Dinner with Dad - Italian (Olive Garden)

Last weekend when I went home, I invited my dad and sister out to dinner at Olive Garden to do my last wine and dinner pairing event of the semester. We love Olive Garden and have been there many times before, but I had never had the chance to pair wines with the meals there and since my dad has recently started drinking wine, I thought this would be a good learning experience for the both of us!

We each order a different chicken dish and also got the complimentary, signature Olive Garden salad and breadsticks. My dad and I then ordered three different wines, 2 reds and 1 white. He had never tried a Chianti before, so he chose to order that one along with a Red Blend, which he is a fan of. I decided to order a White Blend, although I've never had much luck with White Blends.

Tuscan White Blend;
Moonlite, Italy

Olive Garden signature
salad and breadsticks

I started by trying my Tuscan White blend and then pairing it with the salad. The white blend on its own was very citrusy on the nose. On the palate there were some light fruity apricot and peach flavors, which kind of reminded me of a moscato. However, unlike moscatos, it had a crisp and clean finish which I really enjoyed. Paired with the salad, this made a great combination. The refreshing and clean feel of the wine went really well with the light and vinegary-ness of the salad. The combination of acidic wine with acidic, light salad was very pleasant and gave an overall crisp, clean feel.

Chianti; Straccali, Italy

Citrus Chicken Sorrento

Next, I tried the Chianti my dad ordered. It was a lovely Chianti, with a cherry and raspberry bouquet along with some floral tones. On the palate, it was very much the same, with a  nice medium-bodied mouth feel. A well balanced wine with a lingering finish. I paired this wine with the chicken dish my dad had ordered, Citrus Chicken Sorrento. This was a really nice pairing as the chicken was a bit sweet due to the honey glaze it was marinated with. The sweetness of the Chianti went very well with the complex flavoring of the lemony/honey glazed tender chicken breast. The juices of the chicken were also drawn out more with the Chianti.

Chicken Abruzzi

Following the Chianti, I returned to my white blend to try with my main dish, Chicken Abruzzi. This was a very interesting and different dish that I had never experienced before. Or anything quite like it to be honest. It was a soupy chicken dish complete with spring vegetables and white pinto beans. I thoroughly enjoyed the dish on its own. It was bursting with flavor as the meritage of vegetables in the broth were delicious and the chicken was perfectly tender. However, when paired with my Tuscan White it became rather disappointing. The wine's hotness and acidity were brought out in an overwhelming way and it became so crisp it was almost tart. the dish changed the feel and taste of the wine completely, masking any nice fruit flavors it contained.

Seven Daughters Red Blend

Chicken Parmesan

Finally, I tried the second red my dad had ordered which was a simple, table red blend. I paired this with the Chicken Parmesan that my sister ordered. The chicken parm was very good, as always. Paired with spaghetti and red tomato sauce, its hard to go wrong with this classic Italian dish. The red blend showed signed of heavily blended Cabernet Sauvignon with perhaps a bit of Merlot. Its prominent black currant and blackberry nose have me this impression along with its hotness and smokiness on the palate. With the chicken parm, it was a very offensive pairing. The acidity and hotness of the red blend was brought out to a fault and the wine did nothing to improve the flavor of the chicken.  

Overall, I found this to be a good learning experience, even though the pairings were not ideal. I learned the sorts of foods to not pair with acidic wines and also, that perhaps blends are not the best food pairing wines. Maybe they are better off drunk alone.

Me, my dad, and my sister following our Olive Garden dinner.

Beliveau Estate Winery Visit

Wines available for purchase located in lobby of winery.

I really enjoyed the Beliveau Estate wine pairing event we attended today. I feel like I really learned a lot about the basics or food and wine pairing. The way they set it up was very simple, but made it very easy to understand and allowed for first-hand and an interactive learning experience.

Plate and wine setting of pairing event. On plate:
lemon, apple, butter, cracker, salt and soft mint.

Tasting table centerpiece.

We began with the crisp and high acidity Pinot Grigio, "Kaleidoscope". On its own, it was very clean and crisp, with a refreshing feel. The acidity was prominent, but not overwhelming. With a bouquet and palate of light fruits such as pear and apricots, this was a pleasantly light white wine.

After tasting the wine on its own, we were instructed to suck the lemon a bit and then try the wine again. This pairing was very complimenting, as the acidity of the lemon made the wine smoother and sweeter. Here we learned that acidic fruits pair well with acidic wines, like Pinot Grigio.

Next we were told to take a small bite of the apple, and then follow up with a sip of the wine. This was not a compliment pairing. The sweetness of the apple exaggerated the hotness of the wine and made it almost bitter.

We then learned that acidic wines such as this one cut fat, like the butter. When instructed to try the butter paired with this wine, it was evident that the fat in the butter was broken up in my mouth and this was also a nice pairing.
Finally, the peppermint was supposed to represent very flavorful foods. After coating my mouth with the strong peppermint flavor, I tried the wine. This was not a plesant pairing as the acidity and hotness of the wine comes forward very prominently, and any light fruity flavors in the wine were lost in the overpowering flavor of the peppermint. This taught us that if a food is extremely flavorful, it should not be paired with a light, crisp wine such as this.

The next white wine we sampled was their 2012 dry, oaked Chardonnay, "Mystique". On its own, I actually found it to be a bit more watery and less full-bodied than other Chardonnays. This was surprising especially since it was noted that it was an oaked Chardonnay. It was not very buttery, which I like to see in Chardonnays, and the fruit flavors were rather dull.

This wine did not pair well with lemon. The acidity in the lemon dulled the wine down even more, making it more watery and took away any character or slight complexity it may have had.

With the butter, I did not notice much of a difference. I thought it would pair well, as an oaked Chardonnay is typically buttery, and adding some more fatty flavors on my mouth should have been complimenting, but I was rather indifferent about this pairing.

This Chardonnay however paired well with the peppermint. With its supposed bold flavors and heavier-bodied consistency as compared to the Pinot Grigio, it was not lost in the overwhelming peppermint flavor. It actually brought out the minty-ness of the mint and enhanced its flavor. Here we learned that oaked Chardonnays pair well with bold, flavorful foods.

The first red wine of the day was their 2012 lightly oaked Cabernet Sauvignon, "Silhouette". On its own it was a very pleasant Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark fruit flavors like blackberry and black currant were very pleasant on the palate and coupled with the tannins made for a great, balanced wine.

We paired this tannic with the butter and learned that tannins cut fat very well, just as acidity of a wine will. I won't go to say it was a good pairing because eating plain butter is pretty odd, but I was able to see the appeal of coupling a very fatty food with a tannic wine such as this. It brought out more of the fruit flavors in the wine and made for a pleasant change in the mouth-feel of this red wine. After the tasting was over, I actually finished my cracker with butter and mine and my friend's left over Silhouette, it was delicious!

We also paired this Cab with salt. The salt seemed to flatten out the wine and over exposed the tannins, making it rather offensive to my palate. It seemed to mask the beautiful fruit flavors incorporated into this wine, dulling it down. Here we learned that high salted foods should not be paired with heavy, tannic wines such as Cabs.

Lastly, we tried their Concord sweet table red wine, "Sweet Surrender". On the nose I immediately smelled the overwhelming sweetness and was turned off by it. I am not a big fan of sweet wines, and this was the definition of a sweet red. Extremely jammy on the nose and with a candy-like flavor, the high sugar content of this wine was too much for me.

Paired with the apple, we learned that sweet compliments sweet. This is why dessert wines are drunk with sweet desserts! The fruitiness of the wine was unmasked even further when paired with the sweet apple and it actually seemed to balance out the wine a bit more, making it more bearable in my mouth.

With the butter, the sweetness was toned down and the fruitiness was masked completely. The fat from the butter did not go well with the sweetness of the wine, so I learned to never pair a fatty steak or salmon with an extremely sweet wine such as this one.

The grape vines of Beliveau Estate.

Finally, we coupled this sweet wine with the salt. Unlike all other pairings we experience today, these opposites actually complimented each other. The sweetness of the wine counteracts the extreme salt, toning it down and making it less offensive to the palate. With this said, it is a good idea to pair sweet wines with salty foods, in order to balance out both flavors for a pleasant experience.

Following the pairing session, Derek the winemaker came out to talk to us a bit about the winery. We learned that they grow a wide variety of grapes, with their leading ones being Merlot, Syrah, Tempernillo, Cabernet Franc and Chardonelle. They were established in 2012 and have since won 48 awards, taking home some 2nd and 3rd places titles in an international wine competition just last fall.

Overall I really enjoyed my first visit to a winery and my first real pairing session. It was a beautiful estate with some quality wines and great people! I would definitely like to visit again!

Our group at Beliveau Estates!

Wine and Cheese Pairing 1

The fancy table setting, complete with grapes and crackers.

For our wine and cheese pairing, we chose an Albariño, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon as our wines. To pair, we chose two types of Brie (triple cream and pepper) and two types of cheddar (applewood and white). Overall the experience was very interesting, but I think we could have probably chosen some better pairings.

From left to right: Toasted Head Chardonnay,
Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, & Burgan's Albarino

We began with the Albariño and creamy/normal Brie. This white wine smelled a bit like Pinot Grigio. There were also hints of apricot, pear, and floral tones to its bouquet. On the palate it was very buttery and smooth, which I thoroughly enjoyed. With a silky, medium-bodied mouth feel, this was a great first experience with an Albariño!

Paired with the Brie, the wine only improved. I found the creaminess of the Brie really complimented the softness of the wine. Together, the smoothness gave an extremely pleasant feel in the mouth. I mostly noticed the texture pairing, but not much as far as taste and flavors go.

Next, we tasted the Chardonnay. On the nose the oak monster made a grand appearance, as expected. Its bouquet was very strong and a little bit too much for me to handle. On the palate, I liked the mango-y, vanilla hints coming through and with a second swirl I noted a subtle wet wood smell. What threw me off was a bit of a smelly feet component that I was getting, and I did not enjoy this. I really though I would enjoy as this wine, as I am generally a fan of oaky Chardonnays, but this wine was too unbalanced for my taste.

We paired this Chardonnay with both the triple cream Brie and the White Cheddar. Although suggested as a good pairing, I did not find the Brie and Chardonnay to go together. It was like the Brie brought out the hotness and punch of the wine, and like its bouquet, it was overwhelming. Oddly enough, I found it to pair very well with the white cheddar. The white cheddar actually brought down the hotness and reduced the overbearing presence of the oak monster this wine carried. It made it less offensive to my palate and much easier to drink.

Lastly, we sampled the Gen 5 Cab Sauvingnon. It had a nice rosy color to it that I liked, but its nose was rather disappointing. It smelled dirty and swampy, almost like a musty piece of clothing. There were some hints of dark, black fruits coming through, but this was quickly overpowered by all the wet, dirty smells. On the palate it reminded me immediately of licorice, a candy I am not particularly a fan of.

However, this wine became more pleasant when paired with the white cheddar. The cheese seemed to tone down the acidity and overwhelming richness of the wine. The black fruit tones I picked up on the bouquet of this wine were allowed to come out when paired with the white cheddar, and overall, the cheese really saved this wine! We also tried this Cab with the applewood cheddar. Although also a cheddar cheese, this one did not go well with this heavy red wine at all! It was extremely offensive on the palate due to the heightened acidity. The wine also seemed to bring out the meatiness of the cheese, which normally I would enjoy as it was bacon, but together with this wine it was simply not good.

Tasting - Jam Jar

Jam Jar, Sweet White 2014
South Africa
Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart."

This wine very much smelled like candy, extremely sweet on the nose as well as pretty jammy. On the palate it was sweet, as expected, but pleasant at the same time. I thought immediately of peach flavored chewy candies. I found it to be very well balanced which is what I believe made the sweetness bearable. Will keep in mind for a dessert wine in the future.

Tasting - Rare Red

Rare Red; Zinfandel, Petit Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot
California
Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak."

This wine caught me off guard completely. I really liked the color as it was a nice, rosy red. On the nose it was slightly unpleasant. I picked up some earthy tones rather than a fruity bouquet like usual which I found to be pretty complex. On the palate though, the fruit came through very prominently and it had a welcoming smooth mouth feel with a cherry finish. In the end the nose of this wine did not match the palate and I ended up really enjoyed this wine.

Tasting - Breca Tovana Old Vine Garnacha 2013

Breca Tovana Old Vine Garnacha 2013

Munebrega, Spain

Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Gnarled vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain’s winemaking tradition and produce small clusters of perfectly ripe Garnacha grapes. Aromas of blackberries, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit. Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine."

Strong black currant bouquet on the nose along with blackberries and other dark fruits were very prominent with this dark red. On the palate I found it to be pretty smoky, which I unfortunately I am not a fan of. Also oaky and high in tannins, this red was a bit much for me.

Tasting - Marques de Caceres Verdejo 2013

Marques de Caceres Verdejo 2013
Rueda, Spain
Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes:

Vivid straw colour. Fresh, clean and intense bouquet enlivened by notes of citrus fruit with a depth of pears and apples. Deliciously fresh and full in the mouth where racy, focused flavours deliver notes of minerals, lemon rind and green apples. Good length and a refreshing finish. Has all the character of the best from its appellation.

I picked up some oakiness on the nose and was expecting a more medium-bodied feel based on this. In reality, I found it to be rather watery at first. It was complex because as it moved through my palate it seemed to gain some body. With a little bit of wet rock and light floral bouquet as well, this wine was very different than anything I'd had before.