Wine and CheesesTasting

Well on Tuesday night my Girlfriend and I went out to the Black Hen to try some wines and cheeses when we ran into this AWESOME guy, Professor Boyer, AKA The Plaid Avenger, at the top in-between my girlfriend and I. This pictures is awesome, however someone in the back ground deiced to add his own atmosphere. Even if the pic is slightly unpleasant, still was an amazing night. I will first talk about the wines and the cheeses then I will talk about how they pared together. 

Name: Parker Station
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $31
Shop/wine critic/winery review: This medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir displays enticing cherry, plum, and strawberry fruit flavors on the nose and palate, complemented by nuances of spice, clove, and herbs with a hint of toasty oak. Round, balanced and eminently drinkable, enjoy a glass tonight.
My review: It had a bit of a must smell with a nice hint of berries with earthly undertones. It had a nice peppery taste with it and was slight dry wine. It was really good wine over all.

Name: Frescobaldi Remole
Variety: Toscana
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $32
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Rèmole is as blend of cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese sourced from areas of Tuscany long renowned for yielding wines of great aromatic complexity, with full-fruited aromas. Rèmole has an excellent body and sturdy structure.
My review: The wine had a very earth smell to it. Was a lovely looking dark wine. It was a very dry wine and had a nice kick a spice after drinking. Got some grape taste but the tannies where to strong for me taste.

Name: Saint M Dr Loosen
Variety: Riesling
Region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Country: Germany
Year: 2013
Price: $31
Shop/wine critic/winery review: The 2013 St. M Riesling is bright, with the delicate peach aroma and stony minerality that is typical of the weathered sandstone soils found in the Pfalz region. It is a medium-bodied, off-dry Riesling with a fine fruitiness that lingers lovingly on the palate and then fades gently into a medium-long, dry-tasting finish. A charming and versatile Riesling from an excellent, extremely satisfying vintage.
My review: Had a nice soft sweet smell to it with a hint of flowers. The taste was nice and sweet like gummy bears. Was a wet wine and had a nice spice from the alcohol. Great wine.

Cheese 1: Fresh Natural Goat Cheese Chili Crusted (USA)
Cheese 2: Caciotta Au Tartufo Smie soft black truffles (Italy)

Cheese 3: Red Dragon English Cheddar grain mustard and ale (England)

How I par the cheese and wine was from what I thought would taste good. Some where good others where not so much. I par the Red Dragon English Cheddar with Saint M Dr Loosen,  Fresh Natural Goat Cheese Chili Crusted with Parker Station, and Caciotta Au Tartufo Smie with Frescobaldi Remole.

The first cheese and wine I am going to talk about is Red Dragon English Cheddar with Saint M Dr Loosen. The Red Dragon cheese had a very lovely mustard flavor that blends well with the cheese. The cheese cools the mustard affects and it just melts in my mouth it was a really go cheese. No the cheese with the wine not as good. When you add the cheese and wine together it makes the muster of the cheese just come straight to the nose and moth over powering the wine until all you can taste is muster. After that first hit the muster goes away and the sweetness of the wine comes in, it balances it out. however that shot of muster was just to much for me.

The second paring is Fresh Natural Goat Cheese Chili Crusted with Parker Station. This cheese was my favorite. Had a a nice deep hot taste from the peppers but it was very rich and smooth. It was a great soft cheese and was just so good. However with the cheese and wine where okay together. Because the cheese was spicy and the wine both just made the whole thing spicy and super dry. But, after a few seconds the wine does help cool the cheese and brings out the flavor of the wine a lot more after the first spike of spiciness.

The last cheese and wine paring was Caciotta Au Tartufo Smie with Frescobaldi Remole. This cheese was also great. It was a soft cheese but still has a nice firmness to it. Was very smooth and just melted in my mouth. Had some good earthly under tones as well with the cheese. With the last wine and cheese was not good at all. The wine over powered the cheese in a very hard way, never even tasted the cheese with the wine, only the wine. 

Tasting - Crane Lake

Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Riesling
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery review: The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.

My review: This wine has a very pleasant sweet smell to it but was not that over that over powering. Like a lightly cover candy bar. Was a nice sweetness with the tasting. with just a lovely hint of tartness. Was a great wine.




Did not have food with wine.

Tasting - Crane Lake

Name: Crane Lake

Variety: Shiraz
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery review: Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.


My review: It had a very strong alcoholic smell to it. Like a damp room with wet grass in it. It was a dry wine with a very oak wood taste to it. Like old wood, but nice.





Did not have food with wine.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf

Name: Georges Duboeuf

Variety: Nouveau
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $12


Winery review: George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais.  His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception.  A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.


My review: The smell of this wine is just like bubble gum with a hint of flowers in the room. It was a nice dry wine and had some nice under tones. It had some sharp raspberries with earthly feel it to. was a good wine






Did not have food with wine.

Tasting - Maipe

Name: Maipe

Variety: Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2014
Price: $14


Winery review: The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.


My review: Has a very lovely aroma of berries and flowers.Kinda of like a spring morning after a rain fall. The first taste just tasted like water but then came in with a very nice kick. The second taste i got more flavors like grape and bananas. I liked it.

Did not have food with wine.

Tasting - Tonnino

Name: Tonnino

Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $14


Winery review: Tonnino’s exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes.
My review: The smell had a nice fruity berry smell kinda like a spring morning. After tasting it, the wine was flat for me. Taste more like water then wine. But it does have a lovely feel to it and has a hint a grape.


Did not have food with wine.