Wine and Cheese Pairing 1

Overview: This was the first wine and cheese pairing we tried and it went well. We opened 3 bottles of wine and paired them with 3 cheese types that we tried with each wine to compare and contrast the differences in the wine. The 3 wines we tried were a Spanish Vino Tinto, a California Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Bordeaux Blanc. The 3 cheeses we paired them with were a simple goat cheese, Manchego, and a soft brie. All in all, I think certain cheeses paired well with specific wines and either blended well and brought out new flavors in the pair, or clashed and created flavors/sensations that were not desirable.

Wine Types: Below are the 3 wines we tried with details about each including the year, varietal, and wine producer. Also below is each pairing and how the pairing was either beneficial or detrimental to its components.

Vino Tinto: The first wine we tried was my favorite of the 3: Munro Leaf's Ferdinand Vino Tinto from Spain 2020. The wine was well balanced and very smooth. Very fruity and floral on the nose, converting to low tannins and hints of blackberry/cherry on the palate. By itself the wine was good, not great, but flourished when paired with the Manchego cheese. I think the stronger pungent flavor of the cheese by itself breaks down with this wine and allowed the flavor of the cheese to come though. I also think that the wine benefited from it, softening it a tiny bit but allowing the cherry notes to come on stronger. The other 2 cheeses did not pair well, especially the goat cheese clashing with this wine in a way that created a bad taste in my mouth.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This was the second wine we tried, falling a little short of the Vino Tinto. This was the Founder's Fortune Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. This wine was more tannic than the first (mid to high) and had notes of blackberry and raspberry. I did notice much more fruity presence in both the aroma and palate of this wine. This wine was okay, nothing special on its own. I also do not think it benefited much from the pairing of the different cheeses. The brie and Manchego did not blend well with the flavors of the cab sav, however the goat cheese did mesh okay is and was the best cheese pairing for this wine solely because it was not bad. The goat cheese helped soften the tannins, but the flavor of the wine did not improve in my opinion.

Bordeaux Blanc: The last wine we tasted was a 100% Sauvignon Blanc: Le Temps des Récoltes Bordeaux Blanc 2020. This wine was rather simple and hard to identify flavors on the palate that showed any significance. There were notes of grapefruit and pineapple on the nose, and little citrus and yellow apple flavors on the palate. It was almost watery to taste. This wine wasn't bad per se, but lacked any sort of complexity or punch of flavor. However, when paired with the brie cheese we had, the wine grew in flavor and the brie brought out the grapefruit on the palate. This was the only wine of the 3 that was meh on its own and brought to a new level when paired correctly. Impressed with this pairing and when drinking the Bordeaux Blanc with the brie, it was rather enjoyable.

To wrap up this blog summary, out of all the wines and pairings we tried, the best tasting was the Vino Tinto and the Manchego cheese, while the most impactful of the pairings was the Bordeaux Blanc and the brie. None of the wines were stellar on their own but were brought to new levels when paired correctly.