Second Wine and Cheese Pairing

Wine and cheese pairing (take 2) utilized a couple of the same cheeses as last time, to compare with our new selection of wines. Kroger once again supplied our wine while Eats Natural Foods provided us with cheese. First, we tasted the cheese separately...

Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries tasted pleasantly like cream cheese, but with a slightly more crumbly texture, and subtle cranberry flavors from cranberry pieces. This was my favorite cheese to eat on its own.  

Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries

Carr Valley cranberry chipotle cheddar cheese was spicy with hints of cranberry. It was bold but not overwhelming. This was a close second favorite cheese, and may even be tied with the Wensleydale described above. Its texture reminded me of the typical block of cheddar cheese you buy at the grocery store. Not hard and not super soft. 

Carr Valley Cheese- cranberry chipotle cheddar

Cypress Grove Chevre, Purple Haze (goat milk cheese) was the most unique cheese. It was extremely soft, quite pungent, and had a strong flavor of lavender. This was my least favorite cheese on its own. I still thought this cheese was pretty gross. I think the lavender flavor just isn't a characteristic I want in my cheese. 

Cypress Grove Chevre Purple Haze (goat milk cheese)

The first wine in our lineup was Storyteller Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Sonoma county, California. This wine costs about $15 and is made with the cabernet sauvignon grape variety. It was light gold in color and smelled like moss on a damp spring day. It also had a moldy component on the nose. The palate was fresh, very acidic, and had a hint of lemon. Melon flavors were also detectable. 

The wensleydale cheese with cranberries was a nice compliment. The smooth and creamy texture of the cheese was a great pairing with the crisp, acidic wine. Overall, a sweet and harmonious balance. 

The spiciness of the chiptole cheese did not pair well with this wine. It brought out the acidic component of the wine and made the cheese seem even more spicy. The flavors of the wine were lost in the acidity and spiciness. 

Lavender flavors overpowered the wine when paired with the goat cheese. Although the creamy texture of the cheese was nice, the wine was completely masked. 

Storyteller Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Corie getting ready for the next wine

Next we tried La Vieille Ferme Rose 2014 from France. This wine was priced around $10 and is made from French cinsault, grenache, and syrah grape varieties. The color was pleasantly peachy. Aromas of pineapple, peach, and a hint of rose on the nose. It was not as sweet as I expected, and was actually quite dry. Floral flavors with a bit of apple. 

The wensleydale cheese was not my favorite pairing. The texture wasn't bad, but the wine tasted significantly more acidic and the flavors of the cheese were masked. 

The chipotle cheese was also a poor compliment. Once again, it enhanced the spicy flavors of the cheese and the wine was hot. Flavors of the wine and the cheese were overpowered by acidity, alcohol, and spiciness. 

The goat cheese added a great texture but made the wine seem more dry. The cheese tasted more herby, rather than distinctly lavender, which was a positive point in my opinion. However, I still did not particularly enjoy consuming this cheese with the wine either.

La Vieille Ferme Rose 2014

We made sure to cleanse our palates between each pairing

 The final wine we tasted was a Fetzer Riesling 2014 from Mendocino county, California. This wine was priced around $10 and is made from the riesling grape variety. It was light gold in color with sharp alcohol on the nose. Aromas of melon, apricot, and peach were also present. Sweet, but not overwhelming, and juicy. Tangy peach and apple flavors. I enjoyed this wine on its own!

The wensleydale cheese was a fantastic compliment. The cheese and wine blended together with a light creaminess and the wine tasted especially juicy. 

I was surprised by the chipotle pairing with this wine. The spicy quality strangely vanished as both the wine and cheese became mellow. I thought it was a great pairing, especially since I was not expecting the spicy quality of the cheese to be balanced with any of the wines. 

The goat cheese was not a great compliment. The lavender was subdued, thankfully, but the acidity in the wine was significantly enhanced. 

Fetzer Riesling 2014

I enjoyed this wine and cheese pairing experience, and was happy that I actually liked the Fetzer Riesling, which is the wine I chose and purchased. Below is a picture of the aftermath... it was a fun time!

Wine and cheese pairing aftermath

Our group selfie