Caribbean Wine Club @ Julie's June 21, 2014

Theme: Caribbean food with wine pairing

Date: June 21, 2014

Guests: Tayisa, Shereen, Reem, Carm, Andrea, Jacquie

MENU:

Coconut Sangria and fruit kebabs

Sangria Recipe:

• 1 bottle of white wine (Pinot optimally; Chardonnay if you prefer something a little more acidic)
• 1.5 cups of Malibu
• 1/2 cup of frozen Limeade
• 2 cups of pineapple juice
• 1 Starfruit
• Chopped mango, lime, pineapple or your tropical fruit of choice

• 1 can (355 mL) Sprite or 7-Up (Add just before serving)

Cream Cheese crab dip with crackers

Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/cream-cheese-crab-dip-caribbean-372707

Caribbean Green salad with orange vinaigrette

Recipe: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/05/caribbean-salad-with-sweet-orange-vinaigrette/

Tilapia with mango salsa and coconut rice

Recipe: http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/214541/mahi-mahi-with-coconut-rice-and-mango-salsa

I omitted the salsa and made my own: http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/48032/mango-salsa

Dessert: Très leches coconut cake

Recipe: http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/8/31/3-milk-coconut-cake.html

WINES: 

1. Vineland Estate Winery Chardonnay Musqué (2011)

Price: $17.95, LCBO Vintages - Niagara

Tasting Notes: It is a bright, elegant wine with essences of green apple, melon and peach. Medium-dry sweetness. Paired well with the grilled tilapia. Loved it at first, but unfortunately made the mistake of trying a riesling afterwards, which made it hard to go back to this one. That said, I would try it again! 

2. Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling (2011) 

Price: $17.95, LCBO Vintages - Niagara

Tasting notes: Good Riesling with hints of honey, lime, lemon and green apple. As one reviewer pointed out, we also noticed the hints of petrol, making this a hard to describe complex wine.  Medium body dry riesling. Paired really well with the tangy salad and fish with mango salsa. Most of us liked this one, and would buy again. 

3. Aure Wines Gamay (2011)

Price: $12.25, LCBO Vintages - Niagara

Tasting notes: I personally didn't like it, too light, but it was recommended by the Vintages guy at LCBO so we tried it! Jacquie may have been the only one to enjoy this wine, the rest of us stuck to the whites with our fish:)