Wine/Cheese Pairing 1

The first wine we had with the Havarti cheese was called Rubus. This red wine had a red maroon color and smelled like cherries and it was very fruity. It was bubbly with no distinct flavors. It tasted like seltzer. The cheese was really good. The flavor of the cheese enhanced with the wine. The flavor tasted a lot more fruity and it paired well together. The cheese helped bring out the flavor of the wine.

The next wine we tried was Mars and Venus with New Zealander cheese. The wine smelled like garbage and rotten eggs. It had a clear yellow color. It tasted watery with lemons and green apples. The cheese was a little dull with this wine. The flavor of the wine was too strong and overcame the taste of the cheese. I liked the first combo better then this one. Everyone else I was with thought this was a good combo.

The final wine we tried was actually a homemade wine that I made. I made it out of Welch's Juice and took out 3 quarters of the juice, filled it with 1 and a half cups of sugar, put the wine yeast in, put the stopper on and waited for 4 weeks. This wine tasted really really strong. It smelled like carbonated juice. It tasted like juicy juice but you could taste how strong it was. It had a maroon milky color. The cheese tasted good with the wine. It brought out the taste of the wine. We also tried mixing sausage in with the cheese and wine and I thought this was a great mix. The garlic in the cheese really added a lot of flavor.

Wine Dinner 3- Friends Apartment

Wine Dinner 3

We started off the night with Once Upon a Vine. This wine had a lime yellow color. It smelled like limes and lemons. It was a bubbly wine and it was very good. It kind of tasted like soda. We had salad with this wine and the salad dressing went well with the lemon taste of the wine. The garlic of the salad went well with the bubbly taste of the wine also and they were both very citrusy. We also had sausage with this wine and they both mixed well.

The second wine we had was called Piemonte Barbera. It had a blackish red color and it smelled like chocolate with a little bit of cherry. It tasted a lot like chocolate and it was also very fruity and had a strong taste.

We had pasta with the Piemonte and it went well together. There was a spicy kick from the pasta that went well with the fruity chocolate taste of the wine. The spiciness was unexpected and it enhanced with the wine.

The final wine we tried was the Chateau. This wine had a yellow and white color. It smelled like burnt tires and straight sugar. It also tasted a little bit like bubble gum and water. 

We had cherry pie and ice cream with the Chateau. They both mixed well together. It was my first time having cherry pie so it was an unexpected taste mixed with an unexpected taste with the Chateau. I always think ice cream goes well with wine. 

Tasting- "Villa Jolanda"

Name: Villa Jolanda
Variety: White Grape
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.

My Review: This white wine had a clear color to it. It did not have any yellow color at all. It was bubbly and smelled like lemons, pears and green apples. It tasted very sour and it was carbonated. It tasted like green apples. This was my favorite wine I tried today.

Tasting- "Monte Degli Angeli"

Name: Monte Degli Angeli
Variety: Red Grape
Region: Puglia
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: The aromas are rich and dark, with lots of black cherry and a hint of balsamic. In the mouth the wine is round and energetic, with cherry and black raspberry fruit complemented by hints of damp earth. If you like Sangiovese-based wines like Chianti or our best-selling Colsanto from Umbria, you'll love this! The wine is ripe, fresh, and fruit-driven with a wonderful dash of earthy complexity at the end. Buy it by the case and drink with pizza, grilled poultry, and pasta.

My Review: This red wine had a purple color. It had a cherry red sparkle to it. It smelled like white out and a sharpee. It tasted like dirt mixed with grass and a little bit of chocolate.

Tasting- "Oracle"

Name: Oracle
Variety: Red Grape
Region: South Africa
Country: Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: An unusual style of Pinotage with complex aromas of black pepper, smoke, tomato, and dark fruit. The palate is packed with ripe mixed berry flavors, making this unoaked red wine a real crowd-pleaser.

My Review: This red wine had a red color with flakes in it. It also had a little bit of brown color mixed into it. It smelled like vodka and sharpee markers. It tasted like a shot of vodka. It also had a citrus and sour taste to it. I did not like this wine.

Tasting- "Alvarez de Toledo"

Name: Alvarez de Toledo
Variety: White Grape
Region: Bierzo
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Clean pale yellow color. Nose fruity, persistent and elegant aromas. Good backbone on the palate.

My Review: This white wine had a yellow and green color. It had a strong citrus smell. It smelled like lemons and apples. It was not as bubbly as the Villa Jolanda. It was a little more watery. It tasted like green apples and lemons.

Tasting- "Bolla"

Name: Bolla
Variety: White Grape
Region: Pavia
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.

My Review: This white wine had a clear color. It smelled like bubble gum and also smell like some kind of pasta sauce. It tasted very fruity and it had a strawberry/melon type taste. It was also very sweet. I liked this wine a lot.

Tasting- "Villa Pozzi Moscato"

Name: Villa Pozzi Moscato
Variety: White Grape
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.

My Review: This white wine had a yellowish color to it. I thought it was more yellow then the others. It smelled like lemons and green apples. It tasted very fruity and I definitely tasted a little bit of peach in it. This was my favorite wine I tried today.

Tasting- "Paul Laureano Tinto Classico"

Name: Paul Laureano Tinto Classico
Variety: Portuguese varietals Trincadeira (40%), Aragonez (40%) and Alfrocheiro (20%). This is a full bodied red that reveals all that the terroir of Portugal has to
Region: Alentejano
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Paulo Laureano’s Classico is a delicious blend of the native Portuguese varietals Trincadeira (40%), Aragonez (40%) and Alfrocheiro (20%). This is a full bodied red that reveals all that the terroir of Portugal has to offer. Light cigar tobacco and soft leather present beautifully on the nose. Dark, black fruits fill the mouth, but the wine flows smoothly over the palate, with a good bit of spice on the finish. Pair with spicy, cured meats and hard cheeses.

My Review: This red wine had a brownish red color to it. It smelled like sharpees again and a hint of chocolate. It also smelled like a variety of black fruits. It tasted a little bit like chocolate. It kind of had a dull taste. I did not enjoy this wine.

Tasting- "Mars and Venus Chardonnay"

Name: Mars and Venus
Variety: White Grape
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple.  Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.

My Review: This white wine had a clear color to it. It smelled like lemons and water. It kind of smelled a little bit like vodka. It tasted like water with a little hint of apple. I did not like this white wine.

Tasting- "Bodegas Atalaya"

Name: Bodegas Atalaya Laya
Variety: A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell
Region: Almansa
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell; fermented in stainless steel, followed by four months in French oak.  Bright purple.  Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha on the nose.  Smooth and open-knit on the palate, displaying fresh cherry and dark berry qualities and a hint of black pepper.  Finishes with gripping tannins and good length, leaving a subtle floral note behind.

My Review: This red wine had a bright purple color and it smelled like sharpees mixed with colored markers. It had a hint of cherry and dark berries mixed in with it. This red wine tasted like chocolate and seemed like it would go well with an italian dinner.

Tasting- "Cortenova Pinot Grigio"

Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety: White Grape
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.

My Review: This white wine smelled like lemons mixed with a white grape. It had a yellowish color almost like a cream color. It tasted lemony and a little sour. I enjoyed this white wine.

Dinner2- "My Apartment with Roommates"

Wine Dinner Number 2

The first wine we started off the appetizers with was called Angora 2011 from Turkey. The price is $12.95. It was a red wine with a purple color. It had a strong smell of lemons with mixed berries. It also had a little gasoline smell with a mix of sharpees. It tasted like rust and it was very bland.

We had garlic bread for appetizers and the wine went well with it. The garlic really brought out the flavor of the wine. I usually like having bread with wine so this was a good combo.

The next wine was called Cono Sur 2013. This wine was from Chile. This wine smelled like chocolate. It was another red wine. It had a redish purple color. It had a mixed smell of chocolate with strawberries. It tasted like a coca cola with a little bit of chocolate. 

We had a lot of different combinations with this wine. It went well with the beans, although some of my roommates didn't think so. I just thought the beans had a similar taste. They both had a combined chocolate taste. The eggs did not mix well with the wine. The eggs were watery and did not taste well with the chocolate taste of the wine. The rice did not go well with the wine either. It had a similar taste as the eggs. The pasta went well with the wine. It had an italiano taste to it.

The final wine was called Frappato 2010. I cannot really tell where this bottle is from. This was another red wine that smelled like chocolate. It had a brownish red color. It smelled like cherries and watermelon. It tasted like water mixed with vodka. It went well with the ice cream we had. We had Fudge Ripple. The cold went well with the warmth of the wine.