This weekend, I found myself going home to see my family and thought, what if I have my parents experience what I am learning in my Geography of Wine class? I asked if they wanted to have a wine dinner with me where we would have 3 different dishes and 3 different wines that we would pair and see the effects each have on one another. With my parents being the amazing parents they are, they immediately agreed and were excited to experience what I have been learning in class.
The Dishes
Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
Chicken with Garlic Mushroom Sauce
Oven Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus
Private Selection 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Cranberry, Orange, and Honey Granules
Private Selection 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate
Brie Cheese
This was some of the best food I have had in a while, and I thank my parents for that because having a home cooked meal at home is much better than having one in a college house. The chicken was smooth and had a neutral taste with creamy mushroom sauce that elevated the dish. The carrots we made with roasted garlic which really enhanced the taste of the vegetable and gave it the perfect sweet yet bold taste. You can never go wrong with potatoes and asparagus especially with a neutral spice level of practically nothing. I was also very surprised by the chocolates as I normally hate dark chocolate but fell in love with these two, especially the cranberry, orange and honey one. Finally, the brie.... THE BRIE! Probably the world's best cheese! To learn how these paired with the wine, you must read more!
Name: Edward Delaunay Septembre Bourgogne - Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Burgandy
Country: France
Year: 2022
Price: $24.99
Winery review: Really nice wine. Medium ruby color. Smoke, rhubarb, a bit musty and earthy. A bit of strawberry on the finish. Medium acidity, light tannins. 4.0 stars. Review by Vivino.
Wine Folly: When looking at page 150, Pinot Noirs consist of cherry, raspberry, clove, mushrooms, and vanilla and they are among the most popular light bodied red wines and make for a versatile pairing with duck, chicken, pork and mushrooms. In warmer climates in California, the wine tends to be riper while in cooler climates it tends to be more tarte.
My review: I fear I sense a theme when it comes to Pinot Noir and my palate. While this Pinot Noir was way better than the one from a previous blog, I still was not in a state of "WOW". This wine had a sweet start with a dry end, and I could really taste the clove. It had a light smell of light, sweet fruit. With the meal, this wine was surprisingly good! Well not surprisingly due to my pairing efforts, but surprising because I actually enjoyed this Pinot Noir with food rather than by itself. With all the dishes I tried it with, it was of course the best with the chicken and garlic mushroom sauce. While the garlic gave it a tad of a sour taste, the overall dish was enhanced with flavor. I also surprisingly liked it with the honey-garlic butter roasted carrots as the carrots helped give it a stronger taste throughout the meal.
Name: Arnaldo - Caprai Montefalco Rosso
Variety: 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot
Region: Umbria
Country: Italy
Year: 2016
Price: $47.99
Winery review: Vanilla, oak, slight hints of cocoa, with touches of pomegranate. Very easy to drink and pairs well with everything. Balanced acidity and lower tannins. 4.0 stars. Review by Vivino.
Wine Folly: When looking at page 162, Sangiovese specifically is high in acidity and matches well with well-spiced foods. It consists of cherry, roasted tomato, sweet balsamic, oregano, and espresso. What is really unique about this wine is it is Italy's most planted grape. Sagrantino (161) consists of plum sauce, licorice, black tea, black olive and black pepper. This wine has some of the highest levels of antioxidants of any red wine and pairs well with dishes that feature more fat, cream-based sauces and mushrooms. Finally, Merlot (131) pairs well with cherry, plum, chocolate, dried fruit, and vanilla. It even has a smoky finish to it and tastes great with fruit notes.
My review: Out of all the wines I tried during this dinner, this was my favorite! However, as a broke college student... I seek to find an alternative that is easier on the bank account. This wine had a dry smell to it and a very bold taste which was perfect for me being the dark red wine lover I am. The carrot dish made this wine tarter, but the mushrooms gave it a bolder taste. Sadly, the garlic in both dishes did not do this wine any favors. While I loved the dishes I made, I learned that this wine is perfectly fine on its own and does not need to be pair with a meal to support its bold and enhanced flavors.
Name: Borges Porto
Variety: Port
Region: Douro
Country: Portugal
Year: Unknown but 7–9-year-old tawny ports
Price: $16.99
Winery review: White Port: It has a golden color. Aromas of dried fruit and honey. In the mouth, its sweetness is perfectly balanced by its acidity, with an aftertaste of mixed dry fruit giving a fresh sweetness. Tawny: It presents an amber color. Aromas of quince and jam well integrated with notes of vanilla from ageing in wood. Soft attack, with sweetness and persistence. This finish in the mouth reveals its ageing period through notes of jam. Ruby: It presents a deep red color. Has an aroma of mature red fruit. In the mouth, the structure is accompanied by the taste of mature fruit and a balanced sweetness that extends the aftertaste. Tawny Port: It's a bit more auburn than Ruby, the Coroa Borges sharing his youth, his wisdom and his wealth. The aromas of ageing are increasing a bit more without completely hide the fruity aromas. Dry White Port: It presents a citrine color. Intense aroma, with white fruits, such as melon, and with notes of peppermint freshness. In the mouth, the sweetness is perfectly balanced with the acidity, with a fresh and citrus finish.
Wine Folly: When looking at page 154, Port consists with black plum, dried cherry, chocolate, raisin, and cinnamon. Port is the most famous fortified wine of Portugal and is made in a range of styles including white, rose, red and tawny all with very unique tastes.
My review: One word: yuk. I am grateful for my parents for this one because they went on a recent trip to Portugal and were so kind to bring back samples of multiple port wines. However, I was relieved when they had the same reactions as me. When trying all 5 of these, I think I also went through 5 of the 7 stages of grief and could safely say I couldn't tell if I was drinking wine or more of a liquor due to the strong and somehow thick taste of these. All 5 of these wines were paired with the 2 chocolates and brie cheese which managed to help, but not enough. Out of all of them, the dry white Coroa was the best out of all of them, but had the strangest overly sweet taste, but the orange chocolate really helped with this wine. We went in order with these wines (left to right as pictured), and all of them had pretty much the same theme of a strong bold liquor taste that was thick going down. I am a big fan of brie cheese so when I learned this is a good cheese for port wine, I was excited, but sadly the cheese did not pair with the wine and instead made it worse. It is safe to say I will not be having these 5 wines again, but thank you mom and dad for the experience and laughs!
Overall, this was a great experience! I loved getting the chance to sit at the dinner table with my parents and expand their knowledge about wine, all while sharing stories, good win, and a good meal!
