We had yet another wine dinner and this one involved both my friends and my family who were visiting. We decided to go with a variety of tastings for this one, mostly consisting of a Mexican cuisine. There was also seafood involved, which seems like an odd combination, but when paired individually with each wine it really went together well and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Name: Hella Fine Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $8.99
Winemaker Review: Full-bodied and smooth, this is a luscious Merlot with aromas of dark fruits that are followed by rich flavors of chocolate and cherries. As Train lead singer Pat Monahan mentions in their hit song Save Me, San Francisco, this is a "Hella Fine" Merlot! Serve it at cellar temperature to allow the flavors to evolve in the glass.
Name: Rex Goliath Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $7.99
Winemaker Review: Our Malbec's sweet spice intensity, lush texture, and silky finish is like dancing a seductive tango - delightfully balanced with all the right moves. Its deep red color and robust tannins are offset by a rhythmic blend of ripe plum, raspberry, spice, and chocolate notes. Personally, I think it's a masterpiece.
Name: Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Sonoma, California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $8.99
Winemaker Review: The warmth of vanilla and brown spice aromas in this classic Sonoma County Chardonnay are lightened with notes of creamy lemon and sweet pear. A palate of soft fruit, including apple and pineapple flavors and notes of toasted hazelnut, finish with a bright acidity, taking the rich mouthfeel to a long, satisfying finish.
For our first dish, we decided to pair chips, but more importantly dip, with the Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay. This was an interesting combination and had a variety of different tastes, because guacamole, queso, and sour cream and onion dip were all used for this pairing. The Chardonnay interestingly enough paired well with each of the dips and really complemented the different spices and textures. The wine itself was incredible, which is why I believe it paired so well, because it seems like it could go with almost anything. It was smooth, oaky, buttery, light-bodied, and had a crisp finish.
For the second pairing, we paired the Rex Goliath Malbec with chicken and steak fajitas. The toppings for my individual fajita included: tomatoes, peppers, onions, hot sauce, and cheese. The wine and fajitas individually were very good, but together created a spicy combination. I'm usually a big fan of spice, but this was overwhelming. I had a bit of the Chardonnay with this dish too and it worked out quite well, tempering the spice from the fajita. The Malbec on its own was very good, with a strong body, high tannins, and spicy finish. I could taste hints of dark berries, specifically black currant and blackberries, which complemented the thickness of the wine.
The final dish could have been more of an appetizer but it worked just as well as a third course. It was a mini crab cake and Hella Fine Merlot pairing. This was my favorite of the three pairings, as the wine and the food complemented each other perfectly. The crab cakes had the classic seafood taste, which doesn't go well with everything, but oddly enough it was perfect with the Merlot. The Merlot by itself was very good, with a medium body and good amount of tannins. The nose was fruity, as was the finish. It tasted like dark cherries and plums and had a long lasting finish.
These wine dinners continue to reinforce the fact that wine and food are meant to be paired and when done right can create amazing combinations of flavors that would be impossible to achieve on their own.
Name: Rosemount Estate Moscato
