The election is just over a week away, and time is running short to pick a candidate.  If your goal is to get more information on who to vote for, then you’re in the wrong place!  Unless you make decisions on who should lead the country based on what similarly named things are like.

In all seriousness though, please do go read up on the candidates, and whatever you do, get out there and vote on November 8th.  It is one of our greatest privileges as citizens of this great country, and we should all embrace it.  For information on Trump, you can find his website here.  For Clinton’s website, you can go here.  For everyone else, go here.

As a wine enthusiast, I couldn’t resist the temptation to pit the top two candidates against one another.  While it took a little bit of searching, I’ve found a bottle to represent Clinton. Clinton Vineyards in New York is of course more of a local offering.  Started in 1976, the wine is located in Duchess County and predate her residency.

Clinton Vineyards Twilight Rose 2015 vs. Trump Chardonnay 2015

As a wine enthusiast, I couldn’t resist the temptation to pit the top two candidates against one another.  While it took a little bit of searching, I’ve found a bottle to represent Clinton. Clinton Vineyards in New York is of course more of a local offering.  Started in 1976, the wine is located in Duchess County and predate her residency.

Clinton Vineyards Twilight Rose 2015

Sight:  A pretty pink with slight hints of copper.

Smell:  The nose has a lot of floral and red berry notes commingling with a background of lots of wet slate.  A strawberry and petroleum note comes through as well.

Sip:  The body is middling in it’s weight, and the acidity is a little on the dull end of the scale.  Slight notes of funk work with minerality to lace their way through a red berry and floral tinged body.

Savor:  The ending has a touch of tannin, and a whiff of orange marmalade and flowers.  The finish is short.

Clinton Vineyards Twilight Rose is rather unimpressive, and slightly dull.  The elements of funk make this wine slightly more unusual than one might expect, but not in a way that makes you say, ‘geez, I’d really like more of that’.  As rosé goes, you can do better than Clinton Vineyards.

Verdict:  Wet Slate, Floral, Red Berries, Rubber
Rating: 64
Price: $10
Hudson River Region, New York

Trump Chardonnay 2015

A wine to represent Trump was obviously easy to find.  Located in Virginia, Trump Winery has something of a pedigree in the wine world.  Started as Kluge Winery, Trump acquired it after the owner fell on hard times.  Before the acquisition, the winery had actually won 10 gold standards for it’s wine.  Since then, they’ve maintained their pedigree as the ownership  and since then has gone on to produce several wines that have won more medals and earned top marks from several wine publications.

Sight:  [Unsurprisingly] A rich golden hue.

Smell:  The nose is creamy, with a distinct salinity, and notes of butter, golden apples, lemon, and poached pears.  A touch of apricot, vanilla, and melon all round out a distinct nose.

Sip:  The body is round and soft, yet still bright.  The vanilla and butter notes overlay on top of a foundation of golden apples, lemon, and hints of apricot and butterscotch.

Savor:  The ending picks up a bit more baked apple and lemon, and the finish remains for a decent length of time, adding in more butterscotch elements.

Trump Chardonnay shows the strength of Virginia’s Vineyards, particularly in chardonnay.    The creamy, round character is a well done example of the varietal, and the flavors are spot on.  Good texture really comes into play here, and at only $13, the value proposition is something even us non-billionaires can afford.  Trump Chardonnay may be picking up flak because of his name, but the winery still does great work.

Verdict:  Butterscotch, Golden Apple, Apricot, Soft
Rating: 86
Price: $13
Charlottesville, Virginia

And The Winner Is…

So who wins?  For the wine, it’s hands down Trump.  Even if you support Clinton, or another candidate, Trump Winery is showing the powerhouse Virginia can be for wine, and is worth a try.

One last reminder! Get out there and vote America!  Cheers!

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