it, the strongest flavor I tasted was grapefruit with a hint of raspberry behind it.  It has a very light finish and sat well on the tongue after a minute.  I could definitely tell that it was young and needed some more aeration to release some of the heavy tannins in it.  It portrays the 2012 region in Beaujolais very well but I would not drink a lot of it because it was sweeter than I like my reds.

If food present, did it change the flavor: N/A

Drink Up!

-R.V.

Tasting - Mars and Venus

Name: Mars and Venus

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Central Valley

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $5.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that’s just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.

My Review: the first thing I notice was that it was much more acidic than the previous wine.  It had a slightly bitter finish because of the acidity but was not overpowering at all.  Hints of apple came through with the wine.  In the end, it was a fuller taste so this would definitely go well some light aperitif’s but it was not my favorite of the day.

If food present, did it change the flavor: N/A


Drink Up!

-R.V.

Tasting - La Cappuccina Soave

Name: La Cappuccina Soave

Variety: Garganega

Region: Northeastern Italy

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $7.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Bright straw yellow in color. Delicate on the nose, with notes of flowers and almonds. Dry, well-structured and delicately fruity, with hints of bitter almonds on the finish that is typical of Garganega-based wines.

My Review: This wine was a very light wine with a fresh feel.  It was not overly acidic and it was definitely not a heavy white.  I think best word is delicate, because it’s really nice as a sipping wine but having it with food would very easily over power it.  Overall, very nice starter wine and I very much enjoyed this one.

If food present, did it change the flavor: N/A

Drink Up!

-R.V.

Running - Hills

So yesterday was my second day back at running and it was a little bit better than the first.  I slowed down my pace which kept off the cramps but had a fun time with the weather.  It was again 60 degrees out, but cloudy, overcast and threatening to rain.  After checking weather.com, I decided to go anyways.  Of course the way out wasn't too bad, I had the wind at my back!  I got about a mile in and decided to do some hill sprints.  My time was by no way impressive but I did hill sprints for about .75 of a mile and go my heart rate way up.  And then I turned the corner to come back, well try to come back.  With 30 mph gusts, it felt as though I wasn't making any progress!  But alas, I made it home and avoided the rain so I would call that a success.  Here are the stats:
Distance: 2.80
Time: 32:20
Pace: 11:32
Avg HR: 163 / Cal: 270
Route: Foxridge to Smith's Landing and back

Now get out there and run!

-R.V.

PS.  Today I got up and we had snow on the ground with a high of 35 degrees F... Mother nature here seems to be a little bi-polar!

Running - Day 1

Well, today was day 1 of getting back on the horse of running.  And might I say it wasn't quite the most enjoyable run I have ever had.  Within mile one I got really bad side cramps which plague me through the rest of my run.  But I was able to keep my head high and finish my loop.  The upside to it was the fact that it was 60 degrees when I was running with shorts and a t-shirt next to piles of snow!  Majorly confusing but a nice change of pace from the cold.  It was a rough start but a start none the less so here are the stats:
Distance: 4.46
Time: 53:01
Overall Pace: 11:53
Avg Heart Rate: 167 (this is how I know it wasn't right, high HR with Low pace)
Route: Foxridge to oak lane and back to Foxridge

Now get out there and run!

-R.V.

Tasting - Beaujolais - Villages

Name: Beaujolais - Villages

Variety: 100% Gamay

Region: Beaujolais region of Burgundy

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $13.95 at Kroger

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Parker’s Wine Bargains: Brimming with black fruits tinged with citrus zest, bitter hints of fruit pit ... It offers consistently clean, refreshing and genuinely energetic display of Gamay-granite synergies

My Review: The smell was slightly fruity with a full body.  It had a nice warm color to it so it seemed like it would be nice red.  The taste was very fruity but very easy to drink.  The finish was not very strong and won’t hang around too long on you tongue.  The tannins were not too strong within this red and it was a nice red to drink without food.

If food present, did it change the flavor: Did not have food with this


Drink Up!

-R.V.

Tasting - Aliwen Reserva Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Aliwen Reserva

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: 70% Curico Valley, 30% Leyda Valley

Country: Chili

Year: 2011

Price: $12.95 at Vintage Cellar

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Looking for a great Sauvignon Blanc for a reasonable price? Here you get all the features from: gooseberry, passion fruit, freshly mown grass, fresh acidity and a sleek style. The refreshing Aliwen has the characteristics of its sunny Chilean origin a round, mild, rich texture. That makes this Sauvignon Blanc delicious as an aperitif but also suitable for eating with salmon, asparagus and salads.

My Review: the initial smell of the wine is very acidic and very fruity.  The main smell that I got out of it was apples.  When I tried it, the first sip was pretty much just straight acidity and bitterness that sits on you tough for a good 30 seconds.  But it’s refreshing feeling means that it would be great on a hot summer day.  Nice wine to start the evening off with.

If food present, did it change the flavor: Did not have this with food


Drink Up!

-R.V.

Introduction - Me and my Wine

Why Hello There!!

And welcome to the bog of the running vine!  I am a runner who loves to drink wine and would love to share my adventures with you.  

First a slight disclaimer, this is part of an assignment that I have to do for my geography of wine class.  This means that the majority of my posts for the next three months will be focused on tasting, pairing and really anything that has to do with wine.  Since I am doing it for a grade, some may be overly scholarly but I will try to lighten the mood and throw in some random jokes... hopefully you will laugh?!

As per my first assignment, I need to write a little about myself and my experience with wine.  Well here goes nothing:

Wine, wine, wine, oh how wonderful this red drink is.  My experience with wine starts with the most important people in my life, my family.  I grew up in a household that had an alcoholic drink every night at dinner.  From as far back as I can remember, my parents would have a bottle of wine every night at dinner.  Even my grandparents would drink wine (now maybe it was out of a glass jar into a coffee mug.. but besides the point).  Seeing as I grew up around it, I think it was kind of an obligation to get into wine, not that I am complaining.

Honestly, I cannot remember the first glass of wine but I have no doubt it was probably a red and at the dinner table over the holidays.  I am pretty sure I was not 21 at the time but since I am the youngest of the family, I got away with it.  I wouldn't say that I hated it, but I could force myself to drink one glass while eating food because the finish wouldn't sit on my tong.  I guess that means I started strong?  Either way, I have attended a handful of wine and cheese parties thrown by some great people.  They always ended in a blur but no doubt I had an amazing time.  For my 21st birthday, I flew out to California to visit my oldest brother and out of the deal I got an overnight in the amazing Napa Valley.  We stayed at a bed and breakfast which drove us around we a handful of small vineyards to try out some wines.  Lava vine, benessere and a vineyard owned by the daughter of Disney were some of the places we visited.  I think the best part of this whole trip was that we went on a random Tuesday in March and there was no one there!  Which means we had the wine tasting rooms to ourselves.  We learned so much about how to taste wine, how to make wine and even got into some of the cellars!  After that amazing trip, how could I not get into wine?

Speaking of wine, I will say that what I drink really depends on my mood and whether or not I will be eating with it.  I have had some German Rieslings, but one glass is enough since they are so sweet.  I have had Tempranillo and Malbecs but they taste much better with dinner (or as a second bottle).  I grew up on Cabernet and it is still on my list but I have to say that my favorite wine to drink is a Chianti or a Chianti Classico (go to is by Ruffino).  I don't know what it is, but I have never had a bad experience with Chianti.  Since I can't really drink that in the dead heat of summer, I will throw in a Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay every once in a while but the best way to have those is in a fruit soaked wine spritzer (I know girly right?).  With that being said, I have a pretty good background in wine but I still have a long way to go.

(Warning: I have to add this in for my class)
Within my geo of wine class, there are many things that I hope to get out of it.  First, this is my first class with Mr. Boyer so I really just wanted that experience since he is infamous at VT.  Second, I know wines but I don't KNOW wines.  I want to be able to compare the country and the type of wine and have an idea about what it will taste like.  I want to know based on that idea, what foods would be best paired with it.  And in the end, be able to choose wines from a seller that are different but know what I am getting into.  Finally, this class is just a great excuse to drink wine.  The only way I can get good at wines is by drinking them, and this class will force me to do.  It will broaden my horizons and the next time I go out to Napa, I can show off my refined wine skills.

Now that you know all about my wine experience, let me just quickly tell you about my running life.  I was never a runner before last summer when I convinced myself to sign up for a local half marathon.  I read up on training and I build my own training schedule.  After three months of it, I completed my first half in 2:05:45!  Not too shabby for a first time!  But I want to keep up my running by holding myself responsible for the next half marathon.  I haven't decided which one I want to do but I am planning on sometime near the end of April.  My goal: under 2 hours.

Now that you know a little bit about me, I hope you wish me luck on my journey through this semester!

~R.V.