Wine & Dinner #2

 As someone who equally loves wine and food and is trying to become better at pairing - I was beyond exciting for another wine and dinner. This time, I joined my two friends in the class, Nicole and Bekah, and we each made a dish and brought a wine.



Tonight coincidentally became a white wine night - for our first course we had Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc for the main course, and Processo with dessert. 


Pairing 1 - Pinot Grigio and Bruschetta



For our first course we paired the 2020 Cavit Pinot Grigio from Italy with homemade bruschetta. Upon tasting the wine on its own, the aromas were consistent of pear and apple. The wine had a very light and fruity bouquet. The taste of the wine was pear and apple with a lemon flavor at the end. There was a medium level of acidity and a small to medium body to the wine. 

With the food, the citrus flavor of the wine was accentuated and the apple flavor was mellowed out. This pairing was not our favorite, as it dulled the flavors of the bruschetta. While the wine and the food did not clash, they did not enhance each others flavors.


Pairing 2 - Sauvignon Blanc and Vegan Pesto Pasta


Bekah made this vegan pesto - and it was delicious. Instead of pine nuts she used sunflower seeds which changed the flavor of the pesto but was amazing to try. The wine she paired with this meal was a 2021 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. This was was fantastic and the fan favorite of the night. The aromas were peach, grass and crispy overall. The taste consisted of peach, pineapple, and tropical fruits. For not being a sweet wine, this was a very easy white wine to drink and it will most likely be my go-to white wine. 

This pairing was overall the best - the food mellows the bite to the wine, allowing for the peach flavors to come out more. The food showcased the wine more than the wine the food, which was good due to the mellow flavors of the pesto. I loved this pairing and would have it again.


Pairing 3 - Prosecco and Lemon Cake


This final course was also delicious and a great end to our three-course dinner. Bekah made a lemon cake with a sugar glaze on top and paired it with a 2020 LaMarca Prosecco from Italy. On its own, this wine had aromas of green apple, peach and citrus. Upon tasting the wine, the taste was mostly citrus and had a medium level of acidity and was light bodied. This Prosecco was tasty but could definitely have been enhanced with a good pairing.

The cake was just that - the pairing that enhanced the flavors of the wine and cut through the acidity. The cake was very sweet and had a very subtle flavor of lemon, which allowed for the flavors of the food and wine not to clash. For the wine, the sweetness of the cake complimented the wine by bringing out more of its flavors and highlighting its citrus palette. The wine balanced out the sweetness of the cake as well. Needless to say, we all had multiple servings during this course.

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