Wine and Beer!!!! Oh My!!!! Two of my favorite things that always seem to please.  Great craft beers with amazing wine is what TACO MAC had in store.

I entered onto a covered patio that was filled with tables that were numbered.  The first table would have a menagerie of wine glasses and mini beer steins that had a menu attached with the listings of wine and brews.  Each table was covered with beer and wine that were all new to me. There were a total of 6 tables each paired with cheese that would compliment the wine and or beer.

We would start at table #1 with an Ironmonger Strawberry Blonde Merlot & Rose d’Anjou.  I’m not usually a fan of any Merlot, but this beer was to die for.  Filled with fruity hints of berries and apples followed up with a smooth taste that was not at all dry as a Merlot would be, don’t let the name fool ya!  The wine was crisp with a clean feel as you sipped.  Definitely a keeper.

 

Table #2 would surprise us with a dark brew “Carson’s Brown Cow” & Regio Dark Red Blend for the wine.  The two would be paired with a Waypoint Camembert, an amazingly full-bodied cheese that was great with the beer and wine.  I’m not a fan of dark beers, they tend to be a little too heavy for my taste.

 

 

Moving on to table #3, we would be greeted with a Vermont aged cheese that would be paired with Fairhope I Drink Therefore I Amber beer and a Paris Valley Chardonnay.  The beer I sipped, and the cheese I ate.  What a great pair, I could do this all evening.  I was a little reluctant to try the Chardonnay, but that’s why I’m here right, to challenge myself to the different types of beers and wines that I just might like.  I take a small sip of the Chardonnay, and to my surprise, it was amazing.  Not too bitter and not at all dry as your traditional Chardonnay would be.

 

Table #4 would have a Carson’s Red Dawn beer & a Don Ramon Grenacha.  The beer, bubbly and fruity and a wheat beer which happens to be my favorite beer to drink.  The wine, a Spanish red that was smooth with a hint of sweetness that has you asking for a full pour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table #5 would have a Manchego cheese to be paired with Red Courtesy beer & Coto de Hays Centenaria Grenacha.  The beer brewed in Spain with hints of ginger, black peppercorns, orange rind, and many other wonderful flavors.  This beer not available in the States as of yet but will be a hit once it arrives.  As I drank this beer, I began to

wonder what could it possibly be consumed with and the conclusion that I came to was EVERYTHING……. I was so intrigued with the beer, that I almost forgot about the wine.  A full-bodied wine with hints of smoke and berries.

 

 

Table #6 would have a cider with hints of pear, cranberry, and blackberries.  The Maeloc Blackberry Cider also a product of Spain was amazing.  I would be afraid of what the outcome of drinking this fruity flavored beer would be. The Opolo summit Creek Merlot not a favorite, a little too dry for my taste buds.

 

 

Last but not least, table #7 would grace us with an Ironmonger Cherry Lambic & Opolo Summit Creek Zinfandel.  Another cider filled with bitter cherries and a sweet taste that comes back to remind you that you are drinking a cider.  The wine refreshing and would be a great wine for the summer.

 

Overall I can say that I enjoyed each and every wine and beer that I sampled with a couple being my favorites.  By the end of the night,  I did get the opportunity to indulge a little more into some that I really liked, and mingle with the people who made this happen.  I will be on the look out for these wonderful brews and wines as they hit our local stores and I encourage you to do the same.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Taco Mac and CalyRoad Creamery for hosting such a wonderful event & a thank you to ATLFBS for the invite………