Dinner - Zeppoli's Italian Restaurant & Wine Shop

left: moscato center: white zinfandel right: pinot grigio

On Tuesday, my roommate, friend, and I went to Zeppoli's Italian Restaurant in Blacksburg, Virginia. I have never been to this restaurant, but I was excited because I love Italian food! They were not having any special wine promotions for Geography of Wine, but they did have an option called Wine Flight. It included 3 types of wine you choose.

We were the only people dining at Zeppoli's, so we got to really talk to our waiter about the menu and wines. He suggested the white zinfandel because it went well with all foods. I chose pinot grigio and moscato as my other options. I ordered chicken parmigiana. My friend ordered sausage and rigatoni and my roommate ordered broccoli alfredo con pollo pasta. We ended up just sharing our food, so that we could try the different wines with different types of pasta.

The first wine I started off with was Butterfly Kiss Moscato 2012. This wine smelled delicious. It had hints of sweetness and pear. It had a slight citrus smell as well. The wine tasted amazing and it tasted even better with the food. It really brought out the cheese from the chicken parmigiana. It really brought out the savory flavors and marinara sauce in the rigatoni. The alfredo had a white sauce base and I felt like this wine really brought out the creaminess.

 The next wine I tried was the pinot grigio. The type was Apostoli Pinot Grigio. This wine had a sweet smell and had hits of butter, but a very bitter aftertaste. I do not like pinot grigio because of the acidic and bitter taste it gives off. When I tasted it with the sausage rigatoni, I found that it made it taste bitter. It was really nicely paired with the broccoli alfredo though. The chicken parmigiana tasted even more savory with this wine.

The last wine I tried was Coastal Vines White Zinfandel 2013. This wine had hints of florals. I was not a fan of this wine either. It made the rigatoni taste buttery. The chicken parmigiana tasted alright. I do not think it had a particularly huge affect on the overall taste of the meals. The broccoli alfredo tasted saltier.

       
Overall, I had a great time. The food was amazing and I really liked that we got to choose the wines we tasted. My favorite was the moscato because it was sweet and made the food taste even better. I think this restaurant is decently priced and the wine flight was $9. I would definitely go here again with friends or for a special occasion. The food came out fast and the service was amazing.

Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling

Name: Crane Lake Riesling
Variety: 100% Riesling
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine.Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.

My Review: This wine reminded me of summer. It had hints of peach. It smelled sweet. I enjoyed this wine the most out of all of them because it was very sweet and light tasting.

I tasted this wine with no food.

Tasting - Crane Lake Shiraz

Name: Crane Lake Shiraz
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.

My Review: This wine smelled like red berries. When I tasted it, I got hints of chocolate and a lot of tannins. The aftertaste was drying, which I did not like. 

I tasted this wine with no food.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf Nouveau
Variety: 100% Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $5.95 (on sale)

Winery Review: George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais.  His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception.  A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.

My Review: I really liked the smell of this wine. It smelled of fruits and sugar. When I tasted it though, it was a little dry. I did not think it was that bad. The wine label was very unique.

I tasted this wine with no food.

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2014
Price: $7.95 (on sale)

Winery Review: The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.

My Review: When I smelled this wine, I thought I would really enjoy it because it smelled so sweet. It gave off hints of red berries. When I tasted it though it was much more bitter than I would like. It had a bitter aftertaste as well.

I tasted this wine with no food.

Tasting - Tonnino Pinot Grigio

Name: Tonnino Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Gris
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $7.95 (on sale)

Winery Review: Tonnino’s exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes.

My Review: This wine smelled of pear and citrus. It tasted just like how it smelled. It was very acidic tasting and I did not enjoy it. I could really taste lemon.

I tasted this wine with no food.

Tasting - Peter Mertes Sweet Red Dornfelder

Name: Peter Mertes Sweet Red Dornfelder
Variety: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti
Region: California
Country: Germany
Year: 2014
Price: $6.95 (on sale)

Winery Review: The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine.

Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.

My Review: This wine smelled extremely fruity and sweet. It had hints of berries. I really like sweet wines and this wine was no different. I would recommend it. It tasted exactly like how it smelled.

I tasted this wine with no food.