Dinner - Homemade Italian

Friends and I at dinner

Some friends and I got together on Friday evening to have our wine dinner. We were all taking Geography of Wine together this semester so we had a homemade Italian-inspired dinner to pair with the wines. My roommate's friend was also in town for the weekend so she came with us to dinner as well.

Portion of the dinner and the wine glasses

We decided to do a pot-luck style dinner at one of our houses. We went with a 3-course meal consisting of a bruschetta appetizer, a chicken parmesan pasta entree with side caesar salad, and a red velvet cake dessert with cream cheese frosting. We also got 3 different wines to pair with each course of the meal: a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir, and a sweet Moscato.

Wine 1: Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Decoy Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sonoma County, CA
Country: USA
Year: 2017
Price: $16
Label Description: This bright and aromatic wine offers enticing layers of lemon and lime zest, as well as lovely notes of honeydew and nectarine. On the palate, refreshing acidity mingles with a subtle undercurrent of sweet fruit that carries through to a refreshing, vibrant finish.

The 2017 Decoy Sauvignon Blanc by itself was like a typical white wine. It smelled like pears with a hint of citrus, mainly lemon. The taste was dominantly acidic, and the wine itself was light-bodied. It was slightly dry, but the acidity was still the main component. It was also tart and smooth to drink.

Bruschetta with tomatoes and basil. Delicious! 

We paired the Sauvignon Blanc with both the bruschetta appetizer and the caesar salad because they are lighter dishes. The bruschetta was delicious; it was crispy and the tomatoes were nicely made. They were addicting to eat! With the wine, I felt that the flavor of the wine turned sour. It seemed to me that the original lemon flavor was brought out more with this dish. I did not think that the sour taste of the wine went well with the bruschetta, however it was not the worst pairing.

Side caesar salad with the Sauvignon Blanc

With the salad, I felt like the creaminess of the dressing made the Sauvignon Blanc slightly less acidic. It also brought out the fruiter flavors of the wine, making it bolder. The salad tasted a little different too; I think that the wine made the salad less creamy and took away from the flavors of the dressing. I did not think the flavors complimented each other and would have preferred these dishes alone.

Wine 2: Z. Alexander Brown Pinot Noir

Name: Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Russian River Valley, CA
Country: USA
Year: 2017
Price: $11
Label Description: The wine shows intense aromas of ripe raspberry, caramel and toasty oak. It's lush and layered and smooth with supple tannins, robust flavors of fresh Bing cherry and strawberry are complemented by silky underpinnings of mocha and caramel.

This 2017 Pinot Noir has a soft and subtle smell. It smelled like cherries and spices. It smelled like it also had peppers in it. This Pinot Noir is unlike other Pinot Noir's that I've had. This wine was intense and bold, that was very earthy and tasted like aged oak. I couldn't pick up any fruity flavors as the oak was overwhelming.

Chicken parmesean with the Pinot Noir

For our second course, we paired the Pinot Noir with the chicken parmesean. This chicken parmesan was delicious. The chicken was baked to perfection and was tender and juicy. I could have eaten this dish alone and would have been totally content. With the wine, I felt like the taste of the wine was still very oaky and bold. The pasta tasted the same, and I didn't feel like the wine changed any of its flavors. I think the wine and pasta maybe did not have any components that complimented each other, and that could explain why I felt that they did not go well together. We all agreed that this pairing did not work out and most of us ended up not finishing the glass.

Wine 3: Rosatello Sweet Italian Moscato

Name: Rosatello Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: Provincia Di Pavia
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $8
Label Description: This perfectly sweet white wine romance you with irresistible aromas of oranges and a touch of mint. With each taste, you'll revel in flavors of juicy peaches and candied orange. 

This Moscato smells sweet, like sugar syrup.  It was very light, with a faint taste of peach. Although it was sweet, I did not feel like it was too much. It was easy to drink and tasty. I totally considered buying this wine because it was so addicting!

Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and Moscato

For the last course of the meal, we made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting topped with clear sugar sprinkles. We paired this with the sweet Moscato, and we all thought this pairing was absolutely delicious! The two complimented each other very well. The sweetness from the cake is slightly diminished from drinking the wine, but not enough that it was bland. It just softens the sweetness and makes it less overwhelming.

Overall, we had a lot of fun getting together and talking about wines. Even though the 2nd pairing did not work out, we ended on a good note with the last pairing and had a good time making the dishes with friends.