deVine Table

Top 5 Sauces to Pair with Red Wine

Nancy — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:47:41 +0000

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?

Mystery Date Wine Pairing

Nancy — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 04:02:27 +0000

Skiing Date Props

Remember the Mystery Date game? The premise was for the player to collect enough cards in order to be ready for the date that will appear when she opens the door. The cards identify different components of an outfit. Naturally, each outfit corresponds to one of four dating scenarios including the formal dance date, bowling date, skiing date, and the beach date.

Keeping those scenarios in mind, what would happen if you replace collecting the right outfit with procuring corresponding wine and food? For example, say you’re going to the beach. What wine would you want to drink? Then consider what food you’d want to take on a beach date. Doesn’t that make food and wine pairing sound a lot easier than navigating a lot of rules about tannin and acidity in wine?

To test this loosely based theory, I hosted a party the weekend before Valentine’s Day. With the same dating scenarios in mind, a menu was created and a mix of wines were selected. A mini station was set up for each dating scenario. Just for fun, a few small props enhanced each station to help identify the scenario. For example, shells for the beach date, miniature bowling pins for the bowling date, a wine bottle in a “puffy jacket” and ski hat; those kinds of things.

As guests arrived, they were encouraged to move from one scenario to another, selecting a different wine for each “date.” Hooray, almost everyone selected the rosé or albarino for the beach date! I admit a preference for the way the albarino paired with the shrimp rather than the rosé. However, if we really were at the beach I wouldn’t mind!

So, while every pairing wasn’t a perfect match, everyone had fun with the experiment. Why not give it a try?

Food for a Date at the Beach

The Menus

Formal Dance Date

Smoked Salmon on Cucumber
Cured meat platter
Aged goat Gouda

Bowling Date

Pigs in Blankets
Pretzels & Potato Chips

Skiing Date

Mushroom Bisque

Beach Date

Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Tzatziki and Chips

Wine (and Beer) Pairing

Formal date

Wine selections for different dates

Cava (bubbles)

Bowling Date

Beer

Skiing Date

Bordeaux blend

Beach Date

Chenin-Chardonnay
Albarino
Rosé

As a bonus, our friends Cindy and Jeff contributed a lovely beet dish with a Petit Sirah which was a delightful pairing and proves that vegetarian food can stand up to a red wine!

My Big Fat Buttery Chardonnay Dinner

Nancy — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:43:44 +0000

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.

The Menu

Apples Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Leeks over Salad Greens

DeVine Baked Crab Cakes and Buttered Corn (to achieve the aforementioned butter on butter action)

Crab Cakes - the ultimate pairing for Chardonnay

Roasted Salmon with Sautéed Mushrooms

Wine Pairing

All Chardonnays aren’t created equal. So for this dinner, a mix of domestic chardonnays made in different styles and from different places of origin were included. Our friend, Vivian, even brought an aged Chardonnay showing us that white wines can indeed get more complex with age. Another friend brought a bottle from Sinclair Estate Vineyards which we hadn’t had the pleasure of tasting before. To offer an interesting contrast, an Oregon Pinot was thrown into the mix to pair with the salmon.

In our house, we always get the party started with a bottle of something bubbly. In keeping with the Chardonnay theme, we opened a bottle of Argyle 2007 Blanc de Blancs Knudsen Vineyard from Oregon. Just for fun, we served roasted plaintain chips alongside. Salty snacks and sparkling wine are the ideal complement to one another!

Then we sat down at the table. Although certain dishes were prepared with certain wines in mind, we set all the open bottles of the following wines on the table allowing guests to choose their own pairings. After all, we wouldn’t want to forego experimentation and potentially miss out on a “wow” moment.

EFESTĒ 2011 Lola Chardonnay

Cakebread Cellars 2010 Chardonnay Reserve

Rombauer Chardonnay

Columbia Winery 2003 Chardonnay David Lake Signature Series Otis Vineyard

Sinclair Estate Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay

Domaine Serene 2008 Pinot Noir Jerusalem Hill Vineyard

When all was said and drunk, favorite pairings included:

The crispness of the Lola Chardonnay with the stuffed apples.

The richness of the Rombauer Chardonnay with the crab cakes.

The beguiling aged qualities of the David Lake Chardonnay with a bite composed of the roasted salmon, and mushroom and parsley dishes.

That said, however, each bottle was clearly enjoyed as there wasn’t more than a small pour left in each bottle by the end of the evening. I guess I’m not the only one who appreciates a little butter on butter action.

Food and Wine Pairing at Taste of Tulalip

Nancy — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:48:24 +0000

Tulalip House Cured Lox

Looking for something to do this weekend? Then head to the Taste of Tulalip for the Grand Taste on Saturday, November 10th. When it comes to great food and wine, this event seriously has it going on. And I know I’ve said it before, but who would’ve thought a casino could do food so well? Yet, they do.

Last month I had the luxury of being a special guest at the Taste of Tulalip Preview Tweet Up – the kind of event that dreams are made of, filled with amazing food and creative chefs who push the envelope. Not to mention a bevy of beverages. As I savored each dish, I imagined what kind of wine I’d want to enjoy with it at the Grand Taste. Here are my suggestions.

The House Cured Sockeye Lox with shaved shallots, cucumber, Chevre, taro root crisp was delightful paired with Louis Roederer ’02 ‘Cristal.’ I would go for a do over!

Lemongrass Coconut Soup

The Lemongrass Coconut Soup wowed us with its aromatics which were amped up a notch by a ribbon of lemon zest tied around each diner’s spoon. I’d be tempted to seek out a Sauvignon Blanc with some citrus notes to pair with this comforting dish. I can just imagine the acidity of the wine cutting through the creaminess off the soup while the citrus characteristics play off one another.

One of the more inventive dishes of the evening came in the form of a Halibut Meatball. It was served on a skewer with orecchiette pasta and a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. This Italian inspired dish had me wondering how it might pair with an Italian variety. For that I’d check out what the nine Italian producers are pouring at the event. Or, for something from the Northwest, a Pinot Gris from Oregon might be worth considering.

Halibut Meatball in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Wait, there’s more! The Dungeness Crab Tower had me eagerly awaiting its arrival. I have to admit I love, love, love crab with Chardonnay. I’d head right over to the Cakebread Cellars table for a sip of their Reserve Chardonnay.

When in doubt, bubbles are a great default. So, check out Treveri Cellars while you’re there and chances are you can’t go wrong.

The good news is, this could be more than a dream. Head to the Tulalip Resort this weekend, and this can become a memorable reality for you! Wondering what others have to say about the event? Check out the posts by Sassy City Girl and Shona of Woodinville Wine Update.

Balsamic Roasted Strawberries and Bubbles

Nancy — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 04:51:09 +0000

Roasted Strawberries

This recipe comes from my food and wine pairing instructor, Chef Lenny Rede with a slight tweak on my part. On the night he served this dish in class, these strawberries were the rich, syrupy contrast to fluffy, creamy desserts paired with bubbles. When I returned from a recent trip to Oregon with a bottle of dark vinegar wondering how best to use it, this preparation immediately came to mind.

The Recipe

2 pints strawberries, washed and hulled
3 tablespoons dark vinegar such as balsamic ( I used Willamette Valley Vineyards Black FigVinegar)
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread the strawberries out on a baking sheet (Tip: for easy cleanup, cover your baking sheet with foil). Drizzle with vinegar, agave nectar or honey. Sprinkle salt on top. Shake the pan a bit to evenly distribute the vinegar. Bake for 25 minutes or until the strawberries are soft and the vinegar has become syrupy.

Strawberries ready for the oven

So, what to do with your roasted strawberries? Top your pancakes with them. Or follow the example set by the blog Scarborough Foodie and serve them atop toasted bread with goat cheese. Topping ice cream with roasted strawberries as done by the Flourishing Foodie is another option.

Wine Pairing

No matter how you serve the strawberries, I recommend pairing them with sparkling wine. When Chef Lenny served these berries in Food and Wine Pairing: Desserts class, we tasted them with Cerdon de Bugey, a lovely bubbly rosé composed of Gamay, La Spinetta Moscato which is so breathtaking it will have you calling for the smelling salts, and Pineto Brachetto D’Acqui. With regard to Brachetto, I ask, “where have you been, and why hasn’t anyone told me about you before?” If there is one thing I’ve learned after three years of food and wine pairing classes it’s that you can hardly ever go wrong with bubbles.

No related posts.

Dinner at Willamette Valley Vineyards

Nancy — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 05:45:30 +0000

Cheers to new friends!

As we hustle down the hallway of the hotel a warning is shouted at the masses, “Get on a bus NOW! THE BUSES ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE!!” The sense of urgency makes me feel like we are on a ship that just ran into an iceberg and we’ll be doomed if we don’t save ourselves by finding a way out.

The reality, however, is that we were among over 300 wine bloggers at the 2012 Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Portland, Oregon being whisked away by 7 buses to destinations unknown. Had we not gotten on a bus we would merely have been doomed to a much less interesting evening.

A deVine feast!

We jumped on bus number 3 and were whisked away to Willamette Valley Vineyards. This Oregon winery is located in the heart of – you guessed it – the Willamette Valley, atop Illahee Hill just south of Salem. With the hot sun shining upon us we strolled briefly through the vineyards before seeking refuge in the refreshingly cool barrel room.

The rest of the evening was spent in a lovely banquet room at the winery over a wonderful meal with new friends. Don Crank, the winemaker for Willamette Valley Vineyards, even joined us at our table. Food and wine bring people together like nothing else!

Saffron poached pears

I am very grateful to have had such gracious hosts. Wining and dining people is one thing. Sending them home with fantastic memories is quite another. The folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards did a great job of each. Many thanks to Don Crank, Daniel Shepherd, Matt Boyington, and the rest of the friendly crew.

Hoping to one day relive the memories, the hubby and I purchased a bottle of our “meet and greet” wine, the 2009 Bernau Block Pinot Noir, along with our lovely dessert selection: 2011 Tualatin Estate Semi-Sparkling Muscat. That’s right, Oregon’s answer to Moscato! Stay tuned for our pairing menu in posts to come. Meanwhile, here is what we feasted on during our visit at the winery.

The Menu

2010 Pinot Gris

RUSTIC BAGUETTE & BREAD STICKS whipped plugra butter with pinot noir salt

TRADITIONAL CAESAR romaine hearts, focaccia croutons, shaved parmesan, citrus & anchovy

CAPRESE SALAD organic heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, garden basil, kalamata olives, sea salt, cracked pepper, olive oil & balsamic

2009 Estate Pinot Noir

2011 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

SHERRY BRAISED CHICKEN white truffle wild mushroom & fontina

DUNGENESS CRAB FRITTERS shave fennel citrus salad, mustard aioli

2011 Tualatin Estate Semi-Sparkling Muscat

SAFFRON PINOT GRIS POACHED PEAR white chocolate cherry mousse

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE raspberry coulis & candied hazelnut

That saffron poached pear with the semi-sparkling muscat was the show stopping pairing of the evening!

Other Adventures

If you’re curious about where some of the other buses ventured off to, check out what a few of my wine blogging friends experienced:

2012 Wine Blogger’s Conference in Portland Makes a Splash by Gene Stout of Pop Music Critic

Oregon Wine Country: To the Columbia Gorge by Jameson Fink of Wine Without Worry

Wine Blogger’s Conference – Portland ,OR by Melinda of Northwest Cork and Fork

A Study in Pairing Fried Chicken with Wine

Nancy — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 02:53:04 +0000

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!

However, starting with one wine and taking a methodical approach to finding just the right pairing is more straightforward. In fact, I recall a Taste Washington seminar on food and wine pairing in which well known Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas said, “When pairing, select the wine first because you can’t change the wine; it is what it is. It’s easier to change to food to go with the wine.”

So what fried chicken recipe pairs best with Coenobium Bianco? Check out the verdict on Chasing Jen. Perhaps you’ll feel inspired to begin exploring the pleasures of food and wine pairing for yourself.

Potato Chip Cookies and Wine

Nancy — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 06:10:05 +0000

It’s the end of the quarter at Northwest Wine Academy. That means it’s time for me to prepare a food and wine pairing to present to the class as part of my grade. The topic is dessert wines.

I’m one of those people who craves the contrast between sweet and salty. So, when I saw a recipe for potato chip cookies, I whipped up a batch hoping to strike that balance. My partner on the project, Steve Roberts of the Wine Trails books and apps, tasted them and declared we had a winner.

After several taste tests and tweaks of the recipe, this is the final version that we will present in class.

This recipe is adapted from “Crazy About Cookies” by Krystina Castella.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups coarsely crushed salted Tim’s potato chips, divided
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used Citron Falk Salt)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla, lemon zest, flour, and 1 cup of the potato chips. Beat on medium speed until well mixed.
Put the remaining potato chips in a shallow bowl. Using a small ice cream scoop, form the dough into 1 inch balls, rolling each in the potato chips. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 ½ inches apart. Sprinkle a tiny bit of the coarse salt on top of each cookie, and press a bit to flatten.
Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Wine Pairing

Steve and I selected Treveri Cellars Sparkling Mueller Thurgau to pair with the cookies. I’ve been smitten with the winery and the unique bubbles being produced there in the Methode Champenois ever since I first tasted them at Debuts and Discoveries. Having recently visited the winery’s Wapato Tasting Room and being quite taken with their fantastic setup, they were fresh on my mind.

Here are Steve’s wonderfully descriptive notes on the pairing:

“The slightly-sweet bubbly compliments the crunchy, chewy, buttery, salty and
equally sweet Potato Chip Cookies. With a touch of sweetness, Treveri’s demi-sec
Müeller-Thurgau matches the sugar level of the cookie but the saltiness of the
potato chips really adds to the taste sensation — like peanut butter and jam,
opposites attract. The cookies themselves are light in weight mirroring the
lightness of the sparkling wine. With each sip of wine, the wine’s acidity in
combination with its effervescence cleanses the palate and gets you ready for the
next bite of cookie. The lemon notes in the wine complement the lemon zest in the
cookie.”

The pairing also goes to show that bubbles aren’t just for special occasions. Reasonably priced at just $16, you can bet we’ll be breaking out the Treveri and cookies just for fun.

Pouring It On at The Capital Grille

Nancy — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 05:39:06 +0000

At The Capital Grille

It’s always a pleasure to dine at a restaurant with a nice wine list. However, if that wine list features 5,000 bottles, how do you go about picking just one for dinner? Maybe it’s time to try something new and adventurous. Or you might prefer to stick with the tried and true. I suggest you stop worrying about all that and head to The Capital Grille to experience five different world class wines with your meal for just $25. It’s called The Generous Pour Wine Event.

The Generous Pour Wine Event offers guests an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy generous pours of as many of the featured wines as they choose and the event exemplifies the expert, personalized service that The Capital Grille is known for. Guests will be guided through the experience, with suggested pairings and wine tasting notes for each course ordered.

I was fortunate to experience these wines paired with food last night. Stand out pairings for me included the Smoked Salmon Amuse with Lunetta Rosé each with a sense of delicacy and softness. Wine blogger Bean Fairbanks of Wine and Beer of Washington State noted on Twitter that it was a beautiful color and flavor match.

The Proscuitto Wrapped Mozzarella and Vine Ripened Tomatoes accompanied the Gary Farrell 2009 Chardonnay from Carneros, the roundness of each making a nice pairing.

I also experienced my first sip of Edi Simcic Rebula from Slovenia. This wine was poured at the same time as the Chardonnay so that we could compare and contrast the two. Totally like night and day. The oak notes are prominent in the Chardonnay, while there is something more minerally in the Rebula. Want to learn more about the Rebula grape? Check out the blog Cornichon.org to see what Ronald Holden has to say about Ribolla from the Italian side of the region.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Tomato Fennel Relish

Cedar Planked Salmon was the next dish in my lineup. All of us at the table were delighted that the presentation included the plank the fish was cooked on. I enjoyed the dish with a generous pour of Villa Mt. Eden 2007 Grand Reserve Pinot Noir from Russian River, California. I detected more dark notes in this Pinot than those from Oregon – like baked cherries and chocolate toffee.

Lucky for me my friend Ed was feeling generous and offered me a sip of the Chateau du Pin 2009 Bordeaux he was poured to pair with his steak. That wine was one of the highlights of my evening.

The grand finale of the meal was a glass of Kia Oro Chenin Blanc from South Africa served with dessert. It was sweet without being cloying. The cheesecake that was served alongside the wine had a lovely bruleéd topping and the freshness of lemon permeating the creamy texture, and it was a lovely match for the wine.

I am always delighted by restaurants that offer interesting glass pours, flights, or pairings. Getting to taste generous pours of so many fascinating wines in one evening made me downright giddy. Intrigued? Then don’t wait to visit The Capital Grille and experience the Generous Pour Wine Event for yourself. The special only runs until September 2nd.

Full disclosure: I was invited to the Generous Pour Wine Dinner by my friend Brenda of the blog Culinary Fool and was a guest of Seattle food blogger Keren Brown who writes the blog Frantic Foodie and organizes all kinds of food events.

Cherry Gazpacho Paired with Rosé

Nancy — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:22:37 +0000

Chilled cherry gazpacho

At a recent dinner to raise awareness for Bristol Bay, Blueacre Seafood served up a lovely and refreshing cherry gazpacho. Even with the focus on cherries, the dish was on the rich and savory side. I’m not exactly sure how Chef Kevin Davis accomplished that, but it certainly inspired me to give it a try.

This makes about 4 appetizer portions.

1/2 c toasted almonds
2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground. Add all remaining ingredients except the olive oil to the food processor. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, and process until pureed. I find this makes a nice thick soup, but should you prefer a lighter consistency, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water. Chill and serve the soup ice cold on a nice warm day.

Optional: serve each bowl of soup with a crostini topped with goat cheese.

The Wine Pairing

EFESTE Babbit Rose'

Not only was the dinner at Blueacre Seafood designed to raise awareness for Bristol Bay, it was a winemaker dinner matching the dishes with the wines of EFESTĒ. I had the good fortune to represent the winery at the dinner. The gazpacho was paired with the EFESTĒ 2011 Babbit Rosé. Composed of 71% Syrah and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Washington wine is a beautiful magenta color brimming with fruity raspberry flavors. On the dry side, the wine needs a dish that isn’t too sweet. This gazpacho has just enough savoriness to work, especially when served with the goat cheese crostini. So go ahead. Drink pink.