Geography of Wine

  For the last dinner of the semester, my roommate and I decided to make a three-course meal on a budget, especially after our third round of exams before finals. She found a recipe for less than $20 and I got the other foods from Westend, a dining hall on campus, as I had dining dollars to use. We went back and forth on which wines we should have and we finally decided on Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Strawberry Moscato.  For the first course of the night, we had a 12oz Ribeye steak paired with a $21, Anzivino Gattinara Nebbiolo. The steak was marinated with lemongrass, garlic, and an herb blend and cooked to medium-well consistency. The flavor of the steak was impeccable. I have never had a steak this good. The wine on its own has very good flavors of plum, cherry, black currant, oak, spice, and vanilla. By itself, the wine is very high in acid and tannins. When paired with the steak, the acidity was lowered but not like the tannins. The tannins were lowered to a point where the wine paired

Name : Santola  Cultivar : Vinho Rose Blend  Vintage : 2021 Country : Portugal  Price : $9.00  Wine Review : "Nice inexpensive Rosé with aromas and flavors of peaches, red cherries, strawberries, and hints of lime. A supermarket-tasting sample." - Keith at Vivino.com. "Great PQR rosé! A bit muted on the nose, with only slight hints of lime and cherry and a salty minerality backdrop. However, it really opens up on the palate, with great acidity and a wholesome strawberry, cranberry, candied apple, and grapefruit profile." - Andre at Vivino.com  Wine Folly : pg. 184 - Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is typically a wine blend from Portugal that is offered in white, rose, and red styles of wine. It is often described as low alcohol, high acidity, semi-sweet, low tannins, and low body. The most common notes would be lemonade, white blossom, pink grapefruit, yellow apple, and lime zest. It is often paired with seafood, mango salsa, anything with cilantro, etc.  Personal Take

Name : El Cortijillo  Cultivar : Tempranillo  Vintage : 2021 Price : $6.95  Country : Spain  Wine Review : "Very good with steak." "Delicious, not too dry." "Deep, rich grape/blackberry flavor. Very warming. Tannins are definitely there but still very drinkable. Cherry mild flavor; aftertaste a somewhat subtle, mild, meaty chestnut flavor. Possibly a floral note even." - Vivino.com  Wine Folly : pg. 175 - Tempranillo. Tempranillo generally has a lot of body, tannins, alcohol, and acidity with low sweetness. The typical notes in Tempranillo are cherry, tobacco, cedar, dill, and dried fig. They can be opened and consumed young but they are best when they have been aged for a little while in an oak barrel. More refined Tempranillos pair best with gourmet burgers, steak, lamb, baked pasta, and tomato-based dishes. Personal Take : When I first tasted this wine I was hit with the tannins that give the mouth pucker feel. I got notes of cherry, plum, oak, black

  Name : Lolea Sangria No 1  Cultivar : Red Blend  Vintage : Unknown  Price : $3.99  Country : Italy, Spain Wine Review : "A delicious frizzante sangria crafted with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon red wine, Mediterranean citrus, and a touch of cinnamon. Clear, neat, bright, and attractive with a fine constant bubble. Keeping its fresh wine essence, with a cherry touch, orange rind, sweet peach, cinnamon, and sour strawberry."  Wine Folly : pg. 175 - Tempranillo. Tempranillo generally has a lot of body, tannins, alcohol, and acidity with low sweetness. The typical notes in Tempranillo are cherry, tobacco, cedar, dill, and dried fig. They can be opened and consumed young but they are best when they have been aged for a little while in an oak barrel. More refined Tempranillos pair best with gourmet burgers, steak, lamb, baked pasta, and tomato-based dishes. pg. 88 - Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon generally has notes of cedar, cherry, baking spices, black currant, a

Dinner with my family: Spice City with Sweet Treats  On Monday, March 6, 2023, I had a dinner with my family that would test our spice levels and my cooking skills. My dad, my mom, my fiance, and I were in attendance for this dinner. The original plan was to go to a restaurant and have dinner there but with me being on a budget and trying to find places that have lactose-friendly and diabetic-friendly meals that are not too pricey was challenging. I decided to take my cooking skills to the next level.  First Course of the night  For our first course, we had pepperoni, salami, and vegan cheese on crackers. I got the block of salami and cut it and I did the same with the pepperoni. The vegan cheese was hard to find but I was able to find some at Kroger on sale. This was just spicy enough to start the night. Pepperoni is naturally spicy but not enough to knock anyone out. We paired it with Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante California Champagne. This was more on the sweet end and paired sur

Name : Yellow Tail Wines  Cultivar : Shiraz  Vintage : 2021 Country: Australia  Price : $5.99  Wine Review: "Purple-ish hue. Vanilla oak and chocolate notes along with plum and raspberry flavors. Pairs well with steak." - Nathan Lapin, Vivino.com  Wine Folly: Pg. 172 - Syrah. This is a powerful, rich, and meaty red wine that originated in the Rhone Valley of France. In Australia, it is the most planted grape which is called Shiraz. The most common notes are tobacco, blueberry, milk chocolate, plum, and green peppercorn. It is typically, high in body, low in sweetness, and medium-high in alcohol, tannins, and acidity. Syrah/Shiraz is best paired with darker meats and more exotic spices. For best results, try with gyros, lamb shawarma, Indian tandoori, and Asian five-spice pork. It is best served in a red wine glass between 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit.   Personal Take: When I first tasted this wine, my thought was "wow, this is metal and not the good kind!" I got notes o