Dinner -Homemade

On Thursday night, my boyfriend and I decided to do a wine pairing dinner with a nice summery grilled dinner paired with 3 different colored wines. I was hoping to compare the effects that a red, a white, and a blush wine had on the meal. We had pork tenderloin, corn on the cob, and loaded baked potatoes. Paired with those were 3 wines: a 2011 El Cortujillo Tempranillo, a Caparra & Siciliani Cirò white wine, and a 2012 Señorio de Sarrìa Garnacha.

 


The White Wine:
  Alone: I thought this wine had a weird mix of green apple flavor and also an oaky vanilla flavor that seemed to clash in a way. However, it was interesting on the palate and pleasant on the nose.
With the pork: This wine complimented the pork nicely but didn't enhance the flavor of either. I thought that it the apple flavors weren't as strong and the oaky-ness came out more.
With the corn: Again, this wine didn't enhance the flavor of the corn but I also didn't particularly enjoy it either. It seemed to make the wine taste more acidic.
With the potato: I thought this wine went semi-well with the potato. The basicity of the sour cream and cheese on the potato with the acidity of the green apple balanced out. But it wasn't my favorite combination.




The Rosè:
Alone: I was not a fan of this rosè. There was a weird bitterness on the palate. I think the main reason that I didn't enjoy it was because I was expecting something sweeter. It had a faint hint of strawberries on the palate and the nose.
With the pork: The bitterness of the wine with the pork was a terrible combination. It made the pork taste terrible and wine taste even worse than it already did.
With the corn: This wasn't that terrible of a combination but I didn't particularly enjoy it either. The corn was rather neutral flavored so you couldn't really go too wrong. It didn't really change the flavor of this wine.
With the potato: This was not a good combination. It wasn't awful though because the potato had such strong flavors.The chives and sour cream kind of masked the bitterness and I was able to enjoy the wine a bit more. The sweetness of the strawberries came out more.


The Red Wine:
Alone: I quite liked this wine. It had a good balance of sweetness, acidity, and tannins. I picked up on flavours of darker fruits like blackberry and black cherry.
With the pork: This was the best wine pairing with the pork. The pork leveled out the tannic component and the dark fruit flavors became more prominent. I ate most of my pork with this wine.
With the corn: I wasn't a huge fan of this combination but it wasn't awful. The corn was kind of bland so the wine didn't really do much with this dish.
With the potato: This was a pretty good combination. The potato had so many flavor components but the sour cream and cheese balanced nicely with the tannins and acidity to really please my palate.





Overall, I thought this dinner was a good learning experience. It confirmed a lot of things we had learned in class and taught me new things.

(I don't have a picture of me with the food, as I didn't realize it was a requirement for these blog posts (as the email was sent after I did the dinner pairing).)

Tasting -Garnacha de Fuego Old Vine Grenache

Name: Garnacha de Fuego Old Vine Grenache
Variety: Grenache
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $9

VC Review: 92 points, Wine Advocate. The Garnacha de Fuego, a 100% Grenache cuvée, was aged in both stainless steel and neutral French oak. There are 10,000 cases for the United States. This amazing wine boasts a dark ruby/purple color along with a sweet kiss of jammy black cherries intertwined with crushed rock notes that give the wine an undeniable minerality. As it hits the palate, a full-bodied, voluptuous texture takes hold and the flavor profile moves towards blacker fruits (ripe raspberries and black currants) intermixed with camphor and forest floor. This full-bodied, rich, glycerin-filled effort should drink well for 4-5 years, perhaps longer.

My Review: I thought this wine was interesting. It tasted kind of chalky which was a strange texture. However there was a nice fruitiness, like cherries and raspberries and cranberries, that balanced with an earthy, dirt element.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Name: Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico
Variety: Gaglioppo
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $14

VC Review: Don't let the pale garnet color fool you: this is a substantial wine. Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine. Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken.

My Review: I thought this wine had a good tannin component. I also thought that there was a nice spiciness and a hint of black pepper. It balanced nicely with a hint of dark fruit. I'm surprised I liked this wine as much as I did.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Seaview Vineyard

Name: Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Seaview Vineyard
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2008
Price: $21

Vintage Cellar Review: This aromatic wine shows lifted flavours of black currant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese, salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops.

My Review: I slightly enjoyed this wine but it is not my favorite. I tasted a lot of the mineral element but I also got a taste of green pepper. I would drink this again though and I imagine it would be better with food.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Rosemount Estate Moscato

Name: Rosemount Estate Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $12

VC Review: Clear, medium-yellow in appearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple and ripe yellow plum flavours. Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses.

My Review: The only tasting note I wrote for this wine was "sugar water." It was like drinking liquid cotton candy. It was way too sweet for my palate. On the nose, I picked up the honeysuckle and citrus elements. However, I didn't get any of that on my palate. If there was any citrus acidity, it could have balanced it out nicely. I feel like this is something I would have drank as a 14 year old teeny bopper.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Angove Viognier

Name: Angove Viognier
Variety: Viognier
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $15

VC Review: Bright light straw in colour with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavours of apricot, peach and citrus. Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today's relaxed lifestyle and is the ideal accompaniment to grilled prawns with chili and garlic or roast pork.

My Review: I liked this wine better than the first wine. It was very pleasing on the nose and the citrus  hit the palate nicely. I think this is a nice summer wine.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling

Name: Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Country: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $10

Winery Review: This drier-styled Riesling is bright, fruity and floral with crisp acidity and clean flavors of apple, pear and peach that compliment its stony minerality and earthy complexity. It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice.

My Review: I find this wine light and refreshing and crisp. The dominant flavor in my opinion is a granny smith apple. I had this with my wine dinner the week prior and found that it paired nicely with my gnocchi dish and my salad. It seemed to make every flavor more outstanding.

I tasted this with and without food.

Tasting -Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting: Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $15

Winery Review: Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh, and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs, and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheeses and strong sauces.

My Review: I personally did not like this wine. I thought that it was super peppery and that is all I could really taste. It smelled better than it actually was. I wouldn't want to drink this again.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Name: Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau
Variety: Beaujolais Nouveau
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $14

Winery Review: Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with a floral finish. Drink now.

My Review: I didn't particularly like this wine at all. While I did find the thicker body of the wine to be interesting, I couldn't handle the flavors. It was like spicy fruit. The plum flavor was overpowering and the spiciness just confused my palette.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting -Bricco deo Tati Rose

Name: Bricco deo Tati Rose
Variety: Blended
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $8

Winery Review: Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries, and rose petals. This is ideal with shellfish, salads, chicken, and with appetizers.

My Review: This wine both smelled and tasted sweet. There were strong fruit flavors, especially of strawberry or strawberry shortcake. Would be enjoyable on a summer's day.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -Frascati Volpetti Malvasia, Trebbiano, Greco

Name: Frascati Volpetti Malvasia, Trebbiano, Greco
Variety: Malvasia, Trebbiano, Greco
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $8

Winemaker Review: Straw in color with a soft, delicate perfume, fruitful flavor, dry and harmonious taste. Perfect with appetizers, soups, fish.

My Review: I thought this wine has a soft, sweet, floral aroma t it. The flavor was crisp and refreshing and matched the scent. Seems like it'd be good before a meal.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Dinner -Homemade

On Thursday night, my boyfriend Robert and I decided to do a wine dinner pairing with Italian foods and random wines. I was hoping to find some interesting wine combinations that worked. Our meal consisted of gnocchi (aka my favorite food) in a creamy pesto sauce, a salad, and garlic bread. The wines we chose were a Syrah, a Merlot, and a Riesling.

Our meal, ready to eat!

I poured a glass of each wine and tried each dish with each wine. Below are my tasting notes for each wine and how I thought they tasted with each dish.

Crane Lake Petite Sirah

Alone
I actually really liked this wine, despite it being a cheap bottle. I think the wine had very fruit-forward flavors (like cherry, blackberry, maybe even a touch of strawberry as well).

With gnocchi
I think this wine paired nicely with the gnocchi. I think the gnocchi and the pesto sauce actually kind of enhanced the wine and I got a lot more out of it. I think it might have been the best wine (of the three) with the gnocchi.

With salad
I'll say it here and I'll say it again. You just can't pair salad and wine. It was bad. I knew it was hard to pair with but it just made the wine worse. It seemed to make the wine taste very tart and bitter.

With garlic bread
 I wasn't the hugest fan of this pairing. Garlic is such a strong and overpowering flavor that the fruitiness of this wine seemed to clash.

Omo Ze Bel Merlot

Alone
I enjoyed this wine a lot. There were subtle hints of cherry flavor, which reminded me of Cherry Coke. This Merlot had an interesting, somewhat grainy texture.

With gnocchi
I thought this wine paired well with the gnocchi. The acidity of the wine was kind of balanced out with the creaminess of the pesto sauce and the basic nature of the potatoes in the gnocchi.

With salad
This wine with salad was actually pretty terrible. I knew salad is a hard thing to pair with but this was just bad. I think that the crispness and freshness of the salad with the wine made the wine taste like poison. I couldn't do it.

With garlic bread
I wouldn't say this paired well or didn't pair well with the bread. As strong of a flavor as garlic is, I thought it would have some impact but it didn't really change the flavor of the wine to me.

Shine Riesling 

Alone
I actually really enjoyed this wine for a white. It was not a typical Riesling as it was not very fruit forward, but had a mineral component as well. While there were citrus aromas and flavors, the acidity was refreshing.

With gnocchi
I didn't expect this to be a good pairing and I was right. The citrusy flavor didn't do anything with the creaminess of the gnocchi and was not pleasing on the palate.

With salad
Probably the best pair of the three, but still not very good. I found that the crispness and freshness of the wine matched the freshness of the salad but the citrus threw everything off.

With garlic bread
I thought that this was a weird pairing. The strong garlic flavor did not go well with the citrusy Riesling. However the garlic made the wine seem more minerally and chalky.

Overall, I found the pairing was interesting and I learned a lot from doing this. I am a vegetarian so I wish I could have done the dinner with meat products to see how that would influence the wines (especially the reds).

Tasting -James Goddard Shiraz

Name: James Goddard Barossa Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $21

Winery Review: The outstanding 2011 James Goddard Shiraz (aged 14-16 months in American and French Hogsheads) delivers considerable value and flavor authority. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of blackberries, black currants, licorice, graphite, and subtle barbecue smoke. Rich, fleshy and dense, it is best consumed over the next 3-4 years.

My Review: I wasn't the hugest fan of this wine. This wine was pretty tannic and I picked up on almost a chalky sensation when I was drinking it. I'm normally not a huge fan of sweet wines, but this wine almost didn't taste sweet in the slightest.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -Toso Moscato

Name: Toso Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $10

Winery Review: This Moscato is reminiscent of honeysuckle and rose petal. The quality is equivalent to a top level Asti Spumante DOCG. Sweet sparkling wine obtained from careful selection of the Moscato grapes. It has a pale straw yellow color with fine foam and bubbles. Tropical fruit flavor, refreshing. Excellent to match desserts, fruit and dried pastries.

My Review: I enjoyed this wine. The nose was very floral and the people around me actually gasped when they smelled it. I thought this wine would be good for desserts and fresh fruit. There was definitely nice fruit flavors in the wine. I would drink this again.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -El Sierro Tempranillo/Cab

Name: El Sierro Tempranillo/Cab
Variety: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $8

Winery Review: Dark ruby in color with rich aromas of red fruit and light spices. It is a real knockout with delicious flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and vanilla all perfectly integrated. The Tempranillo provides wonderful spice and fruit, while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives structure and depth with the beautiful use of oak.

My Review: My first impression of this wine was that it had a pleasant nose, but I found that the wine was very tannic and very oaky. I did enjoy the fruit-forward flavor but I couldn't overlook how tannic it was. I probably wouldn't drink this wine again.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -Omo Ze Bel Merlot

Name: Omo Ze Bel Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $7

Winery Review: This bright, soft Merlot comes from a hilly vineyard on the Alcesti family estate in beautiful Sicily. It has hints of red cherries and freshly cut hay. Exceptional value.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine. I went to the Vintage Cellar with my friend Robert who also liked this wine and ended up buying a bottle. We used this wine during our wine dinner that night. I detected the cherries and it reminded me of Cherry Coke somewhat.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -Altas Cumbres Torrontes

Name: Altas Cumbres Torrontes
Variety: Torrontes
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $6

Winery Review: Yellowish colour with greenish nuances. Very intense aroma of fresh grapes, flower perfume and mature peaches. Fresh in the mouth. Light and easy to drink. Ideal with seafood, Thai and Chinese food.

My Review: I liked this wine a lot, and I think I am a fan of Torrontes. This wine was super crisp and clean and definitely peachy. I would pair this wine with sushi, maybe sometime soon.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting -Avery Quinn Chardonnay

 Name: Avery Quinn Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $7

Winery Review: The 2011 vintage marks a return to form for this great value Chardonnay. The aromas feature creamy, mellow, golden apple, pineapple, fresh butter and a touch of vanilla. Then rich, ripe flavors of yellow pear, pineapple, fresh apple, cream and  buttered toast swell up and fill your mouth before a juicy, apple and caramel inflected finish makes your mouth water (and smile!).

My Review: I was overwhelmed with the buttery creaminess of this wine, though I did enjoy it. The description made me think this wine would be more apple-y, but I picked up on the pineapple a lot, the butteriness, and the caramel finish. It was pretty good for a Chardonnay.

I tasted this wine on its own without food.