Ironstone Obsession Symphony

I like to hear about wines that other people who claim not to be wine people like. These adventures often reveal that they are probably more "wine people" than they realize but may be turned off by flavours that are common in certain common varietals (I'm looking at you Chardonnay, Merlot, oaked wines, etc.). People start to think that all wines have to be dry, heavy, powerful, etc. and that is not the case at all! I believe there is a varietal for everyone, you just have to find out what they like. K's friend L was just such a person, but this is his favourite wine. He claims not to like most wines, but I think judging by this one, he just probably would prefer sweeter ones over dry, heavy, oaky wines. L's favourite wine is Ironstone Obession's Symphony wine. The winery is from California  and the bottle rings in at around $15.15. I would reccomend it for people who like their wines sweet and cold, like P. Enjoy!

L -  This is my favourite wine. I really like how sweet it is. It has a very strong flavour to it. It leaves a nice, sweet aftertaste in your mouth. There is a certain zing to it as well. I enjoy this kind of sweetness and can see how it smells like flowers. It would be very hard to match with foods but I would drink it on its own or with a fruity salad, like a spinach salad with fruits, nuts, and a cheese.

K - This wine is very sweet and syrupy with a bit of a fizzy taste.

A - This wine smells like a very sweet flowery syrup, maybe like elderberry syrup. It is sweet like the previously reviewed Black Tower but not as syrupy or peachy. It is a little bit tingly and more like a mango-type tropical fruit flavour. I really like this wine. It is a good wine for socializing. It is quite a sweet wine, so I worry that if one is not careful, it may lead to hangovers!

Cattail Creek Estates Winery, Gamay Noir, 2011, VQA

Winter is an annoying time. A is not in the mood for fun or summery wines because they make her bitter about this prolonged winter. But she also cannot survive on heavy reds alone. Enter the Cattail Creek Gamay Noir. This wine is atypical, in that it is ok to chill it. It is a lighter wine, both in colour and taste, and also is the right wine in taste and weight for light wine winter drinking. Not tropical enough to send A into a state of rage, but not heavy enough to emphasize the fact that winter is still here. At $15.95 it is on the edge of the "everyday" drinking budget, but is worth it for a unique taste. What did A think? Check it out!

A - As you can see in the picture, this is an incredibly light coloured red wine. When I was pouring it, it looked more like a rosé in colour. It has a light rose-coloured tint. It smells smoky and fruity, like raspberries, and has a bit of a vanilla-esque sweetness. It is also a very soft tasting wine. It tastes a bit like plums and rose petals (dusty, floral, and dry). It is definitely not an aggressive tasting wine, but it does have a bit of an alcohol aftertaste. I drank it with my turkey-for-two from the local butcher (a bacon-wrapped stuffed turkey breast from the local butcher). The meaty smokey-ness brought out the jammy sweetness of cherries and plums in this wine, and it cut the alcohol finish. I quite liked this wine with dinner. It is light but not delicate, so pairs well with heartier foods. It is also a bit woody, like a sweet cherry wood that is not overwhleming. While I liked this wine, it has a very distinct flavour that may not make it a crowd pleaser. The dry, slightly floral taste may be a turn off for those who like fruitier reds, but also those who like more chocolate-y or woody reds. The gamay is not always a popular grape, so serve this with a dinner, where its flavours would be better balanced and it would come across as more fruity, but not at a party where you are trying to please a lot of people. This was also good for sipping, both chilled and unchilled, and would make a good sangria base for all people.

Dreaming Tree, Everyday (white blend), California

It was another night in in Kingston, and though it isn't spring, it was time for a chilled white, dammit! B was baking lemon cupcakes with a bumbleberry filling and French chocolate icing, which is an impressive feat for somebody while drinking. B and C have a new kitchen, so we drank this blend called Everyday, from Dreaming Tree, a California winery. I had picked it up in a gift set at Christmas for 23.90$. Alas, the giftset is sold out, but I will review Dreaming Tree's red, which is still available, later on. A collaboration with Dave Matthews, the cork had cute song lyrics on it

Today was also a chance to try out B and C's housewarming gift from K, a fancy electronic wine opener. You put it on the cork, press the button (while holding the bottle) and it takes the cork out.

It worked pretty well. It took us three button presses to get the cork fully out. This wine tool would be handy for people with hand issues, like arthritis, who may find traditional corks hard to grip. It is quite fancy and may make a good gift for the wine lover in your life. But now on to the wine!

A - This wine is a very fruity smelling blend, like lemons and light coloured fruits. It is a very light tasting wine as well, that would be excellent with the dessert we are preparing tonight, or on its own. It is fruity, and tastes like lychees, pears, and white grape juice. It has no aftertaste or alcoholic flavour. Overall, this is a very pleasant wine. I would drink it again. It tastes like sunshine. It is also very light coloured in the glass and isn't thick or syrupy. A great blend!

B - This wine tastes cidery, and like white grapes as well. I would also drink this wine again, readily and in great quantity. I would drink it with grilled salmon or other similar grilled seafood

C- I don't know what to think, it is a bit dry but very light, without a lot of aftertaste. It was hard to pin down the flavour (maybe a bit of apple?) but it is definitely fruity. I would definitely drink it again, because it tastes good and not strong, but it is also a good price.

Konzelmann, Heritage 2010 (VQA)

The LCBO has closed one of their wine warehouses, and as a result, many of their vintages stores are having clearance sales. This wine came from one of those sales, reduced from $20.25 to $15.25, making it more within reach of the average grad student.  This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz. As the bottle says, “Together they generate a unique myriad of flavours which are masterfully woven together to become more than the sum of their parts. Cabernet Sauvignon provides a structuring density, and heartiness. A charge of espresso and black pepper from the Shiraz is balanced seamlessly with the red berry fruit flavours of the Merlot.” My mom said that it was nice and drinkable, making it a good mix between a real red drinkers wine and a non-red wine drinkers one.

Dad- I can’t get over the legs on this wine, it’s been a long time since I have had a wine with as many legs as this one. Dry, full-bodied, and it has that smokiness to it. It tastes like cherries and I can’t taste what it is heavier on. It is heavier on the Shiraz I think and you don’t get much of a Merlot taste. It is very peppery, which is why I think it is more of a Shiraz blend. I really like the wine, but it is not a wine you would want to drink more than one or two glasses of because it is very full-bodied, though it would go well with a meal, like a good steak or a roast, like the one A’s Mom makes.

A – This wine smells like a coffee liquer. But it tastes, as my sister would say, like wine. This is a good thing. It is a very strong wine, with a cranberry raspberry start. It is quite dry, which you really get on the finish and its peppery after taste. Like imagine licking black pepper, and it leaving your tongue dry, but balanced with fruits. It is a pretty spicy wine, but is well-rounded. It is a very dark wine. It is a very strong wine, that would be best served with a good meal, or on a rainy night.