Wine Dinner - 2013 Vintages (no food theme)

Before Blacksburg was blessed with 70 degree spring days, a group of my trustee wine friends braced the winter weather and gathered at my apartment for a night full of good food, great wine (well, we hoped), and even better company! The four people pictured below are all Geography of Wine students, and were joined by my boyfriend, Eric (not pictured), who loves to cook, and does a darn good job at it....lucky me! ;)

The crazy winter weather that left the roads
covered in ice...but that didn't stop us!

There was no set food theme for the night, other than darn good homemade food (well, almost all of it)! We did decide to buy all one vintage...2013! As opposed to our first wine dinner, which consisted of three different entree options, this dinner consisted of two appetizers and a main dish. Our dinner experience was a great way to start the weekend and get some food in our stomachs and a fancy pregame in before heading downtown!

From left to right: Erik, Randy, Ryan, & Rachel (me!)

THE FOOD:

The first appetizer was tomato bruschetta. This was the only dish that was not homemade and was supplied in a jar by "Private Selection." This bruschetta was unlike others I've had, in the way in which it was more like a puree instead of tomato chunks. That being said, it was pretty good and the different consistency didn't bother me. It had a bunch of basil and was a bit sweeter than I would've liked, but again, wasn't a bad way to start off the hors d'oeuvres!

The second appetizer was bacon wrapped asparagus, and my favorite of the night! I mean what's not to love about bacon wrapped anything!? Not only was this appetizer super easy to make, but it was jam-packed with flavor! Definitely hardier in taste, this appetizer did not disappoint. 

The third dish was the main course consisting of pork chops, corn and tomato salsa, and a side of broccoli. For tastings, the focus was the pork chops with the salsa topping. The pork chops, which on their own are sort of bland in taste, were seasoned with chili powder and paprika, which made it spicy with a bold taste. Pairing the seasoned pork chops with the corn salsa was super complimentary, and tasted like salsa with taco seasoning. The sweet and the spicy really worked well together. 

THE WINE:

2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurztraminer
(Columbia Valley, WA)  

Winemaker's Notes: "A fan favorite, this Gewürztraminer is such a flavorful wine with beautiful, expressive fruit and clove spice. This is a lush style of Gewurztraminer with a lot of floral character, yet it still maintains the grape’s natural crisp acidity. Try this wine with Thai food or any cuisine with a little “bite” to it." (https://www.ste-michelle.com/shop/wines/2013-gewurztraminer) 

On Its Own: On the nose this wine smelled of citrus with a hint of pepper. On the palate this wine was sweet and tastes of pears, apricots, and lemon grass. The lemon grass component kept the wine from being overly sweet and provided some crispness and complexity. 

With Bruschetta: This was not a good pairing. I don't think the bruschetta had enough complexity or "bite" to pair well with the wine. The pair did not necessarily taste bad, but just canceled the flavors of both the wine and the food out. 

With Bacon Wrapped Asparagus: I had higher hopes for this paring, but it still did not work well. The bacon flavor completely overpowered the wine. Again, this did not necessarily taste bad, but it wasn't complimentary and you couldn't taste the wine at all.

With Pork Chops & Corn Salsa: This pairing was banging! The winemaker's notes were definitely correct in saying to pair the wine with any food with a little "bite" to it. The wine's different flavors were highlighted and it tasted way more complex, with more "layers." The pork chops did not loose their bite, but somehow managed to also get sweeter since the corn's flavor was definitely heightened. This was a really good pairing, and one that I would definitely seek out again. 

2013 Girl & Dragon Malbec
(Mendoza, Argentina)

Winemaker's Notes: "A fierce red wine with bright berry flavors and a soft, lush texture." (http://www.girlanddragon.com/wine) 

On Its Own: This deep violet wine was opened for 2 hours before tasting. On the nose, the Malbec was still a little closed up and hard to smell. The overwhelming aroma was that of black cherry and other dark berries. In addition, there was a slight floral component and something creamy, maybe like butter. On the palate, this wine was slightly acidic during tasting, but had a super smooth after taste. It had a nice medium weight and tasted of dark berries with slight heat. This wasn't my favorite Malbec ever, but definitely a decent one. 

With Bruschetta: This pairing was mediocre. Not bad. Not good. The wine did wash the bruschetta out a bit, but the wine flavors were still there. Not much to comment on the pairing, other than it wouldn't be one to pair specifically together, but works alright if the Malbec is meant to pair with the main part of a meal and the bruschetta is just a small appetizer to get through.

With Bacon Wrapped Asparagus: Wow! Awesome! This pairing was a surprise...in a good way! The fruits in the wine really complimented and balanced out the bacon wrapped asparagus. 

With Pork Chops & Corn Salsa: This was a decent pairing. Not anything spectacular though. The flavors of the entree and the wine were complimentary enough. There was no clashing or washing out of flavors. What makes me say that it was just decent, is the fact that no flavors of either the food or the wine were exemplified. Nothing about this pairing made me say WOW! Overall, it was okay.

2013 Apothic Red Blend (California)

 Winemaker's Notes: "A bold blend of primarily Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Apothic Red leaves a lasting impression of flavor and texture on the palate. Zinfandel offers bold dark fruit flavors and spicy notes, complemented by the soft mouthfeel of Merlot. The Syrah adds layers of smooth blueberry, while the Cabernet Sauvignon delivers ripe fruit flavors and a firm structure. This decadent blend is framed by hints of black cherry, vanilla, and mocha." (http://www.wine.com/v6/Apothic-Red-Blend-2013/wine/137002/Detail.aspx)

On Its Own: Holy cow! I love this wine! Definitely a must buy! The nose on this is big and bold; full of dark berries, cherries, plums, and floral notes. On the palate, this wine just gets better. It's super smooth, with medium weight, and tastes of berries, mocha, and a hint of spice! With low tannins and no heat, this wine is easy to drink down...but definitely not because of lack of complexity. This wine was way better on its own than when paired with any of the foods for this dinner. This wine was decanted for 2 hours before tasting. 

With Bruschetta: Before tasting, I though this pair would be mediocre to bad. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the two actually went quite well together. The wine was very complimentary to the sweet, basil, tomato flavors. Neither the wine or the bruschetta was overpowered.

With Bacon Wrapped Asparagus: Contrary to the bruschetta, I had higher hopes for this pairing. However, the pairing wasn't as nice as with the bruschetta...although it wasn't bad either. Just...okay. Overall, the flavors from both the wine, bacon, and asparagus were more subtle when tasted together, although nothing was lost. The two made for a "blah" pairing that wasn't bad, but definitely didn't have the "wow" factor that the wine did on its own.

With Pork Chops & Corn Salsa: Again, not a bad paring, but not great either. I would say the pork, as a plain meat, didn't pair well with the wine, as it is too bland and light. The spices used to season the pork chops definitely saved the pairing from being bad, as they added more complexity and depth to the pairing. I think a steak or ground beef would have been a much better match. Overall, not bad, but definitely wouldn't go seeking this pairing again. 

As always, the wine dinner was an enjoyable experience. Definitely a good start to the weekend! I really enjoy cooking for other people and being able to talk about the wine and food we are trying. Other people's opinions are certainly interesting...sometimes helpful for pinpointing what you are tasting, and other times just blow your mind, as you have no idea where they came up with something! Although this is the last wine dinner I am blogging about, we have had more than the three allowed for this class, and plan to continue doing so! We love some vino!