Tasting: Simonet Vin Mousseux Sparkling Wine

Simonet Vin Mousseux Sparkling Wine
Alsace, France
year unlisted
$9.98
Review provided by Wines and Words: I had to put this one in, because it often gets lost in the shuffle due to its low price. Don’t be fooled. It’s a very respectable sparkler of 100% Chardonnay. That’s why it’s called Blanc de Blancs, “a white wine from white grapes.” And since it’s not from the Champagne region, it has to be labeled Vin Mousseux (“sparkling wine”) as well as Brut (“dry”). It’s made by Caves de Wissembourg, a very respectable producer of prize-winning sparklers that are distributed throughout Europe. So treat yourself to “Champagne” on a beer budget...and let the bubbles flow.
My Review: The only other sparkling wine I've ever had is champagne, which probably everyone has had. I don't know how carbonated sparkling wines usually are, but I was surprised at how not carbonated this wine was. The best descriptors I can get from this one were herbal and floral, as the carbonation kind of threw my taste buds off.

Tasting: Dom de la Louvetrie Muscadet

Dom de la Louvetrie Muscadet
Loire, France
2010
$15.95

Review provided by the Vintage Cellar: Jo Landron's Muscadet Sevre et Maine is from a beautiful walled vineyard sloping towards the Sevre, with clay, sand, and quartz stones over a bedrock of Orthogneiss. The vines average fourty to fifty years of age, the vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic and gives very low yields. Always one of my favorite Muscadets, the 2011 is superb with citrus, pear and herbal aromas with a bit of smoke and sea-salt. The palate is dense and very long with fabulous acidity. It will provide exhilarating early drinking and will be very interesting in twenty years as well.
My Review: A good start for my wine tasting experience this go-around. The herbal aromas mentioned in The Vintage Cellar's review were evident and the sea salt provided a unique touch to the wine.

Tasting: Dom la Ricoune St. Gervais CDR

Dom la Ricoune St. Gervais CDR
GSM
Verone, France
year unlisted
$15.95

• Review provided by The Vintage Cellar: Inky. Intense and complex nose, fruity, and spicy. Aromas of berries, garrigue, licorice, cinnamon, and cloves. The palate is intense and fresh. Red fruits. Seductive and lingering finish.
• My Review: Very sensuous wine. I could definitely smell and taste the spicy notes of cinnamon and cloves. I really liked it. You could definitely tell that it has spent some time in an oak barrel with the spicy and smoky notes in it. I would recommend this for a date wine any day.

My Life With Wine Thus Far

Even though I only recently turned 21 in late November, my experience with wine has not been limited to only the last two months. In addition to drunken nights in with my girlfriends, sobbing over exes and exchanging gossip, I have also been lucky enough to take advantage of the lower legal drinking ages in other countries, mostly in Europe.
I had my first sip of wine when I was fifteen in Paris. While the drinking age in France is 18, it is hardly enforced as much as it is in the United States. At a restaurant, I ordered a glass of rosette. My taste for alcohol was still growing; I was still learning that one is supposed to enjoy the feeling alcohol gives you, not the taste, and I drank very little of it over the course of dinner. I didn't drink much on that trip; I still much preferred a tasty soda as opposed to the dry taste of French wine.
It took some time, but I eventually learned that the point of alcohol is not always to enjoy the taste, but rather to enjoy the buzz it gives. I finally started drinking wine, beer, etc. when I was abroad when I was eighteen. I discovered the delights of Spanish sangria, which I enjoyed with my mom at every meal. I have also been able to enjoy wine in Ukraine and Germany, as well as beer in Switzerland and Ireland.

Vodka in Russia

Enjoying sangria with my mom in Toledo, Spain

Ukraine

Wine in Heidelberg, Germany with my mom

A beer in the Swiss Alps

At the Guinness Brewery in Dublin

When I finally hit 21 on November 29, it was not my first liason with alcohol. I have been very lucky and much of my experience thus far has been quite international. 

My taste in wine is generally sweet. Cupcake is my big go-to brand when I am in a hunch about what kind of wine to get. I also really liked the Barefoot red wine when I tried it, and it is also a big go-to brand for my red wines. However, I am always willing to experiment and try new things, especially when it comes to alcohol. Like I always say, I'll drink just about anything as long as its alcoholic.

I think my experience with alcohol can be summarized by something one of my Australian friends (they know how to party!) I met in Ireland said: "Nothing brings people together like alcohol!" I definitely can attest to that. It is a great way to meet people, especially abroad in different countries with strange people you've never met before. While I, of course, encourage responsible drinking, loosening up with a few beers at a local bar in Galway is a great way to meet locals and suddenly become best friends with people you've only met minutes ago. 

Like they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Have a beer with some Irishmen. Visit a vineyard in Italy or France. Take a shot of vodka in Russia. It's surprising just how much you can learn about a culture just by sharing a drink.