Wine & Cuisine With The Boys

February 10, 2024

Liam McBride, Alex Bruckner, Matt Nolan, Stratis Bohle, Mr. Alex

Wine 1 2/5

Wine 2 2/5

Wine 3 5/5

Twas the night before the Super Bowl
when all through the house
Not a homie was stirring
not even Stratis
The food was cooked
The wine was chilling
In hopes that Liam McBride would be here with a sweet Riesling.

The gang sippin some wine.

Tonight we were diving into some of the South's most prominent dishes with wines that would hopefully suit each dish to perfection.

Eating and Drinking.

Our first meal was Macaroni au Gratin. A delicious and cheesy dish prepared by Chef Nolan. The Mac was rich and creamy. It used cheddar cheese and was baked to perfection This was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from California, a product of the Gallo family. This wine tasted of melon and some tree fruit that I couldn't quite describe. It had floral hints of roses and was very tannic. It paired perfectly with the dish, as the opposing flavors of bitter and sweet vs creamy and rich were warring in my mouth terrifically.

All of us getting ready to eat the main course and a close up of mine mid feast.

Our second meal was Porc Barbecue sur Petit Pain Sucré prepared by Chef Denevan. The pork was seasoned with; brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander garlic and a variation of spices. It is then smoked for just about 12 hours until perfection. This was paired with Cabernet Sauvignon from California, produced by Josh Cellars. The wine was smooth and buttery with flavors of dark fruits. It wasn't as strong as I expected and left me wanting. I couldn't put my finger on what was missing but in the end I decided that the wine wasn't made with enough love. Despite that, they paired very well and the smoke and smoothness of the wine and the sweet and smokey or the pork blended well and brought out many flavors from both.

Saving the best for last.

Our third and final meal was Tarte au Citron Vert prepared by Private Selection and purchased by Stratis Bohle. The pie was very delicious, tart and sweet. The crust balanced out the pie very well. This was paired with a Sweet Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington, produced by Pacific Rim. The wine was so yummy and I could taste honey and many types of fruits that blended together so well. I could get hits of vanilla and candied pecan as well. Unfortunately, they did not pair well as the pie was way too strong and overpowered the flavors of the wine. I think a better dessert would have been vanilla ice cream or maybe a very basic sherbet.