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.