Wine and Cheese Pairing #1

Wine and Cheese Combo #1






Cheese: Saint Andre Triple Creme Softened French Cheese
Notes on Cheese: Buttery and Very Smooth

Wine Name: Bionature ExtraSec 
Wine Variety: Proseco 
Region: Not Given
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Color: White
Price: $4.95

Wine Critic Review: "A sparkling wine made with organic grapes must express only the best of the natural character of white grapes. Intact delicacy of an intense perlage."

My Review: "Light like the butterfly" hints of peach and a light acidity. Refreshing to drink and very enjoyable. Kinda what I expected in a sparkling wine.

How did the combination pair: Combination was nice. More buttery notes from the cheese along with the slight acidity to the wine allowed for no masking of flavors but more of a                                                                       robust taste in the cheese.

Wine and Cheese Combo #2


Cheese: Mirry Podda Classico Misto
Notes on Cheese: Sharper white cheese that has a stronger flavor to it. Did not taste too good with the proseco. Weird tastes came out that were not great.

Wine Name: Grand Veneur Reserve
Wine Variety: Cotes du Rhone 
Region: Rhone
Country: France 
Year: 2015
Color: White
Price: $4.95

Wine Critic Review: "Pale yellow colour, brilliant with a gold tinge. Primary aroma of flowers and stone fruit. On the palate, the fruit is immediately present with touches of almond and white peach. A slight liveliness appears in the finish, which creates a perfect balance for the natural generosity of this wine."

My Review: Very light with a lavender smell and finishes very smoothly. Fresh white fruits, but not as far as pear or apples. 


How did the combination pair: The cheese kind of overwhelms the wine since its such a light wine. The wine definitely brings out the sharper flavors in the cheese. Kind of felt like drinking a grapey water drink with the cheese. 

Wine and Cheese Combo #3



Cheese: Taste of Inspiration Double Creme Brie
Notes on Cheese: Super creamy butter taste - very similar to the first cheese

Wine Name: Dark Horse
Wine Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Color: White
Price: $6.95

Wine Critic Review: "Dark Horse Chardonnay offers bright abundant aromas of baked apple and peaches, layered with buttery notes of toasted oak and caramel. The rich, creamy flavors of this Chardonnay are nicely complemented by a refreshingly crisp acidity, culminating in a smooth, lingering finish."

My Review: Smells very buttery and has a very smooth taste. Hints of apple - like almost a baked apple. Very easy to drip.


How did the combination pair: Excellent combination between the brie and chardonnay. They definitely didn't mask any flavors and allowed for both flavors to come through exceptionally. 

Tasting - "Prime's Ruby Port"

Name: Prime's Ruby
Variety: Port
Region: Oporto
Country: Portugal
Year: Not Given
Color: Red
Price: $9.95

Wine Critic Review: "Ruby colour; red fruit aromas; pleasantly sweet and balanced taste. As the wines used to produce Prime's Ruby Port age, they gain smoothness and elegance while retaining their fruitiness, intensity and youthful ruby colour."

My Review: Smelt like a fortified wine - definitely more so than it tasted. It was sweet, but not overpowering, and it definitely had a dark fruity taste that was super sweet.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Lindeman's Bin 80 Cabernet Merlot Magnum 2015"

Name: Lindeman's
Variety: Bin 80 Cabernet Merlot Magnum
Region: Southeastern
Country: Australia
Year: 2015
Color: Red
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "Traditional nose of cranberry and new oak barrels. Explosive red fruit opening with a nice minerality balanced of slate and fall leaves. Great mild tannins emerge slowly and lingers very respectfully."

My Review: Smelt of mild cherries and some other dark red fruits, and had the taste of those dark red fruits. Some mouth feel and had a bit of a pomegranate twang to it.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc Grenache Cinsault 2011"

Name: Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc
Variety: Grenache Cinsault 2011
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2011
Color: Red
Price: $5.95

Wine Critic Review: "Medium-bodied with delightful red berry aromas and flavours, a whisper of spice, and a soft tannin structure"

My Review: The smell put me off at first - not in a bad way, but I had to spend a lot of time thinking about it. I came down to fishy/wet dog as my final thought. The wine itself was a bit smokey and had this dark fruity structure with mouth feel that was quite delightful.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Pazo de Monterrey Godello 2014"

Name: Pazo de Monterrey
Variety: Godello
Region: Monterrei
Country: Spain
Year: 2014
Color: Yellowish White
Price: $5.95

Wine Critic Review: "Complex scents of citrus zest, pear, flowers and smoky minerals. Fleshy orchard fruit flavors are firmed by juicy acidity and gain depth and spiciness with air. A ripe melon note comes up on the smooth, spicy, very persistent finish."

My Review: Some very bright buttery notes with a hint of flowers. Taste was a lot of floral and fresh fruit and was butter smooth on the way down.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Domane de la Foret Rose de Mediterranee Grenache Cinsault 2015"

Name: Domaine de la Foret Rose de Mediterranee
Variety: Grenache Cinsault
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2015
Color: Pink
Price: $5.95

Wine Critic Review: "In color, this is almost white. In flavor it is equally light. There is some attractive acidity and the soft wine will slip down easily. The aftertaste is crisp with just a touch of red currant."

My Review: Very light and crisp, pretty refreshing. Almost had a honey scent to it with a hint of crisp white fruits, like a pear and very light red fruit pairing. 

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Coastal Vines White Zinfandel Magnum"

Name: Coastal Vines
Variety: White Zinfandel Magnum
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: Not Provided
Color: Pink
Price: $5.95

Wine Critic Review: "Pink silver color. Delicate aromas and flavors of strawberries and cherries with a soft, crisp, off-dry light-to-medium body and a smooth, rapid finish with notes of melon sorbet and apple sauce. A pleasant off-dry quaffer."

My Review: A nice light fruity flavor that just smells sweet and fruity. Definitely a taste of strawberries and raspberries that really reminds me of a strawberry lollipop.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2013"

Name: Cortenova
Variety: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Region: Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Color: Red 
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity."

My Review: Had a deep red fruit taste with dark cherries and berries with a smokey finish. Had a decent amount of tannins, and was a bit earthy.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Rosemount Diamond Label Pinot Noir 2014"

Name: Rosemount Diamond Label
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Southeastern
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Color: Red 
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "Rosemount Diamond Label Pinot Noir is a medium bodied wine with flavours of cherry, strawberry and subtle earthy tones. The sofround palate finishes with velvety tannins."

My Review: Quite fruity  with a strawberry and cherry smell to it that is quite sweet and left me with a little mouth feel. Not quite a bold red, but definitely a nice in-between.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Valminor Albarino 2015"

Name: Valminor
Variety: Albarino
Region: Rias Baixas
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Color: White 
Price: $9.95

Wine Critic Review: "Valminor Albarino presents a yellow straw color. On the nose, the wine shows a wide fruity range of aromas with notes of fresh grapefruit, apricot and melon. In the mouth, Valminor combines fruity flavors and freshness with a rounded acidity, resulting in a balanced wine that boasts an opulent taste with elegant aromas and slight spritziness. It is fresh and tasty, boasting a taste of apple and fruit with elegance."

My Review: A light fruity wine that smells fresh and has a taste of apples or pears, very light white fruits that are crisp                                                                     and refreshing. 

                                                               Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Yellowtail Unoaked Chardonnay"

Name: Yellowtail
Variety: Unoaked Chardonnay
Region: Not Provided
Country: New Zealand & Australia
Year: Not Provided
Color: White 
Price: $4.95

Wine Critic Review: "It has a light, crisp flavor profile with hints of citrus and grapefruit and light melon flavors."

My Review: Mildly floral scent, with a light white fruit taste that is really refreshing - very light fruits.

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Maipe Torrontes 2016"

Name: Maipe
Variety: Torrontes
Region: Salta
Country: Argentina
Year: 2016
Color: White 
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish."

My Review: A nice white that had a lovely white fruit taste. It had a great mix of fresh pears and apples that made for a nice sweet taste in the end. 

                                                               Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Candoni Buongiorno Organic Primitivo, Syrah"

Name: Candoni Buongiorno
Variety: Organic Primitivo, Syrah
Region: Puglia
Country: Italy
Year: Not Given
Color: Red
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "Black ruby color. Mild, spicy, earthy aromas of spiced berries and clay with a supple, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a tingling, brisk earth and cinnamon finish with dusty, coating tannins and moderate oak. A sturdy, earthy red for the table."

My Review: Had a bit of smoke taste to it, and definitely a taste of black cherry's/black raspberries. The tannins didn't overwhelm it, and it was really enjoyable to drink. 

Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Jam Jar Sweet White 2015"

Name: Jam Jar
Variety: Sweet White
Region: Western Cape
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Color: White
Price: $7.95

Wine Critic Review: "This charming, easy-drinking white offers juicy flavors of peach, litchi and orange blossom in a sweet and sassy style! A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh, fruity and fun. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, this bright and cheerful bottling is sure to capture your heart."

My Review: It was super sweet - I'll just start off with that. Smelt incredibly floral, and had a lot of apple/pear/white fruit taste going on. A very sweet, very light sipper. 

                                                               Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Fox Creek Shiraz 2012"

Name: Fox Creek
Variety: Shiraz
Region: McLaren Vale
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Color: Red
Price: $9.95

Wine Critic Review: "Bright purple. Exotic, expansive aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, vanilla and cola, along with a peppery overtone and a hint of violet pastille. Broad, fleshy, appealingly sweet boysenberry and cherry liqueur flavors show excellent depth and a seamless texture. Finishes juicy and long, with building spiciness, an echo of blue fruit and round tannins."

My Review: It was a medium-dark feeling wine that had a lot of mouth feel. I could really feel the tannins and it had this great smokey/red fruit combination that made me buy a bottle                                                                 after the tasting

                                                                Did not have with food.

Tasting - "Oxford Landing Viognier 2014"

 Name: Oxford Landing
Variety: Viognier
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Color: White
Price: $8.95

Wine Critic Review: "The aroma is intense musk and white flowers with hints of stone fruit. The palate is rich, very long and ripe, with stone fruit and musk flavours. This wine exhibits fresh, silky and lively Viognier textures."

My Review: It tastes a bit citric with like a lemon-honey kind of cross - really the kind of flavor I get out of one of those ricola cough drops.

Did not have with food.

Independent Tasting - "Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Cabarnet Sauvignon 2013"

Name: Thorn Clarke - Terra Barossa
Variety: Cabarnet Sauvignon
Region: Angaston
Country: Australia
Year: Not Given
Color: Red
Price: $9.95

Wine Critic Review: "..this is full bodied and richly textured, marrying hints of peppery spice with grilled lavender and rosemary that perfectly season the beach cherry and mocha flavors. It's stout, tannic and mouth coating on the finish, ideal for matching with roasts or steaks."

My Review: Smells like dark fruits with some floral notes here and there. Definitely a dark cherry taste, maybe a bit of plum as well? Kind of has a smokey flavor, and definitely can feel it all around my mouth. Lots of that "mouth feel" that Boyer talks about all the time. 

                                                                Did not have with food.