Dinner - 508 Center Street: Cheese Dip, and Red Beans, and Porkchops, OH MY!

Cheese Dip and Wine Pairing 

Food and Wine Pairings 

Sean & Doug...Master Grillers

Yet another successful wine dinner! Sorry I'm not in any of the pictures, I was being the photographer today.  We had three great wines tonight and some yummy food.  Here are my tasting notes:

FIRST COURSE: 
Cheesy, sausage dip + 2011 3 Blind Moose Merlot
What a delicious wine for only 10 bucks! When I tried it before the food, it was very dry (no sweetness at all).  The tannins were pretty low but the spiciness was high.  It was pretty tart and I didn't pick up any distinct fruity flavors.  When I ate it along side the cheese dip, I did pick up some more berry undertones.  I also noticed that it seemed even more spicy.


SECOND COURSE: 
Red Beans and Rice, Sausage + 2010 Firesteed Pinot Noir 
Yet another Oregon Pinot Noir... however this one was not as tasty as some of the other one's I've had.  It was medium body, creamy and buttery, low in fruit, and pretty high tannins.  The beans and sausage were not spicy and I think the flavors brought out some spiciness in the wine.  Red beans and rice is literally one of my all time favorite foods being a Louisiana girl and I think this wine paired nicely.  However, I think some of the other pinot noirs I've tasted and liked better would have done just as well.

THIRD COURSE: 
BBQ Pork Chops + 2011 Cigar Box Malbec    
For starters, these pork chops were delicious.  The boys did a great job grilling them while I was inside making the beans.  When I smelled this wine it literally smelled like cigars in a wooden box but maybe that's just the power of suggestion since the name is Cigar Box... It was, again very dry (all of the wines we got were low in sugar) and had high tannin levels.  I definitely picked up some black current notes and maybe raspberry?  The pork chops were pretty over powering for this wine.  When I had the wine with them, it pretty much covered the taste... or maybe the pairing was so spectacular that I couldn't pick out which flavors belonged where because it was just so complementary and well blended... yeah, we'll go with that.

Everyone enjoying their food and wine + my empty seat 

All in all, this was another great experience   I really like having these wine dinners! Maybe when I graduate I'll have this little wine dinners at my place.  Everyone bring an appetizer and a bottle of wine.  It would definitely be a great time.  I feel like I've learned more about wine through the dinners then anything else I've done.  I am able to apply what we learn in class while we are having the dinners and I just think that's really neat.  Looking forward to doing one more of these soon!

XOXOVINO, 

LJ      

   

Brees is sad he couldn't participate