Wine & Cheese Pairing #2

Wine and Cheese pairings have become my new favorite. I've always been obsessed with cheese and now I'm able to pair it with wine to bring out new flavors - It's too "gouda" to be true! That was cheesy, but I always enjoy a good pun nonetheless. As specified in the directions, I tried 3 wines and 3 cheeses- both separate and together. Some pairings were magical and others were not.


First wine up is:

Name: Yosemite Road Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Non-Vintage

Price: $5.00

Shop/Wine Critic Review:"If you’re looking for a white wine that isn’t too sweet, you’ve found the right one. Our Yosemite Road® Vineyards Pinot Grigio is light-bodied and possesses a rich aroma. Notes of zesty lemon married with hints of pear create a crisp, flavorful finish. Pinots are best paired with Asian and Chinese cuisines, so try this one with our locally-made beef and broccoli stir-fry.” (7-11 Website)

My Review: On it's own, this wine was crisp and acidic with hints of pear. It smelled of honey, but wasn't very sweet when tasted. Overall, wasn't too bad considering that it's 7-11 wine.

Paired with: Empire Whole Milk Mozzarella

Pairing Review: I generally like Mozzarella, however, I guess when it's not on Italian food it isn't a hit for me. When paired with wine, the milkiness of the cheese really threw me off because it was overly creamy. The fattiness in the cheese did bring down the acidity in the wine, but the wine did nothing for the cheese. I really didn't like these two together so I would not recommend. 2/10 would not recommend.

Second wine up is:

Name: Bay Bridge Red Blend

Variety: Table wine

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Non-Vintage

Price: $2.99

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Wow I'm not sure if this wine exists outside of the Kroger

grocery shelves. I looked everywhere for a review but could not find anything.
My Review: This wine was very sweet and tasted straight like Concord grape jam. There was a very slight hint of oak and cherry, but the jam flavor was truly overwhelming. For the price, it really wasn't THAT bad (but kind of bad). I'm not sure if I'd try it again.

Paired with: Bellavitano Gold

Pairing Review: WOW this cheese embodies everything I love about cheese! It was creamy, nutty, and just oh so delicious - can you tell I really liked it? However, enough about the cheese. When paired with the wine, this pairing did something magical in my mouth. The weird $3.00 alcohol flavor went away, and the jammy fruit flavor in the wine completely came forward. Who knew the creamy nature of this cheese could save such a cheap wine? 10/10 would recommend.

Last but not least, the third wine is:

Name: Pinetti Notte Zinfandel

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Puglia

Country: Italy

Year: 2017

Price: $4.99

Shop/Wine Critic Review: “The Primitivo (Zinfandel) vineyard is located in a very popular area known as Salento, Pugilia – the heel of the boot of sourthern Italy – between the cities of Leece and Taranto. Earth aromas reveal bright cherry and blackberry with a subtle hint of white pepper. Pair with traditional Italian pasta dishes or hearty grilled steak.” (Winemaker’s Note)
My Review: Cute bottle, not so good wine. It was very oaky and very tannic which are
two things that quickly overwhelm my tastebuds. It also had a slight hint of tobacco
which wasn't too bad. I don't think I'd try this again.
Paired with: Carr Valley Billy Blue Goat's Milk
Pairing Review: Blue cheese dressing is good, but I'm not a big fan of straight blue cheese. Despite this, the pairing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This pairing definitely went well together because they both brought out interesting flavors in each other. The wine brought out the nuttiness in the cheese, while the cheese brought out the oakiness in the wine. They both really tamed each other down and created a pretty good sensation in my mouth. 5/10 would recommend.

A really bad picture of me drinking wine

Overall, this experience was really great! I love wine and I love cheese so it was great to try some new things. Before doing these pairings, I never realized how much wine can alter cheese but I will continue to do this in the future. Also, doing this with friends made the experience really fun and informative.