DTN #1

Name: Domaine Grand Veneur Cote du Rhone

Producer: Alain Jaume

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

Region: Rhone

Country: France

Vintage: 2019

Price: $16.99

Wine Review: "Perhaps best known for the family's Domaine Grand Veneur, this firm produces a huge range of wines from the Southern Rhône, which usually combine high quality with very reasonable prices The medium to full-bodied 2019 Cotes du Rhone Grand Veneur seems to favor Syrah in its notes of black olives and licorice, but also shows plenty of fleshy black cherry fruit. It's actually a tank-matured blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. Concentrated but supple, it's round and expansive in the mouth, finishing with a subtle dusting of ripe tannins and hints of mocha.”

    - https://www.cbcwine.com/wines/Alain-Jaume-Cotes-du-Rhone-Grand-Veneur-2019-w53081275o

My Review: Having a garnet, almost ruby like, color from the body, I was immediately hit with a dark cherry smell that incredibly pleasant. Full bodied and leaning on the dryer side, it tastes of blackberry and red cherry, with a slight spice after taste.

Step 2: We had to let the bottle sit out for 2 hours and then taste again. After letting it sit out the taste was very similar to me if not the same as when we first opened it but slightly more tart. The smell was less strong but still pleasant.

Step 3: We then had to try the wine with cheese, which for us was an asiago cheese from Kroger. I first bit the cheese, let it sit in my mouth then swallow and then take a sip of the wine. I felt as if the wine mellowed out a lot with the wine and a lot of the flavor of the wine disappeared with the cheese.

Step 4: We then tried the wine with a classic pepperoni. I tried it the same way that I did with the cheese, and I found that the wine tasted slightly more bitter with the pepperoni, and the spices were a lot more present in the taste in a not so positive way.

Step 5: We then left the wine sit out for 24 hours without the cork in it. After the 24 hours passed we tasted it again and found that it smelled like olives and the strong was a lot stronger. The aftertaste was a lot more present than before and the initial taste was very airy and almost overripe. The sediment was also a lot more present in the bottle and in our glasses. I did not enjoy the wine as much but found that it tasted best when it was first opened compared to 2 hours and 24 hours later.

This was definitely a very interesting lesson for us on how air can affected the taste and smell of a wine and how it changes over time. I am excited to do this again.

Wine and Cheese pairing #1

 Wine and Cheese pairing #1:

Our three cheeses we chose were a Sartori garlic herb cheese paired with a 2020 Sumarroca brut sparkling rose, a sharp white cheddar paired with a 2020 Palacio de Arganza Cabernet Sauvignon, and Brugge comtesse with a 2018 Peirano Estate Chardonnay.

The wine by itself smelled very jammy and had a black ruby color to it, as well as a blackberry/blueberry smell. When drank by itself it had a very herbal taste and very full bodied with a dry earthy taste. It paired very well with the cheese and a chocolate taste came out from the wine with the cheese. The cheese itself had a very normal sharp cheddar taste but definitely paired well and had a stronger taste with the wine. The sharp cheddar is a cheese I usually get by itself but the wine is one I would definitely get again by itself.

The rose had a very floral smell with a mid pink color. Smells of cranberry and strawberry were also very present. By itself the Rose didn't have much taste, but had some slight fruity taste and had a light body and was dry obviously. When paired with the cheese a taste of strawberry really came out and mellowed out the cheese. The cheese by itself was incredibly tasty as the garlic taste was subtle and the herbs came out really well even after the wine. Overall this is a cheese I would buy by itself and the wine is definitely one that I don't think I'd get again.

 The wine by itself had a very pear and lemony scent when first opened. It had an almost butterscotch taste to it along with a pear apple taste. It had a medium dryness and a medium body as well. When paired with the cheese it got a caramel taste as well as the cheese tasting sweeter. Besides that small change there wasn't much of a change with either the wine or cheese. Overall I would consider getting this wine again and the cheese is a must have in the future.

Besides the sharp white cheddar, I hadn't had any of these cheeses before but I was pleasantly surprised with all of them. My roommates and I are definitely looking forward to our next one. 

Wine Dinner Blog #1

My roommates and I are all taking this class, so for our first wine dinner we decided to a three course Italian themed dinner with a few of our mutual friends. My two roommates and I were all in charge of one course each. My roommate max was in charge of the appetizer and made us a bread and olive oil with balsamic glaze and spices, my roommate Ryan made the entree and made a delicious Penne al la Vodka with Chicken, and I was in charge of Desert and got us a chocolate tuxedo cake and also set the table and acted as a server.

The Tuxedo Cake was from Kroger but was amazing

Ryan spent multiple hours on the penne al la vodka and chicken and it turned out great

The bread and sides was a great starter that allowed us to begin socializing for the night

I set everyone a place with their own wine glasses so it could feel like a restaurant experience. 

Obviously we paired a wine with each course. For the appetizer we paired it with a Beringer California Pinot Noir 2020 vintage from Napa Valley.

Max chose this as the wine as through his researching he found that Pinot Noir paired well with bread and olive oil. By itself it had a mild sweet scent mixed with cherry. Before the bread it had a berry and tart taste and was slightly dry. However with the bread it tasted more acidic and some of the complexity was lost but with an increase in the spice taste. This is a wine that is worth revisiting even by itself due to its complex flavors.

To pair with our Entree Ryan chose a 2019 Robert Hall Chardonnay  from Parlier California. Ryan chose this as through our reading we found that a white wine pairs well with chicken and pasta and specifically California whites.

The wine had a light gold color and not much smell, but had light notes of apple and a very light pear note. It was very easy on the taste buds and had a light buttery / creamy taste. When paired with the entree it accentuated the spice flavors and notes and a peach flavor came out when paired with the food. An almost pineapple after taste was present as well. Overall this is a white worth revisiting when paired with this dish, however not on its own. 

 

To pair with our dessert I chose a Taylor Fladgate Fine Ruby Porto from the Douro Valley in Portugal. I chose this because as ports are naturally sweeter and most often consumed with desserts, I figured it was the perfect match as well as ready it paired well with chocolates and heavy cakes. Before being paired it had a very strong sugary smell, with heavy notes of fruit. The color was almost blood red and looked heavy. It was very full bodied and almost over overpoweringly sweet. When paired with the cake it was too sweet, and most of the taste just disappeared and only sugar was left. Overall I would get this port again but try a much less sweet, much lighter dessert to pair it with. 

Overall the 5 of us all very much enjoyed the wine dinner and are looking forward to doing our next. This time with our new knowledge we will be able to choose wines better suited for our pairings but overall were happy/content with what we got on our first try.