Dinner Blog #1

My roommate and I have been wanting to host a formal dinner with our close friends to enjoy good food and company as our senior year draws to an end.  Another friend and I have also been eager to apply what we've learned in Geography of Wine and try our hand at some wine and food pairings.  The two opportunities coincided, and Dinner Blog #1 was born.  

* * The Appetizer * *

We wanted to start off the meal with a light, refreshing food-wine combo.  One thing that came to mind was Caprese salad, an antipasto usually composed of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  In order to jazz things up a bit, and put a summery twist to this classic combination, we settled on these Watermelon Caprese Skewers, replacing the tomatoes and traditional dressing with fresh watermelon and honey-balsamic vinaigrette.  

Watermelon Caprese Skewers

In discussing wines to complement these treats, my friend and I almost immediately agreed that Vinho Verde would fit the bill.  Translated literally as "green wine," these blends are known for their fresh, crisp, sometimes effervescent qualities, instilled in them by the young grapes from which they are made.  We thought this wine would bring some acidity to cut the creaminess of the mozzarella without overpowering the light flavors of the basil and watermelon.  The wine selected for this dinner was Praia Vinho Verde, a Portugese wine from the Vintage Cellar priced at $8.95/750mL.  This wine had an aroma comparable to light beer with a hint of peach.  It had a slightly bubbly quality that carried over nicely to the palate.  Its flavor was bright and light with a lime essence.  It was acidic throughout with a smooth, sweet finish.  Tasting it with the appetizer dulled its tanginess a bit, but the effervescence and citrus flavor held up.

"Light and Refreshing" Praia Vinho Verde from Portugal

* * The Entree * *

For the main course, we again chose a wine to complement a pre-planned dish.  The entree consisted of baked salmon with fresh dill and lemon, creamy garlic-cheddar-bacon mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli seasoned with Old Bay and lemon. 

Salmon with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Until this point, decisions concerning the pairings for both the appetizer and the dessert had gone very smoothly.  Our choices were limited for each course because we knew that we wanted a light, acidic wine for one and a sweet red for the other. However, choosing a wine to complement the main dish, which consisted of such a wide range of flavors and textures, did not come easily.

My friend and I did agree that we wanted a white wine rather than a red, mainly to keep with the overlying theme of a light, Spring meal.  We were at Kroger shopping for ingredients anyway, so decided to browse their wine department in search of the perfect white to bridge the gap between lemony, acidic fish and creamy, starchy potatoes.  While we both had in mind a nice Chardonnay, disagreement arose when we read the descriptions on these two similar bottles, both by Lindeman's of South Eastern Australia ($7/750mL).

Lindeman's  Bin 65 Chardonnay 2012

Label Description: "Peach and melon flavours with a soft, smooth finish.  Enjoy with chicken, salad, or seafood."

Lindeman's Bin 70 Chardonnay-Riesling 2012

Label Description: "Refreshing citrus and tropical flavours with a crisp finish.  Perfect with light pasta dishes, seafood, grilled chicken, or spicy Asian dishes."

My friend thought the Chardonnay would be a better match for the dish, arguing that its smoother quality would match that of the potatoes.  I thought that the Chardonnay-Riesling sounded like a more acidic wine which would complement the acidity of the fish and broccoli and balance the creaminess of the rich mashed potatoes.  We eventually decided to get a bottle of each and compare the actual flavors and textures for ourselves.

The Chardonnay did not have much to the nose except for a faint hint of melon.  It had a very smooth, velvety texture.  There were bitter undertones, a slight oakiness, and a subtle, dry finish. 

The Chardonnay-Riesling was very similar to the Vinho Verde in terms of aroma and mouthfeel.  It sort of smelled like light beer with hints of citrus and pineapple.  On the palate, it was much crisper and more acidic than the Chardonnay.  It had somewhat of a peachy flavor and left a tingly sensation on the tongue.

For the sake of adding variety to the wines used in the overall meal, I would choose the Chardonnay over the Chardonnay-Riesling, but I did think that while both wines brought different qualities to the table, either one could be considered a good complement to the main course.

* * The Dessert * * 

I did things a little differently for this course and chose the food based on the wine.  I initially had in mind the 2010 Opera Prima Sweet Red, because it was one of my favorite dessert wines I've tried this semester, and I've been looking for an opportunity to pair it with a nice chocolatey dessert since I first tasted it, but the Vintage Cellar was sold out.  I decided to try my luck at Kroger, still sticking with the Sweet Reds because I had found a recipe for a Chocolate Raspberry Tart that I wanted to try.

Here's that Chocolate Raspberry Tart.  It was devoured before I thought to get a good picture, so we'll say that mine looked similar to the one in this picture that I found online. 

The wine we chose was another Australian product, Yellow Tail Sweet Red Roo.  It definitely had that jammy element to it, was sweet throughout, with hints of cherries and raspberries, and finished smooth.  I enjoyed it even more with the tart, which had a chocolate wafer cookie crumb crust, fresh raspberries, and a creamy, dark chocolate filling.  The chocolate in the tart was very rich, but was complemented perfectly by the raspberry flavors both from the fruit itself and in the wine.  The sweetness of the wine was offset by the bitterness of the chocolate and the tartness of the fruit, and the smooth, creamy textures of both food and drink facilitated a harmonious pairing.

Yellow Tail is a good name in commercial wines, and it was the best value of all the Sweet Reds we saw both at the Vintage Cellar and at Kroger.  This 1.5L bottle was about $14. 

* * *

Overall, the dinner was a great success.  Everyone enjoyed the food, and it was fun to share with my friends what I've learned about wines this semester.  It was a good learning experience for me as well.  I found that pairing wines with foods is more difficult than it sounds.  Not only did we have to match within each course, but I felt the need to provide a good variety of dishes and wines throughout the meal, while making sure they didn't clash entirely.  Having whet my palate for wine and food pairings with this dinner party, I look forward to the next opportunity I have to see what combinations I can create and share. 

 Everyone enjoying the meal.