no wine-ing allowed when there is cheese around!

Last night, my roommates and I decided to do a wine and cheese pairing.  I mean why not, 30 extra points and an excuse to drink wine and eat cheese sounds great to me!

We decided to try various reds - 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and a red wine blend.

Wine 1 - Acronym Red Wine Blend California 2013
Cheese 1 - Swiss cheese 
-- The scent of this wine was so strong that I didn't even have to stick my nose in the glass, I smelled the wine from miles away.  Not literally but still.  I smelled red berries!  It was the primary thing that stood out.  When I tasted it, the tannins blew me away but in a good way...while it was tannic, the alcohol, berries and (I think) flowers overpowered the tannins as I swallowed.  It went down smooth and I thought this was a great wine for a blend! Now after pairing it with the Swiss cheese I thought two things: 1. The cheese brings out the alcohol and takes away the berries and 2.  I liked this wine before the cheese. 

Wine 2 - Alamos Malbec - Mendoza Argentina 2014
Cheese 2 - Manchego
-- Right away this wine smelled like it was oaked but I got fruity scents from it too.  As I sipped this wine it was pretty spicy but not as much as I thought it would be.  There was a peppery aftertaste though that stood out to me.  Paired with cheese made with wine clear and crisp.  It wasn't as spicy but I could taste more of the fruity aspect of the wine.  This cheese was delicious and I thought this was a great pairing with the cheese.

Wine 3 - Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2012
Cheese 3 - Havarti
-- This wine smells like chocolate, vanilla, and berries.  As soon as I drink it, I get this woody taste in my mouth but the vanilla definitely comes through.  The cheese was so creamy and tasted AMAZING with the wine.  I think it's because this cheese was a bit sweet and the wine does so well with sweet foods like chocolate so this cheese was PERFECT for this wine.  It complimented each other so well and as I ate and drank, the cheese almost took the slight spice out of the wine and the wine tasted a bit sweeter.

& on thursdays we taste wine.

Wine thursday? What better way to start the weekend than to go wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar! Probably one of my favorite days of the week.  Unfortunately, I left this wine tasting bottle-less.  I wasn't a huge fan of the wines this week, they were slightly disappointing but I'm hoping next week makes up for it :) 

Dibon Cava $9.95
Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada
Catalonia, Spain
-- This wine had no color, it was clear.  Right away I could smell the alcohol in this wine! In addition to the heat it brought, I smelled pineapple and pear.  After trying it I could really only taste the carbonation.  It was SO carbonated that I couldn't pick out flavors.

Marques de Caceres $9.95
Verdejo 2013
Rueda, Spain
-- Beautiful, gold color.  Couldn't pick out any scents expect for hints of citrus.  This wine was very light and fresh with a hot finish.  It had a toasty, buttery taste which I enjoyed but the ending wasn't for me. 

Breca Tovana $8.95
Old Vine Garnacha 2013
Munebrega, Spain
-- Deep maroon color with hints of vanilla, alcohol, black currant, and a big 'ol campfire!  The smell was so distinct for me and that's probably because I'm starting to get very familiar with red wines.  I could definitely taste the vanilla and tannins...it was very, very tannic which added to the complexity of the wine.  I could also taste the smokey aspect of the wine.  At the end of this tasting, I came to the conclusion that I was not the biggest fan of this particular wine. 

Rare Red $9.95
Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot
California
-- The first thing I thought of when I smelled this wine was CHEESE.  I got a whiff of this smokey cheese that I had tried before but can't remember the name, I think havarti.  This wine began to smell sweeter and sweeter though after continuous whiffs.  I began smelling strawberries and vanilla.  This wine was also pretty hot and tart.  I could pick out the strawberry and some sort of spice like pepper. 

Jam Jar $8.95
Sweet White 2014
South Africa
-- This wine was a pretty light pink color! It smelled exactly how it looked, sweet and creamy with a hint of rose water I think.  I'm not a fan of rose water and the smell is so distinct that I could smell a tiny hint of it in this wine.  This wine tasted extremely sweet and first then had this weird finish, the sort of finish that didn't make me want to keep drinking.  I ended up giving the rest to my friend because I wasn't a fan.

Palisades Dinner!

This past Wednesday was my very first visit to the Palisades and it is definitely one of many because I really enjoyed this place!! First of all, why did it take me four years to discover this place??

On the menu were New Zealand wines.  I was accompanied by my two roommates and we set out to the Palisades with a completely empty stomach so of course we had to begin with an appetizer, Focaccia and olive oil #yum.

Wine #1 - Waimea Edel (2010)
Food #1 - Shrimp Pizza 
This wine looked like dehydrated pee (seriously).  The aromas I got from it were orange, citrus, and definitely alcohol.  No surprise because after I tried it I could definitely taste the alcohol. A lot of heat was coming from this wine along with an acidic component.  After trying the AMAZING pizza then some wine, I didn't feel like the alcohol was as strong.  I thought the pizza and wine complimented each other nicely (more so the pizza complimenting the wine though).

Wine #2 - Pinot Noir Vinterra (2011)
Food #2 - New Zealand Lamb
So, I'm not a huge fan of lamb but I finally came around to trying this dish with the wine and really, really enjoyed it.  This wine smelled like Sweet Surrender, a wine I had tried at Beliveau Estate Winery and fell in love with it, mainly because it tasted like Welches grape juice.  Anyways, the taste was not what I was expecting.  It was very tart and the tannins stood out, it wasn't very dry though and went down surprisingly smooth.  I thought it mixed very well with the lamb and after pairing them I could taste more of the fruity flavors of the wine.  This was my favorite pairing of the night... (maybe because I'm starting to love a great red wine)!!

Wine #3 - Sauvignon Blanc Wither (2013)
Food #3 -  Bacon Tart
I think for this pairing I liked the tart a whole lot more than the wine.  This wine smelled like a mojito, it was minty and smelled sweet so I was excited to try it, obviously!  After taking a sip though, it gave me the chills.  It was extremely tart and tasted somewhat sour.  I did like how there was an acidic component though.  Overall, this wine wasn't very memorable and the food is really what I remembered the most.  I don't think this pairing really complimented each other, I just wanted to eat more and drink less of this white wine. 

Beliveau Estate Winery - Tasting

What better way to celebrate your 22nd birthday than going to a winery??  My roommate turned 22 this past weekend and that's exactly what we did.  Beliveau Estate Winery was a beaut...unfortunately, we weren't able to tour the winery and the weather wasn't fully cooperating but it was just beautiful out there.  Conveniently, it was located only about 12 miles from VT but the drive was absolutely sickening.  It was worth it though, I recommend everybody checks this winery out especially when the weather starts to get nice.  

About Beliveau - 

They have one simple goal and that is to make some great wine! Beliveau Estate is situated on 165 acres and was named a Top 2015 Wedding Venue in Southwest Virginia.  It's known for it's "romantic ambiance and scenic backdrops."  The winery opened in May 2012 and since then has received 45 medals for it's delicious wines, a few being ones I have tried and listed below!

White Wines

2013 Pristine Chardonelle 
- Beliveau Estate $18
Dry, unoaked white wine with a fruity scent.  I wasn't quite sure what a 'Chardonelle' was but after doing research on it I found out it's a grape hybird of Chardonnay and Seyval This wine was very light and crisp on the pallet with hints of pear, apples and citrus.  It was a bronze medalist wine but personally, I did not think it was very great.  It did not stick out like some of the other wines I had tasted.  

2013 Reflection Traminette 
- Beliveau Estate $16
Aromas of flowers and fruit, specifically pineapple and lime. This particular wine didn't taste as sweet as it smelled though.  It tasted a little drier to me but I could taste some pineapple and berries. 

Crown Jewel blend of Pinot Grigio, Traminette, and Niagara
- Beliveau Estate $18
This wine was very sweet but had a dry finish.  While I could taste some sort of fruit, I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was.  What I did notice was this burnt rubber taste/scent.  It was almost as if somebody has been driving on tires that were worn down.  


Red Wines

Trailblazer Oaked Merlot 
- Beliveau Estate $18
This particular wine smelled like cheese I recently bought to pair with a wine like this.  It had a smokey, bonfire aroma.  It tasted of smoke, cherries, raspberries, and plum.  It was a lot lighter than a typical merlot.   

Portal Red Zinfindel
- Beliveau Estate $20
This was a full bodied wine with smells and tastes of vanilla and cherry.  It had a sweet taste to it and also very thick, I could practically taste the tannins. 

Fireside Chat Cabernet Franc
- Beliveau Estate $20
Dry, lightly oaked Cab Franc with a strong scent of fire smoke.  The shocking part of this wine is that it tasted exactly like a green pepper! It had hints of red berries and a little licorice but the green pepper stood out the most. 

Sweet Surrender Concord wine
- Beliveau Estate $15
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS WINE!  It was like drinking Welches grape juice, it was sweet and fruity.  You couldn't even taste the alcohol but you could definitely taste and smell the berries; blackberries, raspberries, any and all berries you could think of.  This wine could easily pass as juice...I loved it so much that I had to buy a bottle.  

Wine Dinner

What better way to celebrate hump day than a homemade meal and three new wines.  Today my friends and I prepared three different dishes that we paired with three totally different wines. 


Dish three: asparagus cheesy risotto
Wine pairing: Santa Alessandra Pinot Grigio Valdadige 2013 (12% alc)

What I thought about this pairing...
when I first tried the wine, it was very acidic and hot.  It's definitely a full-bodied wine with a fruity aroma - full of pineapple and pear.  After taking a sip and trying the risotto, I noticed it calmed the wine down and made it more enjoyable.  This honestly wasn't one of my favorite wines though.  After watching Wine Library TV I was intrigued by the pinot grigio that Gary Vaynerchuk said was the king of pinot grigios, the Santa Margherita.  That specific bottle was a little too far out of my price range so an employee at the Vintage Cellar led me to this bottle, the Santa Alessandra, which was a lot cheaper and shockingly looked almost identical in design.  Overall, I liked this pairing and thought they complimented each other well but just didn't enjoy the wine alone.

Dish two: homemade mushroom pizza with mozzarella and tomato, basil sauce 
Wine pairing: Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (13.5% alc)

MY FAVORITE WINE RIGHT HERE.  Yes, I have blogged about this wine before and have tried it with various cheese and chocolates but I thought why not give it a try with homemade pizza.  When I drink this wine the three main components that pop out at me are chocolate, vanilla, and cherry so automatically I think of just diving into a tub of Lindt milk chocolate....but I contained myself.  So, I gave it a shot, took a bite of pizza and had some of this delicious red wine and it really didn't make me enjoy the wine as much as I liked.  I think red wine is overall a much better wine to have with red sauces and red meats but I think this particular wine pairs a lot better with chocolate A LOT of chocolate. 

Dish one: herb garlic marinated grilled chicken
Wine pairing: Tarima Blanco 2013 (13.5% alc)

 I thought that this wine really complimented the chicken.  The chicken helped calm the wine because prior to eating, I could easily taste the alcohol in the wine.  Similar to the pinot grigio above, this wine smelled of pineapple and fruit with a hint of rubbing alcohol..odd, yes, but I smelled it.  Sip after sip, bite after bite, I wanted to just keep eating and drinking.  I thought this was probably the best pairing of the night.  We tried pairing this wine with the risotta and I never thought I would say this or think that this was actually possible but it was horrible.  After having some risotto and sipping on some wine I felt a burning sensation in my mouth.  Not pleasant.

Safe to say our night ended with finishing the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and chocolate  :)

Bon Appetit!

2/26 Wine Tasting

 Mars & Venus 
Sauvignon Blanc 2013
La Mancha, Spain
Regular Price $10
Sale $5.95

My Review: Light, golden color with a citrus scent.  Thought this wine was a bit hot and hard to drink but I could taste a bit of apple and some sort of berry or plum.  This wine was not paired with food 

Takutai
Pinot Gris 2009
Nelson, New Zealand
Regular Price $21
Sale $6.95

My Review: More of a rich golden color with aromas of spices and pear.  Definitely a full bodied wine which I thought to be a bit bitter and left a this after taste in my mouth that wasn't very enjoyable.  Didn't like this wine very much.  This wine was not paired with food.

Yellowtail Reserve 
Merlot 2010
South Eastern, Australia
Regular Price $12
Sale $6.95

My Review: Rich maroon, dark brown hugh with aromas of spice, cherries and wood.  As soon as I smelled this wine I could tell it was going to be heavy and rich.  Flavors were somewhat earthy but fruity at the same time.  Didn't like this wine as much as I thought I would.  This wine was not paired with food.

Crane Lake 
Petite Sirah 2013
California, USA
Price $5.95

My Review: Maroon, red color with a touch of pink.  Smelled of a touch of cream and butter mixed with blackberries.  Tasted different berries, a little chocolate and had the after taste of tannins left in my mouth.  This contributed to why I didn't think this wine went down smooth.  This wine was not paired with food. 

Crane Lake
Riesling 2013
California, USA
Price $5.95

My Review: Light pink, rose color.  Aromas of butter and citrus came up.  Main component of this wine had to be honey or nectarine because it was very sweet.  Also, wasn't a huge fan of this wine because of how sweet I thought it was.  Maybe if it were a bit more acidic I would have liked it more but the tasting reminded me of medicine.  This wine was not paired with food.   

Wine & Cheese Pairing #1

TGIT - Thank God It's Thursday!  

 My roommates and I decided it was a definite wine night so we broke out two new bottles, bought some cheese, and tuned into our much loved TV shows.  Both of these wines were paired with tomato basil goat cheese and brie.  In addition, we had sharp yellow cheddar and white cheddar off to the side.  I do have to say I noticed a HUGE difference when pairing the

 cheese with our first wine we tried.

Coastal Estates Chardonnay, 

Beaulieu Vineyard, 2013 California.  

First off, this wine had 13.5% alcohol and boy did I notice that! It wasn't too strong on the nose but after constantly swirling the wine, scents of pineapple, citrus, and butter arose.  Also, I could smell the alcohol.  I'm not going to lie, trying this wine was very difficult.  Although I was able to taste some of the fruity flavors, I found the wine to be acidic and hot, two overpowering components that didn't allow the wine to be enjoyable.  After eating a bit of the goat cheese then taking a sip of wine, I noticed that the creaminess of the cheese dulled the alcohol component of the wine.  The cheese brought out more of the citrus flavors and it was a great pairing.  If I were to drink this wine again I would have to definitely eat something with it to really enjoy it. 

Now, I'm not a huge fan of reds but this was absolutely phenomenal.

 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2012. 

I stumbled upon this particular wine after Thursday's wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar.  I went up to the counter and said, "What affordable cab savs do you recommend for a broke college student?"  The lady led me right to this one and explained to me that this region in Washington, the Columbia Valley, produced great red varietals especially Cabernet Sauvignon.  I bought it and now I'm here, explaining to you all how life changing this red wine was.  This has to be my new "go-to" red wine.  Now, we tried pairing it with cheese but something about having cheese with this wine just didn't mesh well.  Similar to the Chardonnay I was talking about above, this wine also had 13.5% alcohol but I could barely tell.  The flavors definitely overpowered the heat.

We traded in our cheese for DARK CHOCOLATE and it was #amazing.

 So, about this wine... 

Color: Dark pink, magenta in the light

Smell: blackberries, vanilla, chocolate, smooth

Taste: As I drank this wine the texture of it stood out right away.  It was tart but a good kind of tart with hints of vanilla, black current, woody flavors.  When I swallowed the wine I could taste this distinct flavor then it would go away so fast and go down so smooth.  This was a wine that I really enjoyed and liked because it didn't leave this bitter after taste in my mouth that I would cringe at.  Even if you're not into red wines, you need to try this wine!