Wine and Cheese #2 - More Cheese with Friends

 

Cheese #1 - Cream Havarti

Name of Wine: Fossa Mala Refossa 2020

Variety of Grapes: Sauvigon Blanc

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Considerable aromas and flavors of crushed sea salt and cooked apples. Full body. Really intense and flavorful. Steely."

My Review:
I tasted notes of apple in this full body creamy wine. It had a fiery burning finish that I liked much more than at the start of the semester. I'm not sure what crushed sea salt means from the Vintage Cellar description. The Havarti cheese was already creamy, and when paired with the wine, the wine and cheese both had an even creamier feel to them. The cheese also removed any of the burning sensation I originally felt. This wine went down very easily with the cheese.

Cheese #2 - Jalapeno Pepper Jack

Name of Wine: Rinaldi Moscato d'Asti

Variety of Grapes: Muscat

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Bright pale light silvery emerald color. Lively, fruity aromas and flavors of peach soda, apple sauce, and pear skin with an even crisp, spritzy moderately sweet light-to-medium body and a smooth, interesting, medium-length orange sherbet, honey apricots, and chalk finish with fine, dusty, fruit tannis and no oak. A light and lively Moscato d'Asti."

My Review:
Wow! This Moscato d'Asti was the sweetest wine I have ever had. I really liked it. I almost reminds me of an apple soda. I also enjoyed the light bubbling in the wine. I did not like this paired with the Jalapeno Pepper Jack. I think the pepper of the cheese clashed with the light bodied sweetness of the wine. The cheese flavors overpowered the wine and mode the wine taste more bitter.

Cheese #3 - Fresh Mozzarella

Name of Wine: Colutta Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio Skin Contact

Variety of Grapes: Pinot Grigio

Vintage Cellar Description:
"This Ramato (copper colored in Italian) boasts a rich, complex bouquet of crisp fruity impressions including white peach, and cantaloupe followed by blackberry and bitter cherry with an intriguing hint of wild flowers. On the palate the wine is enveloping with a pleasant acidity and long mineral finish of red fruits."

My Review:
This wine was a big change in pace from the other two wines of the evening. It was much higher in alcohol content, and I could feel it from the long finish this wine had. I tasted melon flavors in the wine with a hint of floral components. It was very dry. However, with the mozzarella the dryness was much more manageable, but the flavors of the wine were untouched from the cheese. I think mozzarella is too mild of a cheese to go with this wine. I think it would have paired better with a red pasta.

Dinner #3 - The Last Supper

 

Appetizer

For the appetizer, we had homemade mango salsa with Karl Josef Blend

Name of Wine: Karl Josef Piesporter Michelsberg Qualitatswein 2020

Variety of Grapes: Blend of Muller-Thurgau and Riesling

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Enticing, with notes of candle was, 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."

My Review:
The wine had faint floral aromas, and it tasted similarly. It was not too dry and it only gave my mouth the slightest feeling of dryness. When paired with the mango salsa, the wine was noticeable less dry and I did not get any of the puckering feeling in my mouth that I did when consuming the wine alone. I was also able to detect more fruity notes like orange. I also like the acidity of wine and how it paired with the acidity of the lime juice in the mango salsa. Overall, this combination was refreshing and would be perfect for a warm summer day.

Entrée 

For the main course we had homemade General Tso's chicken with rice and Dr. Leimbrock Riesling.

 

Name of Wine: Dr. Leimbrock Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese Feinherb

Variety of Grapes: Riesling

Vintage Cellar 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."

My Review: 
This was a Riesling Spatlese, and based on previous ones I have had, I expected it to be sweeter than it was. That being said it was still very good, although I much prefer the Dr. Leimbrock Riesling Auslese I previously had. But back to this review, this wine was slightly floral with a hint of sweetness. I would not agree with the Vintage Cellar description as having flavors of "lime zest or green apple." When paired with the General Tso's chicken, I think the wine tasted a more sweet. However I think the General Tso's was too overpowering for this off dry wine and that a sweet Riesling would have paired better.

Dessert

For dessert we had homemade snicker doodle cookies with Maynard's Aged Tawny Port

Name of Wine: Maynard's Aged Tawny Port

Variety of Grapes: Blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Tinta Barroca

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Maynard's 10 Year Old Tawny 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."

My Review:
This was one of the oldest wine I have tried to date, and one of the strongest (as expect since its a fortified wine). This wine tasted similar to a honey syrup mix, like something that would go great with pancakes. It also had a noticeable fiery finish that I could feel down the back of my throat.  When paired with snicker doodle cookies, the long finish of the wine was not as prevalent. The sweetness of the cookies also went well with the sweet syrup like flavor of the wine. However, I would much prefer to eat the cookies by themselves and not drink the wine.

Tasting - Riesling Auslese

Name: Dr. Leimbrock Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese 

Variety of grapes: Riesling

Country of origin: Germany

Region of origin: Brauneberg

Vintage year: 2010

Price: $29.95

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Excellent structure, ripe aromas and flavors of stone fruits (like peach), a fine minerality, great depth and length. Unique harmony, finesse and expression after aging. Fine, yet racy with elegance and complexity. Beautiful balance between fine minerality, crisp acidity, expressive fruit aromas and flavors. 

Wine Folly Text:
Page 158 of the Wine Folly book discusses the Riesling variety. Riesling grapes typically have green apple, lime, beeswax, petroleum, and jasmine notes. This particular wine only had the green apple notes. The book recommends that Rieslings age for about 5-10 years. The vintage of this wine is 2010, so it was 13 years old when we drank it.

My Review:
This was the oldest vintage of wine I have ever had, so I was eager to try it. I was not able to distinguish any particular aromas from the wine through the 'swirl and sniff'. Upon tasting it, i detected notes of green apple and peach. It had a crisp freshness to it that I greatly enjoyed. This was an Auslese Riesling so it was also very sweet, and I have a horrible sweet tooth. Overall I enjoyed this wine a lot. This was my favorite Riesling I have had to date. 

Dinner #2 - More Food with Friends

 

Appetizer 

For the appetizer, we had homemade butter chicken wings paired with Cupcake Angel Food.

Name of Wine: Cupcake Angel Food

Variety of Grapes: Blend

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:
For our first course we had butter chicken wings and Cupcake Angel Food white wine blend. The initial taste of the wine had notes of coconut with a sweetish creamy finish. There was no distinct aroma to the wine. When paired with the wings, the wine tasted a little less sweet than it did alone. The wings also made the wine more smooth and have a warmer taste. Overall, I enjoyed the wine more with the food, but not a significant amount. The pairing was fine, but the wine was not good enough to begin with. I would not recommend. 

Entrée 

For the main course, we had homemade butter chicken and naan with Chateau Michelle Sweet Riesling.

Name of Wine: Chateau Michelle Sweet Riesling

Variety of Grapes: Riesling

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:
The main course consisted of butter chicken and naan paired with Chateau Michelle Sweet Riesling. My first impression of wine was that it had a light floral scent. It was very sweet, but I was not able to detect any  distinctive flavors. I certainly was not able to taste the "ripe flavor of peach" that the bottle described this wine as. With the wine, the garlic naan and butter chicken tasted more rich and flavorful. The spice of the butter chicken was more noticeable with the wine. Overall, I enjoyed this pairing a lot and would do it again. 

Dessert

For dessert, we had Godiva Lava Cakes with Taylor Cream Sherry.

Name of Wine: Taylor Cream Sherry

Variety of Grapes: Blend

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:
For dessert, we had lava cakes with Taylor Cream Sherry. This was the strangest wine I have ever had. The aroma was a mix of a woody oak, sugar, and smokiness. This wine tasted a lot like maple syrup, which was very unexpected. The lava cakes were very sweet to begin with, but when paired with the wine there was almost too much sweetness. It was like pouring maple syrup on my chocolate cake. Although the wine was strange, I oddly enjoyed it and would probably drink it again. I do not think I would make this pairing again though. I think that this wine is better consumed alone.

 

 

Tasting - White Zinfandel (Crane Lake)

Name: White Zinfandel

Variety of grapes: Zinfandel

Country of origin: USA

Region of origin: California

Vintage year: 2019

Price: $6.95

Bottle Description:
"Taste is strawberry, peach, and raspberry. The flavor profile is medium sweet."

Wine Folly Text:
Page 189 of the text describes the Zinfandel grape variety. This grape can have hints of blackberry, strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco flavors. In the wine that we had I was only able to taste the peach. It is described as low is sweetness and high in tannins, which I would agree with.

My Review:
This wine had a fruity complex that was dominated by a peach flavor. I was not able to distinguish the strawberry or raspberry flavors that were described on the bottle. This was a drier wine than I prefer, but it was not horrible. Overall I was okay with this wine, but I have tried other White Zinfandel's that I liked more so I probably would not buy this one again.

 

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

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

Wine Folly Text:
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. 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:
The first thing I noticed about this wine were the distinctive floral notes in its aroma, and in its taste. Overall, it had a light dryness to it but it was not overwhelming. I would also describe it as a smooth almost creamy finish. I did not get the chance to pair this wine with anything, but overall I enjoyed it. As someone who has primarily enjoyed sweet wines, this was one of the first dryer wines that I would consider buying again.

Wine and Cheese #1 - Cheese with Friends

 

Our first wine and cheese adventure!

Cheese #1 - Parmigiano Reggiano

Name of Wine: Pinot Gris (Cline)

Variety of Grapes: Pinot Gris 

Bottle Description:
"Refreshing, bright with exquisite notes of tangerine, grapefruit, and a hint of honey with some vibrant acidity."

My Review:
The first thing I noticed about the wine was the smell of apples. Upon tasting, we noticed a dryness followed by a slight acidity. We paired this wine with parmigiano reggiano. This pairing made the wine less dry, and it balanced out the acidity of the wine. Overall this was a good pairing. 

 

 

Cheese #2 - Parisian Style Brie

Name of Wine: Dolcemente Binco (Cantine Gabrielle)

Variety of Grapes: 70% Chardonnay and 30% Malvasia 

Bottle Description:
"Dolcemente's secret is the blend of the refined character of the Chardonnay with the fruitiness and sweetness of the Malvasia. Tropical fruit with an excellent balance of acidity and sweetness."

My Review:
The first thing I noticed with this wine was its tropical fruitiness. I could not place the specific fruit, however. I also noticed a slight dry finish. We paired this wine with Parisian Style Brie. This was a good pairing as the creaminess of the cheese complimented the dryness of the wine. The wine and cheese did not overpower each other, but I could not taste any more flavor in the wine or cheese when consumed together. 

 

 Cheese #3 - Mild Cheddar 

Name of Wine: Simonet Sparkling Wine Rose

Variety of Grapes: Syrah and Grenache

Bottle Description:
"The selection of the best grape varieties, a natural second fermentation and all the attention of our oenologist! This is the secret of this sparkling wine, with fine persistent bubbles, sweet red fruit notes."

My Review:
The first thing I noticed with this wine were distinctive floral and rose notes. The bottle description identified red fruit notes, but I was not able to distinguish these from the overwhelming floral notes I tasted. We paired this wine with a mild cheddar cheese. I did not like this cheese separately, so I also did not like it when it was paired with the wine. The cheddar cheese flavor overpowered the wine and left an unpleasant flavor in my mouth.

Dinner #1 - Food with Friends

Our first three course meal with wine pairings this semester.

Appetizer

For the appetizer, we had homemade bruschetta paired with Roscato Rosso Dolce.

Name of Wine: Rosso Dolce (Roscato, NV)

Variety of Grapes: Lagrein, Teroldego, Croatina

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Northern Italian. Violet-hued red with aromatic notes of cherry, blackberry, and red raspberrry. 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:
For our first course we had bruschetta with a Roscato Rosso Dolce, a sweet red wine. On its own the wine had a strong aroma of berries with a distinctive light cherry smell. The wine tasted really good, which was not surprising since I have a strong sweet tooth, and this wine was on the sweeter side. I enjoyed the notes of berry. The wine paired well with the bruschetta as its sweetness counteracted the acidity from the balsamic vinegar of the bruschetta. Overall, the wine and bruschetta tasted very good on their own, but were excellent together.

Entrée 

For the main course, we had homemade steak with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Name of Wine: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (2017)

Variety of Grapes: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero

Vintage Cellar Description:
"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:
Our second course of the evening was New York strip steak cooked to a perfect medium rare. We paired this course with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. From smelling the wine, I did not get any distinctive aromas. Upon tasting, I noticed a slight tobacco taste, but the wine was overwhelmingly dry for my palate. I think that the steak helped reduce the dryness of the wine, but not enough for me to thoroughly enjoy. The steak also made the wine smoother and less bitter. Overall, I did not like the wine that much and thought that it detracted from the steak. 

Dessert

For dessert, we had chocolate covered strawberries with Pear Dessert wine.

Name of Wine: Pear Dessert wine (Horton Vineyards, NV)

Variety of Grapes: Blend of white grapes (not specified)

Vintage Cellar Description:
"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:
Our final course of the night was chocolate covered strawberries. We peared this course with Pear Dessert wine. The wine had a very noticeable aroma and taste of brandy which gave it a long warm finish. There was also a very faint taste of pear, but this was quickly overshadowed by the brandy. This was the first fortified wine I have tried and it was a little stronger than I would prefer. This wine tasted much better when it was chilled. Unfortunately, it did not pair well with the strawberries. The brandy in the wine was too strong for the chocolate and strawberry flavors. However, the sweetness of the strawberries did lessen the burn and warmth I felt in my mouth from the higher alcohol content of the wine. I would not consider buying this wine again.

Tasting - White Zinfandel (Canyon Road)

 

Name: White Zinfandel

Variety of the grapes: Zinfandel

Country of origin: USA

Region of origin: California 

Vintage year: 2021

Price: $7.95 

Vintage Cellar Description:
"This wine is light-bodied with hints of strawberry, cherry, and watermelon flavors and a smooth crisp finish. Serve chilled with appetizers, fresh fruits, or summer salads."

Wine Folly Text:
Page 189 of the text talks about the Zinfandel variety of grapes. This grape is lower in acidity and sweetness, and higher in body, tannins, and alcohol. This wine was 8% ABV, so it was on the lower end of what a Zinfandel can be, but it was also the highest ABV wine I have tried thus far. 

My Review:
The most notable thing about this wine was a distinctive watermelon flavor. I did not taste any other notes of flavor. I enjoyed this wine quite a bit, but it was not as sweet as I thought it would be. Both wines I tried this week were less sweet than I expected them to be, which made them good starting points to try drier wines. I did not pair this wine with any food.

Tasting - Roscato Rosé Dolce

 

Name: Roscato Rosé Dolce

Variety of the grapes: Pinot Noir, Teroldego, Croatina

Country of origin: Italy 

Region of origin: Northern Italy

Vintage year: NV (No Vintage)

Price: $13.95 

Winery Review (Roscato):
"From the spectacular backdrop of northern Italy comes this delicate Roacato Rosé Dolce. This charming wine exalts fresh notes of strawberry and raspberry combined with a touch of sweetness. Rich and refreshing, it is wonderful on its own, but also a great pairing wither with spicy foods, barbecue dishes, fresh fruit and dessert. Enjoy chilled."

We got a little carried away and
drank it before we took a picture.

Wine Folly Text:
On page 150 of Wine Folly, Pinot Noir is described as a light-bodied red wine that has a "long, smooth, soft-tannin finish". I noticed this while drinking wine, especially since it was drier than I was originally expecting. 

My Review:
This was the first Rosé wine I have every tried and I liked it. I was not able to smell any distinctive smells from the "swirl and sniff", but I was able to detect distinct notes of strawberry when I drank it. I was not able to detect any of the other flavors that were described in the review. This wine was also drier than I was anticipating. I did not pair this wine with any food.

Tasting - Malvasia di Casorzo

 

Name: Malvasia di Casorzo

Variety of the grapes: Malvasia

Country of origin: Italy

Region of origin: Piedmont

Vintage year: 2021

Price: $13.95 

Vintage Cellar Description:
"Sweet, but not too sweet, with balanced acidity. Nice round red fruit of cherries and strawberries. Aromas of roses and a lingering fruity finish. This wine is not fully sparkling, but had a slightly effervesce."

 

Wine Folly Text:
Pages 28 - 31 of the text describes the different aromas of wines. This wine falls into the red fruit category with very noticeable notes of cherry. Page 22 of the text discusses the potential alcohol by volume, ABV, or different wines. At 5.5%, this wine is about as low as wines go. I think this allowed my to get a better taste of the fruity notes of the wine without the burning sensation from the alcohol that some wines and all liquors have. 

My Review:
Although I have not tried many wines up to this point, this was by far my most favorite. I also suspect it will stay very high up on my list. This was the first red wine I have had, and I was very pleased with the sweetness of it. I was also delighted by the notes of cherry in its aroma and flavor. It was also an interesting wine since it was slightly bubbly, but not fully sparkling. This effervescence made the wine more interesting to drink.