Wine Dinner

My friends and I went to Zeppolis for dinner! We had not tried this restaurant before so it was initially confusing, but after asking a few questions to the waiter, we ordered a wine flight each, two appetizers, a main course, and a dessert. 

I chose a Chianti and Pinot Noir for the mozzarella triangle appetizer and for my main course of spaghetti and meatballs. I chose a Reisling because I like this wine and thought it would work fine with the tiramisu dessert. I know Moscato would have been a better choice but my favorite wine is a Reisling. 

Pinot Noir + Mozzarella Triangles: This wine tasted the best with the food. The tannins complimented the greasy cheese flavor. I suppose the big bold flavor of the wine complimented the big bold flavor of the cheese. 

Chianti + Mozzarella Triangles: I thought this wine would taste the best with the triangles. I was surprised it wasn't. While it functioned the same as the Pinot Noir, it was more bitter so the flavor profile of this pairing wasn't as balanced.

Reisling + Mozzarella Triangles: This wasn't a great flavor. This wine does not compliment any aspect of the food. They taste completely independent of one another, making this pairing barely taste like a pairing.

Pinot Noir + Spaghetti and Meatballs: This wine tasted the best with this meal. The acidity and tannins of the wine complimented the acidity of the marinara. Overall made the spaghetti taste sweeter and better.

Chianti + Spaghetti and Meatballs: This wine did the same with the spaghetti as it did with the mozzarella triangles. Perhaps it was too much tannins, but again, it threw off the balance of the meal and made the spaghetti taste bitter. I did not like this combination.

Reisling + Spaghetti and Meatballs: The sweetness of this wine overpowered the bitterness of pasta. While that sounds like it would be good, it isn't. The taste is competitive and flabby in the end. 

Pinot Noir + Tiramisu: Absolutely terrible experience. It tasted awful like acid. The sweetness clashed with the tannins, doubling the acidity of the wine. 

Chianti + Tiramisu: Similarly terrible experience to Pinot Noir- tastes like battery acid. The increased tannins in this wine made the clash of flavors worse, making it taste incredibly bitter.

Reisling + Tiramisu: This wine is sweet, but is not enough to compare to the tiramisu. This left the herbal taste of the wine on the tongue while the sweetness disappeared quickly. This was disappointing as I read online that this match should have been good. 

Tasting- Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace 2022

Name: Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace 2022

Variety: 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre

Region: Tavel, Rhone

Country: France

Year: 2022

Price: $27

Winery Review: "Ebulliently fruity and direct, the 2022 Tavel Le Crétacé leaps from the glass to offer scents of cherries, watermelon and ripe peaches. It's medium to full-bodied, concentrated and flavorful, with a long, mouthwatering finish. It's one of the best Le Crétacé bottlings I can remember, a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% each Cinsault and Mourvèdre. - Joe Czerwinski", 91 pts

Wine Folly: Rhone/GSM blend page 156; Notes of raspberry, blackberry, rosemary, baking spices, and lavender. It has high tannin, acidity, alcohol, and body, with little to no sweetness. It recommends decanting it and keeping it at room temperature.

Personal Review: This is very fresh, medium-bodied, and pleasant! It smells very fruity which translates well into taste. I pick up raspberry, rosemary, and maybe something tangy like peach? It is fairly acidic but the light sweetness mellows out the finish on the tongue, making it last quite a while. It is a great wine and I wish I had something to eat with it. I don't think food would make it taste better, as it is already well balanced, I say it more so to enjoy it further.

Tasting- Yellow Tail Shiraz

Name: Yellow Tail Shiraz

Variety: Shiraz

Region: Southeastern Australia 

Country: Australia 

Year: 2022

Price: $10

Winery Review: Wine Spectator-South Eastern Australia- "This vibrant red shows juicy blackberry flavors and hints of spice, finishing with an open texture." 

Wine Folly: Syrah, page 172; This wine has notes of blueberry, plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, and green peppercorn. It recommends decanting it and keeping it at room temperature. It has high alcohol, acidity, tannins, and body with relatively low sweetness. South Australia Syrah, page 173; This specific type of Syrah has notes of blackberry sauce, fruit cake, sassafras, camphor, and sweet tobacco. It is also a very intense wine. 

Personal Review: This wine was like a punch to the face. Upon smelling it, it was acidic and lightly fruity. I knew it was going to taste bold based on its smell. The flavor was bold, with a big body and a very short finish. I can pick up notes of berry, plum, chocolate, and tobacco. Those notes are very strong and tend to clash. It is a relatively unbalanced wine. I did not taste sassafras, camphor, or green peppercorns as I do not know what they taste like. Overall, very bold and slightly herbally. I did not have this with food however I believe this would taste much better with a meal to balance it out. 

Tasting- Ceretto Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti

Name: Ceretto Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti 

Variety: Muscat/Moscato, d'Asti

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2021

Price: $20

Winery Review: "This Moscato d’Asti is straw yellow in color with a characteristic nose of sweet melons, orange blossoms, jasmine, and honeysuckle. On the palate, the sweet melon, pear, and floral flavors are balanced by refreshing acidity.

While this makes for an exquisite cocktail, it also pairs well with a handful of Piedmont’s famed roasted hazelnuts." Oak and Barrel NYC

Wine Folly: Muscat Blanc pg 138- Very sweet with notes of orange blossom, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle. It is recommended to be chilled and paired with almond cake. Moscato d'Asti pg 140- the sweetest and less alcoholic than other Moscatos. It has notes of Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, rose petal, vanilla bean, and honeysuckle. 

Personal Review: This wine had a very sweet flowery smell, with an acidic undertone. The taste was mainly white floral, like jasmine or gardenia. It is a little carbonated and a little acidic, but not dry. It had a medium body and a medium finish. It tastes sweet but not too sweet. I think it is very well-balanced. It tastes good with Brie, crackers, and orange fig spread. This food compliments the sweetness of the wine with the saltiness and umami of the cheese. It made the wine taste more like orange blossom and magnolia, which was very nice.

Tasting- AMBOSCATO Sweet White

Name:  AMBOSCATO Sweet White 

Variety: 100% Moscato

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy 

Year: N/A

Price: $8.99

Winery Review: "fresh, slightly sparkling, sweet and fruity with a persistent finish." Alessandro Berselli

Wine Folly: Muscat Blanc pg 138- Very sweet with notes of orange blossom, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle. It is recommended to be chilled and paired with almond cake.

Personal Review: This wine was very good! It had a sweet smell that was very floral. The initial taste had herbal undertones like grass, but it was not bad. The flavor was mostly white floral with a hint of sparkle, citrus, and honeysuckle. It was sweet but not unpleasant. Light body with a short finish. It was very good with Brie, crackers, and orange fig spread. The food brought out the orange flavor to the wine, but made it a little unbalanced. It wasn't terrible but made it bitter in the finish. 

Tasting- Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel

Name: Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel Contra Costa County

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Contra Costa County 

Country: California

Year: 2021

Price: $14.99

Winery Review: Aromas of strawberry, elderberry and dried rose petals. Medium body, with flavors of raspberry, cherry, cedar, mocha and vanilla with a rich, smooth, plush finish. Wonderful to pair with prosciutto and arugula pizza or a mouthwatering meat lasagna. - Vintage Wine Cellars 

Wine Folly: Page 189 (Zinfandel): Blackberry, strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco notes. It is high in alcohol, low in sweetness, low in acidity, and medium tannins. It should be fruit forward and spicy. Page 190 (North Coast, CA; Zinfandel): The wines in this region are high in bold tannins, colors, and "rustic flavors." There should be notes of blackberry, black plum, crushed gravel, allspice, and white pepper. 

Personal Review: This wine is a very pleasant wine, much sweeter than I expected. It has an aroma of fruit and spice, similar to cinnamon or allspice. The flavor is acidic but balanced well. It is easy to drink on its own. The acidity is not overpowering due to the balance of dry and sweet flavors. I don't taste gravel, but I do taste plum, strawberry, vanilla, and maybe rose. It is medium body, rich, and smooth. I would buy this again, but try it with food next time. I did not have any food with this, but I do think a nice saucy meal would be delightful. 

  

Tasting- Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Name: Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Variety: Blend

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

Year: 2023

Price: $39.99

Winery Review: "A very pretty wood port with cherry, berry, walnut and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied and very sweet with focus, density and length. Fruity, yet pleasantly earthy. Drink now and enjoy." James Suckling, 93

Wine Folly: Page 154 (Port): Notes of chocolate, raisin, cinnamon, dried cherry, and black plum. We did not chill, but it recommends chilling the port wine. It is heavy bodied, high in alcohol, high in sweetness, high in tannins. 

Personal Review: A very pleasant port wine! It is very heavy and medium-bodied. Sweet, fruity, and long-lasting. The alcohol is very heavy-handed, but very well-balanced with sweetness. Overall, a great well-balanced drink. I don't taste the chocolate, but I definitely taste cherry and perhaps oak. Some of the other flavors I could identify would be fruitcake, maple, and raisin. Definitely nutty. I had this with tiramisu, which was recommended, and the sweetness brings out the nutty and fruity flavors of the alcohol. The coffee flavor of the tiramisu was especially heightened with the sweetness of the port.