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!