Over the weekend I went to a wine festival with some friends. Because, wine. Am I right?
I’ve really only gone to a couple wine “tastings” before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect since this was that – but on a much larger scale. Do you really get to taste all the wine, from all the winery’s, all. day. long. Why, yes that’s exactly what you get to do. #winning
We started about 11 am and went through about half of the winery’s (or so we thought) before stopping to grab lunch at the food trucks. One thing that was a bummer is you couldn’t leave the venue and re-enter during the festival, so your food options were limited unless you brought your own. I had been munching on mixed nuts throughout the morning, but ended up getting a Philly cheesesteak without the bun for some protein.
I was actually really happy that I had brought my own food. At the tastings I’ve been to in the past, they always had cheese, chocolate and crackers so depending on what wine you were tasting you could ‘cleanse your palate’ as well as have a pairing for that particular wine. I don’t claim to know wine – like at all – but I do know they say certain wines go with certain food because it brings out the flavor and character of the wine and food you’re eating. So it was obviously a little harder to taste so many flavors back to back and truly get a feel for them. Granted, I can’t say my intent for the day was to become a wine connoisseur anyway, but it was definitely a fun time with my girls!
By the end of the festival, my goal was to figure out (and finally remember) which types of red wine I like. I figured I should probably write it down, so I actually know next time I decide to get a glass. The problem has always been that I want a dark, deep-ish, robust red with good flavor – but I don’t like the dry, earthy or spicy taste that can sometimes accompany those deeper reds. Usually when I say I don’t want dry but I like a little sweet, they hand me a lighter red but in that case I’d rather just have a rose or white. Am I being complicated yet? I want what I want, what can I say! And with so many choices, it really shouldn’t be that hard to find one that works right?
Well, after trying out about a million different varieties of wine, I think I have it narrowed down. Sort of.
I really liked a Petite Sirah from one of the winery’s. And a Cabernet Sauvignon from another. One place had a Malbec I liked, but some of them not so much. I’m pretty sure my favorites were the Cab-Sirah blends, but I could be wrong. Progress, right?
Regardless, if there’s one thing I do know it’s that I like a red that pairs well with dark chocolate. Because, chocolate.
And this Coconut Almond Bark? Well I’m pretty sure it will pair well with just about anything.
- 2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened*
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup granular sweetener of choice
- ½ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
- Add in melted coconut oil and remaining ingredients, stir until thoroughly combined
- Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper
- Pour mixture into dish and press into place firmly to fill out the pan
- Freeze for 20 minutes or until hardened before slicing
- Keep in freezer for best results