wine dinner

A few Sundays ago my roommate Trey and our friend John all worked together on a wine and food feast.  I have been experimenting with perfecting a whole wheat homemade pizza crust for a while and thought this would be a great opportunity to pair a wine with one.  Above is a picture of the dough (made with greek yogurt, whole wheat flour, and baking powder!) I used the wine bottle as a replacement rolling pin.  

John brought Simi, Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County, California 2012 vintage to pair with Bruschetta as an appetizer.  The wine nose was floral and grapefruity.  The taste is filled with grapefruit cut by acidity and heat.  It had a short finish.  The Bruschetta was made with toasted baguette pieces topped with freshly diced tomato and white onions.  He finished it with mozzerella and a balsamic vinaigrette.  The wine did not overpower the fresh tomato and onion and the balsamic vinaigrette complimented the acidity of the wine perfectly.  

Now the pizza!  I made a whole wheat pizza crust that I topped with a spinach artichoke cheese reduction I found on pinterest.  This sauce IS RICH.  It is packed with cream, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.  I also added some garlic, red pepper, and oregano which added some spice.  I chose to make this pizza then I decided to find a wine to pair with it.  I wanted a wine that would compliment some of the spices and cut the rich buttery cheese.  I chose Pepperwood Grove Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has a best wine value from the wine spectator and the name "Pepperwood" appealed to me since I was looking for earthy and spicy notes.  The nose has berries, little bit of spice, and vegetal.   The taste brought out that vegetal nose and pepper in the mid palette.  The mid palette flavors brought out the spinach and artichoke tastes in the pizza.  The tannic finish cut the rich cheesy flavors.  The dryness compliments the cheesiness.  It is a simple wine but it paired well with the complex flavors of the dish.

The last pairing was a dish by my roommate Trey.  Trey put in a lot of prep time and made some delicious Burritos for us.  John and I watched him work hard while we continued to snack on pizza and bruschetta with wine.  I thought it was interesting Trey chose a sweet wine to pair with his mexican dish.  He chose Fetzer Riesling 2012.  The nose had pear, melon, and peach notes.  Very fruity and sweet.  I tasted peaches, light carbonation on the mouth feel, little to no heat or tannins.  The light body paired well with the spicy black bean, jalapeno, chilis, and jack cheese.  It complimented the dish well because their opposite flavors brought out the sweetness of the wine and the spicy and salty components of the burritos, especially the cumin.  The mouthfeel was the best part because the spiciness was cut by the sweet fizzy mouthfeel of the wine.