Wine and Cheese #2

 My typical group of wine-tasting buddies decided to take advantage of St. Patrick's day to get some classy and educational drinking done, before the not so classy drinking typical of the holiday. While shopping for party supplies, we picked up a few interesting cheese and some wines to accompany them.

 

First Tasting

Wine: The Little Sheep of France, Chardonnay, 2020, France

Cheese: Sarvecchio Parmesan

The wine was a clear, light gold color. On the nose I got hints of fruit, such as apple and pear, as well as some citrus. Underneath these scents I detected a hint of butteriness. On the palate, I got notes of light fruit, along with some light butteriness, which I found odd since I do not think this wine was aged in oak. The cheese was medium-hard in texture, especially near the rind. It had a mild falvory, with some good saltiness and slight creaminess. Paired, the wine tasted more acidic, with a lighter body and less buteeriness. I honestly was not a big can of the wine, but I did quite like the cheese. I would like to find a better wine to pair with this cheese in the future.

Second Tasting

Wine: Treveri, Syrah, Washington State, USA

Cheese: Murray's Smoked Cheddar

The wine was medium ruby color, with very intense bubbles when poured into the glass. These bubbles dissipated quickly, as they were not present when I tasted the wine. On the nose, I got scents of red fruit and dark berries along with some spiciness. I got decent tannins and good body from the wine, with minimal bubbles. I tasted a lot of dark fruit, specifically blackberry. The cheese was soft, smooth and creamy, as one would expect from cheddar. It was very smoky, and I would say it was my favorite cheese of the whole tasting. Together, the cheese smoothed out the tannins of the wine, and the wine decreased the smokiness of the cheese. The pairing was still good, but since the smokiness was what I liked most about it, I honestly preferred the cheese by itself.

Third Tasting

Wine: Pamiglia Castellani, , Sangiovese, 2016, Toscana, Italy 

Cheese: Pecorino Tartufello

The wine was dark ruby, and mostly opaque. On the nose I got notes of dark fruit, cherry and spice. On the palate I got major flutiness, decent tannins and acid, as well as some plum underneath. The cheese was very flavorful and intense, standing out from the other cheeses we tried. It was very soft and creamy, with a very strong, almost garlicy taste. Paired with the wine, the intensity of the cheese was toned down, but I didn't notice a big difference in the wine. 

This tasting was not quite as good as he previous one. I didn't particularly like the wines we chose, especially the Chardonnay. The cheeses were good, but the last cheese was more intense than I was expecting, and it kind of threw me off. I plan on putting some more time and effort into the wine and cheese.