Wine and Cheese Pairing

 

Our goal with this pairing was to try to find cheaper white wines, under $10.00 that would be complimented by different ranges of quality of cheese. For the wines, we picked an Italian Pinot Grigio, am American Sauvignon Blanc, and an Australian Chardonnay. For the cheeses, we picked a Scharfe Maxx (Swiss Alpine Cheese), an Italian Pecorino with Truffle, and just the normal Kroger Sharp Cheddar. All of these wines were chilled, as were the cheeses. 

Wine 1: 

Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2014 

$9.00

12% alc.

This wine smelled like grapefruit, honey, and a little bit acidic with a hint of lemon zest. It tasted like lemon peel and pear, very citrusy. It also had a buttery full-mouth feeling, sweet at the start and finishing long and strong. 

Cheese Paired: Scharfe Maxx 

"Flavor to the maxx! Loosely translated as "very sharp," this update on Swiss Alpine cheese tradition has an oniony, beefy funk and a nutty bite. Finished in our caves to stinky perfection."

This cheese really took away the bite and pungency the wine had when on the palate. It made the sweeter flavors more present - the peachy, melon flavor rather than the citrus punch to the mouth. 

Wine 2: 

Arquero Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2015

$5.00

11.5% alc.

This smelled AMAZING. It smelled like the perfect balance of fruit and flowers. It was more on the tropical fruit side with fig and mango with a hint of orange blossom. It tasted so smooth, a little more smooth than I was expecting. It tasted like sweet apples, peaches and a little bit like the smell of a rose petal. 

Cheese Paired: Sharp Cheddar 

Nothing fancy here, just plain kroger brand cheddar cheese, but it was a nice medium to the two crazy cheeses we picked for the other wines. After this cheese, the wine tasted tangier, it definitely brought out the more lemon and orange zest that you could smell in the aroma of the wine in the beginning. I also tasted more of a sour kiwi flavor too. 

Wine 3: 

Lindeman's Bin: 65 Chardonnay 2015

$5.00

13.5% alc.

This had a strong green smell, asaparagus, cabbage and even a hint of a seafood smell. I also thought it had an apricot, prune, sort of rotting fruit scent as well with the bizarre mix of a smokey cigar box. When first touching the palate, it was very tingly on the tongue and lingered for a while. It tasted like a smokey fire, rotting fruit but also had a nice tanginess to it. It was a very interesting flavor. 

Cheese Paired: Pecorino with Truffle

"A fresh sheep's milk cheese with whole pieces of black truffles. Buttery and intense with the aroma of damp pastures, lanolin and earthen fungi. Smooth, buttery and intensely satisfying, permeated with the essence of truffles." 

Just the description of this cheese makes my stomach hurt... And the taste was even worse. It was awful and it really brought out that rotten fruit/smelly feet taste of the wine. It did make it tangier however though and gave it a sweeter flavor on the finish.