Wine Pairing Dinner at Zeppolis (Italy)

Today I went to a wine pairing dinner with two of my roommates and good friend Sonia. It was at Zeppolis, a restaurant in Blacksburg, Virginia that is know to serve very good meals that pair well with wines. I was very excited to try this opportunity because normally when I eat wine with a meal I try to guess which type of wine will go best with the food I want to cook.

Some food tasted.

At Zeppolis we tried 9 different wines, 4 whites and 5 reds. The waiter/the person running the dinner had kinda  theme to the dinner. He wanted us to try wines of the same grape variety, but not tell us which wine it was, the alcohol content, and the price. He wanted us to try to guess the differences in the wines just by using what we know about wines. After the first set of wines it was a little easier to taste the differences but it really made me realize how much I have learned from trying different wines. All the wines tasted are from Italy and the food was themed to be more Italian dishes.

Below are the description given to us and then my thoughts on the different wines with the different types of food that was available.

The selection of wines tasted.

Whites:

White wine tasted.

Fossi Bianco White Table Wine: An inexpensive crisp, fruity Italian white that is very drinkable. It is light, refreshing, and easy to enjoy. From outstanding Chianti producer Andrea Fossi, there is a lot of quality in the bottle for this price. Excellent for a big gathering. Light bodied, green apple and citrus undertones, crisp clean finish. [ $6.99, 11.5% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: This is a very good wine. It is very light and refreshing, I can see why this is a table wine. The subtle flavors taste like they would pair well with anything that would be ordered, as long as it was not a heavy red meat. It seems to be paired well with the Italian pasta salad, the garlic bread, and the cheese.

La Fiera 2010 Pinot Grigio Veneto: It has straw color with a fruity bouquet filled with apples and pears. The palate is dry, soft and well balanced with a lingering acidity. Exhibits ripe peach and apple flavors with a pleasing mineral finish, perfectly suited as a delightful aperitif or served alongside salads, frilled chicken and seafood. Since 1928, the Botter family has been producing wines under environmentally friendly policies and with innovation production techniques and technologies. [$7.99, 12% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: Part of the blind tasting with the Nal Margried Pinot Grigio (below). I did not like the taste of this wine. I thought it was very bland, and it did not seem to pair well with much of the food.

Nals Margried 2010 Pinot Grigio Alto Adige: Here is a Pinot Grigio (of which 30% see contact with oak) with a rich, creamy mouth feel and compelling aromas of yellow fruit and Golden Delicious apple. The wine is thick and slightly oily on the finish. Lively, refreshing and seems to have an Alpine purity. Nicely defined on the palate showing pear, melon, tangy lemon curd, and a Fruity Finish. [$14.99, 14% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: This wine was tasted first in the blind tasting (with the La Fiera Pinot Grigio). You could tell that this wine was darker than the second just by looking at the colors as they were served. I thought this wine was very crisp and tart. The acidity comes though a little, but it was expected. It was very good with the salad, pasta salad and the bread.

Lodali 2011 Moscato D'Asti: A delightfully aromatic wine, with loads of fresh fruit flavors bursting from the glass. It is sweet, but beautifully balanced by the wine's effervescence and acidity. Being Frizzante, it has only about half the effervescence of a sparkling wine, and is hard to resist. The wine makes a wonderful accompaniment to many desserts, especially those made with fruit such as peach, pear, apple and berries. [$12.99, 5.5% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: This is definitely a desert wine. It was very sweet, I am not the biggest fan of moscatos because of how sweet they are. The wine did not pair with much, just the cheeses, which can be served with desert. It was not too bad with the salad, but it was not something that I can see myself drinking a lot of with any other food besides deserts.

Reds:

Red wine tasted.

Luca Primitivo del Salento Puglia: From the easternmost part of Italy (the heel), and one of the most prolific wine producing areas since Phoenician times, the Primitivo grape produces rich, dark, fruity wine of distinctive character. Known as the father of Zinfandel, this wine shows similar qualities without the "jammy" mouth feel of the California style; a pronounced vinuous quality is readily apparent on the nose, followed by a collage of flavors. Bright plums and burnt cherries are complimented by pepper spice and laced with mineral notes. A full-bodied wine, great with barbequed meats, roasts, game, and hearty pasta sauces. [$8.99, 13% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: This wine was done as a blind taste testing with the SUD Primitivo Puglia (below). The color of this wine was very dark red. The smell was a mix of alcohol and some plums, which did not make the best combination. Because of the smell I didn't think it was going to pair well with any of the food. It was a little dry. The only food that it paired well with was the red-sauce pasta.

SUD 2010 Primitivo Puglia: Feudi di San Marzano's 2010 Privative Puglia Salento cuts a handsome appearance in the glass. It wears a deep purple robe that is imbued with fiery glints of ruby. More importantly, it offers an intense aromatic profile of plum, cherry, herb, vanilla, and spices that caress the nose. On the palate, the wine continues to work its magic by spreading plush fruit and herb driven flavors to fill the mouth. Coupled with the wine's bright fruit is a balanced minerality that adds both interest and vibrancy. [$11.99, 13.5% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: The smell of this wine was a lot better than the Luca Primitivo. You could taste a lot more of the spices in this wine. I thought it was a much better constructed wine than the other Primitivo. It tasted very good with the chicken in the salad, but I could tell it was meant more for a red meat dinner.

Morli Neri 2009 Sangiovese and Chianti DOCG: This is beautifully traditional Sangiovese and Chianti with great compatibility with food. It has a dried-cherry nose and burst of plummy jam on the palate. It has a soft bouquet and long lasting aroma. This medium bodied, earthy red is wonderful with red-sause based foods such as pizza, pasta, and lasagna. [$9.99, 12.5% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: This was part of a blind tasting with the Bibi Graetz Casamata Toscana (below). This wine is very good. I have actually had this wine before in Italy, but did not know what type of wine it was then. When I was in Italy I had it with a pizza dinner, it was the house wine. It is a wine that I would love to pair with any type of red-sause food, for example pizza or pasta. I was able to tell that this was made for an Italian palate (partly because I have had it before)

Bibi Graetz 2010 Casamata Toscana: Casamatta (meaning Crazy Horse!) is 100% Sangiovese pure blend from various Tuscan microclimates which reconfirms the exceptional nature of this territory. Smooth and rich, the wine displays all the classic qualities of the varietal with ripe red currant, earthy tannins, and hints of licorice. It is easy to drink, great with food or just by the glass, and sure to please. An unbelievable bargain too! [$12.99, 12% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: Compared to the other Sangiovese wine, I thought this wine was very dark in color. I could pick with wine this was while tasting it because I could pick out the licorice flavoring. The taste was much drier, and I was able to taste the tannins in the wine as well. I think it would be paired well with red meat instead of red-sause food, as with the other wine.

Lodali 2009 Nebbiolo D'Alba Sant Ambrogrio: Aged 12 months in French and Slovenian oak barrels and 3 months in bottle. The color is bright ruby red with shades of garnet, and the aroma is subtle and lingering, with hints of florality and licorice. The flavor is full and well-rounded, long-lasting and harmonious. Pairs well with pasta and vegetables, game birds, roast meats and cheese. [$17.99, 13.5% Alcohol]
My Thoughts: When I smelled this wine I could smell some of the oak flavoring and flowers but it was very subtle like described. Out of all the wines tasted today I was my favorite. I think it paired well with a lot of the food (the pasta salad, the red-sause pasta, and the garlic bread just to name of few). It had a very full body, and the lingering taste was very pleasant and not overwhelming.


Overall it was a good experience and I can't wait to try different foods and wine pairings.