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