deVine Table

Our Taste of Thai Table

Last month marked the launch of a project called Feast and Tweet. The goal of this event is to make it easy to gather around the table with friends to experiment with pairing food and wine together. We all meet up online at the same time to discuss the dishes and wines on our tables. The conversation covers how we like the dishes and the wines separately. Then, we get into how the wine and food pair with one another. Or, in some cases, how they don’t pair. It’s all part of the great experiment!

The Best of the Pairings

Shona of Woodinville Wine Update was very happy with the way the Northwest Totem Cellars Salish (a Riesling/Viognier blend) matched with Pad Thai. (more…)

Thai Food Served On the Patio

We recently did a great food and wine pairing experiment with Thai food. While I had the best intentions of preparing some homemade dishes with recipes from our friend Naomi of NuCulinary, my plan derailed. Not to worry, my local Thai carryout restaurant saved the day.

On the Menu

• Phad Thai
• Swimming Rama Chicken
• Cashew Chicken
• Red Curry Shrimp
• Green Curry Eggplant and Green Curry Mussels (these were homemade by Bean)

All of these dishes were prepared with medium spiciness.

The Wine List

The varieties of wine we tasted with the food included Chenin Blanc (one from France and another from Washington state), Gewürztraminer, Viognier, and Torrontes. There were also a couple of white blends and a rosé. Here are the wines that our group of 5 tasters felt paired best with the food.

• Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Gewürztraminer
• Coyote Canyon 2008 Viognier
• Domaine Pichot 2007 Vouvray
• Northwest Totem Cellars 2008 Salish (a Riesling/Viognier blend)
• Del Rio Vineyards 2008 Rose Jolee (produced with 80% Early Muscat, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec)

Quesadilla and a Glass of Salish

Okay, we’re not talking about someone getting lucky on the first date! We’re talking about a meal that’s light on the budget that you can put together in a snap – and pair with wine. A $10 bottle of quality Washington wine.

On the Menu

Shrimp Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

Peachy Curried Quinoa Salad

Northwest Totem Cellars 2008 Salish

Shrimp Quesadillas

Serves 2

• 2 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup mild semi-soft or semi-firm cheese, grated
• 1/3 pound shrimp
• 1 container prepared mango salsa

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Curried Quinoa Salad

This salad is terrific for summer meals on the patio with a refreshing wine such as Gewürztraminer. I’ve adapted the recipe from the Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook to incorporate more ingredients from my farmer’s market and local producers. Serves 4

For the quinoa:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa rinsed (you must rinse the quinoa otherwise it tastes bitter)

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chutney
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the salad:

• 2 ripe peaches, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 salad onion, chopped

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