Wine and Cheese #3

This week I got together with some friends to have wine and cheese. One of whom is also in this class. We tried a cabernet sauvignon, a pinot grigio, and a chardonnay with a “fromager d affinos with herbs”, Gruyere, and a dill fontal cheeses. 

Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon 

This wine was very bold with intense cherry and plum flavors. There were also hints of spices and herbs like pepper and fennel, as well as hints of oak. It was pretty dry yet very smooth with a full body and not very acidic. I really enjoyed this cabernet. 

It paired well with the herb fromager as both have strong flavors and complemented each other well. The cheese’s creaminess makes the wine even smoother and it brings out more fruitiness flavors. With the dill rubbed cheese, the dill brought out the spices in the wine pretty well. The cheese was creamy which balanced the wine well and the herbs interacted nicely but if you get too much of the dill it can be overpowering. Finally, the Gruyère cheese was very good and went well with the wine. It was a very simple cheese that didn’t interact much with the wine but still complimented the wine well. 

Cupcake Citrus Kissed Pinot Grigio 

The wine had very strong aromas but the wine itself was pretty light and crisp. It was very citrusy, acidic, and dry yet smooth. The main flavors were pear, lemon, lime, melon, and green apple. 

The dill cheese definitely overpowered this lighter wine. The spices overpowered the citrus flavors in the wine. However, the creaminess of it went well. Overall I think it paired okay. The herb cheese paired well with this because the creaminess made it smoother and the light herbs complimented the citrus very well. The Gruyère went pretty well and brought out the citrus flavor more, but they didn’t interact much. 

Francis Coppola Chardonnay 

This wine was very smooth and citrusy with some acidity. It was dry with a full body and had strong pear, peach flavors with underlying oak and vanilla notes. I liked this chardonnay and appreciated the complexity and not too much acidity. 

 

The herb cheese brought out the oaky and nuttyness under tones in the wine. The creaminess also balanced the citrus well so I thought this cheese painted well. The dill cheese had an interesting effect on the wine and the spices made brought out a meaty flavor. I think the creaminess and flavors also complimented the wine pretty well. With the Gruyère, the sharpness balanced the citrus and complemented the wine nicely without affecting the overall flavor much. 

Overall, the herb cheese was our favorite and generally went well with all of the wines we tried. I definitely recommend it.

Tasting - Chateau Morrisette Sweet Mountain Laurel Table Wine

Name of the Wine: Chateau Morrisette Sweet Mountain Laurel Table Wine

Variety of the Grape(s) in the Wine: Niagara grape

Country of Origin: United States

Region of Origin: Floyd, VA (South West Virginia)

Vintage Year: Not on the label

Price: $8.99 / bottle

Review

Vivino Rating: 3.5/5

“A unique and refreshingly sweet dessert style wine made from American native grape varieties. Firm acidity balances the sweetness, producing a crisp finish with aromas of freshly picked grapes. Made with Niagara grapes and blended with White Muscadine, Traminette and Vidal Blanc. Pour over fresh berries and sponge cake or blend with vanilla ice cream and fruit for a creamy dessert smoothie” - Virginia ABC

Wine Folly 

The Wine Folly text mentions Muscadine and Niagara in the also-try section for the Concord grape (pg 102), and Vidal is mentioned in the Ice Wine section which is a dessert wine so I imagine it is somewhat similar (pg 121). Overall there’s not much on the grapes in this wine. I mainly detected aromas of tree fruits/melons, citrus, and flowers (pg 593). I got flavors of  nectarine, peach, honeydew, honeysuckle, peony, and grapefruit. The wine was definitely high in sweetness, had medium body and structure, and low acidity. 

My Review

I really enjoyed this wine. I like sweet wine and this one was pretty sweet. It also had notes of crisp apples, nectarine, and florals such as honeysuckle which I really enjoyed. I did not have it with food and was still very good on its own. I found it not super light, with a bit more body than other white wines I have had. The bit of acidity also gave it a nice crisp finish. The pretty bottle and label was also a big plus and which was why I gravitated towards it in the first place.

Tasting - Gatão Vinho Verde

Name of the wine: Borges Gatão Vinho Verde

Variety of the grape(s) in the wine: Avesso, Loureiro, Trajadura, Pederna, Azal

Country of Origin: Portugal 

Region of Origin: Minho, Portugal (Vinho Verde)

Vintage Year: Unknown 

Price: $8.95

Review of the Wine

“One of the most familiar Vinho Verde brands in Portugal, this wine is medium sweet with a light prickle on the tongue. It is fruity with creamed apple and citrus along with a touch of honey. The wine is crisp and clean, delicious to drink as an apéritif” - Roger Voss 

Wine Enthusiast 85 points 

Wine Folly

Vinho Verde is described as low in alcohol, body, sweetness and tannins, but high in acidity. (Wine Folly pg 184). I thought the wine was definitely acidic but not extremely acidic, and it was definitely low in the other characteristics. I thought it was very light, pretty dry, and acidic. The flowers mentioned were lemonade, pink grapefruit, lime zest, yellow apple, and white blossom (pg 184). I thought the main aromas were citrus and melon. I also detected flavors of crisp apple, lemon, lime, and honey which is consistent with the text. 

My Review

I really enjoyed this wine. It had many flavors going on and the dryness allowed for me to detect those flavors. I really like the citrus and light crispness of the wine. I didn’t try it with food but I think it would be good with light dishes. For the price, it is definitely a great value Portugal white wine. 

Wine and Cheese Blog #2

 

This weekend I went to the Wine Lab with my friends, one of whom is also taking this class. We ordered the wine and cheese flight. We asked for bottles of the wine, however most were on tap and they said that it was okay not to include the bottle in the post.

Zardetto Prosecco NV w Gru Spreadable Gouda 

This prosecco really tickled my tongue and was very bubbly. I thought it was medium bodied with hints of citruses like lemon and grapefruit, apples and some florals. The description mentioned melon, orange blossom and mango. I could detect the melon and orange blossom but those weren't what came to mind immediately. It has a smooth finish and I thought it went with the gouda very well. It brought out the flavors in the cheese, especially the nutty hints and was not overpowering. I also thought the cheese balanced the dryness of the prosecco very well.

Stemmari Nero d’Avola w Manchego

I thought this wine was not super flavorful and was a lighter red than others I have had. It had medium tannins and acidity with hints of red berries, currant and cherry. I think the lighter wine went well with the mild cheese, as neither were overpowering. The cheese balanced the acidity of the wine very well and I thought brought out some of the flavors in the wine. Overall, I thought this wine was not very exciting and was not very fruity which I tend to prefer. This was not my favorite within the flight.

Palacio Cabernet Sauvignon w Cheddar

I really enjoyed trying this wine and thought the cheese pairing was exciting. This cabernet was very powerful, bold, and rich. I got nutty and oaky aromas and hints of black currant, cherry, as well as nutty flavors. The cheddar cheese balanced out the tannins very well allowing the flavors of the wine to come out. The sharpness of the cheese balanced the acidity very effectively, as the wine was pretty acidic. I thought the wine brought out the flavors in the cheese as well.

Wine Dinner #2 (w Family!)

This week was spring break and I was home for the week, so I decided to have a wine dinner with my parents! We had Vermont extra sharp cheddar and olives, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and zucchini with a zinfandel, pinot grigio, and riesling. I am a vegetarian so I am not able to try bold reds with bold meats which is why I have a lot of pasta and lighter wines with the meals. 

Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2020

First, we tried the Zinfandel with some sharp cheddar cheese. This was my first time trying Zinfandel that I know of. This one was from Sonoma county in California and had good ratings. The wine had strong aromas of tart cherry and minerals. The main flavors I got were blackberry and oak as well as minerals and cherry. The wine was not too acidic and was smooth but still had a bit of a bite. I thought the cheese balanced the acidity of the wine very well and brought out the mineral taste of the wine. This wine definitely overpowered the pasta. It went a bit better with the zucchini, but was still overpowering and was best with the sharp cheddar. 

Chateau St Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley 2021

Next, we tried the Riesling from “Washington State’s Founding Winery.” The bottle indicated it was between medium sweet and medium dry. It did not smell very dry and smelled strongly of apricots and florals. The main flavors were apricot, lavender, and honeycomb. I thought it was pretty sweet and not very tart, overall a lighter wine. I thought the wine brought out the garlic in the pasta and the sweetness went really well with the red pepper. I think the sweetness of the wine balanced the sharpness of the pasta and vice versa. I thought this was a good pairing. This wine with the zucchini was a little too sweet and there wasn't much acidity, I don’t think they complement each other very well. The wine went with the sharp cheddar well but may have been better with another cheese. 

Balducci's Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) 

Finally, we tried a Pinot Grigio from a local food market we have here. The bottle indicated it was imported from the Delle Venezie region of northern Italy which is known for its pinot grigios. The wine was pretty tart and acidic. I got flavors of citrus, lemon, lime, pear, and a bit of mineral. I thought the zucchini balanced the acidity of the wine very well. It didn’t seem to affect the zucchini much though. This wine with the pasta I felt like there were a bit too many flavors going on as this wine is pretty flavorful. The wine did go well with the cheese, as most do.

Overall, it was nice to try some new wines with my parents and show them some things that I have learned in the class so far. The Riesling was my favorite wine of the night which I thought went very well with the garlic pasta dish. 

Tasting - Seven Oaks J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon

Name of the wine: Seven Oaks J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety of the grape(s) in the wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: United States

Region of origin: San Jose, California

Vintage year: 2020

Price: 10.99 (375 mL)

    

Wine Enthusiast Review

Critic tasting note: "For about a million cases, this is a reliable stud of a wine. Deep, dark blackberry and light wood aromas on the nose lead into berry jam, wood spice and caramel flavors, with amplified tannins promising at least a few years of freshness. Matt Kettmann" - 91/100, Wine Enthusiast

Wine Folly

Page 88 mentions Cabernet Sauvignon and says they are typically rich in flavors, high in tannins, and full in body but low in sweetness. These are definitely characteristics of this wine. The main flavors mentioned that I tasted were black cherry and black currant. Page 288 discusses California Pinot Grigios, mentioning lush black fruit flavors as well as “cedar, dusty minerality, and tobacco-laced tannins” which I could detect in this wine. 

My Review

I thought this wine was not super powerful but was flavorful. It was pretty smooth which I enjoyed. It has strong oaky, woody, and cherry aromas. I got a lot of flavors of black currant, blackberry and cherry. As well as hints of nutty, smokey and earthy. Overall the wine was not super acidic and was very soft which I enjoyed. However, I did not love all the flavors. I think I prefer less woody and more fruity wines. I had this with some pecorino romano cheese which softened the tannins and acidity of the wine a bit. 

 

Tasting - Sutter Home Pinot Grigio

Name of the wine: Sutter Home Pinot Grigio
Variety of the grape(s) in the wine: Pinot Grigio
Country of origin: United States
Region of origin: Napa Valley, California
Vintage year: couldn't find 
Price: 7.99 for 4 bottles / 187 ml

Wine Pro's Review - 3.5 Stars “Sutter Home Pinot Grigio is super pleasing. With its fresh floral aromas and juicy green and tropical fruit flavors is always in season. The inherent sweetness also is fantastic. It adds a unique creaminess that reminds the best off-dry wines of Alsace. For this reason, only, wine lovers should go ahead and try Sutter Home Pinot Grigio. It is really marvelous being able to enjoy such a treat-of-a-wine. I recommend it.”

Wine Folly - Page 149 mentions white peach, lemon zest, and cantaloupe which I did get from the wine, but those were not the main flavors that came to my mind. It mentions low tannins and body and semi high acidity which definitely characterizes this wine. It also states Pinot Grigio ranges from dry to just plain sweet and I thought this one was pretty sweet. 

My Review - I really enjoyed this wine. It was very light and refreshing, without being too dry and was pretty sweet. It was not super flavorful but had nice flavors of pear and white nectarine with some woody aromas. I had this wine with some pecorino romano cheese which complimented the wine nicely.