The food and wine pairing classes I’ve taken at Northwest Wine Academy have had an ongoing influence on me. In Varietals II where red wine is explored at great length, we were tasked with serving a dish to pair with Malbec. I’m now obsessed with pairing food with Malbec. All the time. Seriously. (more…)
Sure, there are those who might be stunned that anyone might have leftover wine from dinner. When it happens who can bear to let even a drop of our precious juice go to waste? The good news is, there’s no need to pour that wine down the drain!
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to throw a fun party, consider hosting a salami pairing. Here’s how it works. Select three to five different types of salami with different flavor profiles. Offer at least one type of beverage for each different salami. Throw in some cheese and crackers and you’re ready to party! Read on to learn how we did it.
Wild Boar Salami with Rosemary Crusted Pecorino
We served 5 different flavors of Creminelli salami*.
Americano Salami, inspired by the American dish, pork chops and apple sauce.
Barolo Salami, made with generous amounts of Barolo wine.
Musica Salami, with a strong flavor due to the addition of pork liver and clove.
Wild Boar Salami, seasoned with cloves and juniper berries.
Salami Tartufo, with black summer truffles.
Wines Ready to Meet Their Match
The Favored Beverages
2007 Aventino Tempranillo
Finnriver Farmstead Apple Cider
2006 Forgeron Cellars Chardonnay
2006 Kiona Zinfandel
2008 Ceci La Luna Lambrusco
2009 Montinore Estate Borealis
Friends Gather in the Kitchen for TasteLive
Last month we had the pleasure of participating in a TasteLive event featuring several wines from Kunde Family Estate. Roger and I have a fond memory of visiting this Sonoma winery’s expansive tasting room during our last visit to California. Fun fact: the boxing scenes in the movie Bottleshock were filmed on the Kunde grounds.
When we host TasteLive events, we follow the example set by our friend, Bean. We invite a group of friends, let them know what wines will be poured, and encourage them to bring a dish to pair and share. Then, when the clock strikes the designated time we open the bottles along with other TasteLive participants wherever they may be. Simultaneously, we all Tweet about our tasting, sharing our comments and experiences online.
On the Menu:
