Dinner Blog

1st Course - Vegetable Dip
w/ 2016 Dr. G Dry Riesling

I wanted to try a Riesling so I tried to pick a dry one that would complement both the citrus/creaminess of the dip and the rooty hints from the vegetables. The crispness of this Riesling went well with the chilled dip, but the dip's acidity became too pronounced in contrast with the wine. The best combination was with the sliced cucmbers, most likely because the baseness (while still chilled and refreshing) of them. The citrus from the lemon did not set up well with the riesling and seemed a bit overpowering.



2nd Course - Greek Lemon Chicken and Brussel Sprouts
w/ 2017 Chenin Blanc (from South Africa)

The wine was moderately dry, with a slight tartness. It was balanced very well and I think it was the best-tasting wine. At least the pairing with this dish was set up the best. The wine was very light and was buttery. The butter was not in a chardonnay way but more butterscotch and was incredibly well balanced with the sauce of the dish. The buttery, citrusy sauce also set up nicely with the very slight tartness of the Chenin Blanc. The balance carried into the body of the wine, and the mix of the light chicken matched the drink in terms of feel. Neither one overpowered the other. If the wine had any more of an alcohol taste it would have been too much. The only thing that would have made this pairing is a slight increase in the buttery sense in the wine. Any other flavors would have thrown me off from the balance.




3rd Course - Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Pie
w/ 2016 Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a very peculiar pairing, with the wine having a particular set of flavors that I was not expecting. Most apparent was the cinnamon coming from it. This was on the nose but reminded more of a broken stick of cinnamon than of the spice itself. There were also some large notes of cherry and blackberry with this wine, two things that were complemented by the richness of the dessert. The balance was pleasant but would have been ideal if the wine was a little fuller. It was light enough to be enjoyable but did not have a long finish and compared to the pie seemed thin. Additionally, there was some minimal nutmeg in the aftertaste which was also set up nicely with the pie. Overall, its seems that this pairing was very pleasing in terms of complimentary palates, but the balance of both items' body could have been improved. Strangely, this wine brought forward the citrus tastes from the earlier two courses but not as much of the chocolate from the course at hand.