Wine and Cheese Pairing #1

I really enjoyed this wine and cheese pairing.  It was the first time I had done anything like this and was such a fun experience.  Overall it was a very enjoyable time with my friends, and I even made my roommate do it after she got home from work to look at the differences made.  Right below is the pictures of the wine and cheese we tried.  We tried Champagne, Moscato, and Rosé.  We paired each with brie, muenster, and mozzarella.  Below are reviews of the wine alone and with cheeses and pictures of everything.

Name: Cook’s California Champagne Brut

Variety: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier

Region: Madera, California

Country: USA

Year: Unknown

Price: $7.49

Wine Review: Pleasant enough, with simple apple and citrus notes. - Wine enthusiast (82)

Wine Folly: Hints of citrus, yellow apple, cream, almond, toast. Paired well with anything salty or fried.

Champagne: There is not really one strong scent.  It is slightly sweet and fruity.  There is maybe a hint of citrus in smelling.  I get more of the citrus when tasting it.

Champagne with Brie: It becomes sweeter with the cheese.  I believe there is less bitterness and citrus, and maybe more smoky and calm.  It is not as harsh on the palette.

This was my favorite cheese pairing by far.  My friends and I all agreed on this.  I am not normally the biggest Brie fan either, but it was wonderful.

Name: Primo Amore Moscato

Variety: Muscat/Moscato

Region: Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: Unknown

Price: $11.99

Wine Review: This sparkling sweet Moscato wine is a true crowd pleaser that pairs well with desserts, or shines on its own especially in warmer weather gatherings. Crisp and refreshing, Primo Amore Moscato wine is an excellent value at a budget friendly price.

Wine Folly: Muscat Blanc is said to have the primary flavors of orange blossom, meyer lemon, mandarin orange, pear, and honeysuckle. Drier moscatos pair well with salads, sushi, and fresh fruit. 

Moscato: It is very floral scents, much like geranium.  When tasting it I get a lot of honey and is very smooth to drink.  It still has majority of floral, like the soft scent of geranium.  It also has fresh fruity tastes of possibly peach.

Moscato with Muenster: I feel like these complimented each other and did not bring another flavor out.  I feel like it tasted the same but just even smoother.  It decreased the bite of alcohol on the tongue, but not affecting the taste.

Name: Psyche Rose Wine

Variety: Grenache, Barbera, Pinot Gris & Tempranillo

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $8.99

Wine Review: An outstanding Rosé. Crisp, acidic, playful, berry and apricot forward. This is what hot summer days call for. Also interesting to taste the flavor-change from out-of-the-freezer to room temperature ... one of the most defined evolutions of a Rosé in recent memory.

Wine Folly: 

Grenache- high alcohol & body, has strawberry, plum, leather, dried herbs, & blood orange, good with meats and veggies and spices

Barbera- high acidity, alcohol & Body, taste cherry, licorice, blackberry, herbs, black pepper

Pinot Gris- white peach, lemon, cantalope, almond, gravel

Tempranillo- high everything but sweetness, pair with steak, burgerm lamb, tomato based dishes, cherry, fig, cedar, tobacco, dill

Rosé: It smells more like a red wine when tasting lots of white wines tonight.  It smells like a light berry fruit, maybe raspberry.  There is definitely a taste of raspberry and I get almost like a dark chocolate from the bitter sweet taste.

Rosé with Mozzarella: When drinking the wine with the cheese.  It is more bitter on the first little sip and then it becomes sweeter in the back.  It very much tastes like a raspberry to me and is much more enjoyable with the cheese.