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.