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.
No comments:
Post a Comment