When I was 12, I starred in a local community theater play. All that star power went to my head, but I kept it real by eating Mallow Cups. This marshmallow-y twist on Reese’s was always the right amount of sweet. It’ll be paired next.
P.s. I couldn’t find these in DC. I had to go to flippin Michigan!
Hello!
I am about to go on another vacation. It will be short and sweet, but worth every drop. I have one more post for you before I shove off and it’s a special one.
We paired the variety of Haribo we bought in Istanbul with a red wine, as I promised in my previous pairing with the wine gummies. It actually turned out pretty well! Don’t get me wrong, gummies are still difficult but this rolled alright. It helped that the flavors were more unique. That’s the Haribo way, I guess.
The Wine: mrlt*, Merlot by Wonderful Wine Co
*I actually have no idea what that says, mrlt is my best guess
The Candy: Haribo! Afrika, Smurfs, Phantasia
Yes Haribo. These are ALL candy categories alright.
The Dream:
I just wanted to try something different, so I grabbed Merlot which doesn’t get a lot of play on this blog. It tends to have some bite but isn’t overwhelming and not too fruity. I thought it may go well with the fun fruit flavors. But honestly, I wasn’t sure. I got lucky (or is it SKILL?).
The Reality:
We did this pairing while watching the extended version of Return of the King (…yea) so I didn’t take notes on the wine flavors! This is a huge offense and I apologize. But the wine was quite nice! Let’s break down the pairing by gummy.
Phantasia:
I paired a yellow gummy that was alligator-shaped and had white stuff on the back. Predictably, it tasted like lemon but the white stuff on the back gave it a strange stale flavor. It wasn’t altogether unpleasant, just strange. Paired? Not so great. Lemon is just never great with wine in my experience. The wine goes tart and gets very harsh. This particular pairing was not successful.
Gator! Smurf! ….Gator?
The Smurfs:
I don’t know why I bought these, because I hate the Smurfs. I find them annoying and frankly suspicions. But they paired really well. They had a nice, tart blueberry flavor. It is uniquely blueberry and not the vague Berry that so many gummies go for. The wine stays smooth and tastes quite good. Would I gobble and drink til I can’t see straight? Maybe not, but it doesn’t upset me either.
Afrika!:
This citrusy gatorhead-shaped gummy actually stays quite smooth. The Merlot is crisp and fresh. Overall, a lovely combination.
The Take Away: Gummy pairings have found a new savior, and her name is Red Wine. Yeah that savior is a HER, sorry fellas.
Hello!
After a rather long break, I’m back and armed with many treats acquired in Istanbul. I’m typing this on my iPhone because I’m too lazy to start my computer and transfer photos there. It would be shameful, but I choose to ignore those feelings.
Today’s pairing features some delectable pistachio chocolate paired with some Virginia Riesling. I don’t know if you can get pistachio chocolate where you live, but the Internet must have a way. If you can scrounge some up, I recommend trying this pair.
The Wine: Rockbridge White Riesling
The Candy: Dark and Milk Pistachio Chocolate
The Dream:
I imagined that the sweet Riesling would enhance nuttiness combined with chocolate. The tasty dry Riesling would aid a new nuance to the pistachio flavor while mingling pleasantly with the chocolate.
The Reality:
After biting into the dark chocolate, I was instantly disappointed by the small number of pistachios. It basically was a Riesling – Dark Chocolate pairing. I was counting on the pistachios balancing out the chocolate to the point of almost overwhelming it. Not the case.
The milk chocolate though had a great deal of pistachios. In one bite I could taste the rich, butter pistachios that were smashed close together. The Riesling then had a delight effect. The sweet wine added a lightness to the heavy and flavorful nut-chocolate combination. I think if the wine had been a bit more sweet, the take away would be even better. Overall though, I recommend it!
Uncorked, Unwrapped 