Dinner- "Kathryn's House"

After a wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar, Kathryn and I were craving to have a steak dinner and try a couple of different wines. 

We decided to cook a steak that had roasted garlic spices and Italian seasoning on it.  To accompany the steak, we had garlic mashed potatoes that had fresh ground pepper and asparagus that was coated with lemon and pepper seasoning.  For dessert, instead of chocolate, we opted for Brie cheese on French multi-grain baguettes and red seedless grapes.

Asparagus with lemon zest, pepper, and garlic seasonings!  Super yummy!

Our dinner!  Steak, potatoes, asparagus and of course plenty of wine!

Kathryn showing off our dinner!

Our dessert!  Brie on French baguettes and grapes!

The wines that we accompanied with our dinner were both very different and very good. 

The wines that we paired with our steak dinner!

 

 

Name: High Vines Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year: 2008
Price: $9
Personal Review before food: Very light red wine that was not very complex.  The wine reminded me of grape juice how thin it was.  The flavor was very sour before drinking with food.  It was my first time drinking Pinor Noir and I did not like it as much as Cabernet.
Review with food: The wine tasted very different with food.  The sour-ness of the wine went away when it was consumed with food and it tasted a lot better.
Review with cheese: The wine had its sour taste back when it was consumed with cheese.

Name: Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing Blended Wine
Variety: 53% Cabernet, 35% Shiraz, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec
Year: 2008
Price: $10
Personal Review before food: This wine was super dark red and more thick than the other wine.  I liked this wine because of its complexity of flavors.  I tasted some spicy flavors in this wine.
Review with food: I liked this wine better with food as well.  It brought out more flavor and the spicy-ness did not seem to be some apparent. 
Review with cheese: This wine did not have the spicy after-taste like it did when I tried it without food.  I really liked this wine with the steak and the cheese. 

We love some wine...

This was a very fun activity because of who I was with and getting to make our own dinner and pair some wines that we have never had with it.  I look forward to the next dinner!

Tasting- "Candoni Pinot Grigio"

Name: Candoni Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Friuli
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $10.95
Critic Review: "Medium-bodied, well structured and sophisticated.  It has a rich, pear-like nose, followed by a crisp acidity and a delicious mouth feel.  A delicious accompaniment to fish, seasonal pasta dishes or chicken.  It can also stand alone as an aperitif on a hot summer day."
Personal Review: At first taste, the wine was very fruity and smooth.  The after taste, however, was very strong and dry with a tingle mouth sensation.
With/Without Food: I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- "Las Rocas Garnacha"

Name: Las Rocas Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $17.95
Critic Review: "The wine shows an intense cherry red color with captivating aromas of vibrant black raspberry and spice box derived from a touch of oak. Exhibiting depth and succulent layers of flavor, the wine is round and full in the mouth."
Personal Review: This is the first wine where I noticed the oak flavor.  I thought that this wine was spicy and very intense in flavor.  I did not like this wine.
With/Without Food: I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- "Alta Luna Phases"

Name: Alta Luna Phases
Variety: 40% Teroldego, 30% Lagrein, 30% Merlot
Region: Trentino

Country: Italy

Year: 2009
Price: $9.95
Critic Review: "Dark cherry, plum, and blackberry aromas combine with intriguing spicy notes.  Rich, concentrated dark fruit character against powerful yet silky tannins and bright acidity.  Excellent structure, with a distinctive freshness to the fruit that creates an elegant profile."
Personal Review: I really liked this wine and I think it was because it was blended and there was many different flavors and it gave it more complexity than the other wines I tasted that day.  This was my favorite red wine that I tasted.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Candoni Moscato"

Name: Candoni Moscato
Variety: Muscat Blanc
Region: Apulia
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $14.95
Critic Review: "Low in alcohol, semi-sparkling, but remarkably fruity and fragrant, it has an excellent balance of sweetness and acidity.  Excellent with pastries, cakes, desserts, fruit, sushi, sashimi and spicy dishes."
Personal Review: At first, I noticed that it had a very different aroma.  However, when I tasted it it was very sweet and I could tell that it was sparkling from the tingly mouth sensation.  There was also a hint of pear that I tasted with this wine.  It was my favorite wine I had at this tasting!
With/Without Food: I tried this without food

Tasting- "Revelry Merlot"

Name: Revelry Merlot
Variety: 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Columbia's Valley, Washington State
Country: USA
Year: 2007
Price: $12.95
Critic Review: "Soft, smooth, and luxuriously deep, with flavors of blueberry and black cherry supported by subtle suggestions of oak and spice"
Personal Review: This wine was very smooth when it went down.  I noticed the flavors of berry but I could not pick up on the oak.  As a first time wine taster, I was still getting used to trying to figure out the flavors.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.