Dinner - "Homemade Dinner with Friends (Italian) "

Homemade Italian Dinner with Friends

My Friend Carina Ucciferri and I did a wine pairing dinner at my townhouse. Including three different wines which were individually paired with three foods an appetizer, entrée and dessert. We also got to use some really fantastic decanters I was given by my grandmother including a really cool hour glass shaped one. The hour glass one actually aerated the wine as it was poured through it. As shown in the following pictures.

The three decanters I received from my Grandmother.

The hour glass decanter and aerating the wine with it

The Dinner

Food #1 Appetizer

Cheesy Biscuit Appetizer

Name: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Description: Biscuits with shredded cheddar mixed in and a garlic butter glazing. 

Personal Review: These were a home baked version of the Cheddar Bay Biscuits that Red Lobster is famous for.  I bought Red Lobster brand cheddar bay biscuit mix at the ghetto Kroger as I knew they would be delicious and thought they would be the perfect appetizer for a wine pairing dinner.  They turned out pretty much perfectly as they were nice and cheesy and crumbly and covered in garlic butter.  Additionally my friend Carina who had never had them before thought they were fantastic.  

This food was paired with the Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.

Food #2 Entrée

Pasta with Vodka Sauce Entree

Name: Pasta with Vodka sauce

Description: Campanelli pasta with Prego brand Pasta sauce. 

Personal Review: I am usually not that a big a fan of vodka sauce however I found the Prego brand version nice, creamy and flavorful.  However timing of the found was as usual a big pain by the time the biscuits were done in the oven the pasta had gotten cold.  Therefore, the pasta had to be reheated twice in the microwave which did dry out the sauce a bit.  I did really like this dish a lot though.

This food was paired with the DaVinci Chianti.

Food #3 Desert

Dessert Crackers, Jam and Muffins

Name: Crackers with jam and Banana Muffins

Description: Private Selection Classic Entertainment Crackers with Private Selection Blueberry Jam and Smuckers Strawberry Jam and Little Bites banana nut muffins.  

Personal Review: These crackers are nice and slightly buttery though not as much as Ritz crackers.  Technically, for the dinner we turned this into two desserts by using two different flavors of jam.  Personally, I liked the blueberry jam more than the strawberry jam because it was a bit sweeter.  I also really liked the little bites banana nut muffins because they were very moist and flavorful.  

This food was paired with the Astoria Moscato Malvasia. 

Wine #1

Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Non-Specific
Country: California
Year: Non-Vintage
Price: $6 bottle (small bottle)

















Store Notes: Quick! The berries are coming! Big berry flavors like currant, raspberry and blackberry jam with a velvety vanilla finish make up this Cabernet Sauvignon. Lush and lasting, it’s sure to make a big impression. 

My review without food: This wine had the aromas of black currants as well as chocolate and dark black cherries. This wine was smooth with a spicy finish and the flavors of cherries, raspberries and black currants.  I did not much like this wine when tasted on its own. 

Paired with Cheddar Bay Biscuits: The cheesy biscuits gave more smoothness and added spice at finish for the wine and really brought out the chocolate and also vanilla flavors of it.

Final Thoughts: The addition of eating the biscuits with the wine made it much more enjoyable and the wine paired well.  Additionally, the biscuits brought out more flavor because the garlic butter and cheese cut down on the tannic acidity of the wine. 

Wine #2

DaVinci Chianti

Name: DaVinci Chianti
Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2012

Price: $15 bottle

Store Notes: Our DaVinci Chianti has a bright ruby red color and opens with aromas of ripe plum and cherry, accented by peppery notes. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied and well-balanced with round tannins that linger in its soft mineral finish. This wine pairs perfectly with pastas and meat dishes.

My review without food:This wine had the aromas of plums and some light cherry and chocolate scents.  Furthermore, the taste was that of tobacco and smoky leather mixed with nail polish remover.
I actually hated this wine because it was so bitter and dry with strong tannins.

Paired with Pasta and Vodka Sauce:The pasta smoothed out the acidity of the wine and made it less bitter.

Final Thoughts: This wine paired rather well with the pasta as the acidity of the tomato sauce broke down the dryness and alcohol in the wine to make more of the fruit and chocolate flavors come forth. 

Wine #3

Astoria Mosacto Malvasia Lounge

Name: Astoria Moscato Malvasia Lounge
Variety: Malvasia,Muscat Rose A Petits
Region: Piedmont
Country: Italy
Year: Non-Vintage
Regular Price: $15 bottle

Sale Price:  $6.95 bottle














Store Notes: Astoria Lounge Moscato-Malvasia is a pleasant dessert wines made from a blend of Moscato and Malaysia Nera grapes by Astoria.  The blend of the Moscato and Malaysian Nera grapes give this sweet wine a nice complexity of fruit flavors with hints of pear and apples common for moscatos and ripe strawberries and raspberries of the Malvasia.  Both Varietals contribute a nice spiciness to round out this wine. It can be enjoyed as a toast or simply sitting out on the deck.  

My review without food: Super strawberry! Delicious I would even call it strawberry wine with a bouquet of strawberry and water melon.  This wine was my absolute favorite that I tasted this semester because it was so sweet and fruity!  The wine had a bit of minerality in the mouthfeel and was very sweet and smooth. There was definite flavors of pear, honey, and strawberries and watermelons.  

Paired with crackers and blueberry jam: The blueberry jam makes it sweeter and more strawberry and honey flavors.  

Paired with crackers and strawberry jam: Strawberry jam hid the wine’s strawberry flavor and made it taste bitter.  

Paired with banana muffins: Like the strawberry jam the banana muffins made the wine taste bitter but did give it a double bubble bubblegum flavor.

Final Thoughts: This wine paired very well with the blueberry jam and crackers more so than the banana muffins and strawberry jam mostly because the blueberries were a nice similar berry flavor to the win but still different than it.  Whereas, the strawberry jam hid and masked most of the fruit flavors present in the wine making it taste worse.  Finally, the banana muffins did not pair as well because they added a very different flavor that didn’t really mix well with the strawberries and watermelon or honey flavors in the wine.  

Pink Rubber Ended Cork

Additional note of interest: The cork used for this wine was very unique and had a pink rubber end to it to keep it from tainting the wine. 

Overall Experience:

I had a great time and doing the pairing with my friend and cooking was a fun and exciting experience! Although I didn’t like the chianti at all and was not very fond of the cabernet sauvignon but I seriously Loved the Malvasia Moscato.  It was interesting to see and taste how different some of the foods made the wines taste.  It was also fun and interesting trying to pair the wines with the specific foods.

I Hope to do more of the pairing and tasting dinners in the near future!

Myself and my friend Carina enjoying our wine pairing dinner