Wine-Dinner Pairing

Let's begin. Wine and dinner pairing with my parents. They do not drink. At all. I've seen them drink champagne at a wedding on two occasions. That is all. However, I'm slowly converting them to the dark side, one glass at a time. For this dinner, I chose three wines - a red, a white, and a sparkling dessert.  My mother prepared the meal while I shopped around for wines at our local liquor store, Hops and Grapes. Actually it's more like a liquor warehouse.  I spent over an hour looking at all the wines. I've never tasted nor heard of these wines before.

Wine selection for our dinner pairing

The three wines I selected for dinner are shown to the right.  There are as follows (from left to right): Nando Fragolino, Single Vineyard 446 Chardonnay, and Napa Cellars Zinfandel.  The dessert wine is from Italy.  The Chardonnay is a 2010 from Monterey, CA. The Zinfandel is a 2009 from Napa Valley, CA.

Dinner table set, meal prepared

Patty Pat (my mother) prepared the meal.  It consisted of breaded pork tenderloins, rice in a garlic and herb sauce and broccoli.  Garlic bread also complimented the meal. Chocolate and assorted fruits were served for dessert. The pork was cooked perfectly, although I may be a little biased. The rice was my favorite, though. I love rice any way you cook it. This way just happened to be exceptionally delicious.

My partially eaten plate

The Zinfandel PACKED A PUNCH! It was powerful.  It was spicy. THE OAK MONSTER came at you at full force. The heavy oaky component was a little much. Notes of berry, particularly ripe blackberry and raspberry jam come through on the nose. Aromas of black pepper spice is present. The palette follows with juicy, round fruits and warm oak.  This zinfandel is deep, dark and purple. It's complex and delicious. I feel it would be paired better with grilled or barbequed meats, more specifically a nice, juicy steak (which I did in a later dinner pairing).

The Napa Cellars Zinfandel

This was probably too strong of a wine to start my parents off with. It was super bite-y, super potent, super powerful. My mom was not a fan. She had a hard time even sipping this wine. It was, in my opinion, too complex for unexperienced wine drinkers. Both my mom and dad did pick up notes of oak and dark berry.  My dad thought the wine finished spicy. The tannic structure of this bold red was not for the new wine drinker.

The chardonnay was a PERFECT pairing with the rice portion of this meal.  It also complimented the meat nicely, although it still wasn't the best choice. But the rice! Oh the rice! This oaky, buttery chardonnay is CLASSIC CALIFORNIA! Balanced and bright with fresh citrus and delectable tropical notes. This was definitely did it for me! The oak component paired perfectly with the garlic and herb rice. The rice enhanced the buttery quality of the wine. This wine was creamy and silky smooth on the palette. The pineapple notes further complimented this wine. Both my parents agreed this was a better fit for them and for the meal.

Patty Pat and I enjoying our meals

The Nando Fragolino was a fruity, fizzy, strawberry flavored sparkling dessert wine.  It was low alcohol, low complexity, low structure, and my mother's favorite. Her main reason for loving it was that it tasted like sparkling cider. She's a mess. I enjoyed this wine more with the chocolate and fruit pairings than by itself. The dark chocolate helped cut the fruity strawberry component some, making the wine more tolerable. I couldn't drink a lot of this wine at once because it hurt my stomach. It was too sweet for me.

I think Patty Pat may have had a little too much wine.
She's laughing and making fun of me. Typical.

Tasting Peter Mertes Liebfraumilch

Name Peter Mertes Liebfraumilch
Variety --
Region Rheinhessen
Country Germany
Year 2009
Price $5.95 

Critic's Review Liebfraumilch is a soft, delicate wine of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate districts. The original wine was named after the Leibfraumilch monastery in Worms, where the monks were the first wine growers and produced an unusually pleasing wine. Wines of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate are noted for their aroma, well-balanced, harmony, and fragrance. Leibfraumilch, as all excellent white wines is best served chilled. We suggest serving with cold entrees, as well as poultry, such as chicken or turkey, or even with a mild cheddar, mellow and slightly nutty with a medium consistency.

My Thoughts This white is clean and crisp - very fragrant! It has a flowery component. This wine is sweet tasting.  There is an acidic component on the mid-palette masked by apple flavors - red, not green. 

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Col Des Vents Corbieres

Name Col Des Vents Corbieres
Variety 50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah
Region --
Country France
Year 2009
Price $7.95 

Critic's Review 50% Carignan, 35% Grenahce, 15% Syrah. Brambly berry, cherry and raspberry, spices, black pepper...all are present in this authentic French country wine.

My Thoughts Heavy rasp and black berries on the nose. A buttery component compliments the fruity bouquet. This red is silky smooth on the palate.  It finishes spicy - a hot peppery finish.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting San Elias Carmenere

Name San Elias Carmenere
Variety Carmenere
Region Central Valley
Country Chile
Year 2010
Price $5.95 

Critic's Review The grapes for this Carmenere are selected from the vineyards in the Central Valley. Beautiful red fruit aromas. Supple and round in the mouth, the wine pairs well with full flavored cheeses and lamb.

My Thoughts This wine has a very spicy component, both on the nose and the body. Peppery and creamy tastes with hints of dark red fruits. This wine could be paired well with a variety of spicy cheeses. Creamy cheeses could also cut the spicy some. For me,  the nose of this wine was better than the flavors.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Estrella Chardonnay

Name Estrella Chardonnay
Variety Chardonnay
Region Napa, CA
Country United States
Year 2010
Price $5.95 

Critic's Review Intensely flavored and balanced with layers of vanilla, butter and pear, followed by apple, banana and oak.

My Thoughts This chardonnay is pale yellow in color. Hints of fruit - apple and banana are present. But, the wine is perhaps more earthy than I would expect from a white.  It is crisp and refreshing.  However, I feel it's a wine better crafted for sipping during the summer months than pairing with food. It is classic Cali Chardonnay in its oaky, buttery quality.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Zonin Pinot Grigio

Name Zonin Pinot Grigio
Variety Pjnot Grigio
Region Delle Venezie
Country Italy
Year 2009
Price $5.95 

Critic's Review Pale straw-yellow color with brilliant reflections. Delicately fruity bouquet, with outstanding finesse and marked hints of almond blossom and peaches. Elegant, soft and well- structured fruit on the palate, with remarkable freshness and a clean, persistent aftertaste.

My Thoughts This pinot grigio has a glistening pale yellow-white color. There is a slight cardboard element on the nose which makes floral notes. Hints of apple and nectarine come through both on the nose and on the body. This wine is smooth. It has a light entry with distinct herbal underpinnings.

Wine Updates

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.