My Second Wine and Cheese Pairing

Pinot Noir and Le Gruyere

The Pinot Noir smelled of fresh leather, earth, dried black cherry, plum, and cranberry. On its own, it tasted of spruce and cherry and was very bold, and it had a strong tannic structure with some acids. The gruyere was creamy and nutty when allowed to melt in the mouth. When combined, the nuttiness of the cheese cut through even more, and the tannins were somewhat reduced. I am not a fan of most red wines, but the gruyere made it more bearable.

Chenin Blanc and Robiola Bosina

The Chenin Blanc had good floral notes with more subtle smells of melon and lime. By itself, it tasted of spicy ginger, candied orange, and honeysuckle with good acid structure. The robiola bosina is a very creamy and mild cheese; it was my favorite of the evening. When combined, the floral scents and tastes of the wine became super powerful. The sweetness in the cheese was exposed as the acids melted was the cheese fats. This was my favorite pairing of the night.

Riesling and Gorgonzola Dolce

This Riesling from Colombia Valley, Washington had super strong notes of sweet honeysuckle and smelled overall fresh. It tasted of super sweet honey, fresh cut apples, and sweet pears with great acid structure; it was similar to apple juice. This Riesling was my favorite wine of the night. I expected the gorgonzola dolce to be a sweet cheese, but I found it to be very funky and more similar to blue cheese. When combined, the funkiness of the cheese was somewhat tamed; however, the wine was so good that it could make anything taste good.

Overall, I had a great time pairing wine and cheese. My favorite pair was Chenin Blanc and robiola bosina, but my favorite wine was the sweet Riesling. I think that I am getting better at recognizing good pairings; although, I was disappointed that the gorgonzola dolce was not sweet as advertised. Still, this was a great night of experimenting!

Dinner - Homemade Chicken and Vegetables

Tonight, I thought that it would be fun to cook my own dinner to pair with wines. For the main course, I made Chicken Bryan (inspired by the menu item from Carrabba's Italian Grill) which is chicken breast with a white wine sauce, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese that I paired with a 2018 Chardonnay by The Federalist. I sauteed spinach in olive oil with garlic as the first side which I paired with 2020 white blend by Apothic. For my last side, I prepared asparagus in butter with oregano and parsley that I paired with a 2020 Pinot Grigio by 14 Hands Winery.

For the 2018 Chardonnay, I began by sniffing and swirling to detect floral and strong oaky vanilla notes. I then tasted it alone and was greeted with more floral and oaky attributes, but I also got some smokey flavors as well. The wine also had high malic acid content and some tannin structure as the wine was barrel aged. When tasted with the Chicken Bryan, I immediately noticed how well the acidy of the wine cut through the salinity of the goat cheese. As a result, the floral notes of the wine are allowed to shine through. I also love that the acidity of the wine compliments the acidity of the sundried tomato. The combination also seemed to make the wine less dry. I loved this pairing and will definitely do it again.

For the 2020 white blend, I sniffed and swirled to reveal scents of strong flowers and another unidentifiable smell that I found rather unpleasant. Upon tasting the wine alone, I got super sweet honey flavors that overpowered anything else that may have been there. It also had a malic acid structure that was fairly pleasant. I then tasted it with the spinach, and it only took one taste together for me to know that this was not a good pairing. The garlic in the spinach conflicted too harshly with the sweetness of the wine to create an unpleasant combined taste. I would not try this pairing again, but I may try the spinach with garlic again with a more acidic and dry Cabernet Sauvignon.

For the 2020 Pinot Grigio, I swirled and sniffed to get strong floral notes and some other scents of pear, dragon fruit, and wood. I then tasted it alone to get tart floral flavors and a pleasant malic acid structure. I then combined it with the asparagus, and it was a great combination. The acidity of the wine cut through the butter that the asparagus absorbed from cooking. It made the asparagus and the wine taste better!

Overall, I had a lot of fun cooking and trying my wine pairings. I think that I did much better this time with matching food and wine. Two of my combinations were ones that I would definitely make again.

Wine Tasting: Bay Bridge White Zinfandel

 

Name: Bay Bridge Vineyards White Zinfandel

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Livermore Valley, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2021

Price: $5

Critic Review: "Pale salmon orange color. Candied aromas and flavors of watermelon candies, apple lollipop, and cherry taffy with a satiny, crisp, dryish light body and a smooth, medium-length finish with no oak flavor. A very fruity Rosé for summertime fun." -https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Bay-Bridge-Vineyards-NV-White-Zinfandel-California-USA-10-15-2020.aspx

Wine Folly: (page 189) The text does not provide information specific to white or pink Zinfandel styles, but I made my best interpretation from the book. Zinfandels tend to be fruit forward with strawberries, peach, and raspberry. They also have some flavors of spice like cinnamon and pepper. It may or may not have floral or herbal notes.

My Review: I forgot to set it in the refrigerator prior to tasting, and I did not decant. After swirling, I picked up scents of acidic lime zest, some cherry, and an overall cherry limeade or artificial watermelon smell. Upon tasting, I took notice of the high amount of malic acid in the wine from the bite on my tongue. It had a surprising grapy sweetness to it and few tannins. It may have also had a hint of rose in it. It reminded me of a sour watermelon jolly rancher. I really enjoyed the wine, and I can definitely see myself buying it again.

Wine Tasting: Bay Bridge Strawberry Moscato

 

Name: Bay Bridge Vineyards Strawberry Moscato

Variety: Moscato

Region: Livermore Valley, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2021

Price: $5

Critic Review: "At Bay Bridge Vineyards, we carefully select grapes from some of the finest vineyards to craft wines with vibrant fruit and elegant structure. Bay Bridge wines are full of flavor, rich in color and smooth in taste, which makes them delicious and the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Bay Bridge Strawberry Moscato is deliciously sweet, full of flavor, and smooth in taste. Enjoy aromas of juicy ripe strawberries that lead to a sweet finish which makes this wine the perfect complement to any occasion." - https://www.instacart.com/products/24447638-bay-bridge-strawberry-moscato-white-wine-750-l#:~:text=Bay%20Bridge%20wines%20are%20full,flavor%2C%20and%20smooth%20in%20taste.

Wine Folly: (page 149) The text does not have a page dedicated to Moscato wines, but some research has lead me to conclude that Pinot Gris/Grigio is comparable. Pinot Gris is famous for making zesty white and pink wines. It typically features fruity flavors of white peach, lemon zest, and cantaloupe. Some styles may include notes of almonds and/or gravel.

My Review: Unfortunately, I forgot to refrigerate this wine prior to opening it. As soon as I opened this bottle of strawberry Moscato, I was hit with the powerful aromas of fresh strawberries that immediately broadcasted images of the green and polka-dotted red strawberry fields of summertime. Further swirl and sniffing revealed scents of strawberry jam, bubblegum, and hints of lime and spruce. Upon tasting, I was surprised that it was not overly sweet and, instead, refreshing with a more muted sweetness. It had some malic acid bite to it, but not much. It also did not taste strong in alcohol. There were hints of spruce or rosemary as well. It reminded me of a fruit rollup snack. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine and found it to be better when I didn't hold it in my mouth to pick out flavors, much like Kool-Aid.

Wine Tasting: Cupcake Vineyards Moscato d'Asti

Name: Cupcake Vineyards Moscato d'Asti

Variety: Moscato

Region: Livermore, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $10

Critic Review: "There aren't enough titles I could give this. Cupcake has swooned me, captured my heart, ran with it and isn't coming back! It's a vibrant and floral, yet bursting with tropical fruit and a sparkling refreshing sweetness. If ever you needed a bottle of Moscato D'Asti to have has your go to bottle this should be it. I’d recommend it to someone who has a preference to sweet wines or for anyone who's new to the wonderful world of wines. It's a fun wine, great for any occasion and maybe even a special occasion wine. I would recommend keeping it nice and chilled to temper the sweetness. It is a dessert wine, so pairing it with semi-sweet desserts is a nice pair. I have it with EVERYTHING though lol!" -https://www.influenster.com/reviews/cupcake-moscato-dasti-white-wine-750ml-bottle

Wine Folly: On page 138 of the text, it describes Muscat Blanc, which the sparkling form is Moscato d'Asti. It is supposed to be pretty floral with honeysuckle and orange blossom. It should also have a citrus taste of Meyer lemon and mandarin orange. Some have notes of pear as well.

My Review: I recently reviewed a Moscato d'Asti from Italy which I found to be fairly dry, but this one from California is much sweeter in comparison. I got subtle fruit flavors of nectarine and peach with a sweet honey-like compliment. I did not get much of the floral component, however. I think that this wine is best suited for desserts, and I will definitely try it again in the future with a fruity dessert pairing.

Wine Tasting: Risata Moscato d'Asti

 

Name: Risata Moscato d'Asti

Variety: Moscato and Muscat

Region: Asti

Country: Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $12

Critic Review: "Risata Moscato d' Asti D.O.C.G. is from the world renowned Asti region in Northern Italy Seductively sweet, with juicy flavors of peach and apricot with hints of honey and citrus. Hand-harvested Moscato bianco grapes are selected from the finest hillside vineyards in all of Asti. Enjoy with appetizers, spicy Asian dishes, with sweet desserts or simply on its own." -https://www.influenster.com/reviews/risata-italian-moscato-dasti-wine

Wine Folly: On page 138 of the text, it describes Muscat Blanc, which the sparkling form is Moscato d'Asti. It is supposed to be pretty floral with honeysuckle and orange blossom. It should also have a citrus taste of Meyer lemon and mandarin orange. Some have notes of pear as well.

My Review: I decided to chill my bottle before serving as it is a sparkling wine. I found it to be easy to drink and had a pleasant acidic mouthfeel. It is fairly dry. I got good flavors of orange and a slight sweetness of honey. It was well balanced in my opinion. I think that it would be great on a hot summer day.

Wine Tasting: Duplin Red Sangria

 

Name: Duplin Sangria (Red)

Variety: Muscadine

Region: Rose Hill, NC

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $9

Critic Review: "For a premade sangria, this is absolutely amazing. I love fruity sweet wines, so this one is right up my alley. I’ve bought it multiple times and will continue to do so. Their prices are great and the alcohol content is higher than many others."

Wine Folly: The text does not have any information on either sangria or muscadine wines.

My Review: I got smells of maraschino cherries, artificial strawberry, cherry cough syrup, and a bit of smokiness. It had an overly sweet and medicinal quality. Upon tasting, I noted that it was similar to a mix of cough syrup and fruit punch Kool-Aid. It was definitely too sweet for my palate. It also had a very thick body that coated the mouth nicely. I do not think that I will try this wine again due to its intense sweetness, but I would recommend it to friends who enjoy such flavors as a dessert wine.