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.