Special Foodventure #82: White Trash Wine Tasting (Eagle Rock)

If you think wine tastings are strictly snooty, frou-frou affairs -- chances are you haven't attended something like Colorado Wine Company's Annual White Trash Wine Tasting, where fine wines are paired with the most exquisite foods available from your corner liquor store. From its inception last year, this event caught buzz and sold out fast; thankfully my blogger friend Caroline on Crack had an extra +1 space so I joined her and blogger e*starla for this fun-sounding food- and drinkventure.
I've heard of Colorado Wine Co. before (mostly through nearby Auntie Em's, whom they partner with occasionally for wine/food pairing suggestions) but this is my first time actually going -- it's a pretty cute wine shop. Very open and their wine selection looks comparatively small but also carefully chosen. The staff not only know their wine but are very friendly as well. Definitely a great place to check out for those amateur wine enthusiasts who like to learn (and taste) a little more about their wines in a nice, casual setting.

The three of us got there early -- before the crowd -- so we wasted no time paying our $20 and getting an early start with our high/low pairings, beginning with:

Bouffées de Fromage (that's cheese puffs for you commoners, pfff...) with a Denis Pere & Fils Brut Burgundy sparkling white. It was strangely tasty pair, when combined I suddenly thought of Monday Night Football with cheesy chips and beer -- but classier! As Caroline noted, the airy puffs definitely goes well with the fizzy wine. This was so good we wound up getting a second helping of both later in the event.
Next up is Charcuterie de 7-Eleven (Slim Jims) matched with a 2007 Argentinian Malbec. Probably the most... interesting... of the pairings, and the three of us were naturally grossed out by the meat product that has a shelf-life until 2009 at room temperature. As much as we didn't care for the snappy/chewy texture of the "meat", it did kind of match the smoky/earthy profile of the Malbec and combining the two did soften the wine's tannins and make smoother and rounded (though I don't think I'll ever describe a wine as "Mmm... tastes like a Slim Jim!" anytime soon, at least not if I want others to drink it.)

Third is Frito Tarte, with the ubiquitous corn chips topped with chili and shredded cheese, with a 2007 Owen Roe Abbot's Table Red (which the tasting sheet affectionately described as the "kitchen sink blend" since it contains 10 different varietals, running the whole gamut from pinot noir to cab. franc to merlot and syrah. Again, another delightful pairing, the two plays off each other really well, I absolutely love how the spiciness of the wine kind of lingers in the background after eating the chili fritos!
Finishing up the tasting, Gâteau au Chocolate en Plastique (Ding Dongs) with Barros 10 Year Tawny Port. I loved the smell of the port immediately, it was wonderful mix of maple syrup, vanilla and pecan pie! I could swirl and sniff this all afternoon long. It complemented the cream-filled chocolate cake well, though had less of a "surprisingly good" reaction than the other pairings.

But all in all, it was a fun way to spend the afternoon with great company, and it definitely made wine (and wine pairings) a lot more approachable and casual. So don't look so shocked if you see me bringing a nice bottle of wine and a bag of Kettle Chips!

Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 478-1985
http://www.cowineco.com