Wine Dinner Blog 1!! (Ft. special guests...)

        Well hello and welcome back to another wine blog! This time, it is a wine dinner blog that was a lot of fun. Enjoy!

           So, my older sister and her boyfriend went home this weekend, and because I simply cannot be left out, I also went home. While there, I decided to make my family participate and enjoy a wine dinner (so that I can get those extra credit points of course). We made a trip to Costco (mom's favorite place) the day before, got some food, picked out a couple of wines, and then ate, drank and had fun. That being said, please enjoy and know that this entire night was 100% sponsored by Costco.

This is the majority of the group. From left to right it is: Julia (my friend), me, the boy is Conner (sister's boyfriend), Makenna (sister), and the lovely lady sitting is my mother. 

We decided to try an Italian sort of dinner theme. We had stromboli, lasagna, and a beautiful tuxedo mousse cake (could not find tiramisu). 

With this, I grabbed two red wines and a chardonnay. 

        

        This is the first of the red wines. It is a fresh, medium-bodied, red blend varietal with a vintage of 2022. It is from the California region, and was less than $10 at Costco. It had a mix of dark fruits - like blackberry and plum - with a hint of spice and maybe even a little vanilla. On the palate, it was smooth and fruity with soft tannins, a little sweet, and very easy to drink. You could definitely pick up the blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon in how mellow and round it was.

  

        This is the stromboli, which we ate as an appetizer. It had mozzarella, prosciutto, and salami, and was served with a side of marinara as a dipping sauce. It was delicious!

        This pairing actually worked pretty well. The slightly sweet and spicy notes from the Apothic Red played nicely with the salty, savory meats and gooey cheese. The acidity (or really just not sweetness) in the marinara helped to balance the wine's fruitiness. It didn’t clash or overpower anything, but I wouldn’t say it elevated the dish - it just complemented it nicely. The wine mellowed out the saltiness of the meats (salami especially), which made the whole bite smoother and just overall more enjoyable. 

 

        This was our white wine, also from Costco, and honestly a nice surprise. It was a classic California chardonnay - golden in color with aromas of green apple, pear, and a hint of butter. Its vintage is 2022 and I believe it was $7.99. On the palate it was creamy, lightly oaked, with bright citrusy acidity to balance it out.

        This was a hearty, homemade (it is obviously not homemade- shout out to Costco!) lasagna with beef, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan - very comforting and rich. Definitely hit the spot.

        Now, chardonnay with lasagna might sound strange, but it actually wasn’t terrible! The creamy texture of the wine actually matched the cheesy elements of the lasagna pretty well. The acidity helped cut through some of the richness, especially with the ricotta. That said, I probably would have preferred another red with this one. The wine didn’t clash, but it didn’t stand out much either. It kind of disappeared with the stronger tomato and meat flavors. Honestly, not a bad combo for someone like me who doesn't really drink with food. Just enjoyable and easy.

 

        This was our third wine. It is a 2022 Malbec, from Argentina, that was around $11 from Costco. It was bold and juicy, with deep purple color. From the smell, I got black cherry, blueberry, and a touch of cocoa. It had medium tannins, good body, and a rich finish - definitely the most structured wine of the three, and by far my favorite.

    For dessert, we grabbed this beautiful tuxedo mousse cake, which had layers of dark and white chocolate mousse, soft cake, and a glossy chocolate glaze. Not Italian, but too good to pass up, and it seriously was gorgeous. Obviously, I was too focused on eating it to actually get a picture of the whole thing. It was gone fast, so I'm lucky I got a picture at all. 

    The Malbec and the cake together were amazing. The richness of the wine matched the richness of the chocolate perfectly. The fruity notes in the wine brought out the sweetness of the dark chocolate mousse, while the slight bitterness from the cocoa in the cake helped balance the tannins in the wine. Definitely my favorite pairing of the night! The wine didn't overpower the dessert, and vice versa - they both got better together.

This is my friend Julia, as pictured earlier. She was also a student at Virginia Tech, but never got to take the wine class despite wanting to, so this was a fun experience for her as well. 

Of course, my girl Chernie also had to get in on the action. She definitely loved the company that we had tonight, and hated that the attention was on the wines and not on her. 

Overall, this night was a lot of fun and I definitely learned a little bit, and really enjoyed getting to share this with my family. Each of the wines brought something different to the table, and it was cool seeing how they paired, or didn't, with each course. I did try each wine with each course, and these were the best pairings, which is not what I expected. I was very surprised by the chardonnay and Malbec. I think it all turned out to be an interesting combo, and well worth the time and money. I highly recommend to force your family into doing a wine night, because that's exactly what I did.

The following are just some pictures of the meal in progress. 

Honorable mention that is completely irrelevant: this is my little brother and his gorgeous girlfriend. Both in high school, so they obviously did not drink, but it was their homecoming night! Just want to put in there- this is the height difference we all deserve. Don't settle.

Wine Tasting 5 and 6

        Well, hello and welcome back to another blog of wine! This tasting actually has two (to my TA grading this, I am combining these into one blog because I had them at the same time) meads that were absolutely amazing. 

        For those who don't know, mead is made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and is commonly called "honey wine". It is delicious. I have not yet had a type of mead that I haven't enjoyed, if not loved. It is a very old alcoholic drink, and the alcohol percentage can end up being quite high. 

        This tasting took place in Charleston, South Carolina. I went to visit my sister (this actually took place a very long time ago and I have just never written it up, but I did take notes!) and her boyfriend, and we attended a mead tasting. We got a flight, and these were two of my favorites. 

    

    So first up is the Black Currant mead. The following pictures are the label, and the description on the flight sheet. 

     

   So, as this is mead, it doesn't have a grape varietal. It is technically a melomel, which is a mead made with fruit. It is from Georgia, and a bottle cost $38. Its vintage is 2022.

    When I first tasted this mead, it was different than others that I have had. It wasn't super rich or syrupy, but rather a little bitter and not super sugary. The more I sipped it though, the more I liked it. It had the taste of cranberries- kind of tangy and bold. But, there was also the sweetness from the honey in the aftertaste- just enough that it wasn't overpowering the actual flavor of the mead. It was very smooth going down, warming, and I feel like it would go really really well with a cheese like brie, or maybe even chocolate. 

    Again, this wasn't like any mead that I have had, but I greatly enjoyed it. I did not have it with food.

    Next up is the Paradisi mead. 

   

    The Paradisi is also a melomel, from Bears Bluff Meadery, with the driving fruit being grapefruit. It is $28 a bottle. I actually couldn't find any very relevant additional information on this wine besides what was on the label. I do know that it is "co-fermented and aged on estate grown grapefruit", so I would assume that it is fairly local. 

    Many describe this mead as not too sweet, refreshing, and smooth. Personally, it reminded me of sunshine, just in a glass from the look and the smell. You can definitely smell the grapefruit- it was very fresh and citrusy. While it was tart (like a grapefruit), it was mostly sweet. It reminded me a lot of a dry white wine, just a little sweeter and with an extra sharpness from the grapefruit. Just a very distinct flavor. It was smooth, and you could certainly still taste the honey underneath, although the citrus was the focal point. 

    Overall, it was very good. It was not harsh, which is sort of what I was expecting with the grapefruit, but balanced near perfectly. Very much so a summery type of drink- crisp, light, and refreshing.

Wine and Cheese Pairing!

 

    Well, hello and welcome back for a wine cheese pairing! This past week, two of my girls who are also in the wine class came over to do this pairing. We ended up enjoying it a lot, and it provided the perfect excuse to drink a little bit while we procrastinate our other assignments. 

    The 3 cheeses I used in pairing are below. The two Boursin flavors came in a pack from Costco, and I highly recommend them. It came in a pack of 3, which I thought was perfect until I realized that there were 2 garlic and fine herbs and therefore only 2 actual flavors of cheese. Luckily, I had some sliced white American in the fridge, and so we used that as our third type of cheese, and it actually ended up as a perfect complement and contrast to the others. The following is my initial thoughts on the cheeses by themselves: 

        Boursin Shallot & Chive – Soft, creamy, with a sharp oniony kick.

        Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs – Smooth texture with bold garlic and an herby backbone.

        White Sliced American Cheese – Yep, the classic. Mild, melty, nostalgic.

The 3 wines I used are all red wines, and additional details about them, along with my tasting of them by themselves and their smell, are below. Personally, I felt the Pinetti had the best overall flavor when only drinking wine, not with food. The other two were almost spicy- like there were too many competing flavors. 

       Pinetti Notte 2022 Sangiovese Rubicone (Italy)

                  -Medium body, slightly tart cherry, earthy undertones, subtle tannins

                  -Smelled like red berries and herbs

        Yellow Tail Shiraz Cabernet (Australia)

                    - Very bold and kind of jammy, dark fruits like blackberry and plum, some peppery                                                 notes, smooth finish

                    - Smelled like sweet spice and ripe fruit, almost like black cherry jam

        Mirassou Pinot Noir 2023 (California)

                    - Light and smooth, fresh raspberry and a touch of vanilla. Very easy                                                             drinking

                    - Smelled like floral with a bit of cherry cola on the nose

    After separately tasting all of the wines and cheeses, my friends and I started the pairing portion and took notes. Honestly, I do not know if my taste is super advanced yet, but I did feel as though we had gotten very good wines and cheese to take notes on. They all had pretty distinct flavors, so we could tell definitively what we enjoyed and what we did not- although we all had some differing preferences.

    The following is how I felt the Pinetti paired with the three different cheeses.

Pinetti Sangiovese + Boursin Shallot & Chive

• The tangy shallot notes in the cheese actually lifted the subtle earthiness in the Sangiovese, making the wine feel more vibrant.

• The acidity of the wine cut through the richness of the cheese nicely.

• Final thoughts: It was pleasantly balanced - brought out the best in both.

Pinetti Sangiovese + Garlic & Fine Herbs

• The garlic dominated here, almost masking the delicate nature of the Sangiovese.

• The herbs clashed a bit with the wine's tart cherry notes.

• Final thoughts: Not the best match - cheese overpowered the wine.

Pinetti Sangiovese + White American

• The cheese barely had a presence, so the wine just did its thing.

• No clash, but no real synergy either.

• Final thoughts: Honestly, meh. Neutral at best. Not good or bad. 

    The following is how I felt the Yellow Tail paired with the three different cheeses.

Yellow Tail Shiraz Cabernet + Shallot & Chive

• The wine's boldness held up, but the onion notes felt weirdly out of place with the fruit-forward profile.

• Slightly metallic aftertaste.

• Final thoughts: Kind of awkward - not harmonious.

Yellow Tail Shiraz Cabernet + Garlic & Fine Herbs

• Now this worked. The intensity of the wine and the punch of garlic were evenly matched.

• The herbs even added an interesting complexity.

• Final thoughts: A strong pairing - held their own.

Yellow Tail Shiraz Cabernet + American

• The smooth meltiness paired well with the jammy wine.

• Not complex, but comfort food vibes.

• Final thoughts: Basic, but cozy. Very good for my simple taste I believe. Just a good balance with the wine being so full of flavor, and the cheese being more on the bland side.

    The following is how I felt the Mirassou paired with the three different cheeses.

Mirassou Pinot Noir + Shallot & Chive

• This was one of the most interesting pairings. The soft texture and oniony sharpness played well with the fresh berry notes in the Pinot.

• Brought out a floral/sweet contrast.

• Final thoughts: Fun, unique - kind of a surprise hit. I thought the garlic one might have gone better but I was wrong.

Mirassou Pinot Noir + Garlic & Fine Herbs

• The garlic was too intense for the soft-spoken Pinot.

• It flattened the fruity notes and left the wine tasting thin.

• Final thoughts: Mismatch - the cheese stole the show. The cheese had way too much flavor.

Mirassou Pinot Noir + American

• Soft cheese, soft wine - nothing clashed, but nothing exciting happened either.

• Think: school lunch, but with wine.

• Final thoughts: Pretty good, just mostly mild.

    This concludes my tastings. Overall, I felt pretty fancy (even with the sliced white American) and like a proper wine drinker. It was quite good, and I was surprised by the pairings that I thought were the best compared to what I thought was the best when tasting both the wine and cheeses solo. It was very enjoyable. 

    The following are just some pictures from the little event.

Wine Tasting #4 - Menage a Trois Exotic Blend

            

This is the Menage a Trois Exotic Blend wine. It was $9.99, and its vintage year is 2022. The varietal is a blend of white wines, to include chardonnay, Moscato, and Chenin Blanc. It is from California, US.

There is a very large variety in reviews on this wine. Many say that it is very "refreshing and sweet, with hints of citrus", and is the "perfect summer wine. Others say that it is not sweet at all, is extremely dry, lacks flavor, and just has a "watery and acidic mouthfeel".

Overall, I was not a fan of this wine. It had some legs, and an extremely fruity smell- definitely a mix, I thought I was getting some hints of pineapple, cantaloupe, and mango. I was excited, and then after trying it, immediately changed my mind. It was light, but quite dry, and certainly tasted acidic. It did not necessarily have any specific flavor, besides maybe just citrus. The aftertaste was the worst part- it was just bad and sort of gross. 

I did not have this wine with food, and will most likely never have it again. Wine Folly talks about how this could be a good pairing with pork, poultry, and shellfish, but I will not be giving that a try. 

 

Wine Tasting #3 - Taylor Port Black

            

This is the Taylor Port Black wine. It was $11.99 at Kroger, with a vintage year of 2022. It is a sweet, fortified wine made from a blend of grapes that are all grown in the Douro Valley region in Portugal, to include Touriga Nacional, Franca, Barocca, and Cao. The company did start in Portugal, but now uses the US as a base, and this wine was bottled in New York, US.

Reviews on this wine are all quite positive. One said it is "the holy trinity of the palate- sugar, acid, and alcohol". They talk a lot about the "rich, fruity taste", with a "smooth and strong finish". Overall, it is rated quite high as a full-bodied, moderately sweet, rich wine that is definitely great for the price. I could not find any complaints. 

Personally, I greatly enjoyed this wine. It was very sweet, but also very strong. It had a fiery sort of taste/feel. It was extremely smooth and thick, with very good body, which could be seen based on the amount of legs. It did smell quite oaky, which makes sense as they are aged in oak barrels, with a hint of cherry and raspberry. It was dense and velvety, felt almost like syrup. There was a heat to it, as it was very strong, which I would contribute to the alcohol. The aftertaste had a slight tang but overall was just very rich. 

I did not have this wine with food, although the bottle, the website, and Wine Folly talk about port wine being a dessert wine. That makes sense to me, however I also feel as though it would pair well with a steak dinner. Definitely would go very well with chocolate though. 

I would certainly recommend this wine. As I am not a huge red wine fan, and considering I did enjoy this, I believe that this is a pretty high-quality wine with many flavors and an interesting feel.

 

Wine Tasting #2 - Beringer Main and Vine Pinot Grigio

 

This is the Beringer Main and Vine white wine. It is a pinot grigio/pinot gris from California, USA, with the label stating the South Eastern Australia region. The vintage is 2021, and the price was $6.99.

There are very differing reviews online about this wine. Some say that it is straight nasty: "the worst pinot grigio ever", "buy at your own risk". Others, however, say that it has a lovely, light taste with hints of citrus and peach. Most agree that for the price it is sold at, it is a good wine.

Personally, I greatly disliked this wine. It had a sort of nutty, almost vanilla smell, with some lemon. It was very bitter, and slightly burned my throat and nose going down. It was extremely dry, and although some said that it was light, and you could taste the lemon and peach flavors, I could not. I did not feel as though it had a whole lot of flavor whatsoever. I honestly would not get this ever again, even for the price.

Wine Folly discusses the dry pinot grigios as a fruit-driven variety, with flavors of lemon, yellow apple, and white peach. It talks about how they have very fruity aromas, with a "less intense acidity and more of an oily textured mouthfeel". I did not pick up on the any fruity aroma besides the hint of lemon. I can almost understand the oily mouthfeel, however I felt that the acidity was still quite high. 

I did not have this wine with food. 

Wine Tasting #1 - Cardinale American Sweet Red

 

This is the Cardinale American Sweet Red Wine. It is a varietal red blend, from the Inland Empire region (southern California), in the USA. The vintage of this specific wine is unknown, but the winery it is from opened in 1967. It cost $10.99.

This wine is from San Antonio's Winery located in Los Angeles, California. Reviews online say that it is a "refreshing and juicy dark red wine", with a "bold, sweet taste". It is a blend of sweet grape varietals, and is "bursting with rich grape flavor". Critics say that it is too sweet, and way too similar to grape juice. However, some people enjoy the sweet, refreshing and light flavor.

Personally, I loved this wine. However, as stated in my introduction, I am not normally a fan whatsoever of red wine, so I almost feel like this wasn't a true red wine. It was extremely sweet, truly almost tasting like grape juice. It had an oaky, sugary, cherry sort of smell, and was pretty watery. It had a slight tang with a very sweet and pleasant aftertaste. It did not taste like any kind of red wine I have ever had, and I would definitely get it again. 

I did not have this wine with any foods, and could not find any specific references to this brand on Wine Folly.