Red Wine with a Prima Donna

We opened this 2007 Courtney Benham Lucca red wine and paired it with a wonderful cheese called Prima Donna which is a cow's milk cheese from the Netherlands.

The wine had a beautiful romantic nose of black fruit, plum and hints of cigar.  The palate was full of blackberry with a little smoke on the finish.  Tannins were nice and when paired with the cheese softened quite a bit and rounded out.

The blend in this wine is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Zinfandel, 3% Syrah, 11% Merlot, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah and Barbera.

Prima Donna is a mild style Dutch Gouda cow's milk cheese that is aged for one year.  The cheese has a nutty flavor with a caramel aftertaste that held strong even when eaten with the wine.


I picked up this wine on sale (yes, on sale) from the California Wine Club for $10.99.  Hey, it's a good value.