A glass of Malbec with Virginia

[cobguy]

Back on IPSD, in February, I received a sample of MacBaren Virginia No. 1

It was tossed into a jar and stacked with the other mason's.

Today, I picked up a bottle of Malbec wine from Argentina which mentioned fruit and tobacco overtones.

After hearing about the honey flavor of Va #1 I thought the pairing might be good ... yep!
The jar note was this amazing fresh cut hay / alfalfa smell.

It's ready rubbed and I rubbed it out some more and let it dry about 20 minutes.

Upon first light I knew this was a darn fine smoke ... and matched the wine perfectly!

However, I must admit that I was too pleased and proceeded to burn the bejeezus out of my tongue.

Slowing down to a crawl, I could taste the sweetness in every puff.

It's a really good quality tobacco and I would recommend it to any Va lover.

 

[spartan]

<p>Good wine, horrid tobacco in my opinion.

 

[mso489]

I think it is more difficult to pair wine with tobacco than with food, to do it really well. Wine can be pretty

cloying on the tobacco flavors. But this pairing sounds like it might work, if the wine is pretty dry. I think

sweeter wine would swamp the sweetness of the Virginia, which is one of its grace notes. Water and tea

provide more moisture and seem to back up tobacco better. Some bourbons do pretty well, although it

can upstage the blend, sometimes.

 

[conlejm]

That sound like a fine evening. A good smoke and a good drink. Malbec is a wonderful wine that surely pairs well with a variety of tobacco blends. Well done!

 

[wilson]

Which malbec did you have?

 

[cobguy]

Wine can be pretty cloying on the tobacco flavors

I completely agree. This one was just dry enough and the tobacco fit it like a glove.

Malbec is a wonderful wine that surely pairs well with a variety of tobacco

I had never tried it together before, but I can see the versatility in this grape!

Which malbec did you have?

Tilia Malbec, 2011

 

[msandoval858]

Wine never worked for me with tobacco. Something about the flavors just clash on my palate. Same with cigars as well. Even the popular cigar/port combo never set well with me.

 

[wilson]

I'm not familiar with Tilia, but I generally like Malbec so if I see it I will give it a try.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

-mso489
Wine can be pretty

cloying on the tobacco flavors.

As someone without an appreciation of earthy flavours (certainly at the moment, and maybe never), that actually makes it sound like a good idea. If my opinion of Coffee carries over to any great extent, which is that it's good as an accent but not as the main theme, then I may end up using most tobaccos alongside much stronger flavours.

 

[bryanf]

Interesting. I drank Malbec last night paired with some McClelland Virginia flake I picked up on a whim at a B&M in San Diego. This morning I restocked on Virginia No 1 which is a favorite of mine and will give it a try, though I usually drink bourbon when I smoke.

 

[bowler1]

I am a Malbec fan, but have not combined it with smoking my pipe. I generally opt for Scotch or Whiskey in doing so. The strong acidity of wine will probably bring out a much different range of flavors in the tobacco I would think.

 

[yazamitaz]

Someone on another thread said that while smoking a pipe the wine tasted like "ashtray juice", and I have to admit that this combo has yet to work for me.
Glad you found some harmony cobguy.

 

[lostandfound]

I tend to think that strong tobaccos should be smoked while drinking adult beverages. Think English blends, or VaBur's like Old Dark FIred. It's hard to for me to sense any flavor whatsoever if I smoke a Va or VaPer with an alcoholic beverage- whether it be Scotch, or red wine.