Food Pairing - #3

 

The three wines that I chose were a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, and a Shiraz. I had never tried a Shiraz before so this was exciting for me! 

The three courses consisted of an appetizer of spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips, a pasta and meat sauce, and for dessert some mini eclairs. 

To begin by discussing the wines on their own. The Cabernet Sauvignon smelled very dark, it had notes of dark ripe cherries and it was very pungent smelling of alcohol (understandably because it was a 2$ bottle from Kroger). This is a wine I would use for a chuck roast and I can already tell it would pair nice with red meat. The taste is extremely overwhelming for just having it on its own. It tastes heavily of alcohol but the dark fruit notes of cherry and maybe a little acidity from red currants. For the Merlot, it was definitely not as heavy smelling as the Cab. It smells of cherries but not that dark red cherry of the Cab. It is quite sweet and has notes of red apples, like the red delicious kind. It also tastes of blackberries, the juicy overripe ones. The Shiraz surprised me. The first smells, I could only smell alcohol. Tasting this wine, I felt like I went through the 5 stages of grief. As first I thought it was pleasant but then I got hit with a spiciness that I was not expecting. It tasted like black pepper, very reminiscent of a red Zinfandel. Then I got flavors of musk and old leather, like you're chewing on an old shoe. My first thought was that the Merlot is my favorite out of the three because of the mellow and more complex fruit flavors that it has. 

Now on to the appetizer! Spinach artichoke dip has to be my favorite appetizer to exist, I even make this recipe for dinner sometimes because it is just that good. But to begin with the Cabernet Sauvignon. The brininess of the artichokes does compliment this wine, the creaminess cuts through that dark red overpowering fruit flavors and makes the wine more suitable to drink. The salty and sweet pairing does well to compliment and it tastes almost as if I am having some fig jam with some creamy cheese. I knew the Merlot was going to be my favorite and I was right. The mellowness of the Merlot pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the dip. The little acidity the wine has does well to cut down on the sharpness that the parmesan has in the dip. The wine retains its sweetness, it's even elevated by the salt and the cream of the dip. I did not have high hopes for the Shiraz. The peppery and spiciness of the wine really works against the dip. It feels like I put two things that should never go together in my mouth. The red fruit flavors do nothing to improve the dip, the dip almost turns sour with this wine. It tastes bitter and the creamy dip almost curdles in the mouth. 

For the main course, I made my favorite comfort meal of pasta with meat sauce and LOTS of parmesan cheese on top. I chose all red wines to go with the heaviness of the carbs and acidity of the sauce for this pairing. To begin, the Cabernet Sauvignon was very pleasant with this dish. The heaviness of the wine swirls to mix with the acidity of the tomato sauce and both become sweet in the mouth. The sweetness of the sauce compliments the sweetness of the dark cherry flavors and it's very reminiscent of having a nice roast. The Merlot was once again my favorite pairing. The mellowness of the wine does well with the acidity of the sauce. Both wine and food do not clash, but work to bring out more flavors in each. I used a lot of onion and garlic in making the sauce and the sweetness of the onion is brought out while the wine takes on a riper, fruity flavor. The sharpness of the parmesan cheese is cut down by the sweetness of the wine. The Shiraz was my least favorite, I think I just do not like this Shiraz... Anyway, the spiciness of the Shiraz overpowers the sweetness of the sauce and it turns a bad acidic, like the aftertaste of throw up. The spice flavors of pepper in the wine do little to bring out the black pepper I used in the sauce which I had been hoping would remedy the Shiraz for me. But alas, any of the red fruit flavors of cherry disappeared and all I could taste is that astringent flavor. 

Finishing off with the dessert, I absolutely love eclairs. I bought mini pastry shells and made my own filling for the eclairs which was a process of its own... custard is hard to make! But I think I did a pretty good job! The Cabernet Sauvignon was pleasantly surprising as the dark chocolate I used as the eclair topper paired extremely well with the dark fruit flavors of the wine. The chocolate worked to bring out the jammy and fig flavors of the wine. The custard filling also cut through the alcoholic taste and softened the harshness of the tannins in the wine. The Merlot was again a favorite. Wine Folly has "fruit cake" (page 132) listed as a possible flavor note of Merlot, and this is very accurate to how the Merlot tasted with he chocolate covering. The custard also cut through any of the "cheapness" of the wine, by cheapness I mean that these cheap red wines all have a very strong alcoholic flavor. The Shiraz was again a disappointment. I do have to say this was my favorite pairing for the Shiraz but it still was not great. The spiciness is cut down by the custard but the red fruit flavors turn almost rotten and too ripe, like biting into an overripe strawberry, it just has that taste. The chocolate does well to pair with the first sharpness of the wine and cuts down the wines acidity. 

To conclude my thoughts, the next time I try a Shiraz I think I will have to have someone more experienced pick out a bottle for me to try. Red wine has always been a little heavy for me and I do not often drink it but I think when I cook with red meat, I would rather have a red wine than a white. Overall, the Merlot exceeded my expectations and I would buy that bottle again. 

Tasting - Sauvignon Blanc

Name: King's Family Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Crozet, Virginia

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: 33$

Like Professor Boyer has hammered into our heads, the New World wines are known after the winemaker and the grape variety. This wine had no name to it other than the vineyard and the grape variety. This was interesting to see this in real life and not just as a lecture fact. 

The vineyard describes the wine as "Inspired by the white wines of the Loire Valley, this Virginia Sauvignon Blanc has nuanced complexity, bright acidity, and pronounced citrus characteristics. It is a versatile food pairing wine that will continue to age well in the bottle for several years." 

My Review using Wine Folly: I usually like white wines and Sauvignon Blancs but this wine was so extremely acidic that it was hard to get through. The winery said that this wine was inspired by Loire Valley wines and Wine Folly (page 166) notes that Sauvignon Blanc's from Loire Valley are lean, crisp, and oaky. This wine was heavily crisp for sure, but I cannot begin to describe how much of a let down this wine was. The acidity tasted of grapefruit and lime but that acidity overpowered any other notes I tried to taste. It was very green and grassy but it did not have a buttery or smooth taste that I am used to with Sauvignon Blancs. Overall, I would not recommend this wine to anyone that does not like citrus or acidity. 

Tasting - Crosé

 

I recently visited King's Vineyards in Crozet, Virginia with some friends and tried two wines there. The first wine was a Rosé.

Name: Crosé

Variety: Merlot

Region: Crozet, Virginia

Country: United States

Year: 2022

Price: 22$ 

It was difficult to find a wine review online but this is the description from the vineyard "Our dry, Merlot based rosé is fresh and crisp with notes of grapefruit, lime, watermelon, and a light grassiness on the nose. Throughout the palate, a lifting acidity carries flavors of bitter cherry, peach, and rose petal. Friendly with lighter fare, this wine is also a great companion for the porch or patio." 

My Review using Wine Folly: To begin, this wine is very acidic and dry. There is no sweetness which helps the acidic citrus flavors of grapefruit come out. There is also a lot of floral notes, like the winery describes, of rose petals. Wine Folly describes Merlots (page 132) as having a new leather taste, which I can say that I could taste. It had that distinct first hit of smell and taste as a new leather belt or shoes. There were some red fruit tastes of cherry but it was not dark red, like the first cherries of the summer season. Overall I enjoyed this wine, but it was a little too acidic for my palate. 

Wine and Cheese Pairing #3

For this wine and cheese paring I chose a Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé, and a Riesling. For the cheeses I chose a white sharp cheddar, a Colby Jack, and a Fromager D Affindis.

Trying the Sauvignon Blanc, the first notes that I smell are floral, like gardena and it has a more green smell. It’s extremely white in the glass and it almost looks like water. Having my first taste it was not very acidic, it was a little buttery, the acidity does come out as an after taste. It still has strong floral notes but also some fruit notes of green apple. 

When smelling the Rosé first, it smells a little musty like wet laundry left out for too long but it also smells fruity and floral. When tasting, it was very mellow in flavor and it was hard to pinpoint exactly what I was tasting. It does have some red fruit notes like raspberries and strawberries and there is little to no acidity, and it even smells more acidic than it tastes. 

Immediately smelling the Riesling, right off the bat, I could immediately smell the distinct smell of elderberries and echinacea. It's a very nostalgic smell from my childhood when I would get sick and my mom would give me cough syrup. Tasting the wine, it was very sweet, and who would have guessed... It tastes like echinacea and elderberry, and the wine feels thicker, so it really resembled cough syrup. 

Now for the cheeses. The cheddar is not my favorite cheddar I've ever tried, it is very sharp and not creamy at all. It's also very brittle. The Colby is very mild, there is a sharpness that tastes like cheddar but it is also very soft and chewy. The last cheese I selected is called Fromager D Affindis. I usually like creamy cheeses but this one has a very distinct flavor of rotting lettuce in the fridge, I don't know how else to describe it, it was not a pleasant first taste.   

To begin the pairings, I'll begin with the Sauvignon Blanc. Trying this wine with the cheese, my immediate first thought was these do not compliment each other. The flavors do not mix, the sharpness of the cheddar brings out an acidity in the wine that tastes bitter and acrid. There was no mixing of flavors in the mouth, and the wine turned into something rather unpleasant. I was expecting the same to be with the Colby but I was surprised at how the sweetness of the wine is brought out. The wine mellows out the slight sharpness of the Colby and both the wine and the cheese turn into a slightly sweet, mellow taste. The greenery of the wine is not as noticeable and the acidity mellows out as well. I did not have high hopes for the Fromager but the creaminess of the cheese comes out from the wine, this wine transforms the cheese into something I can tolerate, the rotten taste subsides and the earthiness comes out. The wine mellows out and theres a buttery feel on the mouth. The green flavors of grass are heightened and I enjoyed this cheese way more with this wine than the cheese on its own. 

For the Rosé, I was also surprised as to how the cheddars sharpness compliments the fruity strawberry and raspberry flavors of the wine. This is a lovely pair, it felt like I was eating a strawberry off a fruit plate with some cheese. The cheddar is very distinct and the sharpness is complimented by the sweetness of the wine. 

I was expecting something similar with the Colby but the wine turns bitter with this cheese. It feels very slimy on the mouth and the acidity of the wine is brought out. The sweet fruit flavors are hard to find as the cheese kind of coats the mouth with this wine. For the Fromager, the the creaminess of the cheese is brought out, and the rotten garbage taste goes away. The fruit flavors compliment the earthiness of the cheese and it feels like this pairing is enjoying a summer salad. 

I did not have high hopes for the Riesling because of the cough syrupy tastes I got earlier. For the cheddar, the sweetness of the wine turns to a metallic penny taste, which I’ve noticed happens with a lot of Rieslings, these two don’t pair. The sweetness of the wine overpowers the cheese and the floral notes of the wine are heightened and it just tastes too strongly of elderberry. For the Colby, I had to choke down this combination, it’s awful. There was absolutely nothing that complimented this pairing. The wine almost curdles the cheese and both the wine and cheese being sweet, it just overpowers the palate. For the Fromager, the creaminess of the cheese cuts through the sweetness of the wine and the earthy flavors are able to tone down how much this wine tastes like cough syrup. There is no acidic taste but the metallic taste of pennies still remains. 

Overall my favorite pairing was the Sauvignon Blanc and the Fromager. I probably won't be buying Fromager in the future because how much it reminds me of the smell of rotting lettuce but now I know! I think the Rosé best paired with the Colby and the Riesling paired best with the Fromager. The cheddar can beat it, it was not the best cheddar I have ever had but it left a lot to be desired.