Wine and Cheese #1

 

First thing I absolutely love is cheese but also another top contender is a good Charcuterie board. My love for charcuterie boards actually came from John Boyer's restaurant and thought how fun it would be to make my own inspired one at home. With this assignment with my other fellow wine drinker, Gillian, we made our own Charcuterie board and then paired it with 3 cheese and 3 wines. The three cheeses we chose were all soft cheese. They were Colby Jack, Sharp Cheddar, and a heart shaped brie for Valentines Day OF COURSE. 

Wine 1: 

Name: Insomnia

Region: California

Type of Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2017

Alcohol %: 13.8

Body: Light

Sweet/ Dry: Dry

Product Description: This is a complex wine with aromas of Asian pear, star fruit, some lean lemon citrus notes, with very subtle hints of fresh coconut, sea salt, and Thai basil. The mouth entry is silky and supple with flavors of lemon marmalade and acacia honey.

https://shop.summerlandwinebrands.com/product/Insomnia-Sauvignon-Blanc1?pageID=FDF41527-B19C-AD8B-C413-CE00F76AD2AF&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=12&

My Review/ review with cheeses:

The first wine I tried was the Insomnia wine which was the Sauvignon Blanc. At first glance when I was in the grocery store the first thought when wanting to get this bottle was the cool label for it. It had a great first impression and made me want to try it. When I sniffed and smelled the wine before trying, I had a tart and citrus scent that came up my nose first. As I sipped the wine the first impression I got of it was it's bitterness. It was more acidic but I expected that when I smelled the citrus before I tried the wine.  

As I tried them with the three cheese the wine tasted different each time in my opinion. First, I tried the brie, I thought that it mellowed out the wine with it's smooth texture. Next, I tried the Colby Jack with the wine and I thought that the wine had a stronger taste compared to the subtle flavor of the Colby Jack. Lastly, I tried the Cheddar cheese and first thought it tasted good but then got a second taste with the cheese and I wasn't a fan. The two things were both strong bold flavors and it seemed like the flavors clashed. 

Wine 2:

Name: Oliver 

Region: USA

Type of Wine: Blueberry Moscato

Vintage: 2013

Alcohol %: 6.8

Body: Light

Sweet/ Dry: Semi- Sweet/ Off Dry

Product Descriptions: Deep, flavorful Blueberry juice is brought to life by Moscato’s tropical character and natural bubble. This is a refreshing, easy-to-drink semi-sweet wine. The wine’s light, low-alcohol style is a crowd-pleasing change of pace that appeals to both sweet and dry palates.

https://drizly.com/wine/white-wine/moscato/oliver-blueberry-moscato/p94776

My Review/ review with cheeses:

The Second wine I tried was the Blueberry Moscato. I had a feeling like this was going to be my favorite one because Moscato based on my Introduction is one of my favorite wines. I love sweet wines so I knew this was going to be a hit. The reason I got this wine though, was that I never have seen a Blueberry Moscato. I have seen a lot of fruitier wines like peach and watermelon but not this! Before tasting it I smelled the Blueberry flavor right away but also I smelled a floral sense to it as well and it smelled like a tropical drink. Then as I tasted it, it was super easy to drink I could have had more glasses of this wine. When I tasted it, it was bubbly and very light. 

As I tried the wine with the cheeses, it really had a lot of different flavors and ways it made the wine taste. First, I tried the brie with it, same with the Insomnia wine, the smooth texture of the Brie made the aftertaste of the wine smooth as well and brought out the flavor but kept it mellow as well. Next, the Colby Jack, was super good with the Moscato.  Colby Jack in my opinion is a very smooth cheese so it paired well with the sweet flavor from the Moscato. Lastly, the cheddar was not my favorite pairing. The cheddar was sharp so the sweet and sharp didn't go well together. 

Heart Shaped Cheese for Valentines Day! >>>

Wine 3: 

Name: Barefoot

Region: California, United States

Type of Wine: Red Moscato

Vintage: 2014 Alcohol %: 9

Sweet/ Dry: Sweet

Product Description: Barefoot puts a colorful twist on traditional Moscato with Barefoot Red Moscato! Deliciously sweet, Red Moscato wine dances with all the right fruits. Juicy red cherry and raspberry shimmy with sweet citrus until the last sip. If you're looking for a sweet wine, this is the perfect partner for any song.

https://drizly.com/wine/white-wine/moscato/barefoot-red-moscato/p1840

My Review/ review with cheeses:

The last wine I tried was the Red Moscato. When I was in the grocery store I never knew there was such thing as Red Moscato so I was intrigued to try it. I knew it was a moscato but I still thought it would taste more tannic but it tasted a lot more sweet than I thought it was going to be. I thought though since I liked Moscato that I would like it, but it was my least favorite out of the three wines I tried because the sweetness was too much where the taste was overwhelming. The taste though overall was fruity and bold.

As I tried this wine though with the cheeses the taste definitely changed. The Colby Jack was a good option with the Red Moscato. This is because the Colby again is not as bold of a cheese so it paired well with the bolder wine flavor of the Red Moscato. The second cheese, the brie was not a good mix with the Red Moscato. Even though the brie is smooth it was just off and too sweet with the smooth but distinct taste of the brie. Lastly, the cheddar, balanced with the sweetness of the wine because the cheddar was sharp and then paired well with the sweet wine and changed the flavor in a way to balance the flavor of the wine. 

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