I came home for Easter weekend, so naturally, that meant we needed to do our final wine dinner. Our local co-op grocery store had its wine on sale, so we stocked up. We also went to my FAVORITE pizza place (it is a must-eat whenever I come home). For dessert, we hit up the pastry aisle in the co-op and our favorite local chocolate shop. The whole family was involved for this one: my mom, dad, and of course Dobby. My mom is fully committed to our wine dinners at this point :)
**As always, the cat did not partake in any wine tastings... only wine sniffings
Course 1: Parmesean/Garlic Breadsticks with Pinot Gris
Variety: Pinot Gris
Region: Oregon
Country: USA
Bottled: Union Wine Company, Tualatin, OR
Year: 2021
Price: $5 at our local co-op
Tasting notes: stone fruit, pear, rose (from can). I definitely taste the pear and maybe some subtle vanilla.
Website listing: "Underwood Pinot Gris is a bright and refreshing white wine that brings the Pinot flavor experience to more people. Reflecting the character of the region, this wine was made for backyard BBQ’s and summer evenings. "
I decided to pair the Pinot Gris with breadsticks because I didn't know what would go with garlic and it was a suggestion I found online. When talking to some friends, I was told I was crazy for trying to pair with garlic... but this one was actually very nice. The wine was very smooth and sweet at first sip, and with a bite of breadstick this changed the flavor to rich and creamy. The garlic in the breadsticks brought out almost a thickness in the wine and made it very rich.
I liked the wine better with the breadsticks because it complimented the parmesan/garlic flavor. With the tomato dipping sauce, it became bitter, but with the plain breadsticks I really enjoyed the combination. The tomato clashed with the wine and made it too acidic. I did have some left and tried a sip with a bite of pizza, this became a totally different wine and was very sour. My mom said this was a "very successful" as she has suffered through some of the more unsuccessful pairings in the past... the dumplings and prosecco still haunt her.
Course 2: Margherita Pizza with Chardonnay
Name: Freakshow, Chardonnay
Variety: Charonnay
Region: Lodi, California
Country: USA
Bottled: Michael David Winery in Lodi, California
Year: 2021
Price: $5 at Vintage Cellar
Tasting notes: (from website) juicy apricot, citrus fruit, sweet honey, cantaloupe, grapefruit and lime. (my review) definite grapefruit and honey, it is very smooth and sweet without being too dry, maybe a little lemon
Aging: (from website)
74% barrel fermented 5 months - 70% new American oak / 30% new French oak, 26% stainless steel fermented - no oak / 97% of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation
We picked up this Chardonnay at the Vintage Cellar because of the can, and I wanted to find a meal that would pair with it. I was looking into how to get the "creamy" taste mentioned in class. I knew I was going to eat pizza while home, so I figured it was worth a shot. In the past, I did not like the Chardonnay I tried, so I have avoided it since. This one I actually really enjoyed on its own, and I think it paired nicely with the pizza.
This was a very smooth semi-dry/semi-sweet wine. It was dry without feeling like it dried out my entire mouth. With a big bite of the cheese, it became thick and creamy like the Pinot Gris, but in a fruity way. This was my favorite wine of the three courses, and I will definitely be investing in a full sized bottle. My mom approved of this pairing, too and said this was also her favorite wine.
Course 3: Chocolate-Almond Bark and Chocolate Mouse with Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Pays d'Oc
Country: France
Bottled: Sager & Master Pere et Fils, Paus d'Oc, France
Year: 2020
Price: $13 at local co-op
Tasting notes: (from bottle) aromas of raspberries and cherries, and the palate is soft but with a good fruit and long finish.
(my notes) plum, and sour cherry, earthy and slight leather
To complete our local dinner, we stopped by our towns' chocolate shop (Matthew's Chocolates in Hillsborough, NC) to get something for desert. When talking to him about his recommendations, he recommended Pinot Noir with his chocolates. We picked out some beautiful almond bark that he had made for the holiday to enjoy with our wine. We also grabbed some chocolate mouse to try. The assistant in the wine section at our co-op was suggesting we try the Pinot Noir with chocolate because it will completely change the flavor. He was telling us about how the chocolate will "coat your mouth" and "change the experience of the wine".
At first sip, the wine was semi-sweet and flavorful. We weren't sure how to serve the wine, so we went slightly chilled (but had to take a break after the first two courses and left it too long)... the wine would've been better warmer, but it didn't get bitter like some reds do when I chill them (yeah... I know, I'm not supposed to, but I like my reds chilled).
The very dark chocolate did not mix with the wine. Since the dark chocolate was slightly bitter, it overpowered the sweetness of the wine and made it just taste sour/bitter. The first bite/sip wasn't bad, but as you ate, it got sooo bitter. At the end, I was just choking down the wine. After like 3 bites of chocolate, it felt like I was drinking a sour acid.
I finished a corner of the chocolate and let my pallet reset. Switching to the sweet mouse, this paired a bit better. The pinot noir was much less bitter, but still tart. The sweetness of the wine never came back after we began eating our desserts. We will be trying the wine again tomorrow, with something other than chocolate (and maybe warmer)... my moms report was "definitely not good with chocolate." We think a sweeter chocolate (milk or white) might be better, but to be safe this red should be left for meat and cheese pairings.
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