Wine and Cheese Pairing at My House

Wine and Cheese Pairing at Casa Gilbert (aka my house)

Anytime my mom and I can get some of our friends together or indulge in a cool experience we are all for it. My mom and I were so excited that a few of my friends were going to be in town and were trying to figure out something that my friends and I could do that would be memorable. I told my mother about the wine and cheese pairing opportunity I had and she went above and beyond to make sure we had all of the stops out. She pulled out my grandmothers gold china glasses and bought three wines and cheeses. My mother also went overboard and made her famous cream cheese pinwheels for us in case the cheese got overwhelming. My mother set everything up and Brittany Panko, Elizabeth Hansen and my other friend Mckenzie Fowler all came to my house around 7:30 to partake in a "fancy" wine and cheese pairing. So let's begin talking about the 3 wines and cheeses we had.

My beautiful mother in front of me in the glasses (Jessica Gilbert) and Mckenzie Fowler taking the photo.

Mckenzie Fowler and I

From left to right: Heather Gilbert (me/host), Mckenzie Fowler, Elizabeth Hansen, Brittany Panko

The three wines and plate of cheeses with the pinwheels

Cheese and crackers

Another photo of our set up

My mothers famous cream cheese pinwheels 

Wine & Cheese #1

Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Overa Negra Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Central Valley

Country: Chile

Year: 2017

Price: $12.29

Cheese: Rosemary and Olive Oil Rubbed Asiago

My Review: The Sauvignon Blanc alone had aromas of grapefruit and strong notes of citrus. The wine alone tasted very clean and had a distinct mineral taste, almost like there were some very earthy substances mixed in. The wine was not very drying at all. The cheese alone was AMAZING!!! The rosemary and olive oil perfectly paired to bring out the strong asiago flavor. Together the wine and cheese was fabulous. When we paired the Sauvignon Blanc with the asiago the cheese became slier on the palette and seemed even stronger. If you do not like asiago I would not recommend pairing it with this wine because it will make the cheese ten times stronger, but I loved it. Together the cheese brought out the silkiness of the wine and the wine brought out the strong asiago flavor even more. 

Wine & Cheese #2

Toscana 2013

Tuscany Blend

Name: Bere Toscane

Variety: Tuscany Blend

Region: Tuscany

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $9.99

Cheese: Illchester Applewood Cheese

My Review: This Tuscany blend was a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine had a strong berry smell and alone was only semi-dry and very fruity. There seemed to be a sort of spice that followed each sip of the wine by itself. The Applewood cheese was rubbed with paprika for a spicier flavor. The cheese was absolutely awful. It was so strong with paprika that it was spicy, paired with the wine it was worse. The cheese and wine together made the cheese spicier and the wine so dry that you reached for water. It was like a jalapeno was in your mouth. I recommend this wine alone but not with this cheese and I for sure do not recommend this cheese unless you're fine with spicy paprika in your mouth. 

Wine & Cheese #3

Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Bonterra Cabernet

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: 2017

Price: $10.99

Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano

My Review: This wine was very drying! At first you smelled fruity notes then you smelled notes of cranberries. At first the wine on your palette is very dry and tastes like cherry. After letting the wine sit on my tongue for a second it started to taste like vanilla. Parmesan is my favorite cheese ever so I was looking forward to this cheese and wine pairing the most and I was not disappointed. The cheese alone, of course, was just your average parmesan, but it you're not familiar with fresh parmesan, it is very very strong. The dry Cabernet Sauvignon and the cheese paired like they were made for each other. The cheese started to taste smoother and silkier after each bite and sip. The wine began to taste more vanilla after the second or third sip with the cheese. I highly recommend this pairing. 

Overall, our wine and cheese pairing was a success. We found some more wine that we like and don't like as well as some cheese we will repurchase and some we will stay away from. The wine and cheese pairing activity really opened u my eyes to how much wine can change the taste of your food. 

P:S: My little cousin was over as well and she was not a fan of the "fancy" cheeses we were having and took the liberty to pass around her favorite cheese: Kraft Classic Cheddar Squares. It was quite comical so I thought I'd share some photos of her trying to participate in the cheese portion of our pairing. 

Peyton did not like the paprika cheese at all!

Peyton handing us her favorite cheese.