Wine and Cheese Pairing #2

Wine and Cheese Pairing with Allison

Pairing: B*%#@!N Barrel Red with Garlic and Herb Cheddar

Wine Name: B*%#@!N Barrel Red

Variety: Red Blend

Region: Kentucky

Country: US

Year: 2013

Price: $12.99

Shop review: Aged for a short while in bourbon barrels, this semi-dry red wine gives you just a hint of that other famous Kentucky beverage often made in Louisville!

My review:  The wine was a dry red that had a smell of cherries and I could taste the tannins.  The wine was slightly acidic.  This wine was paired with Garlic and Herb Cheddar.  The cheese

 had very strong herbal flavors that clashed with the wine.  It tended to mask and disrupt the flavors of the wine.  I did not think this was a great paring overall.

Pairing: Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon with Co-Jack Cheese

Wine Name: Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: US

Year: 2013

Price: $8.22

Shop review: Medium- bodied wine with rich and flavorful hints of ripe raspberry and a velvety smooth finish

My review:  This wine was fruity and strong in smell.  You got hints of raspberry, cherry, and other berries on the first smell.  The wine was rich and the flavor lingered in your mouth.  This wine was paired with Colby Jack Cheddar cheese.  This cheese was kind of creamy and tasty.  The cheese was not overpowering in flavor but still had great flavors that I think paired well with the wine.  The cheese brought out the sweetness of the wine and the berry flavors.

Pairing: Sutter Home White Zinfandel with Gouda

Name: Sutter Home White Zinfandel

Variety: White Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: US

Year: NA

Price: $5.95

Shop review: You may blush with excitement over this fresh, lively wine. Beauty in a bottle, our light, refreshing White Zinfandel wine flirts with your tongue, as you taste essences of strawberry and melon. Perfect with all types of food, we recommend pairing it with something a little spicy such as Asian or Latin cuisine.

My review: This wine was a sweeter wine with berry and fruity flavors.  I could taste strawberries and raspberries as well as cantaloupe and watermelon.  I paired this wine with a Gouda that was a rich, more solid wine than the cheddar.  It broke in a more crumbly fashion as well.  The cheese tasted like a typical Gouda and similar to the last Gouda I had in my last pairing but not smokey.  This was not an idea pairing because it conflicted with the sweetness of the wine.  This wine would probably have benefited more from a nutty, spicey wine.  I would not recommend this pairing.