deVine Table

Sure, we’ve all heard by now we don’t have to abide by the old rule of drinking only white wine with chicken or fish. Yet, how many people know how to go about pairing red wine with these dishes? One method is to pay close attention to what you prepare to accompany the dish. Put a sauce on it.

In our house, we typically put these sauces over simply roasted chicken or a hearty fish such as salmon or halibut. Sometimes, we improvise and put them on pizza or pasta. It’s that simple.

Here are some of our favorite sauces to pair with red wine.

1. Romesco Sauce, such as the version from the reliable food blog, Simply Recipes,  stands up to Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.  Try the Romesco over prawns sauteed in garlic.
2. Savory Blueberry Sauce pairs wonderfully with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
3. Mole Sauce can top everything from traditional roasted turkey breast to anunexpected pasta dish and has a complex flavor profile that plays nicely with Malbec.
4. Sun Dried Tomato and Red Pepper Pesto make a delightful accompaniment for Sangiovese.
5. A deVine Twist on Pesto pairs nicely with Barbera.

Do you have a favorite sauce to serve up when you’re pouring a big red?

There is no doubt about it, Chardonnay is definitely one of the hubby’s favorite wine varieties. So as a Christmas gift to him, I organized a special wine dinner at home featuring Chardonnay along with some of his favorite food pairings.

Sure, a lot of people have moved to the ABC camp (Anything But Chardonnay).  A big oaky Chardonnay isn’t for everyone, after all. Plus, the oakier the wine, the harder it can be to pair it with food. Pick the right foods, however, and you get some nice butter on butter action going between the food and the wine. That’s right, you had me at butter. (more…)

Photo by the author of "Chasing Jen"

I recently became acquainted with the author of the blog Chasing Jen. Documented on the blog is a delightful approach to pairing wine with fried chicken. One wine – the Coenobium Bianco – paired with six different flavor profiles of fried chicken, that is!

Consider me intrigued. After all, we often conduct experiments for deVine Table by serving a number of different wines alongside a variety of dishes to see what pairings work best. For example, one time we spent the better part of a day exploring wines to pair with Indian food. Mind you, tasting 6 Indian dishes and roughly a dozen wines was great fun! (more…)

A plate full of magically delicious dishes

A great food and wine pairing can be magical! Such a match takes each component to the next level. On the other hand, a poor combination can make the wine taste nasty. That’s why I’m often surprised when a winery hosts an event where something like jalapeno artichoke dip is served. Sure, it’s inexpensive to feed to the masses, but it won’t bring out the best in any wine.

Because I’ve been to so many wine events where I’ve been served the likes of pickled asparagus and other wine-unfriendly fare, I find myself especially tickled when a winery gets it right. The best example I have come across so far has been at Tyrus Evan, Ken Wright’s winery that focuses on warm weather grapes.

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Tyrus Evan Syrah - a house favorite

Last week Seattle Uncorked brought sexy back with the Sexy Syrah event at Salty’s on Alki. With over 58 Syrahs and Syrah blends the event definitely reminded us that Washington Syrah has many styles.  Some are bright and fruity while others are smoky or peppery. Whatever the style, Syrah is definitely a favorite around our house.

Additionally, Syrahs from other parts of the world boast a broad range of characteristics. When from France, the wine is often earthy and peppery. Known as Shiraz in Australia, the variety is often presented as big and fruity.  Keep the characteristics of the wine you’ve selected in mind when selecting your pairings.

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Andouille Pasta for Malbec

Here’s an update on a classic Italian dish made to pair with Malbec.

This makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 teaspoons oil
• 2 links turkey Andouille Sausage (I get mine from the butcher counter at Whole Foods)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (preferrably the wine you will be drinking with dinner)
• 1 750 g box of pureed tomatoes
• 2 dashes cinnamon
• 1 squirt agave syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces cooked spaghetti

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The Finished Pesto

Pesto is wonderful for it’s versatility. It can be used on pizza, sandwiches, and pasta, for example.

Tweaking traditional pesto recipes also means that different wines will work with your meal. So why not play with your food? If you don’t have any fresh basil on hand you can substitute parsley, spinach, or even kale. Or, if you don’t want as many green notes in your pesto, the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto recipe from the blog Closet Cooking is a good alternative.

My friend Vivian helped me with the ratios on this version of pesto, and for that I’d like to give her a shout out here!

This recipe makes enough for a batch of pizza or pasta. (more…)

Basil Pesto and Ingredients

Some people might not consider this a true pesto due to the omission of Parmigiano and pine nuts. Since I like to use this sauce on dishes such as pizza or pasta where cheese is added anyway, I find that I don’t miss the Parmigiano in this recipe. The end result is a more balanced dish.

There are two reasons that I no longer use pine nuts in pesto. The first is that I have experienced a reaction to pine nuts resulting in  everything I ate and drank tasting chalky like Tums. There’s a great post about this phenomenon on Pinch My Salt.

The second reason I don’t use pine nuts in my pesto is that walnuts are great for cutting through tannin in wine.

This recipe makes just enough for a batch of pizza or pasta. (more…)

Washington winery, Walter Dacon, crafts some lush and decadent wines. One of our favorite wines that they’ve produced has been their Roussanne. Sadly, they haven’t bottled any in recent vintages. So when our good friend Vivian discovered a bottle of the 2006 and one of the 2007 vintages in the winery’s library, we planned a special pairing dinner. (more…)

What a tough day of food + wine pairing at NW Wine Academy looks like

As a student at the Northwest Wine Academy,  finals in food and wine pairing classes involve creating and presenting our very best pairings. In Varietals I, a class focusing on white varietals, our friend Vivian prepared this “Magical Austrian Soup”. Our instructor, Chef Lenny Rede still waxes poetic about this warming wonder.

Many thanks to Vivian for her generosity and willingness to share this delectable recipe she adapted from Bernard Clayton Jr.’s  The Complete Book of Soups and Stews.

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