Sauvingnon Blanc #2 and #3

Sauvignon Blanc #2:  Joel Gott Sauvingnon Blanc 2009,13.8% alcohol, California.  $11.99/bottle sale price, $13.99/bottle regular price

Aroma:  White grape juice, cucumber


Flavor:

Plain, no harsh or standout flavors.  Smooth, slight cucumber, honeydew, and Santa Claus melon flavors which give the wine a watery after tastes in the mouth.  I considered this wine too boring to enjoy alone, and due to its plain flavor you could drink a whole bottle without noticing it.  However, the flavor came alive when I tried it with a dinner consisting of black eyed peas, roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sun chokes. 

 

Sauvignon Blanc#3:  Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2008, 12.5% alcohol, California, $5.99/ bottle sale price, $7.99 regular price

Aroma:

Fresh rain, tangerines, green olives

Flavor:

Tangerines.  Smooth, watery, easy to drink, a little "bite" on the back of the tongue. 




Bonus:




Cana de Cabra Cheese  $14.99/lb

A goat's milk cheese with two consistencies.   The cheese close to the rind is smooth and creamy like with a fresh churned butter and vanilla creme flavor, while the cheese in the center has a bright tart slightly dry flavor.  Other flavors include celery and parsley.   

Pairing:
1.  The Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc drastically brings out the vanilla flavor of the cheese.   When paired you will think that you just tasted vanilla bean ice cream instead of a slice of cheese.
2.   This cheese brings out vanilla notes in the Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc.

Pecorino Toma Pepato  Cheese $7.99/lb

A Sheep's milk hard cheese made with whole black peppercorns.  This cheese was wonderful.  It had a surprisingly fruity flavor like ju ju bees candy.  Something magical happens in your mouth when you pair this cheese with apples. 

Pairings:
1.  I would not recommend pairing this cheese with the Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc.  The wine burned on my tongue after eating the pecorino toma pepato cheese.
 2. This cheese pairs perfectly with the Quail Creek Sauvignon Blanc.  The wine does not become harsh when paired with the pecorino toma pepato cheese. 

Sauvignon Blanc

I'm actually going to try a few Sauvingnon Blancs. 
2008 Pomelo Wine is a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, 13.0% alcohol,  $5.99/bottle

Aroma:

Cotton, white grapefruit, white grape juice

Taste:

White grapefruit

I enjoyed the wine with roasted chicken and brussel sprouts for dinner.   The wine flavor changed by developing a bit of a bite on the tongue with the brussel sprouts and chicken. 

*Bonus:

I tried the Pomelo wine with a Palhais Button Portuguese goat cheese @ $3.99 for 60 grams. 

Taste:

Slightly crumbly texture, vanilla ice cream after taste on back of tongue, slightly tart-sweet apple flavor


The Pomelo wine flavor became increasingly smooth with this goat cheese.  This pairing was a hit!

Lets Get Tasting!!!!

This is a wine guide by a person with an uneducated palate and a tightly budgeted wallet.  There are plenty of apps and wine guides that will tell you which wine goes with what food, aroma, tasting notes, yadda, yadda, yah.  I have a common tongue that enjoys great food at a budget. 

Throughout this year I will try the wines of Whole Foods located at 3300 North Ashland Avenue Chicago, IL and give tasting and aroma notes for wines priced at $15.99 and under.  I will give notes on the flavor of the wine alone in addition to their flavor when paired with whatever I happen to be eating for dinner.  As a bonus I will give tasting notes on cheeses from Whole Foods along with how their flavor goes along with the wines of the week.    I will try a few wines per month so long as my liver can handle it!

The Inaugural Wine:  Santome Doc Proseco

For New Years  Day I felt it appropriate to try a Proseco.  I chose a proseco from Santome Doc Proseco Extra Dry 11% alcohol content.  It was a bargain at $12.99 per bottle.  Proseco is a sparkling wine.  

Aroma:

The Proseco had a faint aroma honeysuckle, golden raisins, and fresh garden green beans. 

Taste:

The wine was very bubbly and filled my mouth with gas.  The bottle said that it was extra dry, but the wine tasted half-dry and half-sweet in my opinion.  The flavor was similar to white grapefruit.   The wine went well with the chanterelle mushrooms sautéed with yellow onions that I had for lunch. 

*Bonus

I tried the Proseco with Capriole Juliana Cheese.  It was a raw goat milk smooth spreadable cheese, with Herbs de Provence in the rind priced at $22.99/lb.  I bought a 1/4 lb serving for $5.75, which is enough to last a single person for a week.

Flavor:
Tart, slightly salty cheese, slight aftertaste of ash (but not offensive), slight alfalfa sprout flavor.  The cheese went Great with the Proseco