Tasting - Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2017
Price: $10

Winery Review: "The citrus-driven nose of this Sauvignon Blanc has hints of jalapeno and lily of the valley. What follows is a crisp expression of white fruit and citrus, with nectarine, Asian pear, and herbaceous hints of tarragon. Infinitely sippable" (2018 Ultimate Wine Challenge - 89 points).

My Review: Delicious and refreshing! This wine had aromas of citrus and flavors of lemon, melon, and subtle herbs. Like the review says, it was crisp, but not overly acidic. Very well balanced. I tasted this wine with a lemon linguine dish and the flavors complemented each other very nicely. The lemon, red pepper flakes, and herbs in the sauce matched the lemon and herb flavors in the wine perfectly. I was worried that the lemon would be overkill, but the parmesan cheese on the linguine helped balance the acidity. Overall, a very tasty meal. I would definitely buy this wine again and maybe pair it with a seafood pasta or a lemon and herb chicken.

Dinner #2 - A Family That Drinks Together Stays Together

The other night my parents, sister, beloved pup, and I had a delicious wine dinner featuring a gift of hunted venison from a family friend. There was no shortage of surprises, laughs, and, of course, wine!

Lucy was very interested in the cooking venison.

Our venison dinner in progress, prepared by my amazing Mom

Our dinner spread

Wine #1

2016 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley, California, USA
Price: Unknown (gift, ~$35-$45)
Label Description: None

Our first wine of the evening was a 2016 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir. On its own, my family and I agreed that this wine was delightful. It had subtle aromas and flavors of cherry with a hint of vanilla on the finish. It was smooth, fruity, light, and not harsh at all. Our plan was to pair this wine with Black Capelin Caviar on French baguette toast points. However, the caviar was a gift and when we opened it, something was definitely off. Now I've never had caviar before, so I wasn't exactly sure what is was supposed to look like, but my family and I all had a feeling that it wasn't supposed to look like this. While my sister contacted her friend who sent her the caviar to figure out what was going on, we decided to try the Pinot Noir with the main course.

Black Capelin Caviar or mystery spread? My sister decided to uncover the truth.

The main course featured venison in a red wine/beef broth/blackberry jelly reduction sauce. The red wine used for the sauce was the 2016 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir, so I assumed it would be an ideal pairing. However, the Pinot Noir did not really do much for the venison. The venison was really earthy, which somewhat clashed with the fruitiness of the Pinot Noir. The venison in the sauce offered really strong flavors as well, which I think overpowered the delicate wine. We also tried the Pinot Noir with our sides of asparagus and roasted potatoes, but these pairings were a bust. The strong herbaceous flavors of the asparagus overpowered the wine, and the starchy potato somehow made the wine seem harsher. Luckily, we had another wine to stand up to the strong flavors of this dinner.

Bacchus Amarone
Grapes sourced from Northern Italy
Wine prepared in Virginia, USA
Price: $36
Label Description: None

Wine #2

Our second (and favorite) wine of the evening was an Amarone made by a local winemaker at Bacchus Winery. On its own, this wine had aromas of spices (especially cloves) and black cherry. My family and I tasted flavors of vanilla and black cherry on the back of the tongue with some spice at the back of the throat. This wine was very complex and full-bodied and it had a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. My family all agreed that this wine was delicious by itself, but we soon discovered how pairing it with the venison offered the perfect bite. Taking a sip of the Amarone, followed by eating some of the saucy venison, did wonders. The wine immediately brightened the meat and made it less earthy. It also brought out the fruity flavors in the sauce. An absolutely delicious pairing! Interestingly though, eating the venison followed by taking a sip of the wine did not seem to change the wine at all. My family and I thought it was very interesting how the order in which we tasted the food and wine affected the overall flavors.

Like before, we tasted this wine with the asparagus and potatoes as well. Again, the strong herbaceous flavors of the asparagus overpowered the wine and made it taste flat. The strong garlic and rosemary herbs on the potatoes also overpowered the wine.

Meanwhile, my sister had finally learned what was up with the "caviar," but not before we all tried it. The mystery spread was super spicy, and for good reason. It turns out that the caviar container had been repurposed to hold habanero pepper honey. Mystery solved! Unfortunately, my sister had gotten an especially hot seed and had to recover before we moved on to dessert. While she was recovering, I decided to pair the habanero honey with the Amarone. The wine actually calmed down the spiciness of the spread, but the flavors didn't really work together.

Amarone w/ venison = MAGIC

Habanero honey = surprising

My sister's face after eating that habanero honey

2016 Cavit Collection Moscato
Delle Venezie IGT, Italy
Price: Unknown (gift, ~$10)
Label Description: "Well-balanced with an
alluring touch of sweetness, Cavit Moscato
displays bright aromas and flavors of white
peach and apricot. Enjoy on its own or with
cheeses and spicy dishes. Wonderful with
dessert!"

Wine #3

Our third wine of the evening was a 2016 Cavit Collection Moscato. On its own, this wine had subtle aromas of peach and apricot. This slightly sparkling Moscato was very sweet, which overpowered any fruit flavors. My family and I didn't really like this Moscato by itself because it was so sweet. We paired it with meringue cookies and grapefruit, orange, and clementine slices topped with some shaved dark chocolate. The meringue cookies by themselves were overly sweet, but pairing them with the acidic citrus fruits helped cut the sweetness. Pairing the sweet meringues with the sweet Moscato was also better than tasting either component on its own. There was a cancellation effect with the sweetness, and some of the fruity flavors came out in the wine. Usually strong opponents of sweet wines, my parents were pleasantly surprised by how well this pairing worked. Another delicious pairing!

Meringue and citrus fruits w/ Moscato = Delicious!

Overall Impressions

Overall, my family and I had a wonderful experience. It was fun to teach my parents and sister about tasting wine and food and wine pairings in general. They were very interested in learning how to properly taste and describe wine and we all had a good time experimenting. Dinner lasted for hours, but there was never a dull moment. We all enjoyed coming together, listening to the blues, eating good food, and drinking good wine. Wine has always brought my family together and I look forward to more family wine dinners in the future.

My sister (right), Mom (center), and me (left) enjoying our dinner

My Dad and me enjoying dinner

Even Lucy joined in on the fun. (She may have gotten some venison too).

Tasting - Clos du Bois Pinot Grigio

Name: Clos du Bois Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: San Joaquin Valley, California
Country: United States
Year: 2016
Price: $10

Winery Review: "Aromas of white peach, melon, and pink grapefruit, with delicate floral notes. Upon tasting, it has vibrant, lively acidity, with bright citrus flavors and a long, crisp finish."

My Review: Not bad, but definitely not my favorite Pinot Grigio. Like the above review, I detected aromas and flavors of peaches and citrus with a hint of floral. This wine was bright and crisp, but a little stronger/heavier than I would have liked. I tried this wine with blackened tilapia. The blackened seasoning balanced the crisp acidity of this wine. However, the stronger flavors and body of this wine overpowered the delicate tilapia in my opinion. Overall, this was an okay wine, but I probably won't be buying it again.

Tasting - Dark Horse Big Red Blend

Name: The Original Dark Horse Big Red Blend: Blend No. 33.1
Variety: Red Blend
Region: Modesto, California
Country: United States
Year: 2017
Price: $8.99

Winery Review: "A good sense of concentration and depth make this medium-bodied wine taste big and satisfying without overdoing it. It has a very dark color, fruity and lightly spicy aromas, rich plum and black cherry flavors and rather mild tannins" (Wine Enthusiast - 88). 

My Review: Not my favorite. I could detect aromas of plum and black cherry, but not fruity flavors. I disagree with the review in that this wine is medium-bodied with mild tannins. To me, it was too aggressive and the tannins were very strong. The flavors also reminded me of leather, which I did not really enjoy. I think this wine would mellow out some and be better if I decanted it or let it sit out for a day or two. I also did not try this wine with any food.

Tasting - Pinetti Notte Pinot Grigio

Name: Pinetti Notte Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane   

            Indicazione Geografica Tipica
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Terre Siciliane (Sicily)
Country: Italy
Year: 2017
Price: $5.49

Winery Review: "This well-balanced Pinot Grigio showcases bright melon and stone fruit aromas that segue into juicy orchard peach and citrus flavors. A tribute to modern Italian style and its chic sophistication. Pinetti Notte celebrates la dolce vita with a wine sure to pique your palate."

My Review: Pretty good! Like the review says, I could easily pick out flavors and aromas of stone fruit, like peaches and apricot. This wine was light, dry, and slightly acidic. Very easy to drink and a good wine to keep around for any occasion. I also did not try this with any food.

Dinner #1 - An Italian Affair

My friends and I had a lovely Italian dinner last night. It was full of laughs, good food, and, of course, wine!

Course 1

Our dinner spread

We started the evening with a couple appetizers and a 2017 "Decoy" Sauvignon Blanc. On its own, the Sauvignon Blanc had aromas and flavors of lemon and green apple. It was very acidic/tart, fairly light, and dry. We first paired this wine with a caesar salad. The creaminess of the caesar dressing definitely cut through the acidity of the wine and brought out the fruity lemon, pear, and green apple flavors more. On the flip side, the acidity of the wine helped balance the creaminess of the salad. While both the salad and wine were tasty on their own, they were even better together. All in all, it was an ideal pairing!

2017 "Decoy" Sauvignon Blanc
Sonoma County, California, USA
Price: $16
Label Description: "This bright and aromatic wine offers enticing
layers of lemon and lime zest, as well as lovely notes of honeydew
and nectarine. On the palate, refreshing acidity mingles with a
subtle undercurrent of sweet fruit that carries through to a 
refreshing, vibrant finish."

Next, we indulged in bruschetta (toasted French baguette with olive oil, garlic, tomato, and basil). On its own, the bruschetta was delicious. The fat from the olive oil balanced the acidic tomato perfectly. When we tried it with the Sauvignon Blanc, however, the flavors didn't really work. I think the acidic tomato with the acidic wine had a compounding effect and made both the wine and bruschetta taste extra sour. Our experimentation in this case definitely did not pay off.

How we felt about that last pairing

Bruschetta w/ 2017 "Decoy" Sauvignon Blanc = Not great

2017 Z. Alexander Brown "Uncaged" Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley (Monterey, Napa, and Sonoma
Counties), California, USA
Price: $11
Label Description: "The wine shows intense aromas
of ripe raspberry, caramel, and toasty oak. It's lush and
layered and smooth with supple tannins, robust flavors
of fresh Bing cherry and strawberry and complemented
by silky underpinnings of mocha and caramel."

Course 2

For the second course, we drank a 2017 "Uncaged" Pinot Noir. On its own, this wine had subtle aromas of pepper, cedar, and cherry. The flavors were bolder than expected and were earthy and buttery. It was pretty dry and tannic with a noticeable oak influence. This was by far the most aggressive Pinot Noir I have ever tasted, as I am used to Pinot Noir being a lighter style red. We paired it with linguine and chicken parmesan in a marinara sauce (although I personally do not like chicken parm, so I went with just the linguine and sauce). By itself, the linguine was pretty good, but the sauce wasn't my favorite (everything pales in comparison to my mom's homemade sauce). Pairing the starchy linguine with this Pinot Noir made the wine slightly less aggressive and more drinkable, but it still wasn't great. The wine also did not do anything to improve the dish. The general consensus was that this wine was just too strong for this dish, which is very unusual for a Pinot Noir. This pairing was just an overall flop.

Linguine and marinara w/ 2017 "Uncaged" Pinot Noir = not great

"Rosatello" Sweet Italian Moscato
Provincia Di Pavia, Italy
Price: $8
Label Description: "This perfectly sweet white
wine romances you with irresistible aromas of
oranges and a touch of mint. With each taste,
you'll revel in flavors of juicy peaches and
candied orange." 

Course 3

For our last course, we decided to go sweet with a "Rosatello" white Moscato. On its own, this Moscato had a very subtle aroma and flavor of peach and it was sparkling, which was a nice surprise. In truth though, this wine was too sweet for my tastes. We paired it with a red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting. The cake was delicious on its own, as well as with this wine. The slight acidity in the wine and the sparkling component helped cut the richness of the cake and the frosting. The wine was also better with the cake. While the wine was unbearably sweet on its own, pairing it with a sweet dessert actually cancelled out some of the sweetness in the wine, which made it much more palatable. This was definitely another successful pairing! 

Red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting w/
"Rosatello" Moscato = delicious!

"Shepherd" feeling left out

"Shepherd" also thought dessert was delicious

"Shepherd" feeling guilty after eating some of the dessert

Overall Impressions and the "Afterparty"

Overall, my friends and I had a wonderful experience! For one of the first times in our young adult lives, we felt like we were successful in having a mature, sophisticated, fun dinner party. We listened to jazz music, cooked real food, and spoke the language of wine. Even though some of the pairings didn't work, I'm not discouraged. I can't wait to keep experimenting and try new pairings, because some pairings truly were magical.

The gang enjoying a wonderful wine evening

After dinner, the fun wasn't over for me. I decided to take a "Tipsy Tappers" tap class with some of my other friends. The concept is similar to "wine and paint," but instead of painting, we tap dance. I tapped the night away while sipping a 2017 "Pinetti Notte" Pinot Grigio from Italy. (Check out my Tasting blog post for more info about this wine). It was the perfect end to my wine-filled evening.

Me enjoying my 2017 "Pinetti Notte" Pinot Grigio while tap dancing

Tasting - Annalisa

Name: Annalisa Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco
Variety: Malvasia
Region: Asti
Country: Italy
Year: 2016
Price: $17

Winery Review: "The perlage is fine and persistent. The color is pale pink, almost cherry. The aromatic scent is intense and reminiscent of wild berries, blueberries and wild strawberries. The flavor is sweet, slightly sparkling and full of berries. Since this is a sweet and aromatic wine is a classic to combine with fruit tarts and pastry. An ideal companion in moments of celebration, Malvasia is also a nice refreshing drink at any time of the day" (Vintage Cellar). 

My Review: Very nice and refreshing. Unlike the winery review, I did not pick up on the berry flavors and aromas, but I did detect apricot and peach. The slight sparkling component was very subtle and added a special feel to this wine without overpowering the fruity flavors. This wine was pretty sweet, so I would probably drink it sparingly or as a dessert wine. I also did not try this with any food.