It’s that time of the year again where the annual cookie swap comes into play. With less than one week notice I had to make 8 dozen cookies for our “Wine Night” swap. So Friday evening found me slaving over my oven and kitchen aid to bake my cookies. I couldn’t do it alone, so I pulled out a 2008 Whitecliff Vineyards New York State Merlot.
A little wine for me, and more wine for me as I made the Coffee and Cream Drops.
When I opened the wine the first aromas that came to me was earth and mocha. I thought that was fitting since the cookies I was making had coffee and chocolate in them. The earth and mocha gave way to hints of plum and black cherry.
I first tasted the wine before I tasted any of the cookies I was making. I got a black cherry, bright fruit flavor with hints of raspberry. The wine was thin with a bitter finish. Then I had to see how the cookie and wine pairing tasted. I will say the cookie softened the bitter finish and the black cherry flavor became loud and prominent.
I didn’t know much about this wine before I opened it, but I must say it was a nice pairing. A note to myself, if I am going to make cookies with coffee in them, bake then in the morning. This way when you eat a couple from each batch, you won’t be up all night from the caffeine.