M’s Wine Tasting: 004

WINE: (noun) Juice with more life experience.

We are back with the second round of wine tasting in the “M’s Wine Tasting” series. To recap from 001: Coffee has always been my preferred drink for any occasion–and 90% of the time it remains to be; however, most will tell you when pursuing a life of elegance, sophistication, and affluence it is important to know your wines. That is not to say you need to be on the level of a sommelier, but you should have some knowledge as to what wines suit different meals, occasions, and most importantly your taste. Depending on where you live and the network you have, it is also just as equally important to have some knowledge of spirits and liquors, but that is a conversation for another time. For now, I want to focus on wine.

Now if you cannot tolerate alcohol, by no means would I recommend trying the wines I will be sharing in this series. If you frequently host or plan events, it may be something you want to keep in the back of your noggin though. There will be many occasions where knowing wines will come in handy. For this reason, I have started a personal inquiry of wines and thought it might be not only intriguing but helpful to share my findings. By no means am I an expert, as you know coffee is my heart’s drink, yet on a “wine’s quest”, so to speak, I will be sharing the wines that I try, my thoughts on them, and a rating in this new wine tasting series.

A little reminder before we dive into my fourth tasting: I do have astute tastes and do not tolerate dry, bitter, or spicy flavors well. My preferences are sweet–seriously sweet; so sometimes even dessert wines are not sweet enough for me. I tend to go for sweet and semi-sweet white wines, sparkling wines, and champagnes. Due to this, I would definitely suggest taking this into account as I continue my wine-tasting series.

Without further ado, the fourth wine of the wine-tasting series is a Naked Wines find that took me by surprise: Rose of Pinot Noir (2019) by Akiyoshi.

Background

Akiyoshi’s Rose of Pinot Noir is a reasonably priced wine. It is a product of California made with Pinot Noir grapes. The alcohol content is 17%. Because of the mixed nature of the wine, it can be served at any occasion.

Tasting

The Rose of Pinot Noir has a beautiful salmon color that is accentuated by natural light and a fruity bouquet. For this wine tasting, I tasted it at room temperature and chilled. Room temperature because I did not chill before cooking with the wine. The citrus flavor was deeper at room temperature for me. When chilled, nice and cool, the flavor presented more fresh and crisp. The sharpness of citrus fruit notes came through more clearly than that of red fruits. It is smooth and dry on the tongue. With a higher alcohol content, it was hard for me to pinpoint the red fruits.

Due to the dryness, but fresh, crisp taste, this would be a wine I would drink on occasion; a late afternoon, or early evening.

Rating and Recommendations

Overall, I would rate the wine a 3.5, with the additional .5 given because the taste took me by surprise. I have tried other wines by Akiyoshi that have been said to be sweet and then sadly disappointed; so, I was pleasantly taken by the fresh taste even though it was pretty dry.

The flavor of the grapes prominently comes through, making it good to pair with tomato cream sauces, seafood dishes, fruit and cheese platters, and fruit desserts. It is even good for a casual evening of pizza and wine.

Aside from sipping, what I most liked about this wine, and recommend, is the flavor enhancement in dishes. Not a wine made for cooking, it does especially well. In wine-based rigatoni, it brought out the flavors of the sauce, creating a delectable pasta dish.

What is your wine preference? Would this be a wine that you would try? If you have, let us know, we would love to hear about more experiences with this wine!