Now that it's spring, and winter's cold and icy fingers are slowly
creeping away(At least in Hamilton, Ontario it's taking a long time),
we're starting to dream more about summer. The problem with summer is
that you need to look fit as you no longer have your winter clothes to
hide behind. Gone are rib sticking meals of pot roasts, prime rib, and
rabbit stew, and in are the belly trimming meals of salads. Fortunately
wine goes so well with salad, and this week we are focusing our wine and
food pairing on wine and salad combos.
Riesling and Potato Salad Wine Pairing
A crisp and dry Riesling is perfect for cutting through the rich and
creamy texture of a classic Potato Salad. Riesling wine is also a great
choice for any picnic occasion where Potato Salad tends to be served.
Garden Salads with a Vinaigrette and Albariño White Wine
This is a classic food and wine pairing that illustrates that acidity
likes acidity. Albariño is a tangy white wine that when paired with a
vinaigrette actually tastes less tart and more fruity. This is pretty
cool as it brings a new dimension to the wine that you may have never
noticed.
Valipolicella paired with Greek Olive and Whole Wheat Pasta Salad
Valpolicella is a light and fruity red wine that won't destroy the mild
flavours of this delicious and fresh salad. Meanwhile Valpolicella has
enough body to deal with the earthy flavours of the arugula and the
heavier nature of the whole wheat pasta.
For this first week of March 2013, we turn our food and wine pairings
towards Beer and Food Pairings. Not too much information exists of food
and beer pairings and here at What to Pair we are trying to change that.
Sure it takes a lot of drinking beer, and trying out food with it, but
if it keeps you reading, we are more than happy to oblige. To the left
you'll see an image of Beau's Winter Brewed Coffee Amber.
This coffee flavoured beer is great with brunch, it's also the perfect
beverage for an after dinner treat for a cold winter's evening. Our
favourite pairing with it so far was with coffee cake, while we watching
a late night movie on Friday evening.
Mango Salad and Lager Beer Pairing
Mango Salad is normally big on delicate flavour. A lager beer won't
crush the wonderful fresh flavours of a Mango Salad. Mango Salad and
Lager is a perfect match for a hot summer afternoon out on a the patio.
Guacamole and Weiss Beer Pairing
Good guacamole has to be fresh, and fresh guacamole must be enjoyed
with fresh beer. Weiss is a light wheat beer that is excellent with the
lime, and cilantro flavours of fresh guacamole. Weiss also has an
earthiness to it that complements the green taste of avocado.
Braised Veal and Dark Ale Beer Pairing
Braised Veal is a robust dish, and a Dark Ale has the malty flavours
and body to stand up to both the meat and the juices of this dish.
Camebert Cheese and Dark Ale Beer Pairing
Dark ale tends to have smooth and sweet flavours that pair well with the creamy and subtle nutty flavours of Camembert cheese.
Brie Cheese and Dark Ale Pairing
Dark ale tends to have smooth and sweet flavours that pair well with the creamy and subtle nutty flavours of Brie cheese.
Coffee Stout Beer and Brunch Pairing
It's not the most inventive pairing, but coffee flavoured beers are
excellent with brunch. People are used to having coffee with pancakes,
cereal, bagels, so the added stout flavours are a great bonus.
February 24 to March 2 2013 Food and Wine Pairings
Thai Noodles in Lemon Grass Sauce paired with Torrontés White Wine
An Argentina Torrontés goes extremely well with Thai
noodles in a lemongrass sauce. With this dry white wine you'll find that
it has intense floral aromatics with impressive citrus flavours. As you
can imagine, the lemon flavours of the Torrontés, such as lemon
custard, marmalade and lemon custard go extremely well with the
lemongrass sauce.
Sushi paired with an Argentina Torrontés
If you are looking for a citrusy wine to go with your sushi, look no
further than an Argetina Torrontes. This dry and racy white wine has
plenty of citrus flavours and aromas to help wash down your next sushi
feast.
Carménère Red Wine Paired with Steak
Carménère is a red wine that smolders with mulberry, tobacco, black
plum and woodsmoke flavours and aromas. The smoky nature of Carménère
makes it a fantastic match with barbecued steak. Meanwhile the
raspberry, and blueberry flavours are playfully refreshing when paired
against red meat.
Spanish Carménère paired with Hamburgers
A Spanish Carménère is a red wine that smolders with
mulberry, tobacco, black plum and woodsmoke flavours and aromas. The
smoky nature of Carménère makes it a fantastic match with hamburgers.
Meanwhile the velvety raspberry, and blueberry flavours are a refreshing
break between each bite of a delicious and juicy hamburger.
Jalapeño Chilie Poppers paired with Prosecco
Prosecco is fantastic with baked jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese.
This bubbly sparkling wine will put out the fire caused from the
Jalapeno, while the tiny bubbles will wash down the cream cheese.
Cava paired with Fish and Chips
Cava, with its nervy lemon notes is an excellent wine with Fish and Chips.
Cava holds up well against the salty french fries, and the tiny bubbles
of this sparkling wine are fantastic for scrubbing away the oils of
this deep fried dish.
India Pale Ale Beer Paired with Indian Cuisine
The marriage between an India Pale Ale and Indian cuisine dates back to
the late 1700’s when English brewers would ship beer from England to
India for the troops to enjoy. IPA works well with spicy Indian cuisine
as the bitter hops in this beer cut through spicy flavours really well. A
spicy chicken curry is a classic pairing for an IPA beer.
Côtes du Roussillon Villages Red Wine Paired with Venison
Côtes Du Roussillon Villages is a red wine that has loads of dark fruit
flavours, and a nice creamy texture. As it is such a nourishing red
wine,Côtes Du Roussillon red wine goes great with
Roasted Venison. The blackberry flavours mask out the gaminess you
sometimes get with venison, and the strong flavours of venison will not
mute out the plush fruit flavours of the luscious red wine.
Médoc Red Wine Paired with Roast Beef
The red wines of Médoc are made for everyday consumption and do not
require long term cellaring. These wines from Bordeaux are light in
style, and are quite fruity, and ripe in tannin. Médoc red wine is a great wine with Roast Beef
as the tannin of this wine loves the fat and protein in the beef. The
ripe blackberry and cassis flavours of these Cabernet based reds make
the perfect partner against the backdrop of the savory flavours of roast
beef.
Côtes du Rhône Villages Red Wine Paired with Game
The difference between Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du
Rhône Villages is that the the Côtes du Rhône villages are fuller
bodied, with more intense red and dark fruit flavours. You will also
find more noticeable tannins in a Côtes du Rhône Villages red.
Game goes well with Côtes du Rhône Villages red wine, as this is a
wine bursting with red and dark fruit flavours, with a touch of
earthiness. The fruit flavours of this red wine mask the gaminess of
game that so many people dislike. Meanwhile the wine holds up to the
heaviness of the meat due to the cherry, raspberry, currant and spicy
flavours.
Corbières Red Wine and Barbecued Chicken Pairing
Corbières red wine is a big and juicy wine that is meant to be drank early. Corbières primarily uses the Carignan grape, along with lesser percents of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre. Corbières red wine goes well with Barbecued Chicken as it is juicy enough to stand against the barbecue sauce that is brushed on the Chicken. Modern examples of Corbières are bold and full-bodied, which helps this wine stand up against the sweet and rich flavors of barbecued chicken.
Cahors Red Wine and Black Bean Soup
If you are looking for a red wine to pair with black bean soup,
look no further than Cahors from the southwest region of France. The
primary grape in a Cahors is Malbec, which makes for a dark and
medium-bodied red wine that is often quite earthy. Cahors goes well with
Black Bean Soup as it mirrors the earthiness of the black bean
flavours. Furthermore its blackberry, raspberry and cassis flavours hold
well against the hearty nature of the black bean soup.
Cahors Red Wine paired with Moroccan Couscous
There are two extremes to Cahors, which are fruity and early drinking, or seriously and searingly tannic. For Moroccan Couscous and wine pairing,
a light and fruity Cahors style is a wonderful red wine match. The
blackberry and dark fruit flavours of this Malbec dominant wine have
enough weight to be in sync with this sweet and flavorful dish.
Minervois red wines are from the Languedoc appellation
of France. These reds are a blend of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache,
Syrah and Mourvedre. What you'll find are red wines that are ripe with
intense dark, red fruit flavours. The black raspberry and cassis
flavours of Minervois make it ideal with Beef dishes.
Collioure Red Wine Paired with BBQ Pork Ribs
Collioure red wine is often a blend of Grenach and
Mourvedre with smaller percentages of Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah.
Typically you'll get a full bodied red wine with intense fruit flavours
and richness. Since BBQ pork ribs are such an intense and flavourful
dish, you'll find the rich and fruity Collioure a fantastic wine
pairing.
Collioure is a wine growing region in France that is located in the
southwest corner of the French Mediterranean Coast. A popular fortified
sweet wine called Banyuls is made in the same vineyards as Collioure.
Banyuls Wine Paired with Semi Sweet Chocolate
If you are looking for a great Valentine's day wine to pair with Chocolate, look no further than Banyuls.
Banyuls is the perfect wine pairing match with Semi-sweet chocolate as
it is similar in flavour to the Chocolate. Banyuls is a fortified sweet
wine that is rich in flavour with coca, roasted nuts and dried fruit.
As the chocolate and Banyuls flavours merge, your mouth is coated in an
eruption of decadent flavours. While Banyuls works well with all
chocolate, it works best with Semi-sweet chocolate as it is a darker
choclate that has a less sweet aftertaste than milk chocolate. Milk
chocolate makes this pairing less spectacular as the sweetness of the
finish somewhat brings the finish of the Banyuls to a halt.
Côtes Du Roussillon Villages Red Wine Paired with Lamb
Côtes Du Roussillon Villages
is a red wine that has loads of dark fruit flavours, and a nice creamy
texture. As it is such a nourishing red wine,Cotes Du Roussillon is a red wine that goes great with Lamb.
The blackberry flavours mask out the gaminess you sometimes get with
lamb, and the strong flavours of lamb will not mute out the plush fruit
flavours of the luscious red wine. For the same reasons, Côtes Du Roussillon will also go great with Venison.
Take note that Côtes Du
Roussillon on it's own (as in without the villages component) tend to be
red wines that are less superior in that they are much lighter and
fruity like a Beaujolais.
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Tinhorn
Creek Merlot has ripe plummy and red berry flavours, along with a
chocolate and cedar undertone. This plush red is full bodied and
juicy. While quite elegant on its own, it will go even better with
these four foods.
Tinhorn Creek Merlot paired with Grilled Lamb Chops
Some people dislike that touch of gaminess you might get with lamb
chops. The juicy fruitiness of Tinhorn Creek Merlot will mask that
gaminess allowing your taste buds to focus on the incredible tastiness
of the lamb chops. This merlot is also ample in tannin which allows it
to grip onto the protein and fat rich lamb chops. Meanwhile the protein
in the lamb chop will make this wine taste a touch smoother.
Best wine with Beef Stew
Tinhorn Creek Merlot is full bodied enough to take on a thick and meaty
beef stew. This wine has enough tannin to handle the meat.
Furthermore, there is enough acidity in this wine to deal with the
vegetables that might accompany the stew.
Wine and Pepperoni Pizza
Tinhorn Creek Merlot goes extremely well with pepperoni pizza.
The juicy fruit flavours are quite refreshing against the salty cheese
and meat flavours. In addition this wine has enough acidity to dance
with the tomato sauce on the pizza pie.
Meatloaf and Wine Pairing
This plush and full bodied red is absolutely wonderful with Meatloaf.
Meatloaf can taste dried out if over cooked, and the juicy flavours of
this wine will fix that quickly turning the meatloaf into a
masterpiece. The plum flavours will go excellent with the browned crust
of the meatloaf, while the earthy undertone of the wine will go great
with the garlic, spice and onion flavours that trickle through this
dish.
Rosso Conero is a wine appellation in the Marche region of Italy. The red wines made here mainly use the Montepulciano
grape which must consist of 85% of the wine's grape content. Rosso
Conero are full bodied red wines that are dark and dense. You'll find
plenty of black currant flavours along with black cherry and black
raspberries. Some wines may have a smokey edge due to a longer time
spent in oak.
What to Eat with Rosso Conero Red Wine
Rosso Conero Wine Paired with Grilled Steak
Rosso Conero is a tongue staining red wine that will go extremely well
with a steak. This wine boasts fruity and juicy flavours of black
cherry, black raspberry and black currant, along with oak age qualities
such as smoke. Rosso Conero wines are somewhat soft in their youth,
making this perfect for steaks that are more on the well done side where
the juicy flavours will be quite refreshing against the charred
bitterness of the steak.
Rosso Conero Red Wine and Game Stew
Rosso Conero is a hearty red wine that matches the body of stew. The
fruity red flavours of Rosso Conero will mingle nicely and cancel out
the gaminess that people sometimes find unpleasant with game stew.
What red wine to drink with Lasagna
Rosso Conero is a wonderful red wine to pair with Lasagna. The fruity
red flavours of this wine lift up each component of the baked Lasagna
allowing you taste the various layers of love that have been put into
the preparation of this classic Italian dish. Meanwhile the layers of
cheese, meat and roasted vegetables will let the different flavours of
the wine shine bright bringing more depth to this amazing pairing.
