Wine Dinner Blog Report

The dinner that I decided to make with my roommate was a smorgasbord of pantry items. Since I am a college student, I rely heavily on pasta for lunch as it is a quick and easy meal to compliment my busy life. The foods and wine that we paired are described below. 

Wines:

• Grape Wagon Moscato 
• Duplin Hatteras Red 
• Clos du Bois Pinot Noir

Foods

• Spaghetti with red pasta sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Macaroni Salad

My wonderful plate of food

The first wine that we tasted together was the Grape Wagon Moscato. This wine was made in California in 2019, and it offered hints of apple and honey after the swirl and sniff process. It is light bodied, and the tastes were fruit-filled and sweet. The wine was paired with the macaroni salad. These two items complimented each other well, as the wine was more balanced, less acidic, and the fruity flavors were expressed more. Wine Folly (Page 64) described Moscato as having a medium straw color, and I think that the color of this wine was quite pretty. 

Me with all three wine bottles

The second wine that we tasted together was the Duplin Hatteras Red. The Duplin Winery is North Carolina's oldest winery, which was established in 1975. Considering the long history of wine, this was quite surprising to learn that the oldest winery in North Carolina is less than 50 years old. The Hatteras Red had a fruity, tobacco, and cherry scent. This wine was sweeter than the Moscato, and I enjoyed it more on its own. I paired this wine with the potatoes, but the wine got more acidic after I ate the food. I think that the food threw the balance off, and the fruity flavors that I was tasting before became blander. I would not pair these together again, but I would continue to buy and drink this Hatteras Red wine. 

Duplin Hatteras Red - 9 Dollars

The last wine that I tasted was the Pinot Noir. This wine was made in California in 2019 and offered hints of black cherry and cranberry when swirling and smelling. When I tasted the wine, it was very strong and tannic. On its own, I really did not enjoy this wine. I paired the wine with the spaghetti with red pasta sauce. In my opinion, the spaghetti made the wine less strong and bold, but I still did not enjoy the taste. The balance was still off, and it was overwhelming to drink this wine. I would never recommend this wine pairing to my worst enemy. 

Grape Wagon Moscato - 7 Dollars

Overall, I really enjoyed drinking the wine and eating the food with my roommate. Before our big feast, I went on a hike to Styles Falls, so I worked up quite an appetite for this food. It was a breath of fresh air to pause my busy life and enjoy some wine and food with my friend for an hour. 

Clos du Bois Pinot Noir - 9 Dollars

Wine and Cheese Pairing

On Thursday night, I invited three friends over to my apartment for a wine and cheese night. Four different cheeses and three different wines were tested together. The wine and cheese types are listed below. 

Wines:

• La Marca Prosecco
• Martín Códax Albariño
• Gabbiano Cavaliere D'oro Chianti

Cheeses:

• Vermont Sharp White
• Gouda
• Cheddar Jack
• Havarti

The first wine that we tasted as a group was Prosecco. The prosecco was gifted to my friend Caroline, so we had to look the price of the wine up on the internet. This sparkling wine goes for 10 dollars. It has hints of apple, lemon, and pear when swirling and smelling the wine. When I tasted the wine, it was dominated by apple and pear flavors. I also described it as acidic, and light bodied. I paired the prosecco with Havarti cheese, but the pairing did not work well. The wine got more bitter and acidic after eating the cheese. Wine Folly (Page 370) describes Prosecco as creamy, with hints of green apple and pear. 

A review from La Marca Prosecco | Wine.com

The delicate La Marca Prosecco has a pale, golden straw color and sparkles with lively effervescence. Opening with aromas of fresh-picked citrus and honeysuckle blossoms, the crisp, clean palate brings fruity flavors of green apple, juicy peach and ripe lemon, framed by hints of minerality. The finish is light and refreshing with a tantalizing hint of sweetness.

The second wine that I tasted was the Albariño. This wine was harvested in 2020 from Spain, and it sells for 14 dollars. After swirling the wine, I was able to smell passion fruit, citrus, and earthy scents. I was only able to taste the passion fruit and citrus flavors. This wine is light bodied, and it was paired with the Vermont sharp white cheese. I believe that the cheese made the wine more balanced yet sweeter. I enjoyed the wine, and I would pair this cheese with this wine again. Wine Folly (Page 200) describes Albariño as having hints of grapefruit, lemon, and honeydew. 

A review from Martin Codax Albarino 2019 | Wine.com

Martín Códax Rías Baixas Albariño is delicate and medium-bodied with a crisp, dry finish. On the palate, flavors of pear, passion fruit, ripe apple, peach and lemon zest are framed by bright minerality and hints of spice.

The last wine that I tasted was the Chianti. This wine was created in 2019 from Italy, and it sells for 10 dollars. After swirling the wine, I was able to smell black berry, earthy, and oaky scents. I was able to taste the blackberry flavors once we popped the corks off. This wine was paired with the gouda cheese, but the pairing did not end up working well. The wine tasted more acidic and rotten after eating the cheese. I did not enjoy the wine or the cheese after pairing them together, so now I know to stay away from this pair. Wine Folly (Page 597) describes Chianti as very tannic and acidic. 

A review from Best Chianti | Cavaliere D'oro (cavalieredoro.com)

A balanced bouquet of wild red berries and floral violet notes. This Chianti has a mélange of dryness and great freshness, with soft tannins and a medium body. The lingering finish of berries on the palate is pleasant and smooth.

Tasting - Winking Owl Merlot

 

Name: Winking Owl Merlot

Variety: Varietal Wine

Region: Modesto, California

Country: United States

Year: Not on bottle

Price: $2.95

Winery Review: California - Merlot - 12% ABV - The Merlot wine from Winking Owl has subtle flavors of black cherry, mixed berries, and a hint of vanilla. This medium bodied, dry red wine pairs well with steak, pork, and pasta.

Wine Folly: Page 331: Merlot is discussed to have boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and a smoky finish. Furthermore, Merlot pairs well with roasted foods. I did not pair this Merlot with food, so in the future I will make sure to try it out. I think that this wine was overwhelming, so some food would make it more balanced.

My Review: This wine was far drier than the Cabernet Sauvignon. I was able to taste the black cherries over the other flavors in the wine. I was not able to taste the vanilla, but rather hints of oak. The mixed berries also entered my palette after a few sips of the wine. I enjoyed the wine overall, but I don't think that I would purchase this exact type again.  

Tasting - Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Varietal Wine

Region: Modesto, California

Country: United States

Year: Not on bottle

Price: $2.95

Winery Review: California - Cabernet Sauvignon - 12% ABV - The Cabernet Sauvignon from Winking Owl has complex flavors of plums, berries, toasted oak, and a hint of vanilla. This bold red wine pairs well with pasta, roast beef, and steak.  

Wine Folly: Page 229: Cabernet Sauvignon is discussed to have a rich flavor and a high tannin content. The Napa Valley, California page says that the wine from here offers more hints of black cherry but less tannin contents. I was able to taste black cherry and I was able to feel the tannins. 

My Review: Not as dry as I was expecting. I was able to taste the blackberry and the plum flavors, but I was not getting the toasted oak or vanilla. This was my real first red tasting experience, and I feel as if I need to continue to try different reds to build my palette. I enjoyed it and I was able to feel the tannic component.  

Tasting - Meadworks Honey Wine

 
Name: Meadworks Sweet Blossom

Variety: Fortified Wine (Honey)

Region: Baltimore, Maryland

Country: United States

Year: Not on bottle

Price: $12.99

Winery Review: Maryland - Mead - 12% ABV - This refreshing semi-sweet offering showcases orange blossom varietal honey with floral and citrus notes. With only 120 calories, 7.6g carbs and 7.6g of sugar per 5.5oz serving.

Wine Folly: Page 331: Nothing specific on mead, however Moscatel de Setubal appears to have similar qualities. This type of fortified dessert wine is rich and has hints of honey. I was able to get the honey flavor and the light body in the mead. 

My Review: Very tasty! This honey wine is very sweet yet balanced. The wine is gluten free, so it is perfect for all types of drinkers. There are some orange undertones and some hints of citrus. This was a pleasant tasting experience!

Introduction

Hello all! My name is Scott Braatz and I am a senior at Virginia Tech studying environmental data science. When I signed up for the Geography of Wine class at Virginia Tech, I did not know what to expect. I am not an experienced wine drinker, and I have only tried a few different types of wines. However, I have planned a trip to Europe after the semester ends, and I plan on drinking wine overseas. Overall, I wanted to learn more about wine etiquette and the basics of wine to prepare me for this adventure! 

My personal experience of wine is very limited, as I have only tried Barefoot Pinot Grigio and Barefoot Riesling. During my coronavirus semester at school, my pod would often have wine and cheese nights. Since I did not know anything about wine, I just chose the wine that my friends enjoyed. I ended up really liking these wines and I would consistently buy them at the store instead of branching out and trying something new. 

My only experience with red wine was a sip that I had from my roommates at dinner. Right then and there, I swore that I would never try red wine again. Although I do not remember the name of the wine, this promise has held true since then. However, as I begin to dive deeper into the Geography of Wine course, I feel as if I need to give red wine another shot. My experiences in wine may be limited, but I am approaching this with open arms, and I am excited to begin trying new things.