Holy Hell. There is lots to update on in my little, juvenile wine world. First off, I don't claim to know much about wine. At all. In fact, I know just about nothing. That being said, I want to discuss my older brother and his complete lack of knowledge and understanding of wine (or of anything good in this world, but we won't get into that). So, let's begin with a little history. I studied abroad in Europe in the Spring of my 2nd Year. I was 19. At this point in my life, I hated wine. HATED it. In fact, the first and only time I drank it, I was trying to be classy with some friends in my dorm room Freshman year. We were having a "Wine and Cheese Party". I was such a little shit. Anyway, the wine was so terrible, I was legitimately chasing every sip with cheese. After that, no more wine. Ever again. Or so I thought. Fast forward a year - I'm sitting in little Riva San Vitale, Switzerland drinking the most delicious red wine. And then I never stopped. If I could sum up my wine experience in Europe it would go like this: Cheap. Delicious. Goodness. Then, just like that, I'm back in America. I turn 20, and I have a whole year of torture before I can order wine with dinner again. I was miserable. Then, enter my brother. He thought I was just being a "pretentious, European-wanna-be, piece of shit." Nice, right? If I had to hear him tell me "just drink Keystone, it's good for you" one more time, I could have strangled him. Anyway, he hates wine. He's always hated wine. But like my first experience, I believe he's just never had good wine. Alright, so he knows I'm in this wine class. He texts me about a week ago and says "yo dude, I LOVE wine now. I got a couple bottles to try and it's delicious." Excited, I text him back, asking what he got. His response: Barefoot Moscato. Holy Hell. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Now like I said, I don't know much about wine. But, Barefoot Moscato IS NOT WINE. I tried to explain some things I've learned from class to maybe broaden his horizons about wine. I tried to explain the difference between massed produced wines like Barefoot and smaller wineries and how quality is sometimes sacrificed for quantity. I tried to suggest some wines me may like, based on his fondness for the sweeter, less intense flavors. He didn't care. He was content with his sugar water. The kid is a damn fool. Hopeless. Anyway, that was WAY longer than anticipated. Moving on.
Next up. I missed a wine tasting a few weeks ago because I decided to take a trip to the ER instead. I sliced the end of my finger with an X-acto knife while building a model in studio. And now, I'm going to blog about it, mainly because I ended the night with a couple bottles of wine. I will refrain from going into detail about the lacerated finger, although I'm strangely fascinated with morbid things like that. I did, however, watch the entire process of having my finger stitched back together.
Anyway, by the time I got out of the ER, wine tasting was over. On my way home I decided to stop at the Gucci Kroger, and I picked up 2 bottles of Bogle wine. Bogle is one of the first wines I got into when I started drinking wine on a regualr basis. For me it was just consistently good. And it was relatively cheap. I drank A LOT of Bogle. However, I've steered away from this wine in the last year and a half or so, and not for any particular reason. I suppose I've just been trying more different wines, in an attempt to expand my palate. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a try, since I haven't had it in so long.
I pair these two wines, the Cab Sav and the Phantom (a blend of 51% Zinfandel, 47% Petite Sirah and 2% Mourvedre) with several cheeses. I tried both first without any food. Now I have always been a fan of Cabernet Sauvignons. The rich, dark berry component and strong tannic structure appeal to me. Plus, I have the most experience with Cab Savs, as that is what I began drinking first. For me, the smokey aspect of this wine, paired with strong flavors of black cherry and hints of oak is just right. The spice that comes through is also pleasing. There are hints of Vanilla and an herby quality to this wine.
The Phantom is just delicious! It comes at you hard with deep, dark fruits. Cranberries and raspberries are heavy and mixed with a spicy component of black pepper. Oak is prominent in this wine as well, and it's got a smokey aspect to it, almost like burnt wood.
I then paired these wines with 3 cheeses - an aged sharp cheddar, a white Vermont sharp, and an applewood smoked cheddar. I preferred the Phantom with the applewood smoked cheddar. On the palate, I thought the oaky quality of the wine enhanced the oaky quality of the cheese. The Cab Sav cut the aged sharp cheddar nicely. The subtle hints of spice were picked up by the cheese and the acidity was cut some. Personally, though, I enjoyed these wines just as much, if not more, alone than with the cheese pairings. I've also had the Cab Sav before with a heavy red meat sauce and spaghetti, which I believe is an excellent pairing.
Andddd, the best part about this for me?! My finger hurt SIGNIFICANTLY less after getting a few glasses deep. Overall, a damn good night!
Still to come, 2 wine and dinner pairings using three wines - a Chardonnay, a Zinfandel, and a Sparkling White. I should add, both of these dinners were with my parents. They don't drink. At all. But I made them. And it was HILARIOUS! Stay tuned.
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