Wine Dinner - The Olive Garden

Since it was Parent's weekend here at Virginia Tech, my parent's thought it was only fitting that I come and see them instead of the typical reverse. While at home we decided to go out to dinner, but most restaurants in Northern Virginia are either chains or way too pricy. We decided to go to everyone's favorite cheap Italian chain The Olive Garden.

The main reason for this choice was the abundance of free wine glass samples which almost always turn into glasses of wine. We each got a separate entree and split it family style, since we actually are family. Also there is much weird things that go on at the Olive garden than people eating off each other's plate; especially having all the tasting glass helped to pass the behavior off as a bit of intoxication.

Dinner is Shared!

Mmmm Margarita Pizza, it had tomatoes, mozzarella and spinach
there were also some herbs with a nice garlic crust

My dad is a huge fan of pizza, and opted to the get the margarita pizza. It took some convincing to get him to not get one covered in every topping known to man but it payed off. This one was the less awkward to share as it is pizza and you can just grab a slice.

Spicy shrimp Giovola: Spicy, tangy and bold with tomatoes, pesto
and breadcrumbs it was pretty okay

My mom opted to get a shrimp pasta plate as she has seafood on her mind since she wanted to go to Red Lobster. The picture in the menu looked much better than what we got on the plate, none the less it was a tasty pasta that was a bit too spicy.

Chicken Millan. A nice piece of breaded chicken over a bed of
pasta along with some marinara sauce under.

I decided to go with the Chicken Milan as it sounded super fancy and was the house special for the night. I was trying to be as smart as I could be with my food choices. I knew everyone would choose a different wine so I wanted to get a meal that could potentially go with whatever my parents randomly ended up choosing. Plus who doesn't like chicken and pasta??

Let's Wine About it!

So of course we all ended up choosing what we liked instead of food wise pairings which was typical Parman fashion. I decided to get the Cabernet Sauvignon much to my mother's dismay with the hefty $8 price tag. She opted for the cheaper glass of of Pinot Noir for only $7. My dad on the other hand chose the odd ball, a Sutter Home White Zinfadel. Yes this is the very same wine you can buy at 7/11 in a cute little baby bottle pack. Yes it is also the same wine that tastes like pink sugar crystals but he has never been a wine drinker and lovey sugary 'girly' drinks so it makes sense.

Robert Mondavi 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

By itself: Much lighter than most Cabs although full in black cherry and dark red fruit scents. Full aroma profile and all around a great and unique Cab characteristics. From the black currants to fig and very light, it was very drinkable on its own especially for being a dry red - dryness unnoticeable and provides depth.
With Chicken Milan: Solid Combination. Great overall blend with darker red berry flavors combining with breaded chicken breast. Alongside the pasta, the rich marinara and mozzarella go to work. Really complements the texture and robustness of the wine. Not to mention the herb linguine - brings everything down to earth. Brings out the earthy side of the Cab. 
With Margherita Pizza: Good balance, no overbearing power here, just a simple dinner as if two friends having a casual conversation. Nothing personal, nothing special. Although the oils and herbs of the pizza did bring out more of the earthy side to the Cab. 
With Shrimp Giovola: Spicy dish pairing with a modest Cab flavor works but not as great as I would've hoped. If the Cab were heavier, it would be even harder to pair. The spiciness really brings out a tart flavor in the Cab and although sweet was also brought out, I definitely felt like the two were butting heads. More like an argument than a conversation. Although both sides did have some good points, not the best mix. 

Sutter Home 2013 White Zinfandel

By itself: Another one of those "Oh my gosh, how did I drink all of this wine" wines. Very candy-like  and features some peach and other more tropical fruits. Sweet and tangy and drinks like soda. My dad of course loved it. 
With Chicken Milan: Blended best with the pasta and sauce as there were no outstanding textures or bold flavors to interrupt what the sugar overload. The breaded chicken didn't pair as well most likely due to texture. It's like throwing a curve-ball to a tee-ball player. New ideas are hard to introduce. Overall, definitely an overpowering sweet flavor. 
With Margherita Pizza: The oils on the pita bread/ pizza crust definitely sobered down the vibrant sweet flavor and turned into a quieter conversation. Ended up working well with this sweet wine and didn't feel overpowered. Dad food and wine combination not too bad surprisingly.
With Shrimp Giovola: Sweet + Spicy = Bad Bad Bad.  I couldn't handle the drastic differences of these two flavors. It was like they were speaking different languages! I couldn't find much in common except for the amount they didn't have in common. Wouldn't recommend this pairing unless you like like overly sweet sweet tea with creamy Italian food.

Cavit Pinot Noir 2012 

By itself: Despite me not having high hopes for my mother's wine choice this Pinot was a relief compared to the white zinfandel. It was a solid dry red wine although has much more "in your face" personality than the Cab. More red fruit flavors and outright quite peppery and herbal/earthy. Lots of floral elements working for it and very rich, ruby color. Great taste on its own but would like to see how it pairs with dinner!
With Chicken Milan: Good blend with especially the pasta. Similar comparisons with the Cab too but overall, gave a more full flavor and in-depth conversation. The pepper gave a great mix and felt like it added seasoning to the dish, 
With Margherita Pizza: Guess what? Similar to the Cab. Yep you guessed it! But really, this herbal combination really brought out what the two had in common making a floral connection! Interestingly enough, this brought out more of the dryness but it wasn't a problem, it worked out! 
With Shrimp Giovola: Also getting that very tangy flavor that wasn't in the original flavor but more manageable this time. Probably found some balance with the spiciness and floral aspects. Surprised by decent pepper reaction.

Overall Impressions
It was great to have a nice cheap dinner so that spending money on drinks was not too much of an issue. Since it was a chain there were common wines that you can buy at any grocery store or gas stations. Despite this it was nice to try blending the different grape varieties with the wines to see how they interacted with the flavor profiles. My food choice was of course the best as was my wine but my parents still see it as a topic of debate.
It was nice to finally be able to enjoy some wine with a meal that actually complements the food. 20 years of soda has turned me off from adding a sugary drink to savory food, aside from El Rod's Jumbo margs those are life. Next time I think we will try and branch out to a local place and enjoy some better food and more unique wine selection.