Tag Archives: pairing food and wine

Wine Pairing Recommendations For Low and Slow Food #SundaySupper

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This week’s SundaySupper theme is all about “low and slow” foods.  I adore foods prepared “low and slow” whether it’s a crock-pot, smoked meats, or on the stove top (gumbo anyone?).  The foods are so full of flavor, one can use less expensive cuts of meat, and perhaps most of all, I like that you can leave the food unattended for long stretches of time.  My favorite food prepared “low and slow”?  That’s a tough one, there are so many, but top of mind for me would be rib!  What about you?  What’s your favorite food prepared “low and slow”?

Low and Slow #SundaySupper

If you’re not familiar with the Sunday Supper Movement, it was founded by Isabel aka Family Foodie. Our mission is to bring back Sunday Supper around the family table in every home.

Check out this week’s lineup of great dishes from the #SundaySupper family of food bloggers, and my wine pairing recommendations. 

Low and Slow Breads:

Low and Slow Starters, Main Dishes and Sides:

Pair these dishes with Pinot Gris, an underappreciated grape variety that very good at the table.  Look for the 2010 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbes from Alsace, France. It’s a dry-style with a rich honeyed tropical fruit and baked apple character. 

Pair these dishes with a Rosé.  Look for the 2012 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare. It’s a a tasty blend of Grenache, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Cinsault and Mourvèdre that is chock full of strawberry, stone fruit, and citrus flavors.

Pair these starter, main, and side dishes with a Chianti, a wine from Tuscany region of Italy.  Look for the 2011 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Castiglioni. It’s a blend of 90% Sangiovese, and 10% Merlot that’s between medium and full-bodied with soft tannins, great acidity that shows plum, raspberry and spice flavors.

Pair these main dishes with 2011 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Sonoma Zinfandel Blend. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, and a significant dose of old-vine Carignane that adds depth and acidity to this tasty blend.  It’s well-balanced has a bright red berry fruit, herbal and spice character. 

Pair these main dishes with a red Rhône blend.  What’s great about blends is that the combination of grape varietals creates a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts.  Such is the case with my recommended wine the 2010 Bonny Doon Vineyard Contra Old Vine Field Blend.  It’s a rich blend of Carigane, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah loaded with dark fruit, spice, and a bit of smoke aromas and flavors.

Pair these main dishes with a Rioja, the 2007 Bodegas Vina Eguia Reserva. It shows spice, leather and bright red fruit aromas followed by raspberry, sweet tobacco and vanilla spice on the palate.  I recommend letting the wine “breathe” for an hour or so and you’ll be amply rewarded.

Low and Slow Desserts:

Pair these dessert with a late harvest Riesling.  I love the 2011 Navarro Late Harvest Cluster Select Riesling. It has a great apricot, pear, pineapple, honey and baking spice character, with a long finish. And its crisp acidity keeps from being cloying.

Remember to join the #SundaySupper chat on Twitter Sunday to discuss cooking low and slow! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share our delicious recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Wine Pairings for #SundaySupper Birthday Celebration

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It’s the first anniversary for #SundaySupper this week!  I was excited when I saw the theme for this week’s #SundaySupper because, while I haven’t been part of the #SundaySupper movement from the beginning (my first post was Father’s Day last year), it’s a family I feel so fortunate to be a part of.

I knew little about food blogging community before Eileen McConnell Gross of Wine Everyday invited me to be part of the #SundaySupper Movement by offering wine pairing recommendations. I’ve been blown away by the creativity, compassion, and commitment the #SundaySupper family brings to the “Family Table” every week

The #SundaySupper mission is to Bring Back Sunday Supper around the family table in every home. It starts off as one day a week and soon becomes a way of life.

I’m laughing to myself as I write this because, as a self-described ‘wino with latent foodie tendencies” I love the recipes.  They’ve given me a ton of ideas, but more importantly inspired me to take action and do more cooking.  On the other hand, it can be a challenge to come up with wine pairing for such creative recipes. I’ve been stumped a time or ten, and often have to get more information to come up with a wine pairing recommendation. I very much enjoy it though, and miss it the weeks I don’t participate.

Ultimately, I hope that my wine pairing recommendations will inspire my #SundaySupper family and their readers to try some new and different wines (and wine regions) and gain confidence in pairing wine and with the amazing dishes served up at the family table every week.

Wine Pairings for 52 weeks of #SundaySupper

Image courtesy of solomonsporchradio.com

For this week’s birthday event by the #SundaySupper team was asked to choose recipes from contributors that have inspired them in the past year.  My favorite event was the 5 ingredients or less, when I limited my wine pairing recommendations to the 5 most food friendly wines.

Check out this week’s astounding recipes. My wine pairing recommendation are italicized. Click on the name of the wine to find out where to purchase.

What’s a celebration without some bubbly?! Pair these dishes with a Sparkling Blanc de Noirs, a sparkling wine made with black grapes. One of my favorites for under $20 is Chandon Blanc de Noirs.  It’s made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It’s a lovely salmon color with a red fruit (cherry, strawberry, and red currant) character.

Try the following dishes with a Sauvignon Blanc.  Look for the 2011 Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc from Chile – it’s an elegant Sauvignon Blanc that sees a bit of oak, with pineapple, stone fruit, and citrus aromas and flavors.

Pair these dishes with a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France. I recommend the 2011 Pascal Janvier Jasnières.  It shows a core of tangy apple, citrus fruit complemented by a mineral undertone. 

Pair these dishes and what you serve with the Harissa with a Riesling.  One of my favorites is the 2010 Trimbach Riesling.  It’s dry wine from the Alsace region with delicate aromas that belie its rich, fruity tropical fruit, peach and citrus flavors:

Pair these dishes with Pinot Noir.  Look for the 2011 Hahn Winery California Pinot Noir. It has wonderful mixed berry, lavender, and spice aromatics, that follow onto the palate.

Pair these dishes with a Sangiovese. Look for the 2009 Ninety+ Cellars Reserve Lot 57 Rosso Toscana.  It’s a blend of mostly Sangiovese (80%) with the balance split between Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.  Therefore it’s a what’s referred to as a “Super Tuscan”.  It’s loaded with blackberry, black cherry, and spice character.

Pair these dishes with a red Rhône blend.  I recommend the newly released vintage of one of my favorites, the 2011 Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas.  It’s a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise. The blend of grape varieties produces a vinous synergy resulting in a fresh juicy red fruits, spice, and mineral character.

Pair these dishes with 2010 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Sonoma Zinfandel Blend. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, and a significant dose of old-vine Carignane that adds depth and acidity to this tasty blend.  It’s well-balanced has a bright red berry fruit, herbal and spice character. 

Pair these dishes with a Moscato d’Asti from Italy.  Look for the 2011 Saracco Moscato d’Asti. It shows a sweet, fragrant, delicate, floral, tropical fruit, and a hint of honey character.  It’s “frizzante”, which means it’s not as effervescent as most sparkling wines. It’s a great example how a wine can work with multiple courses!

Pair these desserts with a Sauternes,  a sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section of Bordeaux. They are made from  Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes affected by noble rot.  Look for the 2005 Guiraud Sauternes.  It has a full-bodied, honeyed, lemon tart, baked apple, baking spice, and  vanilla cream character

Pair these desserts with Port.  Look for Warre’s “Otima” 10-year-old Tawny Port. It’s a rich tawny with a toffee, caramel, honey and dried fruits character. 

This week we’re excited to announce a New Addition:  Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversary Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries originally posted by The Messy Baker Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Seafood Gumbo and Wine Pairings for Soul Warming #SundaySupper

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This week’s #SundaySupper theme is all about soul warming foods.  You know, those soups, chili, stews, and other soul warming treat we seek when the weather turns cold.

When I first saw the theme, my first thought was of “Soul Food”. I’d  bet that “Soul food” is one of those phrases that if you ask 10 people what it means, you’d get 10 different answers!  Soul Warming foods and Soul food are one in the same to me, and when I think of Soul food, the first dish that comes to mind is Gumbo!  We have a tradition in our family of making Gumbo each New Year’s day, but it’s  a soul-satisfying meal whenever there’s a chill in the air.

Since I’m a Wino with latent foodie tendencies, I decided let my foodie nature rise up, and do a dish, and wine pairings this week!

Here’s my Seafood Gumbo (we …OK make that “I”, call it “Yumbo” – lame right?..but I like it!)

Seafood Gumbo

Seafood Gumbo

For me, there are two things you’ve got to get right to make a gumbo – the “roux” (I prefer mine to be dark brownish), and you must have stock that is chock full of flavors.  Sure you could take a short-cut, and go with store-bought (I’ve done that for a  ” quick and dirty” version of this dish, but the flavors are not as complex and intense for me. If you get those couple of things “right”, it’s clear sailing thereafter!

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Seafood Gumbo and Wine Pairings for Soul Warming #SundaySupper
Author: 
Recipe type: Stew
Cuisine: Cajun
Serves: 10-12
 

Adapted from Emeril’s Classic Seafood Gumbo recipe
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups finely chopped onions
  • ¾ cup finely chopped green bell peppers
  • ¾ cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • One 12-ounce bottle amber beer
  • 6 cups Shrimp and Crab Stock
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 small Dungeness crabs
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon Emeril’s Original Essence
  • 2 cups shucked oysters with their liquor
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ cup chopped tender green onion tops

Instructions
  1. Follow directions for cleaning and prepping crab to be cooked (click here, except remove crab legs and claws. Follow directions for Shrimp and Crab stock, except add crab shell and crab butter (roe) along with shrimp.
  2. Place an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat for about 5 minutes, then add the flour to the pot. Stir the oil and flour together with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Continue to stir the roux for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the color of milk chocolate. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the roux and stir to blend. Stir the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds before adding the beer and Shrimp and Crab Stock to the pot. Season the gumbo with the thyme, bay leaves, crabs legs, Worcestershire, salt, and cayenne. Bring the gumbo to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the gumbo for 1 hour, skimming the foam and any oil that rises to the surface.
  3. Season both the shrimp with 1½ teaspoons Essence. Stir the shrimp into the gumbo and cook for 2 minutes. Add the oysters to the pot and cook, stirring often, for an additional 5 minutes. Taste the gumbo and season if necessary.
  4. Garnish with the parsley and green onions and serve in shallow bowls over white rice.

Notes
Recommended Wine Pairings – I paired this with the Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker, a blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. It would also pair well with Viognier, a dry Rosé, or White Zinfandel. If you elect to go with a less spicy version try a Pinot Noir!

 

Take a look at the culinary cornucopia the #SundaySupper team has put together for this week’s gathering around the #SundaySupper table! My recommended wine pairings (click on the name of the wine to find out where to purchase) are italicized.

Main Entrees: 

Pair these main dishes with Pinot Noir.  Look for the 2010 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir. It’s a silky smooth Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with a core of raspberry  and spice aromas and flavors, with caramel edge. Why it works: Pinot goes with just about everything.  It’s a white wine, in red wine clothing, which makes it incredibly flexible with dishes and methods of prep.  Pinot is sublime with poultry, and complements foods that are slow roasted, or braised.

I recommend a Chardonnay for these dishes.  Look for the 2009 MacMurray Ranch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. It’s a medium-full bodied Chardonnay that’s undergone malolactic fermentation, that’s moderately oaked.  The oak aging brings vanilla and caramel notes to the party to go along with its ripe apple, tropical fruit and lemon cream character.  Why it works: The texture, and weight of wine complement the dish, and it has enough acidity to “cut” the dish a bit and prepare the palate for the next mouthwatering bite.

Pair this dish with a Tempranillo from Rioja Spain.  I really like the 2007 Viña Eguia Reserva. It’s shows great balance between oak and fruit with a cherry, dried herb, spice, leather and vanilla character.  Why it works: Tempranillo is an underrated food pairing partner.  It’s tends to be a light-medium bodied earthy red wine. It’s between a Pinot Noir and Cab.  It’s fruity with moderate tannins, and acidity making it a good fit for somewhat spicy fare like Spanish, Mexican and similarly spiced fare.  

Pair this classic Italian dish with Sangiovese.  Try the 2010 La Mozza I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano. It’s a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante, plus a couple of other indigenous Italian grape varieties from Tuscany  It shows juicy red and black berries, with some licorice and spice notes supported by soft dusty tannins.  Why it works: The food of a place and the wine of a place is always a good place to start when pairing wine and food.  On top of that, its high acidity, together with its medium-bodied character enable it to stand up to more substantial dishes.  Sangiovese is a wine that loves dished prepared with fresh herbs, rich thick soups, mushrooms and tomato based dishes

Pair this dish with an Edelzwicker, a blend of the “noble” Alsatian varietals of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris.  Look for the 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker. It’s an aromatic white wine with a stone fruit, spice, and hint of citrus character. Why it works:  The spicy character of the wine, along with some sweetness (spicy likes sweet) and acidity make a great match!

Chili/Stews:

Pair these hearty dishes with Cabernet Sauvignon.  One of my favorites is the 2010 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon “H3″  It’s from Washington State, and is a bold wine that delivers delightful floral, dark fruit, cocoa aromas followed by plum, black cherry, vanilla and cocoa flavors. Why it works: Cab works well with red meats, dishes with earthy, herbal elements.  This youthful wine has plenty of fruit which make it a nice complement to longer cooked meats and stews.

Try these dishes these with a Cru Beaujolais (not to be confused with Beaujolais Nouveau hitting the store shelfs soon), a wine from France made from the Gamay grape. Look for the 2010 Georges Debœuf Moulin-à-Vent with a wild red fruits, and white pepper character that a juicy easy drinker.  Why it works: Like Pinot Noir, the Gamay grape is naturally high in acidity, and is light-medium bodied with low tannins. It pair well with dishes with veggies,earthy flavors. Great picnic wine too! Er..but I digress;-)

Syrah is a good match for these hearty flavorful dishes.  I like the 2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz from Australia. It’s has a fruity core of black cherries, plums, baking spices, and vanilla that balanced by some oak.  Why it works: Syrah is an ample full-bodied wine that likes thicker, fuller dishes like slow braises, stews (especially tomato-based), and one-dish meals.

Pair these dishes with the Sangiovese noted above:
Pair these dishes with the Pinot Noir noted above:
Pair this dishes with the Tempranillo from Rioja noted above:

Soups:

Pair these soul-warming soups with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Pouilly-Fumé region of the Loire Valley in France. Look for the 2011 Patient Cottat “Le Grand Caillou” Sauvignon Blanc.  It has a lovely tropical fruit, citrus, spice and mineral character with a tangy acidity.  Why it works: Sauvignon Blanc with its “green” (gooseberries, lime, green olive, papaya character and a mineral component attributable to the terroir of the Loire Valley make this a good match for vegetarian soups, spicy (hot) fare, dishes with acidic ingredients.  It’s a very versatile food pairing partner in that it work nicely as a complement or a contrast.

Pair these satisfying soups with Pinot Gris.  I recommend the 2011 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection from Oregon. It has juicy lemon-lime, stone-fruit, green apple, pineapple and spice character.  Why it works: Pinot Gris likes ethic foods, especially coconut-milk based curries. 

Pair the rest of the soups with the aforementioned wines as noted in parentheses:

Desserts/Beverages:

Pair this Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (That Skinny Chick Can Bake) with the Terra d’Oro Zinfandel “Port”, a dessert wine made for chocolate! I like the what the Wine Enthusiast says about it…”The first duty of a Port-style wine is to be dazzlingly rich and sweet yet balanced in acidity, and this bottling is all that. Waves of blackberry jam, cassis and dark chocolate are brightened with zesty acidity…

  • White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  And join us at 7pm EST, for our live weekly #SundaySupper chat.   All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

And be sure to check out the #SundaySupper Pinterest board. We’d love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes and share them with all of our followers.

Which Are The Best Types Of Wines For Barbeque?

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Summer is officially here, and you know what that means! It’s time to start grilling, planking and smoking your favorite foods. While beer is probably the top of mind beverage for barbecues for most folks, don’t forget about wine! A glass of wine alongside your grilled favorites can elevate a meal from mundane to memorable.

Here are some of the things you need to know to successfully add wine to your list of favorite adult barbecue beverages!

  • If your meat, or vegetable has a sauce, salsa, chutney, etc. that dominates the flavors of the dish, let the sauce dictate which wine to pair with the food. BBQ Chicken is a good example. If you follow the cliché white wine with white meat “rule”, it could be a challenge to find a white wine to stand up to the bold flavors of the BBQ sauce. It’ll be much easier to find a red wine, or even a Rosé that will complement BBQ chicken. In other words, think of the meat, or vegetable as a “vessel” for the sauce. Pair to the sauce, not the “vessel”.
  • Smoking, grilling, and blackening all transform the flavors of food, so that will dictate which wines to serve with the food
  • Spicy (hot) foods like sweet. Pair spicy hot foods with wines that have low to moderate alcohol levels (less than 14.5% generally), no or minimal oak, and some residual sugar (sweetness)
  • BBQ wines should be inexpensive

With those tips in mind, check out these lip-smacking wines for your barbecue!

Can't claim credit for this cooking, my friend...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Dry Rosé

I like Rosé because it’s served chilled, which make it refreshing, while at the same time being “bolder” than the most popular white wines when it come to pairing with grilled, and smoked foods. I especially like a Rosé with grilled salmon. Try the Bonny Doon 2011 Vin Gris de Cigare, or for sparkling, Gruet Brut Rosé.

2. Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a wine that loves charred foods topped with barbecue sauces. Look for the Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel. And if your barbecue sauce is on the sweet side, consider an off-dry White Zinfandel. It’s great with barbecue chicken sandwiches. I recommend Beringer White Zinfandel.

3. Merlot

Merlot is a great choice for grilled, planked and smoked foods. This is especially true if you throw some herbs (rosemary comes to mind) into the heat source. Try the Bella Serra Merlot.

4. Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah, a plump wine saturated with berry flavors, and moderate acidity levels makes a great companion a range of grilled and barbecued meats. Look for Maggio Petite Sirah.

5. Shiraz

Wines made from the Syrah (a.k.a. Shiraz) grape, and Syrah blends are a natural with all kinds of grilled foods because of their fruity profile and acidity. Look for Rosemount Estate Shiraz.

6. Malbec

Loads of dark plummy fruit, and a touch of peppery spice make Malbec a natural for grilled burgers and steaks. Look for Dona Paula Malbec.

7. Sangria

Sangria, the wine punch so popular in Spain and Portugal, makes a great barbecue wine! You can make it either red, or white. There are lots of recipes on the web. Try a few, and find one you like. My favorite is called “Best Sangria,” from Cook’s Illustrated.

8. Riesling

Think Riesling when your foods incorporate aromatic spices (such as Indian spices), or has a sweet and spicy marinades or sauce such as sweet and sour. It also pairs well with grilled sausages like brats, along with grilled pineapple, and veggies. Look for Navarro Riesling.

9. Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a wine that works well with grilled seafood, and shellfish, along with corn on the cob slathered in butter. Look for Clos du Bois Chardonnay.

10. Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a great wine for a wide variety of foods. It works especially well with dishes emphasizing fresh herbs, such as fish or chicken marinated in citrus, or vinaigrette. And if you’re grilling fish or vegetables featuring fresh herbs such as dill, it’s hard to beat. Look for Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

11. Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer offers a nice balance of spice and moderate sweetness that make it an excellent partner with foods smoked/grilled over aromatic woods such as apple or almond. It’s fantastic with fruit based salsa too. Look for Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewürztraminer.

12. Sparkling Wines

Last, but certainly not least would be sparkling wines like Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy. Because they are served chilled they offer refreshment. And that, along with their palate-cleansing effervescence and acidity, prepare your palate for the next bite of your favorite barbecue dishes. I recommend Mionetto Prosecco.

What are your favorite wines to serve with barbecue?

This article was previously featured on 12 Most and is republished, by the author Martin Redmond
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Beat The Heat #SundaySupper – Hot Wine Pairings for “Cool” Food

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It may be the hottest summer on record in the U.S.  When it’s THAT hot, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or the stove.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to eat more salads or anything I don’t have to cook inside.  This week’s #SundaySupper is all about salads, refreshing drinks, desserts and foods that don’t require baking.  I’m pleased to offer wine recommendations for this great lineup of foods that beat the heat!

Image courtesy of portablefarm.com

Check out this week’s lineup of “cool” recipes!  My recommended wine pairings are italicized.

#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

Rosé is my favorite summertime quaff – it offers the soul of a red wine because it’s predominately made with red wine grapes, but with the cool refreshment of a white wine.  Try the following appetizers with the 2011 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé from South Africa. It’s a fabulous wine, and a great deal at less than $10 too!

Try these delightful appetizers with Prosecco, which tend to be fruitier than other sparkling wines produced using the traditional method. That makes them the ideal foil for slightly spicy foods and smoked fish.  Look for La Marca Prosecco.  It has apple, peach and honeysuckle aromas followed by fresh, fruity apple, citrus flavors.

Pair the following appetizer with a Riesling, arguably the most food friendly white wine.  Look for the 2010 Columbia Crest Two Vines Riesling – it’s distinctly off-dry with tropical fruit and citrus aromas, followed by  stone fruit and mild orange flavors rounded out with a crisp refreshing acidity.

The grilled and the cheesy goodness of a baked potato skins will work best with a red.  Look for the 2010 Ménage à Trois, a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.  It’s an easy drinking red that can take a chill too because it’s fruity, lower in tannins with good acidity!

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:

Try the following dishes with a Sauvignon Blanc.  Look for the 2011 Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc from Chile – it’s an elegant Sauvignon Blanc that sees a bit of oak, with pineapple, stone fruit, and citrus aromas and flavors.

Riesling will be a nice match for the following dishes.  Go with the 2010 Columbia Crest Two Vines Riesling mentioned above.

Pair  the following soup with a Rosé, or a sparkling Rose either the Mulderbosch, or the Gruet respectively mentioned above.

#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:

Pair the following main dishes with a Sparkling Rosé.  They are among the most versatile food wines.  I recommend Gruet Rose.  It’s shows lots of red fruit, and the chilled effervescence will have you ready for the next bite of your entrée!

Pair the following main dishes with a crisp refreshing white blend, in this case the 2010 d’Arenberg Stump Jump White – a blend of 28% Riesling, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne from McLaren Vale, Australia.  It’s very food friendly with juicy citrus and tropical fruit aromas balanced nicely with good acidity.

#BeatTheHeat Desserts:

I differentiated between the frozen and other desserts because frozen desserts are a treat unto themselves, especially when it’s so hot!  

For these non-frozen desserts my wine recommendations are as follows:
  • Elegant Fruit Jellies ~ Happy Baking Days  – La Marca Prosecco will be a fruity refreshing match for this dessert
  • Raspberry Mousse ~ Basic and Delicious - Pair with Banfi Rosa Regale, a lovely Italian sparkler that offer rose and berry aromas, along with strawberry and raspberry flavors.

#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:

Note: I like to use WineSearcher.com to locate wines.

Be sure you join the conversation on Twitter throughout the day on Sunday, and at 3:00 p.m. EST for the weekly #SundaySupper Twitter chat!  All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!  Or check out the #SundaySupper Pinterest board.

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#SundaySupper Father’s Day

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Today’s #SundaySupper is all about special recipes that remind you of Dad.  As a Dad, I can tell you that Dad wants to be appreciated, and cooking something special for him is a great way to do that.

Here’s the menu for today.  My suggested wine pairings are italicized.

Father’s Day Brunch:

There’s a reason that sparkling wines go so well with brunch, the effervescence adds a celebratory feel to the meal, and the high acidity of sparkling wines makes them an ideal companion for the melange of foods that might be served.  I recommend Mumm Napa Brut Prestige for something on the dry side, and La Marca Prosecco if Dad like his bubbly a bit sweeter.  Both are available for less than $20

Dad’s Favorite Soup, Salads and Bread:

For the Tuna Salad, and the German Potato Salad stick with the sparklers I mentioned above.  For the Roasted Beet soup, I recommend the “Chef’s Wine” – Pinot Noir.  Like sparkling wine, its got great acidity, which make it very food friendly.  The acidity has the effect of cleansing the palate and preparing it for the next mouthful of deliciousness!  It can be a challenge to find a budget friendly Pinot Noir.  Look for the 2008 Buena Vista Pinot Noir, it’s about $10 at Trader Joe’s.  It has a nice mix of cherry, and earthy flavors that will be a great complement a variety of food, especially Roasted Beet Soup. 

Father’s Day Favorite Main Dishes:

I recommend Syrah for the following dishes.  Syrah is a “big” wine that will stand up the the hearty nature of these dishes.  What I like about Syrah is that it typically has more acidity than Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot. That enables it to pair with a wider range of foods.  Look for the 2010 Andrew Murray Tous Les Jours Syrah.  It retails for $16.  Another great option for these dishes is a Côtes du Rhone Villages, which is often a blend of Syrah, along with Grenache and Mourvedre.  Look for the 2009 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve Red.  It’s around $15. 

For these dishes I recommend 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris.  Pinot Gris is a “cousin” to Pinot Noir, it has good acidity, and is more full-bodied that Pinot Grigio, so it will stand of to the bolder flavors of these dishes.  

Dad’s Sweet Tooth:
When pairing wine with dessert the main thing to remember is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert.  Since I’m not sure how sweet the desserts are I’ll propose a few dessert wines that will work with this alluring line-up of desserts.
 
For the all but the sweetest of chocolate based desserts, especially the Black Forest cheesecake, I recommend  Banfi Brachetto d Acqui Rosa Regale, which is a red sparkling wine from Italy, made from the Brachetto grape.  It  complements chocolate very well.  And because it’s a sparkler it has the added benefit of cleansing the palate.  Around $20
For the fruit based desserts, custards, meringue, puddings I recommend a Late Harvest Riesling.  It’s a sweeter dessert wine, but the acidity of the Riesling keeps it from being cloying.  I recommend 2010 Hogue Cellars Late Harvest Riesling. Around $10
And finally, Dad might like a little Port to go something a little bit sweeter, or that contains nuts. Try the Graham Porto 10-year Tawny.  Port has the added advantage of being longer-lived than my other dessert wine recommendations.  That’s nice because, of course you DO want to let Dad know he’s appreciated more than once a year. Right? 
Cheers!

To learn more about Sunday Supper, please visit Family Foodie!

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Celebrating Family Heritage #SundaySupper Food and Wine Pairings

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This week’s #SundaySupper is all about celebrating your family’s heritage. As an avid lover of all manner of ethnic foods, I love the theme!  And wow, I was blown away by the diversity of menu!  It’s fabulous to see so many ethnicities represented.

Image courtesy of dreamtime.com

Such a culinary melange deserves wine pairings that are just as diverse.  With that in mind, I’m recommending wines from each of  the 4 major categories of wines (Red, White, Sparkling, and Dessert).  While Red and White wines are the most popular choices, don’t forget about Sparkling wines which not only add a bit of pizzazz to your meal , they are among the most food friendly wines.  Likewise, serve a Dessert wine for that extra special finishing touch to your meal.   My wine recommendation include wines from the U.S., Spain, Italy, and France

The key to pairing wines with such a diverse menu is to follow some practical guidelines (See “Related articles” below), and is to take advantage of food friendly wines.

I’ve devised a “Food and Wine Pairing by the numbers” scheme.  My recommended wines (bolded) are listed below.  Each recommended wine has a corresponding number.   Next to each menu item, I’ll note the number of the recommended wine.

While I’ve recommended specific wines, I encourage you substitute the same type of wine if you have a favorite, or you can’t locate one of the recommended wines.

 My wine recommendations are:
  1. Sparkling – Rosé (Mumm Sparkling Brut Rosé)
  2. Sparkling – Moscato di Asti (2010Martini & Rossi Moscato d’Asti )
  3. Red – Merlot (2009 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Merlot)
  4. Red – Sangiovese (2008 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rùfina Nipozzano Riserva)
  5. White – Albarino (2010 Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas Burgáns)
  6. White – Riesling (2010 Chateau Ste Michelle Eroica Riesling )
  7. Fortified Dessert - (Yalumba Museum Reserve Antique Tawny)
While food and wine pairing can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.  In my experience there are very few truly awful food and wine pairings.  The key is to experiment, and discover which combinations you like best.  For example, I bet a few of the desserts go best with a cold glass of milk;-)

Here’s the Celebrating Family Heritage #SupperSunday menu:

Be sure to check out the  Sunday Supper Pinterest board to see all the mouth-watering food pics!  Here’s to #SupperSunday…

Cheers and Bon Appétit!

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