Steps of the Drink this Now Lesson:
1. Open and try the wine immediately, noting the color, aroma, body and taste.
2. Wait two hours for the wine to "open up" to allow oxygen to get in and try it again noting any differences you noticed.
3. Try the wine with cheese. Take a hunk of the cheese, chew, and sip the wine noting any changes in taste. Next. eat a piece of meat like pepperoni and do the same.
4. Save a bit overnight and try it again without food.
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Similar to the example blog post, I could not find the wines on the list and decided to get a newer version of the Piemonte Barbera shown. This wine was made in the Bricco de Tati wineary in Piedmonte, Italy (Northern) with grapes harvested in 2019 and was about $9.99.
Review from online: "An old world wine from Italy, red hue, transparent and dry, this is medium bodied, hard with high tannins and acid...flavors of blackberry and plum with a long finish of allspice."
The first taste of this wine was sweet. It was a bit under room temperature, cool, and smooth. It had a dark red color, but not black dark -- just deep red dark. I tasted light raspberry, cherry, a bit of acidity, and light tannins. In terms of aroma, it was a bit spicy and had hints of black cherry.
Two hours later....there are physical minerals at the bottom of the glass. I also noticed the color became a light ruby red color. The fruits were still present in the aroma, but it was more oak and vanilla coated. When tasting, more cranberry juice flavors were brought out along with tart strawberry jam. I enjoy the taste two hours later and two hours before.
For my food pairings, I decided to try this with asiago cheese and pepperoni's. I took a bite of the cheese, chewed a little, and noted the flavors. For this combination, I feel the cheese made the wine silky and smooth with a sweet flavor that lowered the tannins and acidity. The cheese was savory and without any spice. Doing the same with the pepperoni, this combination of flavors in my mouth was spicy, smokey, and peppery.
Leaving the bottle out on the counter overnight made these flavors develop interestingly, in a good way. By allowing oxygen to work through the bottle, it lost some of its fresh taste and aromas. It became more jammy with hints of tobacco and increased spice. I preferred the sweetness and fruit notes when it was first opened, but I'm sure many would disagree.
This assignment was different from the others and more experimental about the science behind wine. I don't pay much attention to the pairings or how specific cheeses, meat flavors, or oxidation levels can affect the flavor of wine.
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