In this blog I did something a little different...
I TASTED WINES AND CHEESES TOGETHER!
Revolutionary ain't it.
To celebrate Mardi Gras being this week, and before I dive into all of the king cake I just bought, I thought that I, along side my girlfriend and a fraternity brother, would attempt to do a wine and cheese pairing.
Quickly, how I tasted each of the different wines and cheeses (I took notes at all of these steps):
1. Pour the wine into a freshly rinsed glass
2. Sniff and swirl the wine
3. Sniff, swirl, and swig the wine (not too much however)
4. Go back for one more taste
5. Taste the first cheese (Smoked Gouda)
6. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)
7. Taste the second cheese (Cheddar+Gruyere)
8. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)
9. Taste the third cheese (Sharp Cheddar)
10. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)
11. Repeat steps 1-10 for the second and third wines.
Following Boyer's recommendations for tasting order, we started with a Sauvignon Blanc, then went to a Chardonnay, and then finished with a Merlot.
The Cheeses:
Smoked Gouda
This smoked gouda was incredibly earthy, and very creamy. Of course it has it in the name, but the cheese was quite smoky, a flavor I really enjoy.
Cheddar + Gruyere
Softer and more buttery, the cheddar gruyere mix was silky on the finish. I assume that the soft, buttery flavor and texture from this cheese came from the gruyere but I could be wrong!
Sharp Cheddar
Hard and acidic, making the cheese almost puckering alone, this cheese was quite tasty. It had a nice nuttiness at the end too.
The Wines:
The Sauvignon Blanc:
Name: Sunshine Bay's Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: New Zealand
Region: Malborough
Vintage: 2022
Price: $5-10
Aromas: Floral first and Citrusy second. Got a lot of grapefruit from the scent.
Flavors: Hard green apple at first and grapefruit to follow. Really, really, really enjoyed the citrus brought by the grapefruit. This would lead to me believing this wine was the best we tasted all night.
The Chardonnay:
Name: Ute Chateau Michelle Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Country: USA
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Vintage: 2021
Price: $15
Aromas: Soft fruit, buttery, almost apricot on the second. Everything was quite light on the scent, making me guess that the wine would be light as well on taste.
Flavors: Silky, not very acidic, with pear and apricot on the tongue. It was interesting tasting a chardonnay after a Sauvignon Blanc as the two are drastically different in my opinion. While the body seemed fuller, it wasn't as complex.
The Merlot:
Name: Tilia
Variety: Merlot
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Vintage: 2021
Price: $13
Aromas: red fruit and black fruits hard. Mocha on the second passing
Flavors: Chocolatey, smoky, mild tannins with lots of cherries. It was hard to distinguish the different fruits in this wine after all of the wine and cheese.
The Pairings:
The Sauvignon Blanc and the smoked gouda had a balance, tangoing across the acidity to make the taste more earthy and delightful. With the cheddar gruyere mix, the Sauv Blanc was creamy and soft, highlighting the acidity at the end with the taste of grapefruit coming to the forefront. With the sharp cheddar, the cheese cut through more than the others. With a smaller bite, the wine was more pillowy on the mouth and brought out a green apple taste that was delightful.
The Chardonnay and the smoke gouda had an earthy, nutty flavor. This may have stemmed from the cheese as its flavors were seen more with this wine.The cheddar gruyere brought out the second flavors of the chard which was delightful and made it feel more fresh! With eh sharp cheddar, the cheese cut through the most but was earthy at the end.
The Merlot was smokier, more velvety with the smoked gouda but it did dry the tongue out. With the cheddar and gruyere, the merlot was eased, allow ing for better tastes of the wine; however, a bitter taste was seen at the end as the tannins fought back. Finally, the sharp cheddar paired best with he merlot: bold canceled bold, making it super rich and brought the nuttiness out.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this entire experience. I do plan to adda goat cheese to the pairings next time and try a different red and white. I plan to keep the Sauvignon Blanc around but possibly add in a rose or a sweet red. I am excited for the next tasting with cheese!
Til the next drink and bite,
JC
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