On Monday afternoon, I decided to do what anyone else would do at 2:00pm - wine homework. I went to Eats (an all natural grocery store) to get three different types of cheeses.
The first type of cheese was "Red Dragon". It was an English Cheddar cheese with wholegrain mustard and ale. I thought it was the spiciest of the three. It also had a creamy consistency which I thought would taste good spread onto crackers.
The third cheese was a Spanish cheese called "Campo de Montalban". It was a mix of cow, goat, and sheep milk. It had a little bitterness to it but it was still silky. My friend and I loved it!
Now for the vino...
The first wine was a wine I purchased the previous Saturday at Beliveau Estate Winery.
Name: Reflection
Grape Variety: Traminette
Region: Blacksburg, VA (from the winery)
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $16.00
Website review: N/A
My review on it's own: The taste was very light and crisp. There were definitely hints of fruits such as pear and melon in it.
With the Red Dragon: The combination of the wine with the Red Dragon was amazing surprisingly. Usually the Red Dragon overpowered the other wines, but not this one. The creamy and spicy cheese made the wine taste sweeter.
With the Mozzarella: This cheese didn't do anything to the wine. The wine still tasted normal and sweet.
With the Campo de Montalban: Pairs pretty well (better than the mozzarella). The wine had little flavor at first but then a strong mid-palate.
The second wine was a very cheap wine I found at Vintage Cellar.
Name: Vasari Principe Siciliano
Grape Variety: Native Sicilian grapes (Cataratto 60%, Inzolia 20% and Grillo 20% hand harvested)
Region: Sicilia
Country: Italy
Year: Vintage 2012
Price: $3.95 (never judge a wine by it's price tag)
Bottle notes: The taste is brilliant honeyed gold, savory aromas and full flavored.
My review on it's own: The color was very yellow, almost gold looking. It smelled full bodied and peppery on the nose. I thought it wasn't too strong but definitely had noticeable tannins. There was a strong initial taste and a sweet mid-palate.
With the Red Dragon: The cheese, once again, overpowered the wine. The hints of mustard clashed with the sweet honey flavor of the wine.
With the Mozzarella: At first, the wine was too intense for the cheese. The flavors of the cheese came with the after taste because the spiciness of the wine faded.
With the Campo de Montalban: This cheese makes the oaky and peppery flavors come out of the wine. The bitterness of the cheese paired well.
The third wine was a gift my boyfriend gave to me after he went to Afton Mountain Vineyard in Charlottesville, VA last semester. This vineyard is part of the Monticello wine trail - I hope to go there some day!
Name: Pinot Noir Estate Reserve (?) it didn't really say
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Charlottesville, VA (from the vineyard)
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $30ish
Website notes: A delicate Burgundy-style wine, our Pinot Noir includes fruit from vines originally planted in 1978
My review on it's own: I thought it was a light red. It was spicy but also had a nice touch of fruit. I also got hints of oak. It has a sweet impression but a spicy mid-palate.
With the Red Dragon: The cheese completely overpowered the wine (too powerful and spicy). It was hard to get a good read on how the wine changed.
With the Mozzarella: The wine was still sweet but takes off the bite. It made the wine taste creamier and smoother.
With the Campo de Montalban: The creamy freshness of the cheese complements the sweet flavor of wine. I loved the kick of the wine combined with the bitterness of the cheese.
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