Dinner and wine pairing

 

January 30, 2023

Dinner and wine pairing- Pasta night with roommates 

FIRST COURSE

For our first course we had bread and butter and paired it with Pizzolato Sparking Rose Secco. The bread and butter was toasted and warm. The rose was colder because we chilled it before hand. I chose this rose because I know it is best to start off with something light. These two paired together very nicely because they are both very light. The plainness of the bread and butter made the rose pop with flavor. Even though it was light, it was very fruity and summery tasting- like I was on a beach! 

Pizzolato Sparking Rose Secco:  Varietal: 95% Organic Prosecco (Glera), 5% Organic Roboso. Location: Veneto, North of Traveso. Vintage: 2018

Review online: "Pink Topaz-gray color. Aromas and flavors of almonds, lemon chiffon, ripe apples, and summer peach with a silky, vibrant, fruity light body and a polished, medium-length finish. A friendly sparkler with a sophisticated side; appropriate for celebrations of all sizes." (https://naturalmerchants.com/organicwines/wine/pizzolato-sparkling-rose-secco/)

SECOND COURSE

For our main meal, we had pasta with marinara sauce and parmigiana (a lot). I paired this with The Collection prosecco wine from Italy. I thought being that we were having Italian food, it made sense. The pasta was delicious. It was very cheesy, and the sauce was heavier with some small chunks of tomatoe, but tasty. The wine itself was very fruity and to me, tasted like more of a summery drink (like the rose). The aftertaste was like I had bit into an apple- not exactly in a great way. Paired together, the prosecco wine took away from the pasta because the flavors overpowered the cheesy, tomatoey pasta. With the aftertaste so strong of fruits, it did not go with this dish at all, in my opinion. Overall, not our finest idea. I think this pasta would have paired really nicely with a red wine. 

The Collection prosecco wine from Italy: Variteal: Prosecco. Region: Veneto, Northern Italy. NV

Review online: "The Collection Prosecco offers refreshing flavors of citrus, stone fruit, and green apple with elegant acidity for a crisp, refreshing finish. The perfect sparkling to any occasion." (https://www.target.com/p/prosecco-wine-750ml-bottle-the-collection/-/A-54659062)

THIRD COURSE

Our third course consisted of a cookie cake. This cookie was chocolate with thick vanilla icing and sprinkles on top. It was delicious and incredibly sweet. We decided to pair this with DelMonaco Blackberry Fruit table wine. This wine, although fruit, was very different than the others. It was heavier but, in my opinion, tasted a lot better. It was slightly tarty and rich. This pairing was delicious. The blackberry had a darker and deeper  fruit taste that complimented the sweet and sugary cookie very well. After looking this wine up online, I realized that it actually indeed was a desert wine, which made a lot of sense. 

DelMonaco Blackberry Fruit table wine: varietal: 100% Blackberry, Vintage: 2013, Location: Tennessee, USA. 

Review online: "Exhibits rich and warm blackberry flavors on the palete while being full bodied and creamy. This dessert style wine can be enjoyed with cheesecake or ice cream." (https://delmonacowinery.orderport.net/product-details/0003/blackberry)

Overall: 8/10 three course meal. My favorite wine was definitely the Blackberry Fruit table wine. My favorite dish had to have been the pasta. My least favorite wine was definitely the prosecco wine- possibly because I hated the pairing that I made. I really enjoyed the rose but I think I would prefer to drink it in warmer months. I learned that I do like some fruity wine, but prefer it to be more on the heavier side than the light side.. The light side made it seem like I was actually eating fruit. Overall, my roommates and I really enjoyed trying these pairings together and it was a fun Sunday night! :) 

Behind the scenes: With the bread and butter they also enjoyed the other half of my wine that I drank for a different wine tasting last week.

Tasting- Sutter Home, Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Cabernet Sauvignon, varietal, United States, California, NV, $ 5.99 (for a 4-pack of 187 ml bottles)

Review: "Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine is full bodied with a rich aroma to delight the senses. This Cabernet wine features dark fruit flavors with red cherry, sweet vanilla, toasted oak and light herbal aromas." - Ralph's (https://www.ralphs.com/p/sutter-home-mini-cabernet-sauvignon-red-wine-pack/0008520051874) 

Wine Folly: "Fundamentally speaking, Cab is a full-bodied red wine with dark fruit flavors and savory tastes from black pepper to bell pepper." (Found on the Wine Folly website because I could not find it in the France section of the book) I definitely agree with the dark fruit and savory taste but did not get any black or bell pepper.

Personal Review: This wine is a bit heavier. It is very dry and has almost an undertone of what tastes to me like dark chocolate. I did not pair this wine with food but I believe it would go really well with pasta. I really enjoyed this wine. 

Tasting- Bota Box, Sauvignon Blanc

 

Name: Sauvignon Blanc, Varietal, United States, California, NV,  $ 22.99

Wine shop review: "The wine’s green, herbaceous and fruity scents are sometimes accented with musky aromas, yet its flavors are consistently fresh and bright." - Total Wine  (https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/sauvignon-blanc/bota-box-sauvignon-blanc/p/143519030) 

Wine Folly: "Ripe Gooseberry, quince, grapefruit, flint, smoke" (pg. 230) I definitely agree with the grapefruit and smoke but not exactly tasting the gooseberry, quince, or flint.

Personal review: This wine is very light and refreshing. I got hints of fruits but very subtle. It was dry and the first sip seemed slightly bitter. I drank it with ice to lower it's temperature because I was using a stemless wine glass. I did not have it with any food but I think something that could have complimented it would be peanuts. Overall, I really enjoyed it. 

My Personal Experience with Wine

 

Blog #1:   

 

    I enjoy drinking wine with friends and family for social occasions or just while having a movie night with my roommates or boyfriend. I have always enjoyed wine but never really knew much about it until recently. I knew that I liked white wine, but my boyfriend and I started being more interested in which wine specifically and learning about them. Whenever we would have movie nights we would test out a different type of white wine. Recently I came to the conclusion that Sauvignon Blanc is definitely my favorite. 

    I never thought that I would enjoy red wine until I tried some on Thanksgiving this year. I discovered a red wine called "Slo Down wines chocolate". This definitely opened me up to the idea of trying more red wines. This specific brand was also created by two college friends which I thought was cool.

    I hope to learn some more about how different wine is made, the aging process and more about it's culture. When I was younger, my cousin got married in France and I remember going to a wine tasting. I was too young to participate in it but I remember being interested in the different facts for each one. Everyone knows that aged wine is "better" and I have always wondered why, so I think it would be interesting to learn about that as well.