Tasting-Fleurs de Prairie, Cotes de Provence

This week I had a lot going on with job applications, presentations, and tests to prepare for for next week. Because of this I was in a major need of taking the edge off, so I decided to try a new wine.
I have always been a fan of Rose, even though it hasn't always been my first choice. I really like sweet wines so the dryness of Rose has always been hit or miss for me. I thought for this tasting I would try something a little more high end, since all the Rose's I have had before were usually boxed or $6 wines.

Here is my review:

Name- Fleurs de Prairie, Cotes de Provence
Variety- Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah
Region- Provence
Country- France
Year- 2017
Price- $26

Shop/wine critic/winery review (these will be cross-referenced with info provided by the shops to us)- "Fleurs de Prairie" translates as "wildflowers," celebrating the beautiful fields of wisteria, lavender, poppy, and sunflowers carpeting Provence. This wine is sourced from select Provençal vineyards that dot the coastal wind-swept hillsides of the region. The Mediterranean combination of sun, wind, mild water stress, and ocean influence provide ideal conditions for grapes to ripen to the perfect balance of flavor and freshness. This wine is crafted in the traditional Provençal style with a pale salmon color, delicate flavors of strawberry, rose petals, and herbs, and a bright, refreshing acidity. It is made by the family-owned Les Grands Chais de France.

http://www.fleursdeprairie.com/about 

My review- Typically I go for a sweeter wine. Often I even think of Rose's as too dry, but this one was enough sweetness to help me get past the dryness. I tasted a bit of acidity and tannins that made my mouth pucker. It was definitely more of a floral wine. I'm not sure if I would go for it again because I don't believe I enjoyed it as much as I do a fruity wine.

Pairing- I had this wine with some brie cheese and crackers and chocolate covered almonds. I definitely noticed that I enjoyed the chocolate with the Rose more than the cheese (even though I love cheese). I definitely liked the dryness yet slight sweetness of the wine with the chocolate sweetness. I felt like it almost tamed the dryness and joust enhanced the flavors of both respectively.

Tasting- Chateau Ste Michelle Harvest Select Riesling

This week I decided to formally try a new bottle of wine to write a blog post about. It just so happens that this past week was Valentine's Day and my boyfriend and I went to Zeppoli's for dinner that night and ended up ordering a glass of wine to have with dinner. As I typically order based on taste rather than what it will pair with I asked the waitress what I should get after telling her I like medium sweet white wines. She recommended to me that I try a Riesling, which I had never tried before, so I said yes. I ended up loving it and I think it has become my new favorite wine. Because of that experience, I decided to by a bottle of another riesling for the weekend. I completed my wine IQ videos for the week on Friday and afterwards headed to Kroger.
I took the price approach to this purchase. Since I already knew which wine I wanted I figured the only other way to approach this would be price. I wish I had gone to the Vintage Cellar at this stage because it was so hard picking a bottle on my own. So I ended up grabbing the $10 bottle or medium sweet riesling they had in the cooler. Here are the specs:
Photo

Name- Chateau Ste Michelle, Harvest Select, Sweet Riesling
Variety- Riesling
Region- Columbia Valley
Country- USA
Year- 2016
Price- $9.99

Shop/wine critic/winery review (these will be cross-referenced with info provided by the shops to us)- "Silky and succulent, offering orange blossom and petrol aromas and slightly sweet nectarine and grapefruit flavors that finish on the dry side. Drink now."
I wasn't able to find a true critics review of the wine but I did find this critic's notes as well as the winemaker's notes along with lots of good information about the winery and grape varietal.
https://www.wine.com/product/chateau-ste-michelle-harvest-select-sweet-riesling-2015/187911 

My review (this is in your own words and opinions, it IS NOT a re-w)- I loved this wine. It was just enough sweetness on the palette without being overbearing. I typically go for really sweet wines and I have been wanting to try something dryer, and this was exactly what I was searching for. The acidity and dryness was just enough to balance out the sweetness. I picked up a lot of fruity notes that gave off very fresh tastes mixed with the acid.

Pairing- I did not intend to try this with food, but I did end up having it with my dinner. I had made cauliflower gnocci with a basic marinara sauce. I think that the sweetness did pair well with the sauce and the acidity helped bread up the bready gnocci!