Wine Tasting: Vallebelbo Moscato d'Asti

Vallebelbo's Moscato d'Asti is a deliciously sweet Italian white wine that prominently features flavors of fig and honey and has some trace bubbliness, which gives it a somewhat festive feeling. 

I am not sure where the bottle I found in my refrigerator came from and it did not have a year on it, something that is not altogether uncommon with white wines, which are generally intended to be consumed sooner rather than later. 

I enjoyed this vintage as an aperitif but think it is perhaps a little too full-bodied for these purposes and would be best suited as a desert wine. It would pair nicely with any sort of fruit, especially dried pineapple, but I would not by any means drink it with most entrees (although people who like sweet wines with their meals might enjoy it in this way). 

Wine Tasting: The Blonde Bombshell California White Wine

Contained in a bottle that is distinguished on the outside by some fun and hip label art, the Blonde Bombshell California white wine within it is notable for full-bodied flavor that is fruity but not sweet and which has floral hints of melon and honey. On an intellectual level I was a little put off by not being able to find a year or grape type listed anywhere on the bottle but, admittedly, this did not affect my actual enjoyment of this wine at all. 

"Give in to her allure and enjoy her with Asian Curry or any other spicy infused offerings," serving guidance on the back label from vintner Total Beverage Solution of Rutherford, California, reads. "You may even be tempted to bask in her charming glow alone, chilled, but not too cold." 

We enjoyed Blonde Bombshell first with our dinner of broiled steelhead trout, horseradish mashed potatoes, and peas with mushrooms, and then again for desert with some dried pineapple (which, if you have never tried it with white wine before, I highly recommend). 

Wine Tasting: MSH Cellars 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

MSH Cellars 2013 Sauvignon Blanc is a pleasant, light-bodied white wine with a straw coloration and slightly tangy flavor that features hints of pear. 

Initially, this wine presented to me as a decent accompaniment for appropriate food items but to not have enough character to stand on it own, and I adequately enjoyed my first glass of it with my dinner. While I do not generally recommend allowing white wines to breath, however, I ended up leaving this one uncorked after opening it and was quite pleased with how much flavor had emerged by the time I had a second glass. (We probably also did not properly chill this wine to start with and our subsequent glasses of it were notably cooler, and perhaps this helped to achieve its optimum taste). 

"Napa farmers have joined together to provide wine lovers a great value from Napa Valley," the label states, indicating this wine is the product of a regional collaboration and implying that it might be a blend. "Grapes are reserved from the same vineyards that supply many of Napa Valley's most respected wineries." 

MSH Cellars does not provide any pairing guidance or much background about its wines on their bottles and, if they have a website, it is remarkably difficult to find. I can say, however, that its 2013 Sauvignon Blanc was an ideal accompaniment to the broiled salmon, garlicky rice with pine nuts, and broccoli that we enjoyed it with. 

Wine Tasting: Diseño Torrontes 2011

Enjoyed a glass of 2011 Torrontes white wine from the Diseño winery in Salta, Argentina, with my dinner tonight. This is a tangy, slightly oaky, light-medium body wine with a pale straw coloration, interesting minerality, and notable but not overbearing fruity bouquet. 

According to Diseño, this wine "comes from established vineyards [that] thrive at high elevation, growing in fertile soil rich with old mineral deposits" and which are "irrigated by winter snow melt from the Andes." 

Diseño recommends pairing this vintage with chicken, fish, salads, sushi, and light appetizers. I had it with spaghetti topped with clams, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and found that they went together nicely, but think this wine would have been an even better fit with a grilled fish (e.g., something like a Chilean sea bass or mahi-mahi with a fruit relish would probably be ideal). Will have to experiment a little more with it when the opportunity presents!