Dinner #2 - "Traveling the World through Cooking"

The three wines for the dinner

Cooking up the food

About 3 weeks ago, 2 other friends in this class and I got together to do a 2nd wine dinner, and it ended up being a great night.  Myself, RJ Sekator, and Adam Brookhart, along with three other friends, got together at their apartment that night for what we wanted to be an "international" themed dinner.  I decided to cook up some Korean beef dish, Adam cooked up his version of the Pastel de Choclo that we tried in class, and RJ made Jerk style chicken.  Having the dishes decided, we had to find the perfect wines to compliment our food, so we took to the internet to do some research.  For my Korean beef dish, I found a wine blog online that a guy said his favorite pairing with a Korean dish was actually an Australian Shiraz, so I picked up a bottle, while Adam brought a paired blend wine, and RJ chose a Gewurztraminer to pair with his chicken.  The picture to the left here shows the three different wines we had for the dinner.

The first part of our dinner was actually cooking up the food, which took a little whiles.  All the smells of the three dishes cooking at the same time were killer, and it made my mouth water waiting and seeing them being cooked.  Adam got to work on his Pastel de Choclo, while RJ's chicken cooked off in the oven, and I finished up the Korean beef in the pan.  We also opened up the wine to let it sit a little while before the meals began, so waiting to try everything was really the worst part as I got even hungrier watching everything getting cooked up.

Korean Bulgogi w/ Rice & Dried Seaweed

Brady eating the leftover rice & bulgogi sauce

We planned so that we would eat the dishes as courses, so we started off with my Korean beef dish, called "bulgogi".  Bulgogi is a grilled marinated beef dish, and I cooked it alongside onions and had Korean white rice and dried seawood for wrapping on the side.  The wine that we drank with the Korean bulgogi was a 2012 Black Opal South Eastern Australian Shiraz.  Without the food, the wine was very simple, not overly complex in it's flavors, with subtle fruit flavors highlighting the taste.  In my opinion, it was a little boring, but also not too boring where it was a bad wine.  It was a decent wine, something that I would possibly try again if it were just on its own, but nothing spectacular.  Alongside the food, I thought it was a perfect match.  With Korean foods being very explosive in flavors, whether it'd be spice, or sweetness, or a mix of both, the subtle fruit flavors and simpleness of this wine really paired well with the bulgogi.  It also had a nice back-end sweetness with subtle cherries, that really matched well with the dry seawood wraps and rice.  The wine itself also had a well-balanced flavor with a little sourness on the finish, that really complimented the sweetness of the bulgogi sauce.  Overall, I thought this was a great pairing.  Really give my thumbs-up to the guy who wrote the recommendation on his blog, and definitely looking forward to trying this pair again, and even trying this wine with several other Korean dishes.  Also, the guys loved the bulgogi, so it always makes me happy when my friends enjoy Korean food.

The next dish was RJ's Jerk Chicken.  The wine for this dish was a 2012 Fetzer Gewurztraminer from California, which I thought was a very nice wine even without the food.  It had a very cleansing sweetness, with a little hints of sour lime taste.  The texture was very nice, and I thought from nose to finish on the taste, it was a very well-balanced and good wine.  With the food, it was even better.  With Jerk chicken having fairly spicy seasonings, the subtle sweetness did a great job in "cleansing" and minimizing that spiciness, so that we could enjoy the meal to fullest.  The sour lime taste also did a great job on the finish in giving a solid last impression of flavor, that really highlighted the spiciness in the jerk seasoning.  I thought this was a perfect pairing and really impressed me in how well this wine went with the dish.

RJ and his Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken & Wine

The final dish of the night was Adam's Pastel de Choclo, inspired by the one we got to try in class before that night.  The wine that he chose to pair with the dish was a Quinta Generacion Casa Silva blend, which was made up of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carmenere, 25% Syrah, and 15% Petit Verdot.  On its own, this wine was intense, very strong earthy flavors on the nose, with dark and elegant fruits.  The taste, was a "heavy hitter", this wine is one of the most intense I think I've ever tried, strong tannins, and a very earthy vibe to it.  The dark fruits were very hidden in the taste, behind the dryness and strong tannins, so definitely was interested in trying it with the dish.  The dish itself was actually very mild, not quite what I was expecting when I saw Adam cooking it up.  Strong corn flavors but it was very good.  The mild flavors actually paired very well with the strong flavors of the wine.  I would say the dish itself really brought out the essence of the tannins in the wine, which enhanced both the flavors of the wine and of the dish.  Was a great pairing, and definitely would love to try the pairing again, or recommend it to friends also doing a similar type of meal.

Adam & the Pastel de Choclo

Pastel de Choclo & Wine

This wine dinner was one of the coolest experiences so far for me with wine.  Not only did I get to try three new and interesting wines, but I got to pair one with a dish I grew up eating, see how certain wines go well with a spicy dish, and also try a whole new dish I've never had before.  It was also great to see my friends enjoy my dish so much and also enjoy just trying new things and being adventurous in food and wine.  Having this "international" theme for our dinner was a great choice, because it allowed us to expand our ideas of food and wine pairings, and really explore something new, and really in essence, "travel" the world through our cooking and pairing with wines.  This is really one of the experiences I'll remember as I finish up college, and looking forward to doing more of these food/wine pairings after I graduate and continue my wine journey in life!

Myself, RJ, and Adam at Dinner

Tasting - "Rosemount Estate Moscato"

Name: Rosemount Estate Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $12 (sale: $3.95)

Winery Review: "Clear, medium-lemon yellow in appearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple and ripe yellow plum flavours.  Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses."- The Vintage Cellar

My Review: On the nose this wine was super sweet, candy-like, pretty much like every other moscato that I've ever tried.  The taste was not overwhelming with sweetness, actually this sweet aspects were really nice.  It tasted kind-of like starbursts, maybe some jolly ranchers but not as sweet, had a nice texture to it as well.  Well-balanced moscato with a solid finish, left me wanting a little bit more.  Nice wine and would recommend to my friends to try, especially at the cheap sale price.

Tasting - "Garnacha de Fuego Old Vine Grenache"

Name: Garnacha de Fuego Old Vine Grenache
Variety: Grenache
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: "The Garnacha de Fuego, a 100% Grenache cuvee, was aged in both stainless steel and neutral French oak. There are 10,000 cases for the United States. This amazing wine boasts a dark ruby/purple color along with a sweet kiss of jammy black cherries intertwined with crushed rock notes that give the wine an undeniable minerality. As it hits the palate, a full-bodied, voluptuous texture takes hold and the flavor profiles moves towards blacker fruits (ripe raspberries and black currants) intermixed with camphor and forest floor. This full-bodied, rich, glycerin-filled efforts should drink well for 4-5 years, perhaps longer."
- The Vintage Cellar

My Review: On the nose, there were strong hints of strawberries and dark berries.  The taste was not very fruit but nice, earthy, and nice little hints of spice and herbs.  The wine was dry, a little drier than I prefer but added a nice change for this group of wines.  I actually liked this wine a lot, and would recommend to friends and drink it again myself.

Tasting - "Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico"

Name: Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico
Variety: Gaglioppo
Region: Ciro
Country: Italy 
Year: N/A
Price: $14 (sale: $7.95)

Winery Review: "Don’t let the pale garnet color fool you:  this is a substantial wine.  Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums.  On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine.  Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken."
- The Vintage Cellar

My Review: On the nose, this wine had a very fruity, cherry-like aroma to it.  The fruitiness was very apparent, almost like a strong cherry candy or drink, maybe even kool-aid.  The taste was bitter, wild, earthy, and not fruity at all, completely opposite of what I was expecting from the smell.  Had little hints of citrus but not enough to make an impression.  Overall, I didn't like this wine at all and wouldn't recommend.

Tasting - "Angove Viognier"

Name: Angove Viognier
Variety: Viognier
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $15 (sale: $7.95)

Winery Review: "Bright light straw in colour with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavours of apricot, peach and citrus.  Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today's relaxed life-style and is the ideal accompaniment to grilled prawns with chilli and garlic or roast pork."
- The Vintage Cellar

My Review: On the nose, this wine had a very floral and lime-like taste to it.  It was very mild, and not overpowering, just right in my opinion.  The taste was very mild, not very fruity, and well-balanced.  It had a nice finish that didn't leave a lasting impression, but also wasn't bad either.  This wine was OK, and would drink it again but not recommend to buy, even at the sale price.

Tasting - "Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Seaview Vineyard
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 
Region: N/A
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2008
Price: $21 (sale: $7.95)

Winery Review: "This aromatic wine shows lifted flavours of blackcurrant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by a flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops."
- The Vintage Cellar

My Review: On the nose, this wine had strong scents of green pepper, a earthy tone, and little hints of citrus, specifically lemon.  The taste was sour, sharp, strong peppers, herbs, and there was almost some sort of burnt-taste, like the taste you get on burnt hot-dogs from a grill.  This taste was a little overwhelming and couldn't be masked by the subtle fruit flavors.  Not my favorite, but not bad either.

Dinner #1 - "Spring Break Cruise"

My family on "formal night" dinner

The first wine and food pairing dinner that I took part in was actually during the week of Spring Break way back in March.  The reason why it has taken me so long to write this blog is because I had to get the pictures from my parents, who had them on their digital camera and finally sent me the pictures over the weekend.  These dinners took place on a cruise ship called the Carnival Breeze, highlighted by a dinner that took place on the cruise's elegant or formal night where we had a great pairing of food and wine.  We had the other two wines on the same night the next day.  My parents had the wine with me, while my brother was also at dinner but did not drink the wine.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay

I'll start off by talking about the dinner that actually took place on March 12th, 2014, which was just a normal night on the cruise.  That night we had two different wines, a Chateau Ste. Michelle 2012 Chardonnay as a white wine and a Meiomi 2012 Pinot Noir as a choice of red wine.  I'll start off by talking about the Chateau Ste. Michelle.  This wine is a 2012 bottle from a winery located in the Columbia Valley in the state of Washington.  It is the state's oldest and most acclaimed winery, so I was definitely very excited about trying this wine.  Priced at just about $15, this wine is very affordable and my family actually brought this bottle on the ship with us.  On the nose, it has a very "freshness" aspect of fruitness to it, with hints of green apple and citrus, like orange and lemons.  It reminded me of receiving a fresh fruit basket back-in-the-day, and just having that assortment of fruits and their smells whipping at you.  This wine is reputable for being a very "food friendly" wine on the menu, frog legs. 

Frog Legs

Now, I've tried frog legs in the past, however, never had it with a wine, so I was definitely very interested how it would taste.  First off, the wine on it's own tasted great.  It backed up those aromas of citrus and nice fruits with a great balanced fruit flavored wine.  It wasn't overpowering, or too soft, just right for a solid chardonnay in my opinion.  The next step was to try the wine along with the dish, and I thought they worked perfect together.  The frog legs dish was very buttery, almost as if the chef dropped a block of butter in while he was cooking it.  And the texture of the legs was soft like fish, while tasting like chicken.  The fruitiness to the chardonnay complimented the buttery, creaminess of the frog legs, and gave a nice well-balanced overall flavor and experience.  Also, the wine had just enough heat on it to compliment the interesting texture of the frog legs themselves.  My parents agreed, that the dish definitely enhanced the flavor of the wine, and made for a very nice pairing in this case.

Prime Rib w/ Baked Potatoe

The second pairing we did was that same night, a Meiomi 2012 Pinot Noir to go along with prime rib with a baked potato.  At $20, this wine was the one that my parents chose to "treat" ourselves during the red meat dish that we know would show up during the week, and heard great things about this wine.  It is a wine that unifies the three coastal areas of California, Monterrey County, Santa Barbara County, and Sonoma County in order to create this wine, so I was definitely very excited to be able to try this.  Also, my parents saved this bottle to try with me so I thought that was really nice as well.  On the nose, this wine had very dark fruit flavors stick out, dark cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and even some plumb.  It was really nice and not too overly fruity, but just the right amount to attract me further.  The taste followed up on those aromas, with hints of dark fruits and cherries as soon as it touched my tongue.  It wasn't overly dry or overflowing with tannins, but just right and balanced in my opinion.  My parents actually seemed to like it a lot more than I did, so this was a nice bottle for us to share together.

Meiomi Pinot Noir

Now, to go along with the prime rib, it was not as great as I thought it would be but definitely delicious.  The prime rib was great, perfectly cooked medium rare, and perfectly seasoned.  I had always pictured a perfect steak meal with a nice bottle of red wine so I was definitely looking forward to this pairing, but I think I had too high of expectations because it wasn't all that awesome.  It definitely made the experience and the meal better, but the wine itself didn't help to bring out the flavors of the meat as I thought it would.  The wine definitely did compliment the flavors of a red meat dish, even with tobascco, it didn't make things too hot or dry, yet just right in the sense that flavors were complimented.  So while it was definitely a good pairing and delicious meal, I think I was just expecting my "wine life" to go to the "next level" with this pairing, which definitely didn't happen.  But overall, a nice pairing and delicious meal.  You can never quite go wrong with a steak, can you? :)

Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay 

The final dish pairing that we did was actually the night before, on March 11th, 2014, the cruise's elegant or "formal" night.  This is the night that everyone gets all dressed up nicely and the dining room cranks out the "prized" dishes of the cruise.  That night, they had lobster tail with jumbo shrimp, so we paired it with a Frei Brothers Reserve 2012 Chardonnay.  At $17, this is not an overly expensive bottle of wine, but definitely something a little nicer than the normal bottles my friends and I are used to drinking here at school.  This bottle, was definitely a treat for my parents and I, who aren't huge wine drinkers to begin with.  It's from the Russian River, California, so another California wine.  On the nose, it had very subtle flavors of green apple, citrus, and a little bit of pear as well.  It stuck out as being a little sweeter than the other wines from that week, so it wasn't as appealing in my opinion (since I'm not a huge sweet tooth kind of guy) but my mom loved it.  She kept swirling the wine and just smelling (after I taught her that method) because she loved the smell of the wine itself.

Lobster Tail w/ Jumbo Shrimp

The taste backed up what the nose had to offer, being a very sweet wine, with strong flavors of pears, oranges, and even a little sourness, like green apple and lemon.  It was a little too sweet in my opinion, but not a bad tasting wine, very appealing to those with a likeness for the sweeter varieties.  This wine was actually a PERFECT fit for the lobster tail dish, probably the best pairing of food and wine I've ever had.  Since the lobster tail is sort of a bland dish, with most the flavor coming from the butter you dip it in, having a sweet wine really enhanced the flavors and gave a nice contrast the the simple lobster tail dish.  The jump shrimp on the side actually complimented the lobster and the wine as well, since it is seasoned with spices, it added a nice heat aspect to the wine on the back-end, revealing flavors to the wine that weren't there with just tasting the wine alone.  These flavors that came out actually included a little creaminess, and buttery aspect, which was a little ironic due to the bowl of butter that came with the lobster.  Overall, this was a GREAT pairing, and very happy with this dinner.  My mom, especially, loved this meal, and it was nice to see her enjoying it so much.

My parents on "formal night"

Overall this was such a great experience.  Not only was the food delicious, but pairing the dishes with different types of wine just added to the flavors of the meals, which in turn enhanced the flavors of the wine.  It was such a treat to be able to share this first wine food pairing dinner experience with my parents, and also to sort of show off what I had learned so far this semester in the course.  My parents were really impressed with all the knowledge that I had acquired in wine, so being able to share that with them was such a treat for me.  This experience was one that I will never forget, and definitely very pleased with the lessons I learned from the different tastings/pairings I did.  Made for such an awesome and great spring break, and glad I could share it with you all here on this blog!