for several months now, my friend cat has held mini wine tastings at our house. what first started as a fun way for us to get together and talk about new varietals, has become one of our favorite ways to catch up. between cat and i, we pair up my dishes with her wines leading to some amazing combinations.
cat and i first became friends working at a local wine bar while finding our love for our favorite fermented grapes. it's been some time since we've worked together and quenched our thirst for knowledge. so, these get togethers have been a sweet trip down memory lane.
[cat's new decanter]
our first tasting had rachael ray's pesto-stuffed chicken with angel hair pasta, and a few different varietals cat felt would match well. the entire night was wonderful, start to finish, and my stomach and heart were full.
[yum]
next tasting, we had southwest chicken chili with crusty bread for dipping, and a sampling of sherries. T and i didn't know what to expect since we both didn't have any experience with sherry. truth be told, the only thing i knew about sherry was that you could cook with it, and '60s housewives drank it. but, it was so flavorful (a somewhat almond + vanilla flavor that can vary between a lighter, or richer quality)! after the first taster, T and i became instant fans.
[so much sherry]
[favorite pick of the wines we had later]
then, last weekend's tasting was lasagna with garlic bread, and a sampling of madeiras. flavor-wise, madeira is like sherry, but similar in style to a port without being as sweet. T and i were already on board to learn about a new grape, but fell in love with it. plus, it has a cool history to boot.
later that night, we cozied up by the fire and gal paled it up. i'm pretty sure the pups think she's their girlfriend now ;)
[going over notes from the wine bible]
[yum]
can't wait until our next dinner and tasting!
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