Cheese Pairing

Finally did a cheese pairing! I've actually been doing a lot of these throughout the semester but hadn't taken the time to document them. Documenting just takes so much time and almost takes a lot of the fun out of the tastings, but I made time to document this one. I did this pairing with my roommates and dog.

We had sharp cheddar cheese, cotija, fresh mozzarella, parmesan (only grated parm though so we had to use a spoon to shovel some into our mouthes), and some pine roasted hummus with tortilla chips. We listened to my party playlist with which consists heavily of some Soulja Boy throwback and Gucci mane. Here's what we thought!

Name: Virginia Tech HokieBird Red
Variety:
Region: Virginia
Country: United States
Year: 2013

Winemaker's notes: A smooth, semi-dry wine with an appealing spicy character to enhance fine foods and any Hokie occasion… Gobble Gobble!

My notes: This wine smells like berries and fruit. It also tastes like berries and subtle spices. The finish is smooth but peppery. Its an off-dry wine with a medium-body. This wine goes best with Parmesan and sharp cheddar because the stronger flavors of these cheese go well with the strong flavors of this wine. 



Name: Ruffino Lumina Pinot Griogio
Variety: Pinot Grigio 
Region: Atesino delle Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $10

Winemaker's notes: Lumina Pinot Grigio offers golden apple, honeyed pear, and citrus notes, along with a pleasant touch of minerality. Medium-bodied, lively and clean, this is a well-balanced wine with crisp acidity and a satisfying finish. 
My notes: This wine smells like pears and citrus fruit. It's sweet but really dry, and has a clean, smooth, light finish. It went the best with cotija because it's a lighter wine and cotija is a lighter cheese. Sharp cheddar and parmesan were too overpowering and really took away from the flavor of the wine. 


Name: Redwood Creek Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir 
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $9

Winemaker's note: This medium-bodied wine has rich notes of dark cherry, brown spice and clove, making it a versatile partner to salmon, duck or filet mignon. 

My notes: Smells of barn and wet dog. Tastes of cherries and and distinct aftertaste of old coffee grounds. Goes best with parmesan because the flavor was very powerful and Parmesan was the only thing we could really taste because it was the boldest flavor cheese that we purchased. It also went well with some pine nut hummus that we were also tasting with. 



Name: Morrisette Vidal Blanc
Variety: Vidal Blanc
Region: Virginia 
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $11

Winemaker's notes: Entrancing aromas of honey, citrus and pear burst from this light bodied and refreshing wine. Juicy apple flavors mingle with pineapple and citrus fruit on the palate. The crisp finish, gleaming with lime and spices. 
My notes: This wine smelled a lot like apples. It was very sweet and citrusy. It went best with the sharp cheddar because it was kind of sweet and the salt in the cheddar brought out the flavors well, however it didn't go well with parmesan. Of the other cheeses, none of them had enough flavor to really help enhance the wine. 



Name: Barefoot Red Moscato
Variety: Moscato 
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2007
Price: $7

Winemaker's note: Refreshingly sweet, the wine has aromas of red fruits. Juicy flavors of red cherry and raspberry shimmy with a sweet citrus. 

My notes: This wine smells like candy. Hints of strawberry name, bars of soap/shampoo. Tastes so sweet…I might have cavities from this wine. It went best cotija because the cheese is salty, which pairs well the sweetness in this wine, similarly to how Morisette Vidal Blanc went well with the cheddar.