Here is the first in our series of cheese and wine pairing videos.
Month: October 2010
Shaps Chard
Our evening sipper last night was the 2008 Michael Shaps Chardonnay. We paired this one with a creamy Brie smeared on baguette slices. Recently we’ve gotten into having our cheeses with bread instead of crackers. The creamy brie with its slight nutty flavor seemed a perfect match with the fuller-bodied Chardonnay.
Has anyone noticed that I’m trying to include the Virginia Wine Month coaster in many of my pictures this month?
The 2008 Michael Shaps Chardonnay presented pear mores, toasted hazelnut, and pineapple on the nose. We noticed similar flavors in the mouth with a touch of apple and a creamy mouth feel. The texture of the cheese went really well with the mouth feel of the wine. This is one really nice Chardonnay. Tell us what gems you are finding during Virginia Wine Month. This is our first post for Regional Wine Week. Yay!
Special Reserve Petit Verdot
For dinner last night we had filet mignon with sauteed mushrooms and roasted vegetables. Warren selected the 2005 Special Reserve Petit Verdot from Ingleside Vineyards. Knowing we wanted to savor this one with our meal, Warren chose to decant it for about an hour before serving.
Right away we noticed the dark color and how it was almost impossible to see through in the glass. We noted dark plum, anise, earthiness, and a lengthy finish. We thought this one could have lived longer on the rack but enjoyed it just the same with our food. It was a perfect pairing.
We are certainly using Virginia Wine Month to open some of best Virginia wines on our racks. What Virginia wine have you uncorked so far this month?
Seyval Sipper
Before preparing dinner this evening, we selected the 2009 Seyval Blanc from Gray Ghost Vineyards to enjoy with goat cheese and a baguette. The Seyval Blanc is aged in Hungarian oak for four months and of course the pairing was perfect.
On the nose we noted subtle smoke, citrus, and a hint of pear. In the mouth we had similar characteristics but also noted some minerality. We enjoyed the nice crisp edge and how it complimented the goat cheese. You simply can’t go wrong with any of the wines from Gray Ghost Vineyards.