Wine Dinner #2

My second wine dinner was a success! This time around I was able to enjoy a delicious meal with my family! This pairing was EXCEPTIONALLY better than the last because Mexican and wine do NOT work for me. My meal of choice was an appetizer of Bruschetta, an entree of Shrimp Scampi, and a dessert of Chocolate Soufflé. My brother and I made this meal while my mom was at work and it was quite a hit. Also, my mom really loves Stella Rosa wines which is why it was the wine brand of choice for the night.

Appetizer: Bruschetta

My brother really slaved over this appetizer and in the end it got burnt in the oven because I didn't hear him ask me to take it out. Despite it being slightly burnt, it was super delicious! For this course, the dominating flavors were tomato, basil,  and garlic with a topping of mozzarella. I paired this course with Stella Rosa's Moscato D'Asti.

Name: Stella Rosa Moscato D'Asti

Variety: Moscato

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $9.99

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Fresh peach, apricot, and honey characteristics. This is in perfect balance with the sweetness. Natural carbonation. - Winemaker's notes

My Review: When comparing my notes to the winemaker's, I was pretty spot on! I tasted strong hints of peach and honey with an appropriate amount of sweetness. I really liked the carbonation in the wine because it added a hint of complexity to it. I enjoyed this one and I would definitely buy it again!

Paired with: Bruschetta 

Pairing Review: The Bruschetta was oh-so delicious and when paired with the wine it was excellent! When paired with the food, the carbonation of the wine really mellowed out and the sweetness decreased by a lot. As for the food itself, the garlic flavoring toned down and it brought out more flavor in the tomatoes. The mozzarella also became creamier when it paired with the wine which I liked. Overall, it was a pretty good pairing. 8/10 would recommend

Entree: Shrimp Scampi

This meal was definitely a combination of my brother and I's hard work. It took a while to prepare because the shrimp had to be steamed and cooked, plus the linguine had to be boiled. The staple flavors in the meal were garlic, parsley, lemon, and the smallest hint of cream to thicken up the lemon-based sauce. This was my first time making shrimp scampi and I loved the flavors! I paired this course with Stella Rosa's Pink (which is basically a Rosé).

Name: Stella Rosa Pink

Variety: Muscat

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2017

Price: $9.99

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Stella Pink® is a semi-sweet, lightly sparkling wine with a vibrant pink hue that gives off delicate fresh peach, honey, and red berry qualities. - Winemaker's notes

My Review: This one was definitely the sweetest of the trio. It was heavy with flavors of cherry, apple, honey, and cranberry. Surprisingly, it was a little bitter in the end, but I think that was just a tad bit of tannins coming through in the end. Yet again, I enjoyed it.

Paired with: Shrimp Scampi

Pairing Review: This entree was really good! The Stella Rosa website recommended that this wine be paired with a seafood scampi so that's exactly what I did. Like I said earlier, the meal was lemon based so when it was paired together the wine became less sweet. Interestingly, the tannins in the wine came out more when combined with the tangy lemon. As for the food, I think the wine really made the lemon and garlic stand out even more. This was so good and I would definitely make it again! 9/10 would recommend.

Dessert: Chocolate Soufflé

When researching desserts, a lot of recipes wrote that chocolate Soufflé was difficult to master, however, I decided to take the challenge. Honestly, this meal wasn't even a challenge - the ingredients were simple and the process was easy. In total, preparation plus cook time only took around 30 minutes which wasn't bad at all. The staple flavor in this recipe was chocolate and I wish I hadn't forgotten to get fresh fruit at the grocery store because it definitely would have easily stepped the meal up for a 10 to a 12. If you love molten cakes, I recommend that you make this dessert because it's so delicious.

Name: Stella Rosa Black

Variety: Blend - Brachetto + other grapes

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2016
Price: $11.99

Shop/Wine Critic Review: A proprietary blend of several red grape varietals including Brachetto. The wine is combined with natural flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry. Natural carbonation. - Winemaker's notes

My Review: I'm starting to think that Stella Rosa wines are going to be my new favorite because they're all great! This wine was very jammy and had hints of blackberry and raspberry. Based on the others, I thought it would be pretty sweet but it actually wasn't. I loved it!

Paired with: Chocolate Soufflé

Pairing Review: This pairing was my favorite of the night! The chocolate in combination with the berry flavors in the wine was quite amazing. The chocolate soufflé was slightly bitter since the chocolate was semi-sweet, however, the wine really brought out the sweetness in it. Additionally, the chocolate smoothed out the slight carbonation and made it a real treat. I definitely think this pairing is my favorite of all wine dinners so far! 10/10 would recommend.

Our corkscrew broke

My mom

Overall, this wine dinner was a huge success! My family enjoyed it and I always love having the opportunity to spend time with them whenever I get the chance. With this dinner, I was able to teach my mom what I learned in class and she was impressed with my new knowledge. I definitely want to do this again with family because it was such a fun dinner.

My Brother

My Mom, Kylo, and I

Kylo and London enjoying some "wine"

Wine Tasting #34

Name: Declan's

Variety: Irish Cream

Region: Lewiston, Maine

Country: USA

Year: Non-Vintage

Price: $11.95

Shop/Wine Critic Review: For a true taste of Ireland without the travel, look no further than Declan's Irish Cream Wine Cocktail. Inspired by the bold yet tranquil beauty of the Emerald Isle, its rich flavors evoke images of the lush Irish countryside. Delightfully smooth and indulgently sweet, Declan's is easy to enjoy anywhere and anytime. Whether you take it in coffee or by itself, keep a bottle on your shelf. - Vintage Cellar

My Review: I don't usually like Irish cream, however, this one was really good. It tasted like a chocolate milkshake with rum and cream. It was so smooth; would definitely recommend. I did not have this with food.

Wine Tasting #33

Name: Hecht & Bannier

Variety: Minervois

Region: Calatayud

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $9.95

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Pureed raspberry, plum and spice flavors are lined with dusty tannins in this fresh, focused red. Hints of milk chocolate add a touch of richness, with floral and spice notes lingering on the crisp finish. Drink now through 2019. 645 cases imported. - Vintage Cellar

My Review: Yet another jammy wine with strong hints of blackberry. This one was interesting because I tasted mushroom which I haven't experienced before. This one also didn't taste like alcohol. I liked it. I did not have this with food.

Wine Tasting #32

Name: Crane Lake

Variety: Sangiovese

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2015

Price: $5.95

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Medium-garnet color; blackberry, plum and vanilla aromas; raspberry and cherry flavors; with supple tannins for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with fresh mozzarella and Brie cheeses. Also try it along with veal piccata, chicken parmesan or meat lasagna. - Vintage Cellar

My Review: Wow this wine was extremely jammy with hints of berry - specifically raspberry. It was also oaky with a fair amount of tannins in the finish. It didn't taste very complex and I probably wouldn't try it again. I did not have this with food.

Wine Tasting #31

Name: Ch des Muraires Cotes de Provence

Variety: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Vermentino, Carignan 

Region: Provence

Country: France

Year: 2016

Price: $8.95

Shop/Wine Critic Review: A blend of 35 % Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 10% Vermentino, and 20% Carignana this is a lightly perfumed wine with a strong herbal element. It is a ripe finely structured wine, with great acidity and orange flavors. A style of wine that will be better for a few more months, it should be drunk from late 2017. - Vintage Cellar

My Review: The main flavor in this wine was pear with a hint of mustiness. It had a slight sweetness at the beginning and finished with an earthy oak flavor. I did not have this with food.

Wine Tasting #30

Name: Antonello Cassara

Variety: Trefilari Catarrato

Region: Sicily

Country: Italy

Year: 2016

Price: $7.95

Shop/Wine Critic Review: Aromas of mature orchard fruit, spring blossom and Herbs de Provence lead the nose. On the tangy palate, a hint of bay leaf accents honeydew melon and citrus. A saline note signals the close. - Vintage Cellar

My Review: Very crisp and light with strong hints of pear. It was a little too acidic for me so the finish wasn't great. I probably would not buy this in the future. I did not have this with food.

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.