Name: Republic of Wine 2014 Chardonnay North Coast
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: North Coast, California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $5.48

Wine Review (Republic of Wine): Aromatically, this wine leads with notes of fresh pear and apple, along with a hint of oak. On the palate, the Pear dominates on the initial impression, fresh and juicy, evolving to add apple and sweet citrus, all wrapped in a light vanilla cream.  The flavors are supple and concentrated but remain fresh and lively through the mid palate and on into a long smooth finish. Balance is the hallmark of this wine – fruit, spice, oak, and cream, all in harmony.
(http://www.republicofwine.com/explore-2014-chardonnay)

My Review: I tried this wine because it was half off at Target and it does taste like wine that was half off at Target. This wine is light gold color and the bouquet smells of apple and oak. The body was a bit light; there was a buttery taste but I wouldn't say it was creamy. There is definitely a pear taste on the mid palate but the finish tastes like a picnic basket. It is also heat on the finish.

Name: Chateau Puy Servain Cotes De Montravel 2012
Variety: 100% Semillon
Region: Montravel
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: ~$10
Review (Vintage Cellar): I had a hard time finding a Semillon wine. I was told that it wouldn't be easy to find a 100% Semillon that wasn't blended with Sauvignon Blanc but we finally found this one. I was told that 100% Semillon would be very sweet and dessert-like. I could not find much information on this wine - even the Vintage Cellar website did not have it listed.
My Review: This wine was dark golden colored and smelled sweet almost like honey, gardeny, and almost like chicken. The first thing that stuck out when tasting was how full-bodied the wine was. Maybe it was just that I tasted it after the Chenin Blanc and Pinot Grigio, but this wine was thick.  As far as actual taste goes, I got honey and vanilla/butterscotch, but the sweetness was tempered by something "dull" that I couldn't place. After chilling the wine, There was more of an over-ripened fruit taste.

Name: Ca'Stella Latisana Pinot Grigio Friuli
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Friuli
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: 9.95
Review (France 44): Pale golden hue, with heady aromas of fresh citrus fruit, crushed flowers and some notes of pear. On the palate, refreshing and vibrant, with ripe green fruit flavors, a touch of minerality and good acidity.  
(https://www.france44.com/wine/ca-stella-pinot-grigio-friuli-latisana-2013)
My Review: The bouquet of this wine was not what I was expecting; I immediately got an almost overpowering musky smell. My girlfriend said it was like wet straw but I've never smelled that so I have no idea.  I got a new glass just in case mine wasn't washed and it smelled the same.  The taste was delicate, though, and very light and springy. It tasted like mineral water with a little pear.

Name: Les Clos Francs Vouvray Chenin Blanc
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Region: Vouvray in the Loire Valley
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95
Review (Timeless Wines):
The cool climate in the Vouvray appellation area insures good acidity, which is balanced by the distinctly fruity character of the Chenin Blanc and the mineral qualities imparted by the soil. Thanks to these natural elements, this half-dry Vouvray combines elegance and vigor with sweetness and an inherent freshness.
Mechanical and hand harvest, destemming, pneumatic pressing, static settling of the must at low temperature for 24 hours, fermentation at the cellar temperature (12°C/54°F) for 1/2 month, aging in vats, two rackings, stirring once a week during 1 month, filtration, bottling in September.
Chicken, fish, Asian Food, Desert with strawberry and raspberry.
(http://www.timelesswines.com/les-clos-francs-vouvray-2013/)

My Review: The color of this wine was a bit light and I was not able to get much from the nose.  The taste was great - crisp apples and a bit of grass. It was sweet but tart as well with a little lighter than medium body.
 

    On my 21st birthday my parents thought it was my 41st and took me to a wine bar.  My favorite wine was a Cabernet Franc.  I've been to a few wine tastings with them since, but when I drink wine I usually get Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, unless I'm investing in a pleasant Franzia box wine.  I had a surprising recent experience with wine as a result of doing Lesson 3 of Drink This Now.  I drank the Cote du Rhone with my girlfriend (each of us had about a bottle, which is pretty average), slept for 7 hours, woke up and was wondering whether I could drive to practice.  I wonder what they put in that wine. 

I like red wines a lot better than white wines, but sometimes have Pinot Grigio if my roommates need help.  Mimosas are great as well.  The more I try to talk about my experiences with wine I realize that I don't know that much.  I generally resort to saying the wine has a "smooth finish" with a straight face and people don't question it.  I think a proper vocabulary is necessary to enjoy wine properly.  That is one thing I would like to get from this course.

Some other things I would like to get from this course are an understanding of the different types of grapes that are used to make wine, the regions that they come from, aging, and how all of this contributes to making wine taste differently.  I would like to learn to talk about wine and enjoy it to its full potential.  It would be cool to learn about labels as well.  There are a lot of complexities to wine and it seems to be a conversation starter that I could get into.