– Pinot Gris • cheddar and pear on the nose. Vanilla and spice with a surprising weight in the midpalate. Paired with cheese accentuates the notes on the nose and integrates well with the waiting heaviness.
– Shiraz • chlorine on the nose with very weak lingonberries. Quite acidic with a lean neediness in the aft-palate. The Colby jack is a good pair as it buoys the neediness letting the hidden spice shine with just a touch of raspberry/boysenberry.
– Irresistible Red • bubble gum on the nose with a ghost of strawberries. The taste is quite surprising, a definite soft licorice note paired with plums, cloves, and cinnamon. Paired with milk chocolate toffee pushes the sweetness forward and mutes the complex flavors that develop in the midpalate.
– Lemberger • chalkboard, slate, tomato paste in the nose. The taste is sharp and acidic with a conservative tannic structure that yields to plums and the bite of pepperoni. The pairing of dark chocolate cranberry pecan blasts out the finer flavors of the wine, accentuating the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

All in all, the Irresistible Red was the winner, the Shiraz was second, the Pinot Gris next and the Lemberger at the end.