Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc... New Zealand Style

Name: Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country/Region: New Zealand, Marlborough

Year/Price: 2023, $15

Critique Review: Marlborough, NZ- Oyster Bay's philosophy is to produce fine, distinctively regional wines that are elegant and assertive with glorious fruit flavors. Its brilliant clarity, extraordinary aromatic flavors and refreshing zest. Citrus notes and tropical flavors youthful, elegant, and fresh

Reference Flavors: Citrus, grapefruit, lime, green apple, passion fruit, gooseberry, honeydew melon, bell pepper, fresh herbs, grass, minerality, flint, elderflower

My Review: 

Visually, this wine is very light—its faint lime-green hue slightly offsets its clarity. On the nose, I get tart citrus and grapefruit notes, along with a briny, umami-like aroma reminiscent of the ocean.

The first sip delivers a sharp burst of acidity and an intense grapefruit sensation. This is a truly traditional, dry New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

This Sauvignon Blanc perfectly cuts through the richness of my pairing dish - farfalle pasta in a creamy, reduced sundried tomato chicken sauce. The finish isn’t overly intense, but the grapefruit and oceanic notes linger on the palate. Although this wine is slightly too sharp for me to enjoy on a daily basis, it created the best pairing I have ever had.

Kudos to Oyster Bay—you’ve crafted a spectacularly unique Sauvignon Blanc.

Josh Chardonnay

Name: Josh - Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay 

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: 2023, $16

Critique Review: Our Chardonnay is crafted with care to ensure that no single flavor overpowers another, creating a delicate, bright glass filled with subtle sweetness and a hint of oak. Well-balanced, with bright citrus, honey, and juicy peach notes rounded with a hint of oak to bring a light complexity. Pairs well with shrimp, steamed mussels, creamy pasta, roasted chicken, and grilled vegetables.

Reference Flavors: Butter, oak, vanilla, lemon, apple, pineapple, honey, almond

My Review: Visually, this Chardonnay is medium to pale golden, with a subtle brilliance. On the nose, I detect citrus, ripe pear, and a delicate layer of honey, with just a hint of oak.

The first sip reveals a smooth mouthfeel, with bright citrus and subtle sweetness, balanced by a soft, round texture. The oak influence adds depth without overpowering.

Paired with crispy bacon-wrapped shrimp, the wine’s acidity cuts through the richness of the bacon, while its citrus notes complement the shrimp, creating a balanced and enjoyable pairing.

This Josh Chardonnay offers great versatility and easy-drinking charm, perfect for casual meals or sipping on its own.

Woodbridge Chardonnay

 

Name: Woodbridge - Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay 

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: NV, $12 (Magnum)

Critique Review: California - Woodbridge Chardonnay White Wine offers vibrant fruit flavors enhanced by vanilla and oak notes. Crisp yet silky, this large bottle of wine pairs easily with appetizers or entrees.

Reference Flavors: ripe apple, baked pear, pineapple, peach, vanilla, butter, caramel, toasted oak, nutmeg

My Review: Woodbridge Chardonnay visually pours a warm golden hue with slight translucence. On the nose, I get ripe apple and pear, along with hints of vanilla and toasted oak. There’s a subtle buttery note, but nothing too pronounced.
    The first sip is smooth, featuring baked apple and pineapple with a touch of caramel. The acidity is mild, making it easy to drink but not particularly lively. It’s balanced but doesn’t stand out in any one category.
    Paired with Piave cheese, the wine’s creamy texture complements the cheese’s nuttiness, while the acidity helps balance its richness. Woodbridge Chardonnay is a solid value pick—pleasant and easygoing, but not especially complex or memorable. It does the job, especially for an affordable pairing.

A Little Pep in our Dinner (Wine Dinner #1)

 

Our Wine and Food Pairing Group

Our Three Wines:

Name: DEBONAIR Pinot Grigio

• Variety: Pinot Grigio
• Country/Region: California, Mendocino County
• Year/Price: 2022, $8.99
• Taste/Smell (w/out food): Light and crisp on the nose with notes of citrus and green apple. The palate is refreshing with a bright acidity, hints of pear, and a clean mineral finish.

Name: Storyteller Merlot

• Variety: Merlot
• Country/Region: California, Sonoma County
• Year/Price: 2022, $19
• Taste/Smell (w/out food): Ripe red fruit aromas with notes of plum and cherry. Following the pinot grigio and cheese, this wine is sharp on the palate with strong tannins, a touch of vanilla, and a balanced finish. This wine is also heavy on black currant and fairly hot - 14.1% abv. I would say there is not enough sugar to balance the high tannic/acidic component, the alcohol cannot balance alone. 

Name: Roscato Rossa Dolce Blend

• Variety: Blend
• Country/Region: Italy/Northern Italy
• Year/Price: NV, $9
• Taste/Smell (w/out food): On the nose, sweet and fruity with strong berry aromas. I can tell the carbonation by the sensation of the aroma in my nostrils. On the tongue this gives smirnoff ice. It's only 7% alcohol, which makes sense considering how sweet this wine is. They should have let the yeast eat more that sugar!

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Our Three Foods:

Name: Mozzarella & Goat Cheese with Crackers

• Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Creamy and mild mozzarella, tangy and slightly earthy goat cheese, paired with crisp, neutral crackers for texture.

Name: Pepperoni Pizza

• Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Savory tomato sauce, melted cheese, and spicy pepperoni with a crisp yet chewy crust. Balanced between acidity, fat, and spice.

Name: Gluten-Free Brownie

• Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Rich and fudgy with deep chocolate flavors, slightly chewy texture, and a subtle sweetness.

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Wine & Food Pairing Notes

DEBONAIR Pinot Grigio & Mozzarella/Goat Cheese with Crackers

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Food: The pinot grigio and Goat Cheese combination far outperformed the Mozzarella. Th
• How the Pairing Works : The strength of the pinot grigio perfectly pairs with the sour/bitterness of the goat cheese and accentuates the creaminess. Unfortunately, the Mozzarella does not meld texturally with this wine, and the soft flavors are certainly overpowered. 

Storyteller Merlot & Pepperoni Pizza

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Food: The Merlot’s dark fruit and spice blend with the tangy tomato sauce, while its tannins smooth out the cheese’s richness. The pepperoni’s spice highlights the wine’s black pepper notes.

• How the Pairing Works: The Merlot’s acidity and tannins complement the tomato sauce and balance the pizza’s savory elements, though the pepperoni’s spice slightly lingers.

Roscato Rossa Dolce Blend & Gluten-Free Brownie

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Food: Both the wine and the Brownie are intensely sweet - The roscato with concord notes, and the brownie with chocolate notes.
• How the Pairing Works: On one hand the roscato's fruitiness complements the brownie's chocolatiness. On the other hand, both pairings are overpoweringly sweet with no balance.  

Night Hawk Malbec

Name: Night Hawk - Dark Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Country/Region: Argentina 

Year/Price: NV, $22 (3L)

Critique Review: Argentina - Bolder, richer expressions hints of blueberry pie & blackberry cedar and spice notes. This wine is the perfect pairing to red meats as well as spicy cuisines or dishes.

Reference Flavors: Blackberry, black cherry, plum, blueberry, dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, clove, licorice, leather, graphite, smoky, mocha

My Review: Visually this is a dark, but not black, red wine. On the nose I get equal parts blueberry and blackberry as well as spice notes, mainly clove. On the first taste, there is considerable tannic strength and acidity (as I finished the glass my tongue was both dried and slightly raw from the acidity). The wine itself is fairly well balanced with sharp blackberry in the front and a smoother blueberry pie finish along with a little bit of heat (the wine is 14.5%). I can detect a tiny bit of cedar/spice with both seeming to be combined with the tannic aspects. All together, this is a very drinkable full body malbec which I am sure would pair well with blackened red meat- I likey.

P.S. I have to share this with my friends because, even with the one-month shelf life of this box wine, I don't know if I can make it through 3L!

Woodbridge - Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Woodbridge - Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: NV, $13 (Magnum)

Critique Review: California - Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine presents aromas and flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, toasted marshmallow, and spice. This medium-bodied California red wine pairs well with grilled meats.

Reference Flavors: Black Cherry, Black Currant Plum, Cedar, Spice

My Review: On the eyes, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a medium red, with medium-light viscosity. On the nose I smell strawberry jam and a hint of plum along with light cedary/spice notes. On the tongue I get a balanced medium bodied flavor with strong cherry jolly rancher flavor (slightly too sweet), and a slight tannic finish. I am pairing this wine with butterfly shrimp and a well seasoned chicken thigh. I think the shrimp and chicken thigh are slightly overpowered, however the spices from the skin of the chicken do help to balance the slight sweetness of this cabernet sauvignon.  

Josh - Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Josh - Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: 2023, $17

Critique Review: The nose bursts with aromas of intense dark fruits, cinnamon, clove, and subtle oak aromas. The palate is dominated by flavors of black cherries and blackberries, accented by vanilla and toasty oak and finishing long with round, soft tannins.

Reference Flavors: Black Cherry, Black Currant, Plum, Cedar, Spice, Vanilla

My Review: On the eyes, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep red but not black, with medium viscosity. On the nose I smell cherry and a hint of plum along with cinnamony spices. On the tongue I get a balanced medium-full bodied flavor with primarily cherry/plum flavors, and a gentle cinnamon finish. There are also considerable tannins present. I am pairing this wine with butterfly shrimp and a well seasoned chicken thigh. I think the shrimp and chicken thigh are a little overpowered, however the spices from the skin of the chicken do endure the strength of this cabernet. 

Cooper's Hawk Almond

Name: Cooper's Hawk Almond

Variety: White Blend - Colombard, Chardonnay

Country/Region: USA, California

Year/Price: NV, $18

Critique Review: As told to us by our server...almond pound cake and maraschino cherry. Spot on....more pound cake than cherry in my opinion. Subtle but there and not overly sweet. Would be good starter for brunch. Never had an almond bubbly and it’s quite interesting!

Reference Flavors: Almond, nutty, toast, cherry, cookie, nutmeg

My Review: Visually the wine is light straw in complexion with gentle bubbles. On the nose I smell maraschino/almond strongly in the front and apple/pear in the back. Now tasting, I get strong acidic fruit in the front such as apple and pear. The finish is strong in maraschino cherry and almond extract flavors, and there is a tart bitterness bite. 

Quinta De Chocapalha - Gone Bad

Name: Quinta De Chocapalha -Castelao

Variety: Portuguese Red - Castelao

Country/Region: Portugal, Lisboa

Year/Price: 2016, $19

Critique Review: Old vine Castelão has produced a rich wine that is full of dense black fruits. It has the typical juicy character of the grape, full of fruitiness to go with the concentrated structure of the wine. Drink from 2020. — Roger Voss

Reference Flavors: Flavor, Blackberry, Black Plum, Violet, Dark Chocolate, Licorice, Tobacco, Cedar, Spice, Cherry, Graphite

My Review: Visually this wine is a deep dark red but not black with average viscosity. On the nose I get black plum and strong, almost rotting rose, floral notes. There was some talk before tasting among the group that the wine smelled off. After tasting this is definitely true. The wine is extremely sour and that mild rotting smell fully manifested into a rotten flavor. We believe the bottle was not stored properly and was most likely affected by heat or some other sort of affliction. The cork strangely broke in half too which may be a sign that the wine was corked.

Our reactions: https://youtu.be/aAx9R7g5F-Q?si=SDnwBe8Wnxn5u_FL&t=62

Three Cheese at Ease (Wine & Cheese pairing 1)

 Our Wine and Cheese Group:

Our three wines for the pairing:

Name: Maipe (Casir dos Santos) - Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Country/Region: Argentina, Mendoza

Year/Price: 2019, $16

Taste/Smell (w/out cheese): On the nose this malbec is the strongest most tannic and spicy compared to the rest of the wines. Very dark and red to the eye. On the tongue, strong tannic and spice but still well balanced. Good balance between acid/tannins and sweetness. Notes of peppercorn and strawberry jam.

Name: Barefoot - Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: NV, $10

Taste/Smell (w/out cheese): Definitely stronger on the nose than the chianti, more tannic and grape/plum. Taste is slightly overly sweet, semi-sweet to sweet. Not enough acidity or tannins to balance the strong sweet plum/grape jammy flavors. 

Name: Bell'agio - Chianti

Variety: Sangiovese 

Country/Region: Italy, Chianti

Year/Price: 2022, $16

Taste/Smell (w/out cheese): Smells musty and tannic. The flavor is a nicely balanced tart, acidic, and sweet notes. There are also mossy, woody, earthy notes. 

Our three cheeses for the pairing:

Name: BelGioioso - Fontina

    Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Light taste slightly bitter. creamy, swissy

Name: Cabot Creamery - Seriously Sharp Cheddar (18 months aged)

    Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Strong cheddar flavor, no dry crystallization of the aged cheddar. Not my favorite aged cheddar really. 

Name: Castello Danablu - Blue Cheese 

    Taste/Smell (w/out wine): Strong pungent salty creamy blue cheese flavors. 

Pairing Notes:

1. Maipe Malbec & BelGioioso Fontina

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: I only taste the jammy malbec when I sip the wine and then I tastes the soft cheese again once I swallowed the wine.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The pairing does not work well, the strong full body malbec completely overpowers the soft light fontina.

2. Maipe Malbec & Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: The cheddar's sharpness comes through and pairs well with the strength of the malbec, however the fine cheddar flavors don't come through due to the strength of the malbec.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): This pairing works however the cheese has room to strengthen more to match this full bodied malbec. 

3. Maipe Malbec & Castello Danablu Blue Cheese

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: Both the jam flavors of the wine and the salty pungent flavors of the blue cheese pair flawlessly as they rest on the pallet.  
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): This pairing works phenomenally as the strength of this spicy malbec evenly matched this flavorfully salty blue cheese. 

4. Barefoot Merlot & BelGioioso Fontina

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: The fontina mixes well with the wine to coat the tongue and cover the mouth. The wine becomes slightly dryer and more appealing.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The cheese does a great job mellowing the overly sweetness of this merlot. 

5. Barefoot Merlot & Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: The cheddar brings out the dryer side of the merlot and allows for better enjoyment. You can taste both the strong flavors of the cheddar and the strongness of the merlot at the same time. 
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): This is the best pairing of the cheeses as flavors don't become masked

6. Barefoot Merlot & Castello Danablu Blue Cheese

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: Both the flavors still come through and the merlot's sweetness is again cut slightly to improve it's flavor.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The pairing is good but the blue cheese is slightly too strong for the wine.

7. Bell’agio Chianti & BelGioioso Fontina

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: The fontina mixes nicely with the chianti and coats the entire mouth. 
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The pairing works phenomenally, the chianti doesn't overpower the fontina and vice versa. The flavors meld beautifully. 

8. Bell’agio Chianti & Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: You can get some of the fruity flavors from the chianti but I mostly taste the cheddar.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The cheddar overpowers the chianti slightly, so the pairing is not perfect.

9. Bell’agio Chianti & Castello Danablu Blue Cheese

• Taste/Smell of Wine with Cheese: The blue cheese comes through strong and I can taste the chianti as I sip it in my nose along with the alcohol sensation.
• How the Pairing Works (or Doesn't): The blue cheese completely overpowers the chianti. I like blue cheese so it was not bad but definitely not a good pairing. 

Chardonnay With Little to Pay

Name: Bay Bridge - Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Country/Region: California, Central Valley

Year/Price: NV, $5

Critique Review: The first taste was tartness, almost like a lemon. It was very crisp and citrus-like, almost like a grapefruit. Overall, a very mellow fruit flavor.

Reference Flavors: Butter, oak, vanilla, apple, pear, melon

My Review: To the eye, light straw complexion, high viscosity, thin. On the nose, citrus, stomach acid scent (unpleasant acid), lemon & apple notes. On the tongue, tart and semi-sweet, fruit notes of apple, lemon, pear. On the finish it's thin and yeasty. There is a honey-vanillay after taste. On the whole, it tastes like fermented sourdough with sweet jelly gone bad. I would not buy this again, $5 gets you $5 worth of a wine bottle

Chardonnay With More to Pay

Name: Bonterra - Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay (organic?!?)

Country/Region: California

Year/Price: 2022, $16

Critique Review: An initial impression of rich, buttery cream quickly turns to aromas of honey and lightly toasted almonds, followed by tropical aromas of pineapple, citrusy lemon and crème brûlée. The wine is refreshing on the palate, with a minerality that is both bright and clean, drawing you into a vibrant tartness and lemon zest that is absolutely, positively Bonterra Chardonnay, vintage after vintage.

Reference Flavors: Butter, oak, vanilla, lemon, apple, pineapple, honey, 

My Review: Visually, this wine is a deep golden blonde. On the nose, there are no over powering notes. I smell oakyness, some citrus and vanilla notes. On the tongue there is a soft citrus pineapple, and dry to semi-sweet sugar level. There are also oak and vanilla flavors with a buttery mouth feel and finish. I'm pairing my chardonnay with a Papa Johns Hawaiian pizza. The pineapple in the chardonnay accentuates the pineapple in the chardonnay, and the butteriness declines because of the pizzas cheese content (mouth is already butter/cream primed).