Tasting - Liberte Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Familia Nueva Vineyards Liberte Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety of Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2024
Price: $14.99

For our date night, my girlfriend brought her favorite Cab to share with me. To pair, she went with a dark chocolate ganache cake from Trader Joe's, and some raspberries. This was the second course of our date, which we started with the Pinot and shrimp scampi. I forgot to take photos of the bottle and it was thrown out before I could, so you'll just have to trust me that the illustration on the label is really cool and artistic.

Wine Critic Review: Jodi P on Vivino.com (133 Ratings on the site and 16382nd in the US).

"I have to say, I was impressed when a friend served this with dinner, bragging about its affordability. Very easy drinking, dark fruit, smooth and pleasing. Not necessarily super complex, but very good and for the price an excellent wine for everyday sharing."

On the nose, I could immediately notice the sweetness. It was really fruity with blackberries, cherries and stone fruits. It smelled a bit tannic, but without much strength.

The taste was pretty complex. I got a lot of notes I wasn't expecting based on the smell. I immediately got more of the sweetness I noticed before, but that was followed by an interesting peppery, hot flavor. The fruits came back, but they tasted closer to red berries like raspberries and strawberries, with stone fruits finishing. There was a bit of mild tannins and acidity, with an interesting saltiness on the finish, and the pepperiness lasted on the tongue leaving an interesting spiced after taste.

The pairing with this cab was really interesting. I found it to be a bit unbalanced initially, but tasting it after the chocolate cake highlighted the acidic, tannic flavors, rebalancing them. The fruity flavors paired with the chocolate really well, and the acidity of the raspberries highlighted the oaky, vanilla notes.

I really enjoyed the wine, and I would rate it a 3.8/5. It paired well with the cake and berries, and capped off a great night of wine and food. I'd love to enjoy another glass soon.

Tasting - Josh Cellars Pinot Grigio

Name: Josh Cellars Pinot Grigio
Variety of Grape(s): Pinot Grigio
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2023
Price: $14.99

I bought this Pinot Grigio to pair with some shrimp scampi I made for date night with my girlfriend. I threw a bit into the pan to cook up a nice white wine sauce, and it made for a nice citrusy touch that really enhanced the shrimp.

Wine Critic Review: Taylor Rusak on Vivino.com (345 ratings on the site and 961st in the US).
"Tasty and balanced. Minerality and fruits. Tasted light pear notes and a acidity that hinted of citrus. Had with sushi and it was pretty good!"

On the first smell, I got lots of tree fruit notes, the pear was really strong, followed by some apple and green grape. It smelled quite dry and yeasty, with a nice bit of acidity.

I was very impressed by the initial flavor. It was really refreshing and acidic, like a sour apple, but with a touch of buttery sweetness that balanced well. This pinot was pretty dry without unbalancing the flavor and really smooth.

As I mentioned before, I paired this with a buttery shrimp scampi. The acidic notes in the wine really highlighted and contrasted with the buttery sauce, while the apple went surprisingly well with the flavor of the tomato. The sauce was quite rich, and the wine cut it really well the make it easier to eat and enjoy.

I'd give this Pinot a 3.9/5 stars. It was well balanced and delicious, and I would for sure drink it again if I was looking for a slightly drier, more refreshing alternative to my go-to, chardonnay.

Tasting - CH Artist's Red Blend

Name: Cooper's Hawk Screen Actors Guild Artists' Red Blend
Variety of Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2024
Price: $28.99

Following the red blend, the bartender upgraded us to the previous wine's more sophisticated big brother, the Artists' Red Blend. This wine blended a bunch more varieties to craft a much more complex, layered flavor that you have to love.

Nose: Sweet, alcohol, raspberries, leather, tomato

Taste: Surprisingly sweet, peppers, tomato, blackberry, raspberry, leather, dirt

Wine Critic Review: Terri Gregor on Vivino.com (1175 ratings on the site and 124th in the US).
"Flavors of black berry, blueberry, black pepper, dark chocolate and baking spices. Pair this wine with heartier meat dishes and hard cheese."

I found this wine to be a delicious addition to the tasting. Following the similar, yet less complex red blend, the Artists' Red Blend brought new flavors and aromas that I wasn't expecting, but acted very well together. For now, I will continue purchasing Cooper's Hawk Red, but should my budget increase, I would happily upgrade to the Artists' Red Blend. I rate it a 4.1/5.

Tasting - CH Red

Name: Cooper's Hawk Red

Variety of Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Country of Origin: United States of America

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2024

Price: $18.98

Next from my Cooper's Hawk wine tasting night was the Cooper's Hawk Red. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, this wine was a delicious, yet surprisingly mild red to transition us from the chardonnay that ended the flight of whites and into the flight of reds.

Nose: Berries, Blackberries, vanilla, black pepper

Taste: Mild Tobacco, strong tannins, fruity raspberry, blackberry, hot, strong cherry, dry

Wine Critic Review: Kale Slisz on Vivino.com (1329 ratings on the site and 722nd in the US).

"Ruby in color a nice red blend that’s fruity with a hint of spice with a nice finish. One of my favorites from Cooper’s Hawk."

I found this wine to be very nice to begin the flight of reds that would finish off our tasting. This was our fifth tasting in a row, and I was beginning to feel the all-too-familiar affects of a couple of glasses of wine, which definitely eased me into the more bolder flavors of the wine. I loved the notes of cherry and raspberry, which paired very nicely with the oak, tobacco, and vanilla notes as well. There was a hot, peppery finish to it that I really liked. I would definitely drink this wine again, and I'd rate it a 3.8/5.

Wine and Cheese 2

Pairing 1: Chardonnay with Brie

Name: Josh Cellars Chardonnay

Variety of Grape(s): Chardonnay

Country of Origin: United States of America

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2023

Price: $12.99

Nose: Yeast, grape, dry, pear, apple

Taste: Fruit, cream, apple, yogurt

Brie: Creamy, milky, earthy, mild, soft, lettuce/celery, green leaves

This was a phenomenal pairing. My favorite notes and flavors were highlighted by each other. All flavors were very balanced, and the fruity, vegetable notes mesh under the sweetness of the grape and apple flavors.

Pairing 2: Chianti and Buttercheese

Name: Da Vinci Chianti

Variety of Grape(s): Sangiovese

Country of Origin: Italy

Region of Origin: Chianti, Toscana

Vintage Year: 2023

Price: $18.99

Nose: Dry, blackcurrant, ethanol, tannins

Taste: Fruit, hot, sweet, plum, blackcurrant

Cheese: cake, butter, very mild

As someone who hates most cheeses, especially ones that taste particularly funky or strong, I hoped this buttercheese would be palatable like the brie I had previously. I was surprised when I disliked it for living up too much to its name. It really just tasted like I was eating a solid piece of slightly cheesy butter. It was really creamy and sweet, and it tasted a bit like yellow cake. It was really weird, but the chianti balanced it out pretty well. I found the cheese tastes a lot creamier and sweeter with the wine, but without being overpowering, and the bitterness of the blackcurrant and the tannins helped to balance the cheese. I liked this combo.

Pairing 3: Petite Sirah and Parrano Gouda

Name: McManis Petite Sirah

Variety of Grape(s): Petite Sirah

Country of Origin: United States of America

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2023

Price: $18.99

Nose: Cinnamon, tannic, dry, ethanol, sweetness of balsamic, cherry

Taste: Spiced, Christmas, Clove, Sage, assorted herbs, balsamic, strong cranberry, slightly sweet, but hot from the spices

Cheese: Awful. I hated it. I almost threw up after tasting it. I really hate gouda.

I have absolutely no notes on the pairing other than I merely washed the horrible flavor of the gouda out of my mouth with a delicious wine. I hated the cheese and could barely notice any pairing or differences in flavors because I was so disgusted by the cheese.

The wine itself was wonderful. I realized while writing this that the bottle of syrah I went to pick up from the store was actually a bottle of Petite Sirah. I had no idea they were different grapes, but I found the history of the grapes quite interesting. I am very happy with the bottle I did grab, and I loved the flavors and aromas of the wine. The best way I could describe it was that the wine tasted like Christmas. The herbs, cranberry, fruity, earthy tones all reminded me of Christmas Dinner with my family. The hot spices added a great kick to it as well, and I loved every bit of it. I will be buying this bottle again and sharing it with my family.

Wine Dinner 2

For our second Wine Dinner, my friends got together and pooled resources for an amazing feast. We started with a nice charcuterie board with crackers, cheeses, nuts, and some hot honey and fig jam. Following this, we dined on a great steak cooked by Chef Nate. Marinated in a nice savory rosemary sauce, he used a bit of extra MoonX Pinot Noir to craft a nice pan sauce gravy he beautifully layered over the meat. Finally, I contributed the Cooper's Hawk Vin Chocolate Almond wine paired with rich chocolate cake and tart raspberries. Selah is digestively challenged and can't indulge on the glutenated chocolate cake, so she tried some blackcurrant dark chocolate she believed would go great with red wine. Nate also cheffed up some great roasted seasoned potatoes to accompany the meal that were enjoyed throughout.

Course 1 - Charcuterie and MoonX Pinot Noir

Name: MoonX Black Pinot Noir
Variety of Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 
Price: $13.99

Nose: Blackberry, meat, bitter, slightly hot

Taste: Very smooth, fruity, light tannins, jammy, stone fruits like plum and peach

Charcuterie: Cotija Cheese, Bourbon Bellavitano Cheese, assorted nuts and crackers

Cotija's saltiness paired really well with the sweetness of the wine. Went beautifully with a cracker and some hot honey. I felt the spiciness went well with the sweetness, while the honey complemented the fruity notes of the wine.

I didn't like the bourbon bellavitano cheese much at all and couldn't really decipher much in the pairing because I really disliked the cheese.

Overall, I had a great time with this first pairing and I felt it was a great way to prep my palate for the next few courses.

Course 2 - Zinfandel and Steak

Name: Josh Cellars Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel
Variety of Grape(s): Zinfandel
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 
Price: $19.99

Nose: Tannic, strawberry, jam, hot, blackcurrant, berry

Taste: Very balanced, fruity, tannic, oak, bourbon, smoky, bitter, berries, blackcurrant

Pairing: The rosemary and savory flavors in the meat paired well with the spiciness of the wine, but I wouldn't consider this a great pairing. The marinade on the steak was pretty sweet, which unbalanced the wine and made it taste overly tannic and bitter.

The wine itself was delicious, as was the meat, but the pairing was just not right. I think a more salty steak with a less sweet marinade and sauce would pair much better. The potatoes paired well in an interesting way that highlighted the heat of the wine and brought out those spicy, smoky, bourbon notes. I found those flavors to be especially interesting and I was really curious how much I would have noticed them had I not already known the wine was aged in bourbon barrels.

Course 3 - Vin Chocolat Almond, Chocolate Cake with Raspberries and Blackcurrant Chocolate

Name: Cooper's Hawk Vin Chocolat Almond
Variety of Grape(s): Unknown
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2024
Price: $16.99

Nose: Box of chocolates, almond, cherry, fruit, jam, chocolate cake, no tannins or bitterness noted

Taste: Very sweet, chocolate, almond, cherry, slightly tannic, syrupy, heavy, fruity tartness

I broke this pairing up into distinct sections because of the stark differences each food brought about.

Pairing: Chocolate Bar

When I took a bite of the chocolate first, coated my mouth, and then tried the wine, the jammy, fruity notes, as well as the tannins were highlighted in an interesting way. When I reversed the order, the fruity notes of the wine melted into the deep, rich flavors of the chocolate and blackcurrant and tasted wonderful.

Pairing: Raspberry

With the raspberry first, then the wine, the fruity and chocolate notes of the wine were brought out stronger. The sweetness died out a bit, and it was easier to drink and more to my liking. With the wine first, the raspberry tasted more bitter, but the combined flavors tasted like a black forest cake and the finish was very nice. I felt like I could enjoy that aftertaste for multiple minutes before needing to go back for another sip. This might be a great way to enjoy a low-calorie dessert while still getting a sweet treat!

Pairing: Chocolate Cake

Everything was very rich and too sweet with this pairing. I didn't initially think to pair sweet chocolate cake with sweet chocolate wine, but when coming up with alternatives to the raspberries, ChatGPT was very persistent that I should try it with chocolate cake. I think one of the main dangers of AI is putting awful ideas in people's heads because when I tried to two together, my taste receptors were so overloaded that I had to drink some water in-between tastes. When analyzing the experience itself, I found the almond and cherry notes of the wine were enhanced by the chocolate cake, and the tannins were really nice in comparison with the richness of the cake. I think a much drier, more tannic red would do a much better job pairing with this rich cake.