Wine School April 10, 2013 Blancs

Wines

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc 2012

Color:  Pale yellow
Nose:  A nice fruity nose with a bit of green apple and peach and a hint of floral.
Mouth:  Very nice, a light wine with a nice finish. A crisp wine that is well balanced, we enjoyed the fruit flavors, like the pineapple. This could definitely be a summer porch sipper.
Price:  $14.99 Fezziwig's Marketplace, Lebanon, IL

Pairings

Gouda Cheese:  This cheese definitely brought the peach flavors of the wine forward. This was an easy, approachable match.
Brie Cheese:  Delicious, very nice - the creaminess of the wine and cheese mirrored each other.
Gruyere Cheese:  Did not work; the fruitiness of the wine fought with this cheese
Monterrey Jack w/Jalapeños:  This was workable; not a favorite
Tomato Soup: Too much bitterness with this pairing
Quiche Lorraine: A nice pairing and Lisa's quiche was excellent!!!
Garlic Chicken Pizza:  First off - we all love this pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. That being said it did not work with this wine; the fruity/sweetness of the wine was too much for the garlic.
Conclusion:  Great all around white wine. This was a pleasant wine that is great on its own, and would be wonderful with light, summer foods.

Yamhill Valley Pinot Blanc 2009

Color:  Pale gold
Nose:  A bit of bitterness on the nose. An enjoyable earthiness with fresh herbs. It became more "toasty" the longer it was opened.
Mouth:  With the toastiness on the nose we expected more creaminess in the wine than was present. There was a fresh minerality that we enjoyed.
Price:  $14

Pairings

Gouda Cheese:  This was a nice pairing. The cheese brought out the fruit and butteriness that was present on the nose.
Brie Cheese:  This cheese really brought out the crisp apple notes in the fruit.
Gruyere Cheese:  This pairing was doable, but we all enjoyed the first two wines better with this Pinot Blanc.
Monterrey Jack w/Jalapeños:  It was ok, but the jalapeños overpowered the wine a bit.
Tomato Soup:  Not a match.
Quiche Lorraine:  This was perfect pairing. It would be wonderful for a Mother's Day brunch. This was our favorite wine with the quiche.
Garlic Chicken Pizza:  Wonderful pairing. The garlic in the pizza married well with the wine.
Conclusion:  We liked this wine best when paired with foods. Great summer time wine for meals. Would like to try it with seafood too.

Epiphany Grenache Blanc

Color:  Pale yellow with hints of green
Nose:  Herbal and tar; fruit came forward as wine opened up.
Mouth:  We were pleasantly surprised by the fruit and oakiness of this wine. It reminded us of a nice, balanced Chardonnay with tropical fruit and nectarine. This wine was less tarty than the other two wines.
Price:  $21.99 Fezziwig's Marketplace, Lebanon, IL

Pairings

Gouda Cheese:  The fruitiness in the wine really makes an appearance with this cheese.
Brie Cheese:  OMG we love, love this pairing. It was a creamy masterpiece.
Gruyere Cheese:  Not so much on this pairing.
Monterrey Jack w/Jalapeños:  This was a decent pairing-nothing to write home about.
Tomato Soup:  It was ok, but the soup was fighting with the wine a bit.
Quiche Lorraine:  We all like the second wine the best with the quiche.
Garlic Chicken Pizza:  It works, but not outstanding.
Conclusion:  Beth and Lisa loved this wine and the nose of this wine was a favorite of all. This could definitely be a summer sipper on a hot evening.

Final Thoughts

Beth:   I absolutely loved the Grenache Blanc. This was my first time trying this varietal and I was pleasantly pleased. It was a nicely balanced wine that makes for easy drinking with a light salad or on those hot, St. Louis, summer nights we have to look forward too. Although, I did find the Pinot Blanc wine to be the best wine with food hands down. It definitely worked with all the cheese, especially the Gouda and Brie. It was fantastic with the pizza. Another great night for the winos, thanks Lisa for a great class.
Lisa:   So several months ago I was doing a tasting at Fezziwig's Marketplace in Lebanon, IL and tasted the Epiphany Grenache Blanc.  Knowing the Grenache grape was a  red grape, I was intrigued by the white version of the grape.  So I purchased the bottle and set it aside knowing one day I would use it in a class but wasn't sure what or how to compare it to other wines.  Then I came across a Pinot Blanc.  Again, I am an avid lover of Pinot Noir (another red) and again was intrigued  that it was not a Pinot Gris/Grigio. Well I now had two "blancs", so I needed another one, just not my other favorite-Sauvignon Blanc. Again, I was at Fezziwig's and Tim suggested the Chenin Blanc. I now had my three "Blancs".  This was a really fun class venturing into new wines!  They were all totally different. However, I think my favorite of the night was the Epiphany Grenache Blanc and was best with the brie.  All in all, a fun night with my fellow winos!
Mary Jo:   This class was a wonderful idea.  I had not had the combinations of some of these wines before and thoroughly enjoyed the differences.   These three wines were very different, yet were all delicious in their own way.  The Chenin Blanc will definitely be a great sipper and was creamy and delicious with the brie.  The Yamhill Pinot Blanc was even better with food and really stood out with the garlic chicken pizza.  My favorite of the evening, however, was the Epiphany Grenache Blanc.  It was simply delicious with the brie and gouda and I found it to be reminiscent of a Chardonnay.  I thoroughly enjoyed this class.  Thanks, Lisa!