Wine and Dinner Pairing-Chardonnay, Malbec and Cabernet Sauivignon

Did another wine and dinner pairing-this time just a relaxing Tuesday night with friends. We decided to do something kind of different and had the main dish being pulled pork and Malbec. So everything else was just side dishes.

Our Pairings were: 

Simply Naked Unoaked Chardonnay-Fruit Salad

2013 Llama Malbec from Argentina- Pulled Pork

2013 F.J. Serra Cabernet Sauvignon from California-Hot Fudge Pudding Cake 

We started with a Simply Naked Chardonnay and Fruit Salad. I've had the Chardonnay before, so when my friend brought it (and she did not tell me what she was bringing), I knew it was a classic simple Chardonnay so I was interested to see if it would change with food. The fruit salad had Blackberries, strawberries, pears and bannanas. The Wine had a pear and citrus smell to it and it had a tart but not too tart taste to it. The fruit however kind of overpowers it. It would be a great blending wine because the fruit tastes all just swirled together, not badly but just super fruity. Showed that the wine would actually make a great Sangria. The fruit did cut the heat slightly. It was just a typical California Chardonnay that was fruity, light and a little acidic. The wine is just such a basic classic wine, it shows that sometimes California is just hard to pair with. That theory that US is not making wine for food but wine to drink. 

Next we did the 2013 Llama Malbec with a simple Apple Cider Vinegar Pulled Pork. This wine I was excited to try because it was a great score for under 10 bucks...and there was a llama on it. The smell was overwhelming pepper, just in your face acidic and peppery. There was a little blackberry/licourice afterwards. Definitely a wine that I immediately said needs to air. There was a slight dark chocolate on the end as well. The taste was extremely less aggressive than the smell suprisengly. It was smooth and delicious, there was red currant and cherries. It was not dense at all despite the initial thought, it was overall light and easy to drink. Had a good complexity to it. The pork added to it cut the acidicity like all good pairings should and defintely made it smoother. It seemed more like a classic red wine meat combination just everything swirls and goes down smoothly together. It made the Malbec similar to a good Pinot Noir to me. 

Lastly we did the Hot Fudge Pudding Cake with the F.J. Serra Cabernent Sauvignon from California. The smell was all blackberries, strawberries, vanilla a hint of Mocha. Overall less aggressive and exactly what would you expect from a California Cab on the smel.. When drank it was smooth but now I see what Gary V would call a "fruit bomb." There was a slight oaky and then a strong tocbacco and cigar box. The mocha was small. The chocolate brought out the berries more, made the wine more complex adding more vanilla to taste. It became very smooth and it just gave more umph to the wine but I did not taste any chocolate in the wine. 

These pairing were just classic and nothing too exciting, the wine was great the company was great (and I mean pulled pork is always a great dish) but honestly, nothing was siginifcantly better or worse with the pairing. Just a solid dinner, all solid wines.