>Sauvignon Blanc #6 and #7
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The Fire Road Sauvignon Blanc is from Marlborough, New Zealand.
Aroma: Ruby red grapefruit, tangerine, and cantaloupe
Flavor: Ruby red grapefruit
Bonus:
I enjoyed this wine with my dinner which included starfruit and two cheeses for my first course.
Carr Vally Smoke Gouda, $17.99/ lb $5.22 for 0.29 lb
Flavor:
This cheese is wonderful! It is slightly salty, faint tartness, and not overly smokey. I think that it went well with the Fire Road Sauvignon Blanc.
Herve Mons Tomme Des Bois Noir, Raw Goat’s milk $15.99 $6.24 for 0.39 lb
This cheese is horrible! It taste like dirt. Furthermore it tastes like burnt dirt with the Fire Road sauvignon blanc. If someone gives you this cheese, the appropriate response should be to punch them in the face.
For my main course I enjoyed a steak with chimichuri sauce, garlic crabs, and swiss chards. The Fire Road wine goes great with the steak with chimichuri and the swiss chards. However, the sweetness of the the wine seemed to be too much with the sweetness of the garlic crabs. It was a sweetness overload.
#7 Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, Chile $12.5% alcohol
Aroma:
Oatmeal perhaps?
Flavor: Sweet, low acidity, flavor of oatmeal. This wine brings out the ash flavor of the canna de cabra cheese that I reviewed in the last post. It’s not a good combo.
>Sauvignon Blanc #4 and 5
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>Sauvingnon Blanc #2 and #3
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Sauvignon Blanc #2: Joel Gott Sauvingnon Blanc 2009,13.8% alcohol, California. $11.99/bottle sale price, $13.99/bottle regular price
Aroma: White grape juice, cucumber
Flavor:
Plain, no harsh or standout flavors. Smooth, slight cucumber, honeydew, and Santa Claus melon flavors which give the wine a watery after tastes in the mouth. I considered this wine too boring to enjoy alone, and due to its plain flavor you could drink a whole bottle without noticing it. However, the flavor came alive when I tried it with a dinner consisting of black eyed peas, roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sun chokes.
Sauvignon Blanc#3: Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2008, 12.5% alcohol, California, $5.99/ bottle sale price, $7.99 regular price
Aroma:
Fresh rain, tangerines, green olives
Flavor:
Tangerines. Smooth, watery, easy to drink, a little “bite” on the back of the tongue.
Cana de Cabra Cheese $14.99/lb
A goat’s milk cheese with two consistencies. The cheese close to the rind is smooth and creamy like with a fresh churned butter and vanilla creme flavor, while the cheese in the center has a bright tart slightly dry flavor. Other flavors include celery and parsley.
Pairing:
1. The Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc drastically brings out the vanilla flavor of the cheese. When paired you will think that you just tasted vanilla bean ice cream instead of a slice of cheese.
2. This cheese brings out vanilla notes in the Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc.
Pecorino Toma Pepato Cheese $7.99/lb
A Sheep’s milk hard cheese made with whole black peppercorns. This cheese was wonderful. It had a surprisingly fruity flavor like ju ju bees candy. Something magical happens in your mouth when you pair this cheese with apples.
Pairings:
1. I would not recommend pairing this cheese with the Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc. The wine burned on my tongue after eating the pecorino toma pepato cheese.
2. This cheese pairs perfectly with the Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc. The wine does not become harsh when paired with the pecorino toma pepato cheese.
>Sauvignon Blanc
>I’m actually going to try a few Sauvingnon Blancs.
2008 Pomelo Wine is a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, 13.0% alcohol, $5.99/bottle
Aroma:
Cotton, white grapefruit, white grape juice
Taste:
White grapefruit
I enjoyed the wine with roasted chicken and brussel sprouts for dinner. The wine flavor changed by developing a bit of a bite on the tongue with the brussel sprouts and chicken.
*Bonus:
I tried the Pomelo wine with a Palhais Button Portuguese goat cheese @ $3.99 for 60 grams.
Taste:
Slightly crumbly texture, vanilla ice cream after taste on back of tongue, slightly tart-sweet apple flavor
The Pomelo wine flavor became increasingly smooth with this goat cheese. This pairing was a hit!
>Lets Get Tasting!!!!
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Throughout this year I will try the wines of Whole Foods located at 3300 North Ashland Avenue Chicago, IL and give tasting and aroma notes for wines priced at $15.99 and under. I will give notes on the flavor of the wine alone in addition to their flavor when paired with whatever I happen to be eating for dinner. As a bonus I will give tasting notes on cheeses from Whole Foods along with how their flavor goes along with the wines of the week. I will try a few wines per month so long as my liver can handle it!
*Bonus
Flavor:
Tart, slightly salty cheese, slight aftertaste of ash (but not offensive), slight alfalfa sprout flavor. The cheese went Great with the Proseco