Spice Road Table – Hummus and Calamari, a combo we really like

this dining experience took place on Sunday, April 13, 2014

Today, we tried a number of wines and beers. We weren’t driving and were just having a day of wandering …

Nick started with a different beer… I went with a “favorite”, the Queen of Hearts White wine (Greece)…

Tasting notes:

  • Queen of Hearts White
    • Nick – taste a little sour, I like the nose; this pairs better with the hummus than with the olives
    • Nora – a good balanced white wine; I really like how it goes with the black olives
  • Almaza Pilsner Beer
    • Nick – tastes very dry with no lingering tastes; I like this better with the olives than with the hummus
    • Nora – slightly sweet
#spiceroadtable #hummus #calamari 13APR2014 - 1

Almaza Pilsner (11.2 ounces, 4.2% ABV) from Lebanon

#spiceroadtable #hummus #calamari 13APR2014 - 2

our usual starter – the tomato hummus had really forward tomato flavors and the sliced green olives on top were a nice accompaniment

More beer and wine talk…

  • Mythos lager – a bit floral; paired better with the hummus than the Almaza but the Almaza still better with the olives
  • Marques de Caceres Santinella – this wine is just too drinkable! much sweeter and fruitier than the Queen of Hearts White; Nick was surprised that the nose and the taste were so different for him, he didn’t really like the aromas but he liked the taste, said it was like a Reisling; I think this wine is very good without food … that said the Queen of Hearts pairs really well with food, especially the hummus (TRUST THE PAIRING)
#spiceroadtable #hummus #calamari 13APR2014 - 3

Mythos (Greece) – original Greek lager beer, 5% ABV, 11.2 oz

Time for fried calamari…

I ordered a glass of Ksara Blanc de Blanc to go with the calamari… Nick liked the nose but not the taste of this one without food. I thought it tasted very floral without food.

Nick ordered an Estrella Damm (we both really like this one!) – 11.2 oz again, 5.4% ABV.

#spiceroadtable #hummus #calamari 13APR2014 - 4

fried calamari – not greasy, nicely crispy, well seasoned

#spiceroadtable #hummus #calamari 13APR2014 - 5

I really like the fried pickled peppers and Nick likes that the spicy harissa is spicy but not HOT

We have lots of tasting notes and comparisons:

  Without Food Hummus Olives Calamari Sauces
Almaza Pilsner Beer Nick – very dry, no lingering tastes

Nora – slightly sweet

  Nick’s preference    
Mythos Greek Lager Bothofus – a bit floral Nick’s preference     Nick – best with harissa sauce
Estrella Damm Bothofus – well balanced and we like it        Nick – best with tartar sauce
Queen of Hearts White Nick – slightly sour, like the nose Nick’s preference Nora’s preference    
Marques de Caceres Santinella (white) Nora – very good without food, maybe too good

Nick – this is a drinking wine, not an eating wine

    Nora’s preference Nora – best with harissa sauce
Ksara Blanc de Blanc Bothofus – citrus & sour     Bothofus – cuts the fattiness of fried food  

This was the day that we discovered a big difference in our preferences for wine and in how we perceive wines…

If Nick likes the aroma of a wine, he’s not likely to enjoy the taste without food. In general, he likes stronger, more sour whites than Nora does. But, he likes fruitier red wines with less tannins than Nora does. So:

Nick = strong, sour whites & soft, fruit forward reds

Nora = mild, slightly sweet whites & more tannins, cherry/berry reds

A sample text widget

Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.

Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan. Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem, suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.