Wine and Cheese Pairing #2 - The Final Hurrah

I had a wine and cheese afternoon with my fiends Josh and Simran... again IKR. Them again? We each brough a wine and a cheese to share. The wines that we had were Refossa (sauvignon), Moscato d'Asrti, and a Colutta. The cheese that we borough to pair with our wines were: Gouda, Pepper Jack, and Mozzarella. FUN fact, this is the first and only time that we had a wine night at my place :) I hope that I was a good host. They said something about never coming back so I think that I am just invited to their place idk. 

The first wine that we tried was the Refossa (sauvignon). This wine had a very light, floral aroma. It had very noticeable notes of spiciness and had a burning sensation on the top of the tongue. The wine was a light dry but very manageable. Simran brought some Gouda with the wine and it paired well. The wine was less acidic, and the cheese was creamier when paired together. Overall, Simran did a great job with her selections.

The next win that we tried was the Rinaldi Moscato d'Asti. This was an excellent wine and is the equivalent of ginger ales if we compared it to a soda. It actually tasted a little bit like ginger ale and had a hint of almost apple I want to say? It was not dry at all and was extremely light. The cheese that I brought to pair with the wine was the Pepper Jack which was delightful. It had a little bit of creaminess and had a little spice to it. It did not change the flavor well but just tasted rounder. Would definitely try this again... Also, Josh and I ended up making spicy chicken sandwiches with the cheese which was also paired well together HAHA.

The final wine that we had was the Colutta. This wine was a significant change of pace from the previous two wines. The wine was significantly drier and more had some floral notes. I could not get a distinct flavor overall. This did not pair as well with the cheese as expected. The wine just felt more manageable. I think I would just have the cheese on its own and want to try it with a red pasta. This may be a better pairing for my taste at least.

Dinner #3 - The BEST Dinner so Far and is the Semester Done Yet? Because I Am!

I regret to inform you that this is the last dinner that I will be writing about in this blog... Unless I do more after graduation. You are just going to have to hang tight and wait. But moving on you will be joining me and my two best compadres, Josh (middle) and Simran (right). Tonight, we will be pairing 3 wines, each with a unique part of our meal. 

Our appetizer was a mango salsa. Unlike your traditional salsa, everything was diced and mixed together with only my hands. I mean I cut everything with just my bare hands and I don't wash these bad boys either. It was well balanced with nice sweetness of the mango and acidity from the red onion and lime juice. Uhhh Chipotle if you want a new topping for your food, hip ya boy up and I will give you the recipe for just a single sponsorship. 

The main course was a homemade General Tso's prepared by Josh. This was delicious and was honestly better than any takeout that I have had.

For dessert, we had snickerdoodles made by Simran. These were fantastic. There is a funny story behind these cookies, but you will have to come to my office hours when I am a professor (if I can actually become one that is).

Now let us move onto the good stuff (duhhhhh the wines silly) shall we?

Name - Karl Josef

Variety of grapes: Blend (Muller-Thurgau and Riesling)

Country of Origin: Germany

Region of Origin: Michelsberg

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $10.95

Bottle Description: Enticing, with notes of candle wax, spice and zesty lemon, this off-dry blend of Muller-Thurgau and Riesling is deeply concentrated with white peach and apricot flavors. It’s weighty and rich in feel, with streaks of mineral that add delicate complexity to the finish.

Our Description: It was difficult to detect any smell or aroma. At best, one could maybe get a floral hint. Now, me personally, I was able to detect the floral scent after INTENSE sniffing to the point where my nose started to hurt… The wine on its own tasted the same way it smelled. Couldn't really taste anything and at best only a delicate floral taste. When paired with the mango salsa, it was actually more flavorful. The hint of dryness was paired perfectly with the sweetness of the mango and avocados and balanced well with the acidity of the lime juice and onion. I would recommend this wine to my friends if I had any....

Name - Dr. Leimbrock

Variety of grapes: Riesling

Country of Origin: Germany

Region of Origin: Graacher Himmelreich

Vintage Year: 2018

Price: $22.95

Bottle Description: Lime zest and green apples perfume this zesty, green-fruited sip. Properly feinherb in style, there's just a whisper of sweetness glazing the palate like lace against a backdrop of pristine, spine-tingling gooseberry and grapefruit flavor. An energizing wine that’s delicious now but should hold well through 2024. 

Our Description: This wine was very light and did not have much of a scent. For the taste, it was really grassy and very floral. It was also light and has a strong taste that mellows out nicely. When this wine was paired with the General Tso’s, the freshness was stronger, but it was also more refreshing. I would recommend this wine to a cow or any people that regularly eat grass.

Name - Maynard’s

Variety of grapes: Blend: (Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Tinta Barroca)

Country of Origin: Portugal

Region of Origin: Douro

Vintage Year: Bottled 2022 and aged for 10 years (average)

Price: $23.95

Bottle Description: Maynards 10 Year Old Port has a deep brick color with amber rim. It shows beautiful aromas of dried fruits, honey flavors and a touch of vanilla, combined with ripe berry fruit. It has a silky texture with a long and clean ending.

Our Description: This wine was noticeably stronger than the dessert wine from dinner #2. It had an almost honey aroma and tasted like molasses. The best way to describe the finish was a long-lasting bourbon with a spicy tingle. With the snickerdoodles, I have to say that I actually prefer them separately. I like the sweetness and finish of the wine by itself, but the flavors were competing when paired together. I probably would recommend this wine to very few people.

Dinner #2 - Good Ole Homemade Indian Food and Post Spring Break Shenanigans

Hello and welcome back to Dinner #2 for Geography to Wine. My name is Charles and I'll be your pilot for this adventure. Please keep all hands and legs inside the vehicle at all times. You'll be accompanied by my friends Josh (middle) and Simran (right). Tonight, we will be pairing 3 wines, each with a unique part of our meal. 

Our appetizer was homemade chicken wings via Simran's parents. There were spicy, but too spicy and were delicious.

The main course was homemade butter chicken and naan.. again via Simran's parents. It was super creamy and was a delight to the senses. OH MY LANTA I gorged myself. 

For dessert. We had lava cakes. Unfortunately, they were more lava than cake. They never really fully cooked and they super wet. But still good because chocolate. 

Now, moving onto the wines!

Name - Cupcake Angel Food

Variety of grapes: Blend

Country of Origin: USA

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $7.99

Bottle Description: Our Angel Food is a luscious aromatic white blend made from premium grapes from our sun-drenched vineyards in California. Reminiscent of Angel Food cake, this wine has flavors of pineapple, vanilla bean, and toasted coconut that culminate in a creamy mouthful. Enjoy with spicy Buffalo wings, chicken quesadillas, or caramel popcorn and a movie.

My Review:

The cake wine had initial taste of coconut and a sweet creamy finish. In addition, there were no real distinct smell. When paired with the chicken wings, the wine overall felt much smoother, and the flavor did not change much. Another note when pairing with the food is that the wine tasted "warmer". Overall, I enjoyed the cupcake wine more with the food more, but not that much more. I do not think that I would not recommend this wine.

Name - Chateau Michelle Sweet Riesling

Variety of grapes: Riesling

Country of Origin: USA

Region of Origin: Washington State

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $9.99

Bottle Description: This harvest select sweet Riesling captures the rich, ripe flavor of peach - and the results are stunning paired with more fruit, soft cheese or a spicy main course.

My Review:

I actually really liked this resiling. It was very sweet and rich. I would consider it the orange soda of the wins that I have had so far. There was a noticeable floral scent, and it was less noticeable the more I smelled it. I was not able to detect any flavor and just tasted the sweetness. 

Name - Taylor Cream Sherry

Variety of grapes: Blend

Country of Origin: New York

Region of Origin: USA

Vintage Year: N/A

Price: $7.99

Bottle Description: A full bodied, moderately sweet sherry with nuances of toffee and roasted nuts. Delicious with dessert or after dinner. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

My Review:

This wine (sherry) was really weird. To start, it smelled like a combination of a woody (almost an oaky smell), sugar and a dash of smokiness. The initial taste was alcoholic maple syrup. Wow it tasted good for a second and then I felt all confused afterwards because the tasted slowly changed into a more of a rustic flavor. When the sherry was paired with the lava cakes, it was a sweetness overload. I felt like I was at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and tasted the chocolate river.

Tasting - White Zinfandel (Crane Lake)

 

• Name: White Zinfandel

• Variety of the grapes: Zinfandel

• Country of origin: USA

• Region of origin: California

• Vintage year: 2019

• Price: $6.95

Winery Review: “Taste is strawberry, peach, and raspberry. The flavor profile is medium sweet.”

Wine Folly: On page 189 the text mentions the Zinfandel grape variety and its characteristics. Zinfandel grapes have hints of blackberry, strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco flavors but I did not taste all of those flavors except the peach and strawberry. It is supposed to be kind of low in sweetness and was kind of high in tannins, which I agreed with.

My Review: This wine had a fruity, almost peachy flavor. I did not taste strawberry, or raspberry.  It was drier than the other white zinfandels that I have tried. I do not think that I enjoyed it as much because I enjoyed the other white zinfandels more than this. Overall, I liked this wine, but I do not think that I would buy it again considering that there are other white zinfandels that I like, but I would drink it again. To be honest, I do not remember all too much from this. I think that I was trying to forget about her... she LOVED PEACHESSSSS. SHE WAS MY LITTLE PEACH

Tasting - TAVO Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie Doc

• Name: Tavo

• Variety of the grapes: Pinot Grigio

• Country of origin: Italy

• Region of origin: Delle Venezie

• Vintage year: 2021

• Price: $12

Winery Review: "The Redmont-Di Tonno family settled in Abruzzo decades ago to grow the Pinot Grigio grape sustainably in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Our desire is to finely craft authentic wines of great elegance. Enjoy."

Wine Folly: Page 149 of the Wine Folly book describes the Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) grape variety. This grape is known for its "zesty white wines". Overall, my experience with this wine matched the general description of this variety. The book describes this grape as low in body and tannins and higher in acidity. One of the common descriptors of this grape is "crushed gravel", which I did not taste. However, I am now very curious as to how this flavor would be in a wine.

My Review: This wine had distinct floral notes from first inspection. This is also detected from taste. Overall, it was dry, but very lightly and was not overwhelming. I did not really detect this very much but there was almost a creamy finish. I did not pair this wine with anything but enjoyed it, nevertheless. I would consider buying and drinking this wine again.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #1 - Adventures of Tom and Jerry TM

I had a wine and cheese night with my friends ... guess who ... you guessed it ... Josh (middle) and Simran (right)! We each brought a wine and a cheese to share with everyone. The wines are as follows: Pinot Gris, Dolcemente Bianco (Cantina Gabrielle), and Simonet sparkling wine rose. The cheese are as follows: Parmigiano Reggiano, Parisian Style Brie, and a mild cheddar. 

The first wine that we tried was the Pinot Gris (see below). From the get-go, it had a crisp apple smell. When tasted, there was noticeable acidity with followed by light fruity flavors. We all thought it tasted like apple though it was not listed as one of the flavors. The wine was dry but not too dry on its own. Josh brought Parmigiano Reggiano to pair with the wine and I think that it paired well. The wine was not as acidic and tasted smoother, more rounded, and balanced. Overall, good choices Josh and this is something that I would consider buying again.

The next win that we tried was the Dolcemente Bianco (Cantina Gabrielle), or the Chardonnay & Malvasia (see below). This was a confusing wine for me. I got initial hints of fruit, but I could not distinguish the exact fruit. However, I got a tropical array of fruits. The flavors were light, and it was not very dry. If anything, the dryness was more of an aftershock and was quite nice. Simran brought Parisian Style Brie to pair with the wine. The creamy cheese paired very well with the wine, and it was overall, well balanced. I think this would have tasted slightly better is this were a 100% Chardonnay. Overall, Simran had a great choice of wine and cheese and would try again, but with a 100% Chardonnay.

The last wine that we tried was mine which was the Simonet sparkling wine rose. I did smell anything to be honest. But the initial flavor was alcohol and roses which I really enjoyed. I brought a mild cheddar to taste with the wine. Personally, I did not really enjoy the cheese the with wine and would have preferred to have had them separately. The cheddar overpowered the wine and they did not complete each other. I think that my wine tasted the best :), but my combination of wine and cheese was not the best :( It seems that I am never enough. You can confirm that with her... I seems that I will never be good enough, either for pairing wine and cheese, or for me ... Now if you will excuse me, I have lots of wine to drink by myself.

Dinner #1 - Steaks, Friends, and Good Times

 

My friends and I (me - left, Josh - middle, and Simran - right) are all taking the Geography of Wine course this semester, and this is our first dinner where we paired three wines with our meal. 

Our appetizer was a homemade Bruschetta, courtesy of Simran, as seen above. The flavors included tomato, basil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. To be honest, I mainly smelled the balsamic vinegar, but it was delicious!

The main dish was a New York cut of steak. I cooked this x3 using a sous vide and then seared it on a cast iron. The steak was a perfect medium rare (big thanks to the sous vide) and tasted perfect! I cooked the steak seasoned with just salt and pepper and sous vided it with garlic and Irish butter, which gave it such a rich flavor and herbal fragrance. 

For dessert, Josh prepared chocolate covered strawberries. These were delightful and the stems tased even better! (Do you think I am joking or not?)

Name: Rosso Dolce (Roscato, NV)
Variety of the grapes: Lagrein, Teroldego, Croatina
Country of origin: Italy
Region of origin: Northern Italy
Vintage year: NV
Price: $13.95
Vintage Cellar: “Northern Italian. Violet-hued red with aromatic notes of cherry, blackberry, and red raspberry. A touch of sweetness and bright acidity underlies the appeal of this charming wine. Traditional style compliments regional “heart and soul” cuisine: bruschetta, calamari, pasta in red and cream sauces, breaded cutlets spicier fare. Enjoy chilled”

My Review:
The Roscato had a strong berry smell with a hint of cherry. Another note is that there was a noticeable smell of the alcohol which I have not noticed thus far with any of the red wines that I have tasted. For the taste, it was a light cherry flavor with a little dryness. The dryness and the cherry flavor balanced well, and it was enjoyable. This paired well with the Bruschetta. It was less dry which can be accounted for by the balsamic vinegar. 

Name: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Variety of the grapes: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero
Country of origin: Italy
Region of origin: Tuscany, Italy
Vintage year: 2017
Price: $19.95 Vintage Cellar: “This Vino Nobile is produced and refined in the heart of the production area, between Val D’Orcia and Valdichiana. Characteristic bouquet, delicate with notes of violets and typical aromas of tobacco and leather. The linear palate features black cherry, cassis and oak-driven spice alongside agile tannins.”

My Review:

The Vino Nobile did not have a distinct smell aside from the alcohol. It was much drier than any of the wines I've tasted and was bitter. It tasted very earthy with flavors of tobacco and dirt. I could not drink this by itself ever again, unless it was for an assignment of course. The wine did pair well with the steak. It was significantly less dry with the steak and I could actually enjoy the wine. It was less bitter and smoother. This is probably not my favorite wine, though it was good with the steak.

Name: Pear Dessert Wine
Variety of the grapes: Blend of white grapes (not specified) 
Country of origin: United States of America
Region of origin: Horton Vineyards, Virginia
Vintage year: NV
Price: $17.95 Vintage Cellar: “This fortified Pear Dessert wine is unique. A blend of white wines and pear juice combined with brandy. This dessert wine has sweet pear flavors and a warm brandy finish. Serve as a dessert, use to poach pears or combine with a cheese plate or cinnamon ice cream. Residual sugar: 14.4%”

My Review:
The pear dessert wine had a strong smell of brandy. I guess my nose is good and reliable so far because this wine is fortified with brandy. There was a very light smell of pear, but I mostly smelled brandy. As for taste, it again is dominated by the brandy. After sipping the wine, I felt a surge or warmth down my body. Almost like happiness, but I wouldn't know that feeling. But for real, there was also a pear flavor present, but it was very hard to distinguish with the brandy. I do not think it peared (HA GET IT BECAUSE PEAR NOT PAIR?), with the strawberries since the wine was so dominant in taste. I did enjoy the wine but dang it was STRONG. Just like me after the gym.