Wine & Cheese Pairing #2

The 3 wines with the 3 cheeses.

To start the weekend off right, my roommate and I decided to do another wine and cheese pairing! This time, we paired the following three wines: Morelli Moscato D'asti, Barefoot Riesling, & Montelliana Prosecco with the following three cheeses: Sargento Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Black Creek Extra Sharp White Cheddar, & Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda. This was my first time every trying gouda cheese, and I had also never tried Prosecco before, so I was excited to add some new flavors and tastes to my palate. Below you can see the three individual wines and the three individual cheeses in their packages. 

             

                Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda

Black Creek White Cheddar

Sargento Sharp Cheddar

             

                        Montelliana Prosecco

Morelli Moscato D'asti

Barefoot Riesling

Morelli Moscato D'asti

Black Creek White Cheddar

I first tried the Morelli Moscato D'asti with the Black Creek White Cheddar. These two paired well together. the crumbles of the white cheddar actually made for a unique texture with the bubbles of the moscato. This moscato went down very smooth and it was very sweet with blasts of honey flavors. Overall, I really enjoyed these to items paired together. 

Morelli Moscato D'asti

Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda

Next I paired the Morelli Moscato D'asti with the Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda. This paring was very bland to me. The gouda was extremely silky in texture which was kind of refreshing to me after tasting the bubbles, but it left a weird rubbery aftertaste in my mouth, which I was definitely not a fan of. 

Morelli Moscato D'asti 

Sargento Sharp Cheddar

I then paired the Morelli Moscato D'asti with the Sargento Sharp Cheddar cheese. I loved this pairing because moscato is one of my favorite wines and yellow cheddar is my favorite cheese. This is one of my go-to pairing because all of the flavors are very well balanced. The extreme sweetness of the wine and the sharpness of the cheddar leaves for a blast of flavors in the mouth. 

Barefoot Riesling 

Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda

Next, I paired the Barefoot Riesling with the Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda. I again did not like this pairing very much because this cheese gave me a very rubbery aftertaste and it overpowers all of the flavors in the wine. I think it is fair to say that I do not like the smoked gouda cheese. 

Barefoot Riesling

Black Creek White Cheddar

I then paired the Barefoot Riesling with the Black Creek White Cheddar. I thought this pairing was interesting. I didn't like this pairing but I also didn't dislike it. Although this wine was sweet, it still left a unique tart blast as a finisher, and I didn't think that paired well with the flavors or the texture of this cheese. The flavors in my mouth were too pronounced following this wine and cheese pairing. 

Barefoot Riesling

Sargento Sharp Cheddar

Next, I decided to pair the Barefoot Riesling with the Sargento Sharp Cheddar. I really liked this pairing! I thought the flavors balanced out even more perfectly than the moscato and sharp cheddar. I think this wine had a certain level of tartness to it that the moscato did not, so it went well with the sharpness of the cheddar. 

Prosecco 

Black Creek White Cheddar

I then paired the Prosecco with the Black Creek White Cheddar. I hated all pairings with this wine because I thought that it tasted exactly like a Natural Light beer. The white cheddar was too pronounced to go with this tart and bubbly of a wine. I didn't think there was anything complimentary about this pairing. 

Prosecco

Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda

Next, I paired the Prosecco with the Maple Leaf Smoked Gouda. I again didn't like this pairing, but at this point the cheese had gotten a little bit warmer and I could really taste the smokiness of the cheese way more than I could in the beginning. It tasted exactly like the smell of the New France section of Busch Gardens. Since I don't like this wine, there were really no flavors to compliment the flavors of the cheese. 

Prosecco 

Sargento Sharp Cheddar

Lastly, I paired the Prosecco with the Sargento Sharp Cheddar. I love this cheese, but as I mentioned in my previous posts above, there were no flavors for me to pull from this wine, so I couldn't find any complimentary values to the pairing with the cheese. 

            

                  Me tasting the wine.  

Me tasting the cheddar cheese

The wines with the cheeses

Overall, this was yet another great experience! I love coming together with all of my friends to try new wines and new cheeses. I learned two things very quickly from this pairing experience, and it is that 1. I will never buy or taste a Prosecco again in the future and 2. I do not like gouda cheese. Like I mentioned in my posts before, I really didn't enjoy anything paired with the Prosecco because I was so distracted by the way that it tasted. There were some interesting aspects to the gouda cheese, but in most cases it left a rubbery aftertaste that was not very appealing. Overall, the white cheddar and the yellow sharp cheddar cheeses paired very well with the other wines. I would definitely recommend the Riesling with the yellow cheddar cheese!

Tasting- Bolla Moscato

Name: Bolla Moscato

Variety: 100% Moscato
Region: Pavia 

Country: Italy

Year: Not Listed

Price: $9.95

Shop 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." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: Again, I loved this wine because it is of my most favorite variety! I immediately got blasts of the orange in this wine both by smell and taste. This flavor was so prominent that it almost masked all of the other flavors in this wine. Once I got over the initial blast of orange, I could taste the peach in this wine. I think that this wine would be so perfect for a summer night. I would definitely purchase this wine in the future!

Food: I drank this wine at the Vintage Cellar tasting, so I was unable to pair any foods to this wine. 

Tasting- Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese

Name: Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese

Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Region: Puglia

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $7.95

Shop 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." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: I could smell hints of cherry and other deep red fruits right away. When tasting this wine, I could sense some hints of herbs and possibly a slight vanilla or dessert-like flavor. I also thought that this wine tasted a little bit smokey, and I got huge blasts of cherry. I didn't dislike this wine, but I don't think this would be one that I would purchase in the future. 

Food: I drank this wine at the Vintage Cellar tasting, so I was unable to pair any foods to this wine. 

Tasting- Oracle Pinotage

Name: Oracle Pinotage

Variety: 100% Pinotage
Region: Not Listed

Country: South Africa

Year: 2014

Price: $7.95

Shop 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." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: I have never tasted a Pinotage before, so I was excited to taste this wine. This wine had some very unique flavors and aromas that I haven't sensed in other wines so far. I was definitely able to taste some of the berries in this wine, but there was a certain spiciness about it that made the flavors so unique. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wine wasn't extremely dry. I don't know if I would purchase this wine in the future, but I am glad that I got to experience the unique flavors of this wine. 

Food: I drank this wine at the Vintage Cellar tasting, so I was unable to pair any foods to this wine. 

Tasting- Alvarez de Toledo Godello

Name: Alvarez de Toledo Godello

Variety: 100% Godello
Region: Bierzo

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $7.95

Shop Review: "Clean pale yellow color. Nose fruity, persistent and elegant aromas. Good backbone on the palate." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: I was not a fan of this wine. I thought that it was very bland, and I really couldn't pull many flavors from it at all. I thought this wine almost had a consistency that was similar to that of water. From the little that I could taste, I could sense just a tiny bit of citrus. I would not purchase this wine in the future. 

Food: I drank this wine at the Vintage Cellar tasting, so I was unable to pair any foods to this wine. 

Tasting- Villa Jolanda Brut

Name: Villa Jolanda Brut

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: Not Listed

Price: $8.95

Shop 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." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: I could smell the tropical fruits right from the get go. I loved the bubbles in this wine because it makes things just a little bit more fun. I thought it was interesting to taste some banana in this wine because I haven't been able to pull that flavor from any other wine that I have tasted up to this point. I would definitely like to have this wine again in the near future. 

Food: I drank this wine at the Vintage Cellar tasting, so I was unable to pair any foods to this wine. 

Dinner- Homemade Dinner and Wine Pairings with my PARENTS!

I came home this weekend, and I decided to get my parents involved in the dinner assignment! (I get extra credit for this right?) We paired several homemade dinners with three different wines. The first dinner that we had was a guacamole burger with a turkey patty. On the burger was a cumin lime sour cream, grilled red and green peppers, guacamole, monterey jack cheese, and the turkey patty. The second dinner that we had was a shrimp pasta. The pasta was very creamy with three different cheeses mixed in along with some tomatoes and spinach. The third meal that we had was a Caribbean jerk chicken with some grilled peppers & onions along with some white rice. The three wines that we paired with these meals were Barefoot Moscato, Riunite Lambrusco, and Alice White Lexia Moscato. 

The three main courses and the three wines

Alice White Lexia Moscato

Riunite Lambrusco

Barefoot Moscato

Caribbean jerk grilled chicken,
rice, & grilled vegetables

Shrimp pasta with a breadstick

Guacamole turkey patty 

 Below are the pictures of my pairings with the Caribbean jerk grilled chicken meal:

Lambrusco with Caribbean Jerk

Alice White Moscato with
 Caribbean Jerk 

Barefoot Moscato with Caribbean Jerk

I first paired the Lambrusco with the Caribbean jerk. I found this pairing to be the best of the night. I thought this wine complimented the spiciness of this meal so well. The peppers of the chicken dish tasted amazing with this deep red wine. This pairing allowed the flavors to really come through. The grilled vegetables made for a good pairing because their spiciness of the Caribbean jerk was enhanced.

I then paired the Alice White Moscato with the Caribbean jerk. I did not think that this wine paired well with this dish because in a way it hid all of the flavors of the Caribbean jerk. I think the tartness of this wine overpowered the flavors in this dish, which was very disappointing.

Next, I paired the Barefoot Moscato with the Caribbean jerk. This wine paired the best with this dish because it was a little bit calmer than some of the other dishes. Although this was the best pairing of the night for this particular wine, I don't think that I would pair them together again. I think that this particular moscato would pair really well with a dessert rather than a main course because it is so sweet.

Below are the photos of the wine pairings with the shrimp pasta dish:

My Dad might have been
enjoying this assignment a
little bit too much. This is
him tasting the pasta with
the wines. 

My mother tasting this dish
with the wine. 

Me tasting the pasta dish
with the moscato. 

First I paired the Lambrusco with the shrimp pasta. This wine paired wonderfully with this dish. I often think of red wine pairing well with Italian dishes, so this did not come as a surprise to me. The fishy taste of the shrimp went well with the deep red wine. The flavors balanced out perfectly together. This was probably my favorite pairing of the night.

I then paired the Alice White Lexia Moscato with this dish. I thought that this wine paired well with the shrimp pasta dish as well. The tartness of this moscato combined perfectly with the fishy taste of the pasta, which actually caught me by surprise. Overall, this was a good pairing!

Finally, I paired the Barefoot Moscato with the shrimp pasta. I thought that this was a terrible pairing! The flavors collided and they did not compliment one another at all. This wine was definitely way too sweet for this dish, and the creaminess of the pasta made for an odd texture with the sweetness of the wine. Overall, this was a bad pairing!

Below are the photos of the wine pairings with the Guacamole Turkey Patty:

Me tasting the turkey patty
with the Lambrusco.

My dad tasting the turkey
patty with the Moscato.

My Mom trying the turkey
patty with the Moscato 

I first paired the Lambrusco with the turkey patty. I thought that of the three wines, this one paired the best with the turkey patty. This wine brought out the flavors of all of the peppers on the burger. I don't eat beef, but if I did then I think this would pair better with a beef patty rather than a turkey patty. 

I then paired the Alice White Moscato with the turkey patty. This wine did not pair well with the burger because it again was overpowering all of the flavors in the burger. This wine had a certain tartness too it that disguised all of the flavors of the food that I was eating. I was disappointed with this pairing. 

Finally, I paired the Barefoot Moscato with the turkey patty. This pairing was O.K. I think that this wine was too sweet to pair with such a meaty meal. The slickness and spiciness of the peppers did not compliment the sweetness of the wine. The guacamole on this burger was also overpowered by the flavors in the wine. This pairing was not the best.

Below are more pictures of this fun experience with my parents that didn't make the postings above!

Papa having too much
 fun again!

Turkey patty pairing with
Moscato!

My little black pug did not
want to participate. 

Roxy seemed to be
 more interested in the
 wine than Mitzi!

That turkey patty sure
was yummy!

Momma is loving her
wine tonight!

Me tasting the shrimp
dish with the Moscato!

My Dad loved this assignment!
He wanted more!

THE END!