Winery Visit - Burnley Vineyards

Here are pictures from my day at the wineries!!!

Burnley

Owned by tech grads!!!

Overall their wines are very diverse. The chardonnay is rich and buttery, while the Barbera smells like blue cheese and tobacco. They had a sweet peach wine and a sweet, herbaceous “Rivnna Sunset” (named after a local river). They had a port style wine, however not at the same strength (their wines cannot go above %18 ABV because they only have a farm license, not a commercial license). The Aurora tasted like tootsie rolls and the Norton like cherry starbursts. Each wine was a unique experiences in and of themselves. And the owners are so nice! The winemaker and his wife are Virginia Tech graduates (and they name their dogs after grapes). This, of the three wineries we visited that day (Burnley, Keswick, and Barboursville), was my favorite!

Dinner - "Palisades (Wines around the World... With a Hop)"

My roommate and I, as we are both taking this class, didn't even hesitate for a food-wine pairing at the Palisades. We both love to cook and are excited to add wine pairings to our list of repertoire. This night at the Palisades was overall very good. There were a few pairings that worked quite well and a few pairings that just didn't work. Both of us had very different opinions on the selection, as we have noticed that our palates are a bit different, as they should be! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures... it turns out that despite my indifference toward social media, I gave Snapchat the priority over actual pictures, and didn't save any... Except for one picture of the menu:

...Which doesn't do anyone much good because I'll be re-interated the entire menu in this blog. So anyway!.. On to the good stuff...

The First Course!

Wine: Cotes du Rhone Rose (France)

Beer: Shooting Creek Buffalo Brown (Virginia)

Dish: Baby kale, apple cider bacon, pickled red onions, Parmesan cheese with black currant balsamic

reduction

Pairing:

The color is a rich, yet clear pink. On the nose, this wine has tropical fruit and honey. The taste is a bit drier than I had expected from the nose, but is typical of an old-world rose. From the first taste I get a lot of acidity and no sugar. It is light and cleansing on the palate. The acidity is rounded out well with the bacon and the pickled red onion brings out a nice bitterness along with the baby kale. The low viscosity and crispness of this wine is filled in with bacon and overall sweetness of the dish. The beer has a nice nutty, caramel aroma. The bitter, hoppy taste is not too heavy and does not linger on the palate. The sweetness of the dressing pairs well with the bitterness of the beer. 

The Second Course!

Wine: Dr. Loosen Sweet Riesling (Germany)

Beer: Foggy Ridge Handmade Cider (Virginia)

Dish: Lobster bisque with roasted root vegetables and fresh thyme

Pairing: 

The wine has a rich peach aroma with a surprisingly light color. On the nose, it has very low acid and alcohol, merely a pleasingly floral and fruity aroma. The taste is sweet with a tart finish and accents of peach and butter. The lobster bisque is creamy with hints of spice. The pairing, in my opinion, is not quite right. One does not elevate the other, they compete. The creaminess of the bisque allows the flavors to remain present on the mid palate, but the wine is too buttery and heavy to pair with the bisque. The beer is quite piney and smokey with a very tart finish. The bisque actually elevates the cider with the spices and the tartness (which maintains presence throughout) is balanced well with the fattiness of the bisque. 

The Third Course!

Wine - Frontier Red (California)

Beer - Parkway Bridge Builder Blonde (Virginia)

Dish - Maple and pepper cured salmon with citrus herb cream cheese baked in puff pastry

Pairing: The wine is oaky, with mellow acid balanced well with the dry, tannic quality. It has a creamy body with a smooth, clean finish. The dish pairs quite well. The medium body fits in with the rich maple, pepper, and fatty fish. The dish brings out the pepper and the salty, creaminess of the dish is balanced well with the acid and alcohol. The beer is light and fruity. It tastes almost like a dunkelweisen, with a very prominent banana-clove yeast flavor. The dish is actually able to bring out additional fruitiness in the beer and it pairs quite well.

Tasting - Sexual Chocolate

Sexual Chocolate

Red Blend
Napa Valley
California
2011
$20

This wine has a deep violet color, many legs, and has a medium to low viscosity. Initially, I smell strong notes of cherry, chocolate, oak, raspberry, and sweet floral characteristics. This wine is TART. It has a very dry, chalky mouth feel and taste. It is a bit hot with a high acid content. Although, it has an earthy, round and crisp finish. As it aerates for a while, I start to get some very savory notes in addition to fruit, such as pepper. This wine, although advised against on the bottle for some reason, would benefit well with a few years on the shelf. The tannins and acidity are not well rounded at this point.

Tasting - Bitch Bubbly

Bitch Bubbly
Spain
$6


Translucent, pink, viscous and... bubbly. I taste cherry, peach, apricot and strawberry. Light amount of fizz, dry and sweet with a warm finish and low acidity. The sweetness is less overpowering than what I expected. The 11% ABV cuts through sweetness. It's drinkable, but has a finish resembling cherry cough syrup and has a weak mid palate. Overall, pretty boring.

Tasting - Rowan's Creek Bourbon

Rowan's Creek
Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky
$37

Sour Mash Manifesto:
Rowan’s Creek Bourbon, 50.05% abv (100.1 Proof), $35.00, Batch No: QBC No. 12-67
Color: Deep golden/light amber
Nose: Caramel and spicy, floral honey notes up front. A sweet and fruity baked cinnamon apple overshadows the oak influence, which is restrained. Vanilla is present in spades.
Palate: Well spiced – cinnamon and chili heat quickly cut through the caramel, corn and honey sweetness. Vanilla and oak round out the flavors on the palate. A splash of water calms things a bit, bringing on more oak, and even a bit of fruity sweetness.
Finish: Only moderate in length, but with ample caramel and vanilla (a touch of charred oak).
Overall: Rowan’s Creek is an excellent whiskey that hits a lot of the characteristics I look for in a great bourbon. It has the sweetness, spice, a bit of fruit, and enough going on to make things interesting, while still being accessible. The price point is pretty solid as well. There’s a lot of speculation about where KBD sources whiskey for this bottling. I personally don’t think they are traveling very far to get the juice for Rowan’s Creek. Heaven Hill is a long par 5 away from KBD’s headquarters in Bardstown, KY, and Rowan’s Creek has some of that Evan Williams DNA. Give this one a try.
Sour Mash Manifesto Rating: 8.7 (Very Good/Excellent)

My Review:
On the nose, I get toffee, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, butter, shortbread, a hint of smoke and cinnamon. There is also a peppery nose almost like horse radish. There is tons of vanilla and caramel, likely from the oak, almost like a birthday cake! There is also a nutty quality resembling almonds and cashews. Some less prominent notes are chamomile, honey, and smoke. This is a great bourbon and has forever spoiled me!

Tasting - Coastal Estates Pinot Noir

Beaulieu Vineyard, Coastal Estates
Pinot Noir
Napa Valley
California
2011

$10


Youthful, medium ruby color. Quite aromatic, this vintage showcases black cherry, anise, and dried herb aromas reflecting its cool-climate origins and outstanding fruit maturity. On the palate, it is already quite rich in fruit, with medium body, a round velvety texture meshed with balanced acidity and lots of spicy-cherry, cocoa and minerally flavors.


My Review:
This wine has a dark, rich purple color, with a low to medium viscosity. On the nose, I get dark fruit, blackberry, plum, leather, tobacco and oak. It is earthy, with components of blue cheese and mushroom. I also get hints of black pepper, vanilla and spice. On the initial taste, it is dry yet full bodied with a smooth mouth feel. There is a sweet floral characteristic that is a nice break from some of the fruitier reds. This wine is overall very round and complex. I will be getting this one again!

Tasting - Chateau Ste Michelle Sauv Blanc

Chateau Ste Michelle
Sauvignon Blanc
Columbia Valley
California
2012
$11

This wine has a very light yellow color and a rather low viscosity. On the nose, I get tropical fruit and an ammonia-like scent, almost like cat pee.. There is a slight frizzante on the palate which gives it a nice feel. This is a very complex wine, emphasizing floral notes, grapefruit, passion fruit and pineapple. Fruit bomb! I also get a good amount of crisp sour apple, most likely due to the stainless steel fermentation. It is a little hot on the finish, but very fruity, creamy, yet crisp and pleasantly dry.