Guided Vines 2020 National ChampionSIP Bracket Challenge
The bracket has been set and the wines are ready to be consumed!
Since we don’t have Basketball March Madness to look forward to this year, I decided to put some of my (and my fellow wine friends’) favorites head-to-head in a bracket challenge to decide our 2020 National ChampionSIP winning wine! While you’re sitting on your couch in this weird time, sip some wine, read these tasting notes and vote for your favorites. There will be some fun giveaways each round for fun wine items that will help you get through your days at home. Full schedule and tasting notes below!
Alright, here is the full schedule for this week if you want to keep track of voting dates and all the giveaways:
Wed., March 18 – Voting for SWEET SIPTEEN in my stories and a giveaway post will go live at 3:00 PM CT
Thurs., March 19 – ELITE GRAPE Bracket announced and 1st giveaway winner announced at 6:00 PM CT
Fri., March 20 – Voting for ELITE GRAPE in my stories and a giveaway post will go live at 3:00 PM CT
Sun., March 22 – FINAL POUR Bracket is announced and 2nd giveaway winner announced at 6:00 PM CT
Mon., March 23 – Voting for FINAL POUR in my stories and a giveaway post will go live at 3:00 PM CT
Tues., March 24 – The final two wines for the National ChampionSIP round will be announced and 3rd giveaway winner announced at 6:00 PM
Wed., March 25 – Voting for National ChampionSIP in my stories and a giveaway post will go live at 3:00 PM CT
Thurs., March 26 – Winning wine and final giveaway winner announced on stories at 6:00 PM CT
I somehow managed to get every single wine in the bracket, except for ONE! I wish I could have found that last one since I had never tasted it before, but I have found tasting notes for that last one and listed it below, thanks to a little help from Jaclyn Misch (@jaclynmisch) and some helpful Vivino notes!
Here are tasting notes for all of today’s matchups so you can make an informed vote today at 3:00pm CT!
First up – we have @samanthasommelier’s pick Spring Valley Uriah Red Wine from Walla Walla Valley in Washington vs. Capiaux Pinot Noir!
@samanthasommelier’s pick – Spring Valley Uriah Red Wine: I was so excited to try this wine since I have never had it before and obviously, if @samanthasommelier recommends something… you can bet it’s going to be good! This wine is one I’ll definitely be reaching for now at Total Wine! IT IS SO GOOD. I got strong aromas of black cherry with notes of blackberry and blueberry as well. I also tasted dark fruit flavors of that black cherry, blackberry and blueberry. There was a hint of acidity for me on the end (much like tasting a blueberry) and there were noticeable tannins, but they were so velvety smooth! A touch of chocolate notes on the end made this an absolutely delicious wine! After tasting, I really wanted a full glass of this to lounge on the couch with.
Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noir: I’ve posted about this lovely Pinot Noir before and it’s definitely a fan favorite in this house! For me, I picked up flavors of dark cherry along with red fruit notes of strawberry and hints of spice. This one is definitely a bigger-bodied Pinot Noir with smooth, medium tannins. Definitely not your light, bright red fruit Pinot, but so elegant and truly unique. The perfect wine to unwind with after a long day of trying to work from home alongside your significant other… it really brings people together
@winewithb’s pick – Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon: one of my all-time faves and such an easy grab from any grocery store (even Trader Joe’s!) for $20 and sometimes even less! This delicious wine has aromas of black cherry and vanilla with bright dark fruit flavors and a hint of spice. If you haven’t tried this Cab yet… what are you waiting for?! Also, try decanting this one for a bit – it makes this already delicious wine even smoother.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc: if you’re a lover of Sauvignon Blancs then this wine needs zero introduction! Another great wine you can find at TJ’s, this Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for warm weather and sitting on the porch (something I see a lot of in my future…). It’s a crisp white wine with tropical fruit and citrus aromas and flavors – a pretty classic and delicious NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
@herschels.kisses’ Pick – Cline Zinfandel: Another wine I had not yet tried – you can’t go wrong with a puppy’s favorite pick! This wine is really good if you want a lighter, brighter and fruit forward red! I definitely picked up aromas and flavors of bright red cherry and a taste of vanilla on the finish. The cherry really jumps out at you and I really loved that! I’m going to be reaching for this one when I want a summer red – plus you can’t beat the price… $12?!
Kia Ora Sauvignon Blanc: This is another Sauvignon Blanc I’ve posted about in the past. It’s perfect for back porch drinking this summer. Strong aromas and flavors of passionfruit with a hint of lime, I also picked up flavors of grapefruit and a hint of green apple. With crisp, mouth-watering acidity, this is definitely a wine I’d reach for again in warm weather!
Why did I put so many tough match-ups in this bracket? Well to make it interesting of course…
La Vieille Ferme Rosé: Absolutely a staple in this house. I think we actually have 5 or more bottles currently. I would say this is a summer wine – after all, Jack refers to rosé as ‘Summer Water,’ but really you can find me sipping on this well into December. Floral aromas with bright flavors of strawberry, this rosé is bright and easy to drink. It’s also like $7.99 so, I can speak from experience in saying that it’s easy to buy several bottles at a time to stock up.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: Do I really need to provide you with notes on this one? When I lived in Charlotte, one of my best girlfriends and I poured a glass of Josh almost every single night… it’s a really easy-drinking Cabernet at just $15 or less!
I mean… I’m glad I’m not voting because… idk what I’d do here. The classic, crowd-pleasing, easy to drink $15 Pinot Noir or the delicious, so easy to drink Red Blend with a cult following at $45? I… just… don’t know – so you decide!
The Laurens’ Pick – Meiomi Pinot Noir: If we’re having a girls’ night, you can bet at least one of the Laurens’ would show up with Meiomi and absolutely no one would complain about that! This is a more full-bodied Pinot Noir that is easy to drink every day (especially at that price point!) and is sure to be a crowd favorite!
The Prisoner Red Blend: Oh man. This is just a good wine. It’s full-bodied and has bold, dark fruit flavors, but it’s so balanced and smooth. This wine is definitely a good wine for a group, I don’t think you’d find any complaints because it’s just so easy to drink!
Oh la la, a French match-up in the first round?! Don’t mind if we do! Are you a lover of bold red wines like Bordeaux or prefer something on the lighter side of the red wine spectrum like Beaujolais-Villages?
@jaclynmisch’s pick – Duluc Grand Vin Bordeaux: I am so bummed I couldn’t find this wine… I love full-bodied Bordeaux wines and just reading all of the Vivino reviews are making my mouth water! I appreciated this description (although I am not a fan of beef tartar): Elegant nose, with notes of fresh cherries with dry orange, blackberries, blueberries, cocoa and caramel. Well balanced, velvety tannins, perfect pair with beef tartar.
Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Village: Another staple in my house, I love having this one on hand when I’m looking for a lighter red to enjoy! I feel like this one is great to have for summer when you’re just really feeling a red wine. This is an easy-drinking, light and fresh fruit-forward wine with bright red fruit flavors.
Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a new favorite Cabernet of mine! For only about $20, this is a delicious medium-bodied Cab. Dark fruit and plum flavors with lower tannins make this one pretty easy to drink!
@teddysgoldengrams’ Pick Rascal Pinot Noir: No offense to the Cab, but how can you note vote for Teddy’s pick and a wine with a Golden Retriever on the label?!?! If you need more than that to cast your vote for Rascal Pinot Noir, this is a really easy-drinking Pinot Noir – it’s fruit-forward with balanced acidity and bright red fruit flavors and aromas – you can also find it for $12… an added bonus!
Merlot or Cab? That’s the question for this match-up!
Duckhorn Merlot: I know, I know, you don’t like Merlot, but hear me out – this one would likely change your mind! I got black cherry and blackcurrant flavors and aromas with a little bit of earthiness and picked up on other dark fruits as well – blueberry and blackberry. This is more fruit forward, and a smooth, but bold wine.
@modern.blonde.travels’ Pick – Folie à Deux Cabernet Sauvignon: I loved putting together this bracket because I got to try some wines I had never had before based on recommendations from friends! And I want to say, their picks BLEW ME AWAY. This one is no different and I can’t believe I’ve never had this Cab before – but I’ll definitely be buying again! This one is so smooth with dark fruit (like blackberries and black cherry) aromas and flavors. Noticeable tannins, but very balanced. This is such an easy drinking Cab and a great price (~$20!)
