Cheese and Wine at Carolina Vines - Part 2!

 Once again, I took a trip to Carolina Vines in Newton, NC on a visit to my parents' house. This time we had the pleasure of talking to Michael, one of the owners. Sarah, the somm-in-training that we had last time, was also there to serve us. It was another wonderful experience.

This time, I tried a malbec and two chardonnays with a cheese plate. Just like last time, I was pleasantly surprised with the wines and pairings and I look forward to visiting this shop again.

The Cheeses:

We had some cheese repeats from last time (but they were good, so whatever). Our board consisted of a Manchego, a brie with mango chutney, and Gorgonzola. Gotta love the variety here. The Manchego was not quite the same as last time, but it was still good. The brie was awesome, semi-soft with the rind on. And the mango that went with it was fruity with a hint of spice. Finally, the Gorgonzola was as funky as ever. They also added some apples, little crackers (great for palate cleansing), and some olive-pepper thing that was pretty delicious. So great. Now, on to the wines.

The Pairings:

Name: Kaiken Terroir Series Malbec
Variety: 80% Malbec, 12% Bonarda, 8% Petite Verdot
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013

Even though I've learned that I do actually like some reds, I'm still hesitant to order a glass or buy a bottle. However, I did find that I liked this wine. On the nose I got a lot of dark fruit, especially blackberry and maybe a hint of cherry. When I tasted it, I definitely got that full on dark fruit flavor with a full body. I wasn't overwhelmed by any tannins, which was nice. Definitely a new world style of wine that could be enjoyed right away on its own. Sarah paired this with the Manchego. I found that the hard cheese went well with full body and added a creamy component to the flavor profile. I really enjoyed this red and would definitely try other Malbecs in the future.

Name: Bread and Butter Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa
Country: California
Year: 2014

I have a confession: I've made it this far through this course and I haven't had a chardonnay. If I'm being honest, it's because I'm scared of oak. It seems that people either love or hate it and I didn't want to risk the monetary investment. I have another confession: I didn't hate this chardonnay. I'm not saying that I would go out and buy a case or even a bottle, but I'm open to trying more to see how I feel about his varietal. I'll also have to give the unoaked variety a try. But back to this one. I smelled a buttery, floral wine with a hint of grass and vanilla. And that's basically how it tasted. The oak left vanilla flavors and it was a very smooth wine. I was not overwhelmed by oak, which is a plus. I understand when people say a wine is creamy, cause this one was. Sarah paired this with the brie and mango, which went well with the creamy aspect of the chardonnay. The spicy mango also cut in just a bit to add a little smoke. All around, a great experience. 

Name: Southern Magnolia Peach Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013

As I've learned, I really enjoy sweeter wines. I also like peaches, so I was looking forward to trying out this one. And let me tell you what, if you don't like peaches, then just get something else. When I took my first sniff, it was all peaches. I felt like I was sticking my face in a bag of those Trolli Peach Rings. Just peaches. And that's how it tasted. A refreshingly light wine that tasted like I was biting into a fresh peach. Sarah matched this one with the Gorgonzola. The funkiness of the Gorgonzola went well with the light sweetness of the peaches. Kind of like a weird salty-sweet combo. I definitely enjoyed this wine and its paring.