Wine and Cheese Pairing #3

• Sutter Home Pinot Grigio
• Variety: Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris
• Region: CA
• Country: USA
• Year: 2018
• Price: $6.99
• Winery Notes: Fresh floral aromas and sweet flavors of white peach, melon, citrus, and tropical fruits beg your palate not to forget this night or this wine. Pinot Grigio wine's crispness primes the palate for food and pairs well with all seafood, cheeses, and spicy Latin and Asian fare.
• Tasting Notes (without cheese):  This wine smells very acidic, like apples and tropical fruits.. Immediately you are hit with sharp acidity from the apple and peach fruits, followed by a light sweetness accompanied with slight acidity. Overall it has a nice, soft finish.
• Paired with Aged Parmesan: I definitely think that the parmesan cheese helped take the edge off of this light, acidic wine. The cheese mellowed out the harsher notes and allowed the fruitier notes of apple and peach come through much stronger. The aged parmesan definitely held the finish touch with its strong flavors. I much preferred this wine paired with the cheese.
  
• Woodbridge Chardonnay
• Variety: Chardonnay
• Region: Monterey (CA)
• Country: USA
• Year: 2017
• Price: $6.99
• Winery Notes: With an aroma of green apple and a floral undertone, this Chardonnay displays a smooth elegance. The aromas and flavors show nuances of baked apples and cinnamon, ending in a rich oak finish.
• Tasting Notes (without cheese): This wine smells very light such as acidic grapes, apple, and perhaps some florals. Upon tasting, you are hit with light, refreshing fruitiness followed by deep oaky notes. Overall it had a very smooth finish.
• Paired with Beecher's Flagship Cheddar: Initially, the powerful cheddar and the acidic notes of the chardonnay mesh together. The definitely help balance each other out and in the end the deeper, bolder, and oakier notes from the wine come through with a nice finish. I think I preferred the wine alone because with the cheese, the bold flavors were a little too noticeable for my liking.
  
• Sutter Home Red Blend
• Variety: Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah
• Region: California
• Country: USA
• Year: 2018
• Price: $6.99  
• Winery Notes: This wine is a beautifully balanced blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Syrah. To the blend, Zinfandel lends its deep, bold berry flavors; Merlot contributes fresh, juicy fruit flavors and aromas; and the Cabernet adds elegant structure. One of the signatures of this blend is its smooth, luxurious mouthfeel. To enhance the wine’s texture and extract softer tannins, winemakers employ an aggressive early pump over regimen.
• Tasting notes (without cheese):  This wine smells deep and bold of cherries and spice. Immediately you are hit with strong tannins that are balanced with fruity cherries. The deep flavors hit full force but fade at the end with a soft, finish. Overall the wine is medium-dry.
• Paired with Florette Goat Brie: I definitely noticed that this brie helped soften the bold, dry notes from the wine. The brie definitely complemented this flavorful wine and allowed the cherry notes to shine through in the end over the bolder tannins. The flavors from the brie still came through but the goat cheese notes were subdued. Overall I much preferred this wine paired with the cheese.
  
  
  

Capriccio White Sangria

Name: Capriccio White Sangria

Variety: N/A

Region: Auburndale, FL

Country: USA

Year:

Price: $9.95

Winemakers notes: Florida- Capriccio is bubbly red wine blended with 100% natural fruit juices with hints of pineapple and pomegranate.The 13.9% ABV compliments the pineapple, orange, and grape juices to create a refreshing, fruit forward, well balanced beverage.

My review: This wine smells strongly of red fruit like watermelon and strawberry. Upon tasting, i was reminded fondly of kool aid. Overall this wine was very sweet with an artificial fruit finish.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with any food.

Capriccio White Sangria

Name: Capriccio White Sangria

Variety: N/A

Region: Auburndale, FL

Country: USA

Year:

Price: $9.95

Winemakers notes: A white Sangria blending Pear, Lemon, Apple, Pineapple and grape juice with Elderflower. Intense and full flavored it can be drunk straight or mixed with chunks of your favorite fruits and rum, Cointreau or your favorite liquors.

My review: This sangria smells very tropical, with strong pineapple and melon notes coming through. Immediately you are hit with fruity sweetness, without the acidity. It reminds me of fruity pebbles with a mellow finish and longering acidity from the fruits.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with any food.

Alvarez de Toledo

Name: Alvarez de Toldedo

Variety: Mencia Roble

Region: Bierzo

Country: Spain

Year: 2015

Price: $9.95

Winemakers notes: Welcoming aromas of berry fruit come with a bit of oaky menthol in support. A full palate, bright acidity and slightly edgy tannins make for a healthy ride. Plum, currant and juicy berry flavors are choppy on a fresh, bold finish.

My review: This wine smells strongly of cherry and plum with sweet honey. Initially you are hit with strong tannins followed by leathery, oaky notes. The fruit comes through at the end to carry out soft and sweet notes.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with any food.

Little Sheep French Rose

Name: The Little Sheep French Rose

Variety: 85% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Gamay

Region: N/A

Country: France

Year: 2018

Price: $9.95

Winemakers notes: Rather potent and elegant, with notes of red fruit and floral notes reminiscent of grenadine, with just a slight herbal touch. A smooth fresh attack, nicely balanced on the palate, with floral and fruity notes. A harmonious, fresh and very pleasant finish.

My review: This wine smells strongly of red fruit with sweet, floral, aromas. Initially you get subtle fruity notes such as raspberry, just without the acidity. In the end it has a nice, sweet and smooth finish.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with any food.

Belle Jardin Brut Sparkling

Name: Belle Jardin Brut Sparkling

Variety: Pinot Blanc

Region: N/A

Country: France

Year:

Price: $11.95

Winemakers notes: Lively yet refined, this is an ideal choice for weddings and other celebrations, or just hanging out on the back deck in blue jeans, t-shirt, and sandals. Combining elegant flavors with exhilarating freshness, Belle Jardin opens with light floral aromas and delicate biscuity notes. On the palate, it displays a fine texture and precise bead, leading to a clean, clear, lingering finish reminiscent of French Champagne. Impossible to beat for the price.

My review: This wine smells strongly of apple and pear with a deep sweetness. Tastes similar to welches grape fruit with a very subtle carbonation. Overall it has a sweet smooth, finish.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with any food.

Barefoot Chardonnay

Name: Barefoot Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: California

Country: USA

Year:

Price: $6.12

Winemakers notes: This is a delightful wine with tempting flavors of green apples and peaches. Hints of honey and vanilla enhance the rich, buttery finish. Another good value wine from Barefoot

My review: This wine smelled very light and fruity like apples or pears. When you first taste it, you notice the refreshing grape notes followed by a deeper sweetness. The wine definitely has some deeper, underlying flavors as if it were toasted. All in all it had a somewhat buttery finish.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with food

Chateau Morrisette White Table Wine

Name: Chateau Morrisette White Table Wine

Variety: N/A

Region: VA

Country: USA

Year: 2018

Price: $7.76

Winemakers notes: A unique and refreshingly sweet dessert style wine made from an American native grape variety. Firm acidity balances the sweetness, producing a crisp finish with aromas of freshly picked grapes.

My review: This wine smelled similarly to welch's grape juice- very sweet and grape like. When you first taste it, you are hit with sweetness followed abruptly by acidic grapes. All in all this wine tasted very inexpensive with bitter notes and overwhelming sweetness.

Pairings: I did not pair this wine with food.