Wine & Cheese Pairing 3

 

Pairing 1: Carlos Serres Crianza Rioja (2018) with Aged Manchego Cheese

Impressions of the wine: Our first impression of the wine was that it smelled somewhat oaky, and I also felt some spice and cherry aromas. When I tasted the wine I felt that this was a more earthy wine that also tasted like oak and vanilla. I also tasted some cherry and strawberry in the background. This wine definitely had a more dry feel than sweet, but still had a mild sweetness. I thought this wine had a smooth feel and full body, and felt that it was somewhat acidic. 

Impressions of the cheese: I thought that this was a pretty sweet, somewhat crumbly cheese that I liked a lot. The aged nature of the cheese gave the cheese some bolder flavors than other Manchego cheese I have had in the past. The cheese also tasted somewhat salty and sharp, and I think that it was the richest cheese out of the three we had today. 

How the two paired: I think that this wine being less on the fruity side and more on the herbal/earthy side was a good choice for this cheese. It allowed the cheese to not be masked by the wine, and I thought that the spices of the wine enhanced and added complexity to the cheese. Additionally, I felt that when I had the two together, I was able to pick up on the more subtle fruit flavors of the wine, and I also think that the sweetness of the cheese helped the wine feel a little less dry and more enjoyable. This was the best pairing out of the three, and I could definitely see my self having this combination again in the future. Paired well.

Pairing 2: Santa Julia Malbec (2021) with Parrano Cheese

Impressions of the wine: I had never had Malbec until today, but I really enjoyed this one. The main aromas I got from this wine were those of blackberry and plum. When I tasted the wine, I tasted some plums as well as some blackberries and blueberries. I thought this wine had a good balance between dry and sweet. I thought it had a medium to full body, and I did not think it was very acidic. 

Impressions of the cheese: This was probably my favorite cheese out of the three that we tasted today. The thing that stuck out to me the most about this cheese was that it had a really nice smoky flavor that  I think would make it a good side to food and also to earthier wines. I thought the cheese was also sharp and nutty and somewhat sweet. 

How the two paired: Despite the fact that these two had pretty different taste profiles, I think that they worked together surprisingly well. The smokiness and sweetness of the cheese enhanced the dark fruit flavors of the wine. I expected the nuttiness and sharpness of the cheese would clash with this fruity wine, but instead I found that it didn't at all; it actually just combined with the fruit flavors to create a really tasty and enjoyable mix. I felt that having them together improved the taste of both, as one did not overpower or drown out the other. Overall, I think these two complemented each other very nicely and made for a very solid pairing. Paired well.

Pairing 3: Alain de la Treille Vouvray/Chenin Blanc with Espresso Bellavitano Cheese

Impressions of the wine: This was also my first time having Chenin Blanc. We had it served chilled, which the back of the bottle recommended. When I smelled the wine, I smelled peaches with hints of apple and a sweet smell that I thought resembled honey. I thought that this wine had a tart taste, and the flavors I tasted the most were apricots, peaches, pears, and a slight citrus flavor. This wine was somewhat sweet, but still had a nice dry, tannic component as well. I thought this wine had a medium body, and I thought the finish was pleasant and refreshing. Overall, this is probably one of the better white wine varietals I've had.

Impressions of the cheese: This cheese was intriguing to me, because I had never thought about combining espresso and cheese before. The cheese was a mix of tangy and sweet, and I think it was somewhat creamy and fatty. The espresso-ground rind of the cheese added some bitterness and chocolatey/coffee flavor that went surprisingly well with the rest of the cheese. 

How the two paired: The somewhat tartness of the apricot and pear flavors that got from the wine kind of overpowered the mellow sweet taste of the cheese, and it especially did not blend with the bitter coffee taste of the espresso component. I think that both the wine and the cheese had such good and strong flavors that I enjoyed the two better separate than together. I don't think pairing them brought out any new flavors and instead led to more of a clash in tastes. I think this cheese would have been best served with a sweeter red wine, or even a sweet white, as this pairing missed the mark in my opinion. Did not pair well.

Tasting 3/26: Artie Sauvignon Blanc

 

Name: Artie Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country/Region of Origin: France

Vintage Year: Not Listed

Price: $8

Review (from Bart Servaes at vivino.com): "3/5. Light and fruity with aromas of green apple, grass and a little citrus. Fresh with some minerality. Table wine."

My Review: We had this wine at room temperature, and we had it by itself. When I smelled this wine, I got the ammonia smell that is typical for sauvignon blanc, but I mostly smelled citrus and apple. I also got the grassy, hay smell that was mentioned in several reviews. I tasted flavors of lemon, lime, and orange peel that made the wine a little bitter and tart. This wine was also more dry than it was sweet. I thought that the wine was very refreshing with a light and crisp body, and I also thought that it was on the more acidic end of the spectrum. Later on, we also used this wine in a recipe to make some soup, and it also worked very well in that and allowed the soup to turn out very nicely. Overall, this was a surprisingly good all-around sauvignon blanc, especially considering it was one of the cheapest wines we have ever bought. 

Tasting 3/26: Jacob's Creek Classic Shiraz

 

Name: Jacob's Creek Classic Shiraz

Variety: Syrah/Shiraz

Country/Region of Origin: Australia

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $9

Review (from Rok Mezgec at vivino.com): "2.8/5. A fresh Australian Shiraz. Medium intensity, black fruit notes, plum blackberry blackcurrant, pepper spice touch, vanilla oak character. Medium tannins, smooth but not a lot of content and length. A touch of leather. Correct lunch wine."

My Review: We had this wine at room temperature, and we did not have it with any food. When I first smelled the wine, I smelled cherry with hints of spices and oak. When I tasted the wine, I got flavors of plum, blackberry, and blueberry. I also thought that the wine was full of spices that gave it flavor that I was not used to. This wine felt very dry to me, and I didn't think it was sweet at all. I thought that the wine was on the more acidic side, and it had a medium to full body. Overall, I did not enjoy this wine as much as I have others in this class. However, I have never had any other shiraz or Syrah wines, so I am not sure if this wine (that was very cheap) is an accurate representation of them. So I plan to try other wines before I establish an opinion on the variety. 

Tasting 3/19: Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

 

Name: Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

Variety: Blend of Trajadura, Loureiro, Pedernã and Azal

Country/Region of Origin: Penafiel, Portugal

Vintage Year: Not Listed

Price: $10

Review (from Roger Voss of Wine Enthusiast Magazine): "85/100. This wine is all bright, clean fruit and acidity. It's just off dry, with a slight spritz and a lively texture. Drink now."

My Review: We had this wine at room temperature, and we did not have it with any food. This is my first time having a vinho verde wine, so I was not sure what to expect. When I smelled the wine, I smelled mostly peaches, lemons, and oranges. When I tasted the wine, I tasted a pleasant tart citrus flavor that made the wine pretty sour, and I also tasted hints of pineapple and other tropical fruit. This wine was more dry than it was sweet, and I thought it was pretty acidic. The very light body of this wine make it one of the most crisp and refreshing wines I've had in a while. I could see this being a very enjoyable wine in the hot summertime and hope to get vinho verde in the future. 

Tasting 3/19: Columbia Crest Merlot

Name: Columbia Crest Merlot 

Variety: Merlot

Country/Region of Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington, USA

Vintage Year: 2018

Price: $11

Review (from Sean Sullivan at Wine Enthusiast Magazine): "89/100. The aromas start out reductive, with notes of asphalt. Behind that are pleasing notes of raspberry and chocolate. Plump, chocolate filled flavors follow. The velvety feel ups the appeal. Once the reduction clears up, it's delightful."

My Review: We had this wine at room temperature, and we did not have it with any food. When we first opened the bottle, we were shocked at how strongly it smelled. I smelled a cinnamon-like spiciness and very little fruitiness. When tasting the wine, I tasted several different spices, and I thought the wine had an earthy taste to it. Once the wine mellowed out a little more, I also tasted bitter dark chocolate, raspberry, and blueberry. This wine was very dry, pretty acidic, and it had a heavier body. Up until this point I had considered merlots to be one of the sweeter red wine varieties, but this wine kind of changed my opinion on them. But I still really enjoyed the uniqueness of this wine, and I could see myself getting it again, especially to have with food.

Wine Dinner 2

 

In today's wine dinner, we made three homemade pizzas with three very different taste profiles, and paired them with three different wines.

1: Margherita Pizza with Bogle Chardonnay (2020)

Impressions of the wine: The main smells I got from the wine were ones of apple and pears. When I tasted the wine, I again got strong flavors of a sour green apple and pears, which gave the wine a tart feel, with hints of citrus in the background. I thought that this wine was a pretty even balance between sweet and dry. I considered this wine to be pretty acidic, and I thought it had a relatively light body. Overall, when I had the wine on its own, I really enjoyed it.

Taste profile of the pizza: This classic pizza was defined by the taste of its sauce. The tomato sauce was slightly sweet and had some mild acidity. The sauce and top of the pizza was seasoned with several different herbs such as basil that made it extremely flavorful. 

How the two paired: This was a more odd pairing than I expected when buying the wine, since I expected chardonnay to be a safe pairing with a pizza as classic as our cheese pizza. The tart apple and pear flavors felt out of place with the herbs and savory nature of the tomato sauce that defined our margherita pizza. I actually thought that the wine overpowered the pizza, as it dulled the pretty distinct tastes I got when I had the pizza on its own, and I think that was because the wine felt much more acidic than the pizza. I don't think having the two together brought out any new flavors, and because of the flavor clashing, I would much rather just have the two separately. Did not pair well.

2: BBQ Chicken Pizza with Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon (2018)

Impressions of the wine: To me, this wasn't a very fragrant wine, but I did get smells of blackberry and cherry. This wine had some fruity flavors when I tasted it as well, such as raspberry and cherry, with some hints of oakiness. However, the more I drank it the more I started to notice that there were some spice flavors in the wine as well that made the wine even better. This wine was definitely on the drier side, as even the fruit flavors did not provide much sweetness. The wine was only slightly acidic, and I think it had a medium body, which was especially surprising considering 

Taste profile of the pizza: The barbeque sauce tasted really good, and it had just the right amount of sweetness so as to not overpower the rest. The chicken was well-seasoned and gave the pizza a savory taste. The onions on the pizza also provided some crisp and strong flavors and added complexity to the pizza. The combination of all these factors made this pizza richer than the rest. This pizza also had a blend of some cheddar cheeses in addition to the mozzarella cheese, which I felt gave the pizza an added saltiness and sharpness. 

How the two paired: This was my favorite pairing of the wines that we had at this dinner. The dry nature of the wine complemented the pretty sweet and tangy barbeque sauce nicely. I felt like the chicken and onions were enhanced with the spices of the wine. Also, since this was the richest pizza that we had, I think the fact that this cabernet was not heavy-bodied made for a good balance between the two. When I had the wine on its own, I mainly thought about the fruit flavors, but I think that the pizza also helped me better appreciate the earthiness and spice flavors of the wine. Overall, I really enjoyed having these two together and will definitely do it again in the future. Paired well.

3: Hot Buffalo Chicken Pizza with Ménage a Trois Hot Pink Rosé (no vintage listed)

Impressions of the wine: When smelling this wine, I was getting a floral smell as well as the smell of some raspberries. However, when tasting it, the floral feel went away, and I mainly tasted flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and even some mango. This wine was very sweet (maybe a little too sweet) and I didn't think it was dry at all. There was not much noticeable acidity, and it was also probably the lightest-bodied rose I've had. In my opinion, this wasn't the best rose I've had, but it was still enjoyable to drink.

Taste profile of the pizza: The buffalo sauce gave this pizza much more spice than the rest of the pizzas, and I think it had some added salty and buttery flavors. The spice also added some flavor to the chicken. I think that this sauce was also creamier, so it made this pizza pretty rich.

How the two paired: I did not know what to expect with this pairing since the flavor profiles of the two were extremely different. However, I think the two actually blended well together. The heat of the buffalo sauce was balanced nicely with the sweetness of this wine. The wine gave the pizza a smoother feel, and I think the lightness of the wine made it feel very refreshing. I think that neither overpowered the other, and I felt that both contributed to the taste when they were paired. Even though the wine kind of felt like one that was made to be drank on its own, I thought it was a solid pairing that turned out much better than expected.  Paired well.

Tasting 3/13: Roscato Sweet Red Blend

 

Name: Roscato Sweet Red Blend

Variety: Blend of Croatina, Teroldego and Lagrein

Country/Region of Origin: Trento, Italy

Vintage Year: Not Listed

Price: $10

Review (from Jon Steeves at nataliemaclean.com): "86/100. This Roscato yields from Lombardi, Italy. It is an interesting and unique wine with pronounced sweet confectioner cherry, confectioner raspberry, blackberry and gentle Charmat fizz. A hint of tannins and pronounced sweetness leads me to believe that it would pair as an appetizer accompaniment to baked maple-glazed wild salmon skewers. Popular with those looking for a wine sweeter than off-dry."

My Review: We had this wine chilled, and we did not have it with any food. When I smelled the wine, I was mainly feeling scents of raspberry and strawberry. Tasting the wine revealed a nice cherry taste, along with sweet berry flavors. This wine was very sweet and had no dryness, which would explain the low alcohol percentage. The wine had a very smooth mouth feel with a medium to light body, and I did not think it was very acidic. Overall, this wine was very enjoyable, and it confirmed to me that I like the sweetness and dessert-like feel of sweet red blends.