On June 11, 2016 I hosted a wine and cheese tasting event at
my home. After exploring several local
cheese and wine shops, I found Trader Joe’s had a fantastic selection of
cheeses and wines to fit my tight budget.
I decided to purchase three cheeses with different flavor profiles and
textures. I settled on a Smoked Gouda, Brie and Havarti to pair with my wine
selections.
Trader Joe’s not only has an excellent selection of wines,
it has very knowledgeable and helpful wine consultants. I wanted to try a sparkling
wine, dry rose and chardonnay with the cheese pairing. I provided the wine
consultant my measly budget. He provided
several excellent recommendations and I ultimately settled on a J.L. Quinson
Coteaux d’Aix En Provence 2014 and Badet Clement Chardonnay Pays D'Oc
Révélation 2014.
I was very excited that my close friends, who just happened
to be my next door neighbors, accepted my invitation to my cheese and wine
pairing. The Sakaponou family (Lydie,
Francis, Johanna, Charles & Marc) lived in France for many years. Johanna, Charles and Marc were born in France
and remain citizens. They told us
interesting stories and enlightened me about wine by providing me a deeper understanding
of France, including the language and culture which is deeply rooted in the
regions where the wine is produced. They
even offered to take me to France someday to explore the wine regions with
them. This is definitely at the top my bucket list!
I prepared my buffet of cheeses, breads, crackers and grapes
for my guests. I chilled the wine and
chose the glassware for the wines that would be best suited to enhance the
wine. I chose the sparkling wine flutes and small fluted wine glasses. Everyone enjoyed the wine and cheese pairing
and offered their opinions. The dry rose, J.L. Quinson Coteaux d’Aix En
Provence 2014, was a huge hit with everyone! The fact that this was a dry rose,
which is beloved in France, brought back memories to the Sakaponou family of
their life France.
the Sakaponou family and my family
Here are my tasting notes of the wine & cheese event:
Name: J.L. Quinson
Coteaux d’Aix En Provence 2014
Variety: Blend,
Grenache, Syrah and Cinsaut
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $7.98
Traders Joes Wine Review:
A quintessential Provencal rosé, the light salmon colored 2014 Coteaux
d'Aix rose gives up lots of red currants, dried strawberries, dusty pebble and
dried flower notes on the nose. This flows to a fresh, focused and classically
styled dry rose that has bright acidity, beautiful balance and a clean finish.
Outstanding on all accounts and just what you're looking for when you need a
dry rose for a hot summer day or to kick off a meal, drink this beauty anytime
over the coming 5-7 months
My Review: The aroma
of this rose was of floral and citrus.
The color was reminiscent of pale watermelon juice. I served this rose
chilled and it was very refreshing on a warm summer evening. This is a light bodied rose with hints of
lemon and strawberry. It is dry rose,
with balanced acidity and a wonderful crisp finish. I would highly recommend
this affordable dry rose!
How they paired with various Cheeses:
Smoked Gouda: The smokiness of the Gouda mellowed with this
rose and gave it lighter flavor profile that was quite pleasant.
Brie: The creaminess
of the Brie was enhanced. It also gave the Brie a subtle lemon citrus note to
the taste. The Brie was my favorite cheese with his rose as the citrus was
really enhanced by the cheese.
Havarti: A grassy note was detected when I drank this rose
with the Havarti cheese. It was my least favorite of the cheese pairings with
this wine.
Name: Badet Clement
Chardonnay Pays D'Oc Révélation 2014
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Pays d’Oc
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $5.99
Traders Joes Wine Review:
Oak-aged and a lovely, golden color. Its aromatic nose is full of ripe
fruits with fresh banana and pear, with a bit of oak. At first delicate, the
wine proves full and hearty on the palate, excellent with fresh fish, pasta
with creamy sauces and mild cheeses.
My Review: The aroma
of this chardonnay of light citrus and mushroom. The color was a pale yellow. I served this chardonnay chilled and found
the acidity and sweetness to be well-balanced. This is dry, medium bodied wine
that did leave my mouth puckering a bit at the finish. I detected only a slight
hint of oak, but also picked up some floral and citrus. I would recommend this chardonnay at a good
value without the overpowering oaky taste.
me tasting the wine
How they paired with various Cheeses:
Smoked Gouda: The smokiness of the Gouda brought out more of
the oak flavor of the wine and also made the cheese taste a bit nutty. This was
a good pairing as it brought out the oak flavor of the wine.
Brie: The Brie paired
well as it added a very soothing buttery and creamy taste with the Chardonnay
that I found extremely satisfying.
Havarti: The chardonnay did not pair well with this
Havarti. I found the oak in the
Chardonnay brought out musty taste in the cheese that I did not find very
appetizing.
Name: Mille
Millesimato Prosecco 2015
Variety:
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $13.99
Vino Shop Wine Review: Bright straw yellow. Fine and
lingering perlage. Bouquet: Clearly fruity with hints of apple, pear and a
delicate note of citrus fruit, which delicately expresses flowery hints. Taste:
Soft and elegant, with a very pleasant fizziness. Tangy and lingering,
fabulously lively and light at every glass.
My Review: The aroma
of this prosecco of citrus, especially lemon and lime. The color was of
translucent lemon. I served this
prosecco chilled and it was extremely refreshing! This prosecco is light bodied
and dry but with a lavender and grassy finish.
I also picked up a lot of pear and a hint of lime. I found the acidity was perfectly balanced
and left a crisp finish. The
effervescence of the bubbles was very enjoyable and invigorating. I would
highly recommend this prosecco!
How they paired with various Cheeses:
Smoked Gouda: I felt the delicate flavors of citrus and pear
in the prosecco did not pair well with the smokiness in the Gouda. It gave the cheese a dusty, pungent flavor I
did not enjoy.
Brie: The Brie paired
exceptionally well with this prosecco.
The citrus enhanced the nutty and creamy flavor of the Brie. The prosecco further enhanced the rich and
buttery flavors of the Brie and this was my favorite pairing.
Havarti: The Havarti cheese paired nicely as it acidy in the
prosecco and effervescence mellowed the fat in this creamy cheese. The citrus
flavors in the prosecco left a clean and balanced after taste and finish to the
Havarti that I found enjoyable.
In summary, the wine and cheese event was an incredible
experience for all. After all, there is
not much that tops sharing wine, cheese, and memories with your best
friends.
the cheese!
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