Cwat Im Drinking

For our Friday the 23 wine dinner, My roommate Jim and I started with an appetizer of tomato basil soup. This appetizer was followed with chicken parm. with angel hair pasta, as well as beans and potatoes. Three wines were brought to the dinner to pair with the food. These wines were a California Cabernet Sauvignon, a California Savignon Blanc, and California Rose. The Cabernet Sauvignon paired the best out of the wines with the heavy meal that we decided to serve. This dark berried reds paired well with the red sauce smothered the chicken and pasta. This had the opposite effect with the white and rose. These wines seemed to be overpowered by the heartyness. With a lighter sauce over the chicken the Rose by Josh, and the Sauvignon Blanc by CK Mondavi may have been more in balance. The Rose was one of the first roses that I've tasted and I enjoyed it. My only experience coming from ridiculously sweet roses, this dry rose was very good. I was able to pickout hints of citrus.  ...

For our wine and cheese pairing three cheeses were selected to be sampled. First a brie, my favorite of cheeses to be paired with our wines. A fresh mozzarella was selected to be the second cheese, crafted in Wisconsin. The third a classic Colby with a hint of spice. The wines selected were a Riesling from Germany, a Pinot Grigio from Italy, and a sweet red from California. The Riesling by Josef Weinberg and Radiance paired the best with the cheeses as its sweetness played with their favors. As Boyer suggested in a previous lesson the sweet Riesling was paired with the spicy Colby cheese for an unexpected combination. You could tell something was there in the combination, but I was not a particular fan of the Riesling as a whole. The sweetness gave an overpowering taste, making me thing more of grape juice than wine. The Pinot Grigio by Cupcake was a dry white and paired really nicely with the creamy and full cheeses. Mozzarella and this white went very well together as the f...

Sutter Home pink moscato from California for $6.00 Sutter Home describes this wine on their site, “Its bright berry, hint-of-caramel, and vanilla aromas, along with its sweet strawberry, peach, melon, and passion fruit flacors, pair naturally with desserts such as tarts and sumptuous cake.” This wine was too sweet for me but was easy to drink in a socially setting with friends. The berry flavor was able to pick out through the sweetness.

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio from southeastern Australia for $7.00 Yellowtail describes this wine well as zesty, fresh and easy to drink, and I agree with their description. Drinking the wine it was very fresh and fruity easy to pick out apples and pears. This 2017 was a little dry, and a reviewer said “This can be brought either dry or semi dry. It is very full flavored and also is well mixed with a sprite. Very refreshing and not too dry. It is reasonably priced and you can buy it in most supermarkets”

Yellow Tail Merlot from southeastern Australia for $7.00 Yellowtail describes this wine well as soft, velvety and easy to drink and I agree with their description. It was a decent merlot and I was able to taste darker berries and spices. This 2016 aged enough to be easily drinkable and making me believe merlot may be one of my preferred varietals. A review stated, “absolutely love snagging a bottle of this when I pick up my groceries it tastes so smooth and I love he flavors I can pick from I love relaxing with a glass of wine before bed especially after a long stressful day”

Gallo Family Vineyards sweet apple wine from California for $5.00 The sweet apple wine was incredibly sweet and I did not particularly enjoy it. Gallo family describes the wine as bright, light-bodied with tastes of honey crisp and sweet green apples. The bottle did not have a vintage year Though my friends enjoyed it, I would not get it again. A review said, “It was fine.” I agree with full heartedly with their review.

Sutter Home Sweet Red from California for $6.00 Sutter Home describes this wine on their site, “This inviting wine blend promises you the taste of sun-ripened cherries and juicy peaches all in one pour. Enjoy our sweet red chilled on a warm day, or pair with grilled meats, spicy Asian cuisine, and light cheeses.” This wine was sweet but not over powering and was easy to enjoy with chicken. I was able to pick out cherry flavors while drinking.

Notte Rossa Lambrusco an Italian Red for $7.00 A review thought this of the Lambrusco, “This is a better Lambrusco from Emilia, IGT. Deep garnet colored, moderate plus sweetness, little acidity or tannins. 7.5% ABV. Red fruit flavors. Will go over well with our dinner guest this evening. Easy drinking, inexpensive and fun!” The wine was alright quality, about the same tier as wine I’ve been drinking, just a very mild style. Was able to pick out some fruit flavors and understand why this wine is used in sangria.

Barefoot Pink Moscato from California a $5.00 bottle. Barefoot describes their pink moscato as, “The best aromas of Mandarin orange and sweet jasmine crash into each other to create a deliciously sweet sea of pink goodness. Subtle flavors of cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate wash ashore in this flavorful wine experience.” The wine was way too sweet for my taste. It was easy to drink but as a preference I will avoid wines this sweet in the future if I’m drinking for taste. I was able to pick out some of the fruit flavors through the sweetness.

Maipe by Chakana Wines with a 2016 Torrontes. This Argentina wine from the Mendoza region cost $12. Described by an enthusiast as, “This is an aromatic floral Torrontés with hints of air freshener and bath oil on the nose. A palate with zesty acidity frames crisp flavors of citrus pulp and peel. A racy finish tastes of lime before showing patented varietal bitterness.” I agree with the reviewer that the aroma was very clean and light, and citrusy taste. Very easy to drink.

Rex Goliath Pinot noir Acampo, California United state $5 Not great but a good bargain option.  Especially if you are buying for a crowd.  I also like that it is available at pretty much all grocery stores.  It is a mild Pinot with some nice raspberry undertones.  It won't change your life but it is very drinkable. Not a great wine but cost effective as a college student. I was able to detect a little bit of berry taste, but the alcohol levels seemed too high. The body of the wine is left a burn and is too mouthy, coating mouth and throat.

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is California Merlot from 2015. It was a $10 bottle of wine and definitely worth it. The description from the website is, “Our Merlot displays rich aromas of cherry, chocolate, and red berries with enticing flavors of cherry cola and toasty mocha oak. This full-bodied wine possesses well-balanced acidity and beautifully integrated tannins, creating complexity and structure”. A review left on a wine website explained, “This Merlot is everything you would expect a Merlot to taste like. Earthy undertones with a strong berry taste and crisp bite.” The merlot was a lot drier than I anticipated but not overpoweringly so. I was able to distinguish strong berry flavors but could not make out the flavors within it. The wine seemed to be in great balance and though it was dry it still seemed to come together well with taste.