this dining experience took place on Sunday, April 13, 2014
Today, we tried a number of wines and beers. We weren’t driving and were just having a day of wandering …
Nick started with a different beer… I went with a “favorite”, the Queen of Hearts White wine (Greece)…
Tasting notes:
- Queen of Hearts White
- Nick – taste a little sour, I like the nose; this pairs better with the hummus than with the olives
- Nora – a good balanced white wine; I really like how it goes with the black olives
- Almaza Pilsner Beer
- Nick – tastes very dry with no lingering tastes; I like this better with the olives than with the hummus
- Nora – slightly sweet
Almaza Pilsner (11.2 ounces, 4.2% ABV) from Lebanon
our usual starter – the tomato hummus had really forward tomato flavors and the sliced green olives on top were a nice accompaniment
More beer and wine talk…
- Mythos lager – a bit floral; paired better with the hummus than the Almaza but the Almaza still better with the olives
- Marques de Caceres Santinella – this wine is just too drinkable! much sweeter and fruitier than the Queen of Hearts White; Nick was surprised that the nose and the taste were so different for him, he didn’t really like the aromas but he liked the taste, said it was like a Reisling; I think this wine is very good without food … that said the Queen of Hearts pairs really well with food, especially the hummus (TRUST THE PAIRING)
Mythos (Greece) – original Greek lager beer, 5% ABV, 11.2 oz
Time for fried calamari…
I ordered a glass of Ksara Blanc de Blanc to go with the calamari… Nick liked the nose but not the taste of this one without food. I thought it tasted very floral without food.
Nick ordered an Estrella Damm (we both really like this one!) – 11.2 oz again, 5.4% ABV.
fried calamari – not greasy, nicely crispy, well seasoned
I really like the fried pickled peppers and Nick likes that the spicy harissa is spicy but not HOT
We have lots of tasting notes and comparisons:
| Without Food | Hummus | Olives | Calamari | Sauces | |
| Almaza Pilsner Beer | Nick – very dry, no lingering tastes
Nora – slightly sweet |
Nick’s preference | |||
| Mythos Greek Lager | Bothofus – a bit floral | Nick’s preference | Nick – best with harissa sauce | ||
| Estrella Damm | Bothofus – well balanced and we like it | Nick – best with tartar sauce | |||
| Queen of Hearts White | Nick – slightly sour, like the nose | Nick’s preference | Nora’s preference | ||
| Marques de Caceres Santinella (white) | Nora – very good without food, maybe too good
Nick – this is a drinking wine, not an eating wine |
Nora’s preference | Nora – best with harissa sauce | ||
| Ksara Blanc de Blanc | Bothofus – citrus & sour | Bothofus – cuts the fattiness of fried food |
This was the day that we discovered a big difference in our preferences for wine and in how we perceive wines…
If Nick likes the aroma of a wine, he’s not likely to enjoy the taste without food. In general, he likes stronger, more sour whites than Nora does. But, he likes fruitier red wines with less tannins than Nora does. So:
Nick = strong, sour whites & soft, fruit forward reds
Nora = mild, slightly sweet whites & more tannins, cherry/berry reds
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