Dinner Tasting: Plant-Based Garlic Bread, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the final dinner blog, my friends and I decided to make garlic bread, spaghetti with vegan meatballs, and vegan chocolate chip cookies. We drove to Kroger and picked up our ingredients to make the food and obviously some wine we figured would pair well with the dishes.

Our first course was garlic bread. We made this using a baguette, garlic spread from Trader Joe’s, vegan butter, vegan parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

After doing some initial research online, we found that Champagne is a great aperitif and pairs well with garlic bread. After looking through the wine section, we decided to pair our garlic bread with some California Champagne (Barefoot Bubbly). Some other information on the wine is below:

Name: Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée California Champagne

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay

Region/Country of Origin: Modesto, California, USA

Vintage Year: 2022

Price: $10

Prior to trying the wine with food, my friends and I tasted the California Champagne. From smelling it, I got notes of green apple and pear. I also sensed that it was floral, fruity, and acidic. After tasting it, I thought it was semi-sweet to dry, which aligned with the bottle’s description. Further, I tasted grapefruit, honey, pear, and overall tartness from the wine.

After trying the wine with the garlic bread, I think the garlic taste balanced well with the bubbly. The garlic bread made the wine less sweet, and the wine made the garlic bread less salty. The overall acidity was not changed much after the pairing; however, the bread was less heavy when paired with the wine. They did not overpower each other, and they balanced each other well. Nonetheless, I believe they would be just fine on their own as well. My friends and I enjoyed this sparkling wine and will be purchasing it again.

On to the next dish!

For the next dish, my friends and I decided to make a homemade marinara sauce with fresh basil, canned crushed tomatoes, and spices. We used box pasta and frozen vegan meatballs from Gardein to add to our dish. We also made grilled eggplant (not pictured).

From a quick Google search, we found that spaghetti pairs well with Merlot, so we decided to try one of those. Information on the Merlot is below:

Name: Arrow Creek Merlot

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Merlot

Region/Country of Origin: California, USA

Vintage Year: 2019

Price: $8

By smelling the wine first, I sensed plum, berry, and overall fruity notes. It also smelled acidic and sweet. From tasting the Merlot, I thought it was buttery, light, dry, acidic, and floral. I further sensed a note of strawberry, but it was very muted.

When I tried the Merlot with the spaghetti and meatballs, I thought the wine tasted more acidic. On a different note, the fruitiness and berry flavor of the wine was more pronounced when paired with the food. Overall, I do not think the spaghetti and wine complemented or balanced each other well. The wine did not cut down the heaviness/heartiness or bring out the spices of the spaghetti. I think the wine tasted better without the food and the food tasted better without the wine. Further, I think a white wine could potentially serve the savoriness of the spaghetti better. Although, I would not pair these together again, I would purchase this wine again but not before trying a different Merlot first.

The final course!

For our final dish, my friends and I decided to make some Simple Truth vegan chocolate chip cookies.

From doing some quick research, we found that Pinot Noir paired well with chocolate chip cookies. Some information on the Pinot Noir is below:

Name: Mark West Pinot Noir

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Region/Country of Origin: Modesto, California, USA

Vintage Year: 2019

Price: $9

After smelling the Pinot Noir, I sensed cherry, licorice, and cedar/woody notes. I also sensed that the wine was acidic. From tasting the wine, I could taste cherry, berry, and fruity flavors. I also thought it had a bit of spice and was a lot sweeter than it smelled.

The Pinot Noir was much more acidic, dry, and tannic when paired with the chocolate chip cookies. I think this was because the cookies were very sweet, and the contrast of the sweetness from the cookies and dryness of the wine became more prominent after they were paired together. Overall, I do not think the cookies and wine balanced each other well and think the cookies and wine would have been better off by themselves—the sweetness of the cookies overpowered the wine and made the cookies feel almost too sugary and heavy. I would try this wine with different food but first explore a different Pinot Noir.

Tasting: Mbali Chenin Blanc/Viognier

Name: Mbali Chenin Blanc/Viognier

Variety of Grape(s): 79% Chenin Blanc, 21% Viognier

Region/Country of Origin: Western Cape, South Africa

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $5

Winery Tasting Notes:  Bright aromas of passion fruit, guava, melon, sweet lychee and honeyed tangerine. A weighty mid palate that extends into a lingering aftertaste of yellow plum.

Mbali is the Zulu word for flower. The Protea is South Africa's national flower and is resilient to harsh conditions. The Protea inspires us to be resilient in our pursuit to craft fine wines (from back of bottle).

Wine Folly Notes: Since this wine was a blend, I took notes from both varietals—Chenin Blanc and Viognier—from Wine Folly. Chenin Blanc is described as having medium alcohol, light body, high acidity, minimal tannins, and a range of sweetness. It has notes of yellow apple, pear, and honey and pairs well with Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. Further, Chenin Blanc is primarily grown in South Africa, which was cool considering this blend is from Western Cape (e-text, pg. 243-244). Wine Folly describes Viognier as having medium to high alcohol, medium body, low acidity, minimal tannins, and a range of sweetness. It has notes of tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle, and rose and is primarily grown in France (e-text, 429-430). These notes and descriptions made sense to me since I could taste the fruity and floral flavors and the wine was acidic.   

My Review: It was nice to try another white blend and one specifically with Chenin Blanc and Viognier since I have not been able to try those varietals as much in my life. I thought this wine was fine, but I am going to try a different blend or white before buying this one again. Being only $5, however, the wine was worth the price. From smelling the wine, I sensed honeydew, pear, green apple, and lemon. After tasting it, I thought the blend was very light, crisp, semi-sweet to dry, acidic, and slightly buttery. I could also taste green apple and lemon flavors. I tried this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting: The Delicious Monster White Wine Blend

Name: The Delicious Monster White Wine Blend

Variety of Grape(s): 60% Chenin Blanc, 20% Muscat, 20% Chardonnay

Region/Country of Origin: McGregor, South Africa

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $6

Winery Tasting Notes: Inspired by the fruit salad plant which is a household favourite, this delicious wine hits the sweet spot on the nose and palate. It is a perfect blend of different white varietals, able to please the masses. This wine is produced especially by McGregor Winery from vineyards that are nestled between mountain foothills and nurtured by sunsoaked soils (from back of bottle).

Wine Folly Notes: Since this wine had Chenin Blanc, Muscat, and Chardonnay varietals, I took notes from each section of Wine Folly. Wine Folly describes Chenin Blanc as being highly acidic, having a range of sweetness, and having light body. Further, it has notes of quince, yellow apple, pear, chamomile, and honey and primarily grows in South Africa (e-text, 243-244). For Muscat, the text describes it as having minimal body, low alcohol, medium acidity, and minimally tannic. Muscat has tasting notes of orange blossom, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle. It is primarily grown in Italy (e-text, 328-329). Finally, Wine Folly describes Chardonnay as having medium alcohol, acidity, and body, as well as being minimally tannic and dry. It has notes of yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla, and butter and is primarily grown in France (e-text, pg. 239-240). These descriptions made sense to me since the wine was acidic and the notes played well together as a blend in my opinion.  

My Review: It was exciting to try a white wine blend since I had not done so before. I thought this wine was okay, but I will most likely purchase another wine before buying this one again. Nonetheless, I do think for $6, this wine was well worth it. From smelling the blend, I sensed honey, melon, and citrus aromas. After tasting it, I thought it was very acidic and fruity. I could taste apple, pear, grapefruit, and honey notes. I tried this wine with a charcuterie board, which paired very nicely together and improved the wine by making it less acidic and pungent in my opinion. The charcuterie board featured gruyere and brie cheeses, toasted and buttered baguette slices, rosemary and cranberry crackers, sweet potato crackers, and green apple. We also had blackberry jam on the side (not pictured).  

Dinner Tasting: Thai Takeout

For our second dinner blog, my roommates and I decided to get Thai takeout. We picked up some wine from Kroger that we thought might pair well with the dishes.

We decided the try the drunken noodles first since we read that Champagne is a good aperitif from Wine Folly.

Wine Folly also mentioned that Champagne pairs well with anything that is salty or fried. Therefore, since drunken noodles are fried the most out of our dishes, this seemed like a great paring. It is important to note that the wine we tried is a Champagne blend since it is not made in Champagne, France. Some other information on the wine is below:

Name: J. Roget American Champagne Extra Dry

Variety of Grape(s): 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier

Region/Country of Origin: California, USA

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $8

Before trying the wine with food, my roommates and I tasted the Champagne blend. From smelling it initially, I got apple and pear notes. This lined up well with Wine Folly’s mention of yellow apple in the notes section. After tasting the blend, I thought it tasted like a less sweet version of apple cider. Nonetheless, it was still very sweet, especially for wine. Generally, the wine was light, crisp, and fruity.

When the wine was paired with the drunken noodles, I thought they complimented each other well. The sweetness of the Champagne blend was a nice contrast to the saltiness of the drunken noodles. Further, the dish was less heavy with the wine and not overpowering. The wine also brought out the Thai spices, soy sauce, and peppers in the noodles, which I thought was great. I think both were made better by pairing the two; however, they would do just fine on their own. I would buy this J. Roget again for sure. My roommates and I agreed that it was terrific, especially being a sparkling wine for only $8.

On to the next dish!

My roommates and I decided to try the Pad Thai next. We paired it with Sauvignon Blanc since Wine Folly described that it pairs well with Asian food.

Information on the Sauvignon Blanc is below:

Name: Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region/Country of Origin: Hopland, California, USA

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $15

Without trying the Sauvignon Blanc with food, I could smell melon, honeydew, and lemon notes. The wine tasted light, oaky, and woody, and was surprisingly minimally acidic. I tasted grapefruit, melon, lemon, and green apple notes. It was a good amount of sweet and acidic in my opinion.

After pairing the Sauvignon Blanc with the Pad Thai, I thought the spices of the Pad Thai were brought out by the wine and the sweetness and acidity of the wine was brought out with the Pad Thai. I could taste more of the fruity flavor, especially lemon, in the wine after pairing them together. The wine also toned down the saltiness of the Pad Thai, making it less heavy. I thought both complimented each other nicely, and I would pair these dishes together again. However, I think they again would be fine separately. My roommate, Arin really enjoyed this wine; however, it was not my favorite. Nonetheless, I did think it was good and would purchase it again.

The final course!

Our last dish was the red curry. We decided to pair it with a Chardonnay since we thought the creaminess of the curry would compliment the wine well and vice versa.

Some information on the wine is below:

Name: Kendall-Jackson Avant Unoaked Chardonnay

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay

Region/Country of Origin: Santa Rosa, California, USA

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $17

We tried the Chardonnay without food first. I smelled honey, apple, and floral notes. After tasting it I thought it was light, crisp, and not buttery—which I was happy about but was not surprised about since it was unoaked. I sensed notes of apple and pear. It was more dry than sweet and was not too acidic.

After trying the wine with the red curry, I thought the creaminess and heaviness of the curry was cut down by the Chardonnay. Also, the fruit flavors of the wine were brought out when paired with the curry. Unfortunately, the Chardonnay overpowered the curry slightly because of the acidity. Further, the curry made the wine more acidic. I do not think the pairing was that good and think the wine and curry would be better separately overall. I would purchase this K-J Avant again but would probably try something new before doing so.

Tasting: Ogio Prosecco

Name: Ogio Prosecco

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Prosecco

Region/Country of Origin: D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllate), Italy

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $12

Winery Tasting Notes: Toast life the Italian way! Ogio wines capture the Italian ideal of unequivocal good taste. Ogio Prosecco comes from the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllate) region of Italy, meaning it has distinctive features of superior quality. This Italian sparkling white wine presents delicate aromas of pear and melon and crisp flavors of pear, peach, apple, and citrus. It is crisp, clean, and a lovely fountain of bubbles. It’s the perfect wine for any and all celebrations, big or small. Pairs perfectly with sushi or a seafood feast. Treat yourself to a little dolce vita today (kroger.com, 2022).

Wine Folly Notes: Wine Folly describes Prosecco as having minimal body, medium acidity, low to medium alcohol, and a range of sweetness that is mostly dry. This lines up with my ecperince tasting the wine. Prosecco has green apple, honeydew, pear, lager, and cream notes. Further, the best Prosecco comes from Valdobiadene, so one day it would be great to try it from there. Since the recommended amount to spend on Prosessco is about $15, I think the $12 I spent was worthwhile (e-text, pg. 363-364).

My Review: I enjoyed this Prosecco but will be trying something different before purchasing it again. From smelling it, I sensed honey, apple, and a general fruity scent. After tasting it, I thought it was very light and dry/semi-sweet. I did not think it had too much flavor but it was refreshing. I also was able to taste the green apple, honeydew, and pear flavors. I tried this wine without food.

Tasting: Oyster Bay Marlborough Rosé

Name: Oyster Bay Marlborough Rosé

Variety of Grape(s): 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir

Region/Country of Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $13

Winery Tasting Notes: The perfect shade of Oyster Bay Rosé is produced from the delicate touch of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, carefully selected and blended to express fruit vibrancy and delicate red berry profiles.

Marlborough is recognized as one of the world’s top winegrowing regions, and rightfully so. It’s combination of bright sunshine and cool climate create expressive fruit-driven wines unlike anywhere else. Pale rose in colour but vivid in its flavours, Oyster Bay Rosé delivers a fresh and fragrant style of wine. (oysterbaywines.com, 2022).

Wine Folly Notes: Since Oyster Bay wine had Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals, I took notes from both sections of Wine Folly. For the Chardonnay aspect, Wine Folly describes it as having medium body and acidity and being dry. Chardonnay has notes of yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla, and butter. It is mostly popularly grown in France (e-text, pg. 239-240). For the Pinot Noir aspect, Wine Folly describes it as being dry, being low in body and tannins, and having medium acidity. Pinot Noir has notes of cherry, raspberry, clove, mushroom, and vanilla. It is also most popularly grown in France (e-text, pg. 352-353). I think these grape varietals complemented each other well and could understand where the flavors were coming from went smelling and tasting the wine.

My Review: I usually do not gravitate towards rosé wines, but I am trying to find ones that I enjoy. Unfortunately, I did not think this wine was good and will not be buying it again. The wine smelled acidic, floral, and buttery. It also tasted acidic and floral and was only slightly fruity. Further, I sensed a lot of earthiness that was tea-like. Nonetheless, I did not think the flavors complemented each other well. I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting: Larkspur Pinot Gris

Name: Larkspur Pinot Gris

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Region/Country of Origin: Oregon, USA

Vintage Year: 2020

Price: $13

Winery Critic Review: Expressive aromatics of pineapple and honey suckle lead to floral flavors of green apple and juicy melon on the palate. This beautiful Oregon Pinot Gris is balanced with lively acidity that leads to a refreshing finish (larkspur.com, 2022).

Wine Folly Notes: Wine Folly describes Pinot Gris as having medium to high acidity, low to medium alcohol content, and a range of sweetness. Pinot Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir, which made sense since this wine was actually produced from the Pinot Noir varietal. Some important tasting notes for the wine are white peach, lemon zest, cantaloupe, raw almond, and crushed gravel. I was happy to try a Pinot Gris from Oregon since I have not tried a domestic one yet and they are very commonly produced there. Since the average price for Pinot Gris wine is about $15, I think the $13 I spent was fair (e-text, pg. 350-351).

My Review: I enjoyed this wine but will most likely purchase a different Pinot Gris next time. The Larkspur had pear, floral, and melon scents, and after tasting the wine, I sensed green apple and a general fruit flavor. The wine was acidic, semi-sweet to dry, crisp, and tart, I did not try this wine with any food.