Dinner - Caprese Sandwiches

For our first wine dinner, my group decided to have a nice, light meal with three courses: a cucumber and lettuce salad with Italian vinaigrette, Caprese sandwiches, and lemon bars as dessert. This was actually supposed to be a lunch, but we had a scheduling snafu after buying all the ingredients, so we ended up having it for dinner in the end!

Our dinner! Featuring a salad,
Caprese sandwiches, lemon bars,
and three delicious wines!

  

Franciscan Estate
Sauvignon Blanc
(2021)

Starting with the first course, we paired a Franciscan Estate Sauvignon Blanc (2021). It had light apple and lime aromas and tasted well-balanced with a clear lime or citrus on the tongue.

We didn't note anything special when paired with the salad, but we liked how the light wine complemented the vinaigrette. It was a fairly neutral pairing but worked well.

Kim Crawford
Rose (2021)

Next, we paired the Caprese sandwiched with a dry Rose from New Zealand. Online sources pin the Rose blend as containing white Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Chardonnay. By itself, I noted a watermelon aroma with a light and sweet finish including a berry taste and a dry aftertaste. The sandwich's salty pesto and acidic tomato brought out the wine's true flavor and actually made the wine sweeter. The food benefitted from the pairing as well, finding its flavor amidst the wine's dry finish.

Hess Select
Chardonnay
(2019)

Finally, we paired a delightful Chardonnay with lemon bars for dessert. I smelled citrus and some berries and tasted the citrus, oak, and vanilla listed on the wine's label. With the lemon bar, both the dish and the wine brought out each other's acid, causing a bit more sour mouthfeel. However, I kind of liked it and felt it was a neutral pairing.

Our wine dinner group!