Tasting - Castello Del Poggio Prosecco

Name: Castello Del Poggio Prosecco
Variety of Grape(s): Glera
Country of Origin: Italy
Region of Origin: Asti
Vintage Year: Not Labelled (Maybe a blend?)
Price: ~$15 Based on Online Sources (Bottle was a gift)

For my second tasting of the night (directly following my Moscato tasting), it was only fitting to taste a wine on the opposite end of the flavor spectrum from the same region of Asti, Italy. It was also only fitting to learn a few important lessons anyone interested in critically examining wine ought to know. Myself and my friends had just completed our first tasting of a sweet bottle of Moscato when we moved onto the much drier Prosecco. We had been sipping on the sweeter wine for a good amount of time, and it's safe to say our taste buds had become very accustomed to the low ABV, high sugar content of the Moscato. Without much more than a couple of sips of water in between tastings, we were in for a surprise when we popped open the much harsher, drier Prosecco.

The aroma felt strong and pungent to our sweet-spoiled taste buds. The group universally recoiled at the odors we perceived, and we even were concerned that possibly the bottle had spoiled. Nevertheless, we made our observations anyway and continued with the tasting. We were in agreement that the most apparent odors reminded us of stale bathroom air. There were off-putting notes of ammonia and damp air that seriously deterred us. At this point, we realized how our taste buds were likely affected by the previous wine, and we hypothesized that as the tasting continued, we would again adapt and notice new, less off-putting flavors.

The wine was a very beautiful golden yellow with a strong foam on the pour. It formed a thin surface that remained for the first few minutes of the experience.

The taste was much less harsh than the initial aroma had been. It was dry and bitter with strong notes of quinine, reminiscent of a twisted gin and tonic. The ethanol was noticeable, however not distracting, There was a nice floral touch combined with a citrusy sugarless grapefruit. Behind those notes, there was an interesting cheesy, sour cream flavor that I couldn't exactly pinpoint, but it was persistent and noticeable throughout the experience. On continued sips, the floral notes grew, and there was also a bitter dirt-like flavor that built upon the earthiness.

For this tasting, the group decided not to research the Prosecco prior to the tasting, and perform a true blind taste-test. After finishing the first glass, we recorded our observations, and then began our research. Once we found adequate descriptions and reviews, we poured ourselves a second glass and tried again.

Wine Critic Review: From Fernando Mestanza on Vivino.com (3722 reviews, 2nd highest in Ecuador):

Close to Asti, near Turin comes this fruity Prosecco Very refreshing and plenty of bubbles Nice and easy Big cheers my friends 🍾🍾

I was surprised to see the most common tasting notes being tree fruits, similar to the previous Moscato we tasted, however, moving down to the citrus and yeast, I found very similar observations to my own. The most interesting part of this experience was the slow adaptation of my taste buds. From immediate repulsion by the stark contrast between this Prosecco and the previous Moscato, to a strong appreciation for the depth of flavor and sharpness that this wine had that I was unable to notice on my first impression. This wine was a surprisingly wonderful experience that I would gladly try again.

My overall rating on this wine is a 3/5. It was quite dry, and I'd love to experience it for the first time again, this time without any biases! I think it would make a wonderful French 75 with a nice gin and maybe even a splash of grapefruit juice. I'd personally pair it with a rich, buttery seafood pasta dish, as I feel it would do a spectacular job of cutting the richness of the butter, while adding a nice citrusy touch to the seafood. This bottle of Castello Del Poggio Prosecco proves the idea that sometimes you can actually learn more from a second chance than the first impression.

Tasting - Villa Alena Moscato D'Asti

Name: Villa Alena Moscato D'Asti
Variety of Grape(s): Moscato
Country of Origin: Italy
Region of Origin: Asti
Vintage Year: 2022
Price: $12-$15 Based on Online Sources (Bottle was a gift)

As my first critical wine tasting, this Moscato had me excited. I typically prefer a drier still red wine, and I felt like I would be able enhance my experience by starting off my tasting journey with a sweeter, bubbly Moscato. By beginning in a place of unfamiliarity, I felt like I was starting a brand new journey from scratch, subject to various new experiences and tastes.

Myself and my friends had not yet received our copy of Wine Folly to provide the requested information, however we researched this wine extensively through online critical sources (linked below) in order to find the most accurate descriptions possible. The following set of descriptors was sourced from Vivino.com:

Wine Critic Review: According to Chad D. on Vivino.com (3,976 ratings on the site at 49th highest in the US):

"Who doesn’t love an Asti during the holiday season? Enjoyable sweet bubbly with flavors of pear, green apple, and a hint of citrus. A bit sticky, but not at all bad! Cheers!"

Starting with the visual, the wine had a nice very light yellow color and was perfectly clear. There was a light foam rising to the surface after the pour, with a light bubbling that remained consistent throughout the tasting.

The aroma was very faint, almost nonexistent. This was surprising due to the amount of bubbles that I saw, and I assumed they carried the aroma with them. What I could perceive were faint notes of apple and grape with a slight bitterness that stung the nose. 

Upon the first taste, the first observation was the overpowering sweetness. Strong notes of granny smith and red delicious apples hit first. There was absolutely no ethanol perceived whatsoever, and it had a very smooth finish that provided me with new notes of vanilla and pear. The bubbles were very faint, but provided a nice mouthfeel to the overall experience.

As I continued to enjoy the glass, I began to notice more depth in the flavor and aroma. When I sipped while I sniffed the aromas, the grape flavor became much more pronounced. The flavor also seemed to expand a bit, with the pear flavors beginning to shine through with hints of fresh peaches and honey. I never tasted any specific citrus flavors, however I can see how the tartness from the granny smith apple could also be perceived closer to citrus fruits.

As someone who prefers drier wines, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this Moscato and the surprising complexity of the flavor. I may not choose it out of a lineup of white wines available to me in most scenarios, however I can see myself thoroughly enjoying a glass or two with a rich dark chocolate dessert. Maybe a black forest cake, or just some dark chocolate chips. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a 3.75/5 based on the complexity of the flavors and the overall ease of drink. I'd still prefer a drier wine, however should I be in the mood for a sweet chilled treat, I would definitely open a bottle of Villa Alena Moscato D'Asti.