The Thanksgiving Wine Guide

It's November again - which means its time for big football match-ups, turkey and pumpkin pie! Yes, like it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. So if you are looking for that perfect wine to pair with your turkey dinner, take some time between the packing and traveling to check out this blog post!

If you are looking for a specific wine recommendation, please check my previous blog post on the perfect Thanksgiving wine. That post recommended a wine based on a single varietal that tends to pair well with a variety of foods, specifically Pinot Noir. This year I wanted to make a recommendation based on a few wine and food pairings tips. Thanksgiving may be one of the biggest wine buying days of the year, but it is also notoriously a difficult meal to pair with wine. The meal frequently includes tart cranberry sauce, stuff with herbs, sweet potatoes, turkey, and maybe even ham. Choosing just wine that pairs with all those flavors can be a challenge. 

When the weather is cool we tend to crave wines that are heavier, higher in alcohol, mature, complex tasting and aged in oak.  For me this means a switch from those bright Sauvignon Blancs and refreshing Rieslings to smooth Pinot Noirs and bold Cabernet Sauvignons. But for thanksgiving, that could mean two different options depending on if you prefer red or white. For whites, I would recommend Chardonnay. Preferably one with mild to low oak-aging so that the bold vanilla and butter notes don't overpower your meal. I would pick a Chardonnay from Burgundy, France or Austraila. For reds, I would recommend Pinot Noir or Merlot. 

When pairing wine with food, pair the wine with the main ingredient, pair "like with like." Two of my favorite tips to live by are (1) Match weight and texture, and (2) Match flavor intensity.  As usual, I hate to give specific pairing suggestions because there are no real rules when it comes to food and wine pairings, however, here are three rules to remember when it comes to pairing wine with your thanksgiving dinner:

• Salt is dry wines friend.
• Sugar is dry wines enemy. 
• Alcohol is the enemy of high-alcohol wines.

Personally, my family thanksgiving dinners are usually full of traditional dishes, more savory than sweet, and filled with vegetables. Therefore, I will be looking for a smooth Chardonnay from Burgundy, a Riesling from Alsace, and a Pinot Noir from Washington State. Have a great holiday and happy wine pairings!

Cheers!

Food and Wine Pairings: Sally's Cake Batter Blondies and Moscato D'Asti

What better way to follow a post on beer than with a post on dessert - dessert and wine pairings to be exact! With that statement, I guess I may finally know what it's like to be a politician. Why? Because by posting on food and wine pairings (especially a dessert pairing), I swear I am contradicting an earlier posting where I decidedly disapproved of dessert pairings. 

If I did, I now stand corrected. I have recently attended a couple food and wine pairings that have forced me to reevaluate my stance on dessert pairings. 

Sally's Cake Batter Blondies

Recently, one of my sorority sisters and fellow blogger posted a recipe for Sally's Cake Batter Blondies, check out her full and the recipe here. Frankly, the minute I heard "cake batter," I was sold. But, then again, I was a bit weary. Honestly, cake batter based blondies are not my forte. I usually tend to add too much milk, resulting in a weird cake-brownie cross. But this recipe seemed so delicious (and easy) I had to give them a try. 

The result: buttery deliciousness. Seriously. This dessert was so decadent, I am almost afraid I am losing my sweet tooth. (Not quite!) So after tasting this delicious dessert, my first thought was - what wine would pair well with this? 

Mia Dolcea Moscato D'Asti

Where it's From?  Moscato D'Asti is easy to remember where it's from because has it's origin in the name! This wine was produced in Asti, which is part of the Piedmont wine region of northwestern Italy.

Grapes?  Moscato, also known as the Muscat grape.

My Thoughts.  Who would have thought that I would be advocating for Moscato on the blog. Moscato is very trendy right now, but it also makes a delicious dessert wine. I like it because it usually has some effervescence, or is even frizzante in style, which definitely livens up any dessert. Plus, it typically has a perfume like aroma of orange blossom, honeysuckle, citrus, and honeyed apricots that is definitely addicting. The Mia Dolcea Moscato was light and refreshing, with a juicy peach or apricot aroma that finished with a sweet honey flavor. The finish was definitely complimented by the buttery sweetness from the blondie. Together, the two made a truly decadent dessert that is worth repeating.

Looking forward to your comments on Moscato or wine and dessert pairings!

Cheers!

Philly Wine Week has Begun!

Holy two posts in one day batman! This one will be short and sweet, but I could not wait to share the news - it's Philly Wine Week!

What's that?! Think restaurant week, but instead of featuring food, they are featuring wine! (My favorite!) Be sure to check out the website - www.phillywineweek.org - for all the details! Two things I will be checking out for sure: (1) the awesome wine specials, and (2) "What Not to Pair" with Marnie Old and Brauhaus Schmitz. The drink specials, offered at all participating wine bars/restaurants are a great way for you to try a different wine at an affordable price. As for the pairing class, stand by for a full post on this exciting event. I will be sure to check in with my Oma (yep, that's German for Grandma) to see if the food and drink stands up to traditional German fare. (I have no doubt it is!)

So if you live in Philly, be sure to check out the wine week specials! 

Cheers! 

Food and Wine Pairings: Pan Roasted Barbecue Chicken

Hey there friends! As promised, I am expanding the blog to include posts on more than just wine exclusively. Don't worry wine-nerds, I won't be skimping on the wine discussions! 

Today, I will be sharing one of my other passions with you -- cooking -- via a discussion on food and wine pairings. Before I share my tips on food and wine pairings via this delicious recipe, it is important to share my cooking philosophy. As a foodie, I definitely focus on flavor and aspire to recreate those delicious restaurant dishes at home. But as a realist, I know this is frequently impossible. So when cooking at home, I have three main goals: great flavor, fast clean-up and budget friendly. 

Food and Wine Matching Basics.

When it comes to food and wine pairings, I really live by only one rule - if it tastes good to you, then it is a spot on food and wine pairing! Seriously - I think too many wine writers over-complicate the process of pairing food with wine.

However, there are a few tips that can take a food and wine pairing from good to spectacular.  First, when you choose a glass of wine to drink, consider what type of food you may be ordering. Whether the main meal is light or heavy, made with a certain sauce or prepared in a particular way will impact what type of wine will match best.

Pan Roasted Barbecue Chicken, Rice and Green Beans.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast
• 1 Yellow Onion
• Barbecue Sauce (I went with a sweet and tangy style)
• Siracha Red Chile Sauce
• Olive Oil
• 3-4 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt (Plain)
• Brown Rice & Side Vegetable of Your Choice (I went with Green Beans)

Pairing Key: Roasted chicken is a great place to start with food and wine pairings, the chicken acts as a "blank canvas" that pairs well with a variety of wines. However, the key element of this dish was the Siracha Yogurt Sauce (pictured above on top right side of plate). It is so simple - yet so delicious. Start with a few tablespoons of Greek Yogurt. Add Siracha to taste. I went with approximately 1 part Siracha to 2 parts Greek Yogurt (but I love spicy so beware). The sauce gives the dish some kick, so when looking for a wine to pairing with it - I wanted something with a touch of sweetness to balance the spice. I paired it with the 2012 Traminette from Penns Woods Winery.

Penns Woods Traminette 2012.

Yes - shameless plug for Penns Woods Winery (since I work in the tasting room there). Well, it would be shameless if the wines weren't so delicious. Traminette is a hybrid grape, part gewurtraminer, so it has a complex nose - smelling of honey and lemon. The taste has some sweetness but a clean, mineral finish. I chose it because I thought the crispness would pair will with the sweet spicy-ness of the Siracha and bbq sauces.

And with that, I will wrap this first recipe post with a warning that every wine-loving home cook should appreciate.

Cheers!

The Best Wine for Thanksgiving

Photo Source

Happy Thanksgiving (well almost)!! Thanksgiving is less than a week away. If you are reading this now you are probably running around, booking travel, planning menus and stocking up on cranberry sauce. No matter where you are heading, one thing you shouldn't forget is the wine!

So what is the best wine for Thanksgiving? The answer is... WE DON'T REALLY KNOW. (Seriously, any other blog post that tries to fool you otherwise is LYING). The problem with Thanksgiving is that there are so many dishes to pair with, it is too tough to pick just one wine. Most families serve sweet potatoes, cranberry, stuffing, squash, gravy, etc. all in addition to the turkey. 

My recommendation - go with an affordable Pinot Noir from a reliable producer. November is a colder month so red goes with the season and Pinot Noir is light enough that it won't overwhelm most of the food. Just remember this is not the time to break out the expensive bottles. But, if you don't like Pinot Noir, choose whatever is your favorite, you can't go wrong with that at Thanksgiving.

On another note, Happy Thanksgivukkah! For the first time in many, many, many years. Thanksgiving and the first night Hannukah fall on the same day! In honor of this rare coincidence, I draw your attention to the existence of Thanksgiving themed donuts. Believe or not, Zucker Bakery in NYC is serving Thanksgiving themed donuts (including a turkey and gravy stuffed donut). Check theme out here.

Wine and Chocolate: The Results!

Wine and Chocolate: The results are in!

In honor of the Oscars, I figured I would share the results of the latest Enthusiasts wine tasting! And - oh my! - will the results surprise you! This week the Enthusiasts tasted wine with chocolate and below are the list of wines we paired with chocolate and some comments from the group:

(1) Trader Joe's House Chardonnay

About the wine:

a.k.a. "formerly known as two buck chuck." Since the tasting was based pairings with chocolate, we tried to save money where we could on wine. This chardonnay is known for its pear aroma, medium body, and perfect price.

Paired with:

 White Chocolate

Comments from the group:

 Most of the group was surprised how much they liked this pairing and how the buttery aspects of the wine and chocolate were featured when paired together.

(2) Trader Joe's House Sauvignon Blanc

About the wine:

 See above, but with a touch of acidity and bright fruit.

Paired with:

White chocolate

Comments from the group:

 No one in the group disliked this pairing, however, it wasn't anything to write home about and most felt white chocolate and chardonnay paired better.

(3) Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel

About the wine:

 On its own - this was a great wine worth mentioning to friends. It had everything you want in a zinfandel - a well rounded taste with spice and berries.

Paired with:

 Dark Chocolate

Comments from the group:

 Many in the group thought this was a weird pairing. In fact, most thought the flavors of the wine clashed with chocolate. Ultimately, the group concluded that perhaps zinfandel generally does not pair well with chocolate.

(4) Mark West Pinot Noir

About the wine:

Most reviews on this wine salute its balanced taste and affordable price. Its aroma includes cherry and plum. The taste includes ripe cherry, plum, strawberry and earthiness.

Paired with:

 Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.

Comments from the group:

 Generally, the group thought both pairings tasted nice and balanced. Most concluded pinot noir is a great red to pair with chocolate.

(5) Dante Merlot

About the wine:

 This lovely merlot has an aroma of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and vanilla spice. The taste is bold upfront with bold red fruit and a pleasant tart cherry finish.

Paired with:

 Dark Chocolate.

Comments from the group:

 Despite the group's apprehension for chocolate paired with red wine, many in the group enjoyed this pairing. In fact, I thought the dark chocolate actually enhanced some bold fruit flavors in the merlot - one of my favorite pairings!

(6) Trader Joe's House Cabernet Sauvignon

About the wine:

 See above - drinkable, affordable, red, with bold fruit flavor.

Paired with:

 Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate

Comments from the group:

 Similar results as with the pinot noir - both chocolates paired well with this wine. 

(7) Dr. Hans Von

M

üller Riesling

About the wine:

Check out the label - there is a lot to see and learn! First, what is Mosel? Well, its foremost a river in southeastern Germany and the wine region is known for producing some of the most famous rieslings around. The soil in this region varies from sandstone/limestone to clay slate and stone. This terrior plays a major role in the famous acidity and balancing sweetness of riesling. Second, what is auslese? Translated from German, it means "selected harvest." Generally, it describes a category of German wine that is very sweet, made from late-harvested grapes.

Paired with:

Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate

Comments from the group:

 Most in the group enjoyed riesling pair with milk chocolate and said it emphasized a buttery taste. However, riesling paired with dark chocolate was everyone's favorite! The dark chocolate brought out the fruit flavor of the wine.

(8) Old Vine Tawny

About the wine: 

The good thing about the Enthusiasts

 is that the group can taste new wines and learn what they love - and what they don't. While the label describes this wine as a murky brick red color with spiced berry and ripe plum flavors. Unfortunately, the group only seemed to notice a murky flavor and it did get better when paired with chocolate.

Paired with:

 Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.

Comments from the group:

Do not recommend this wine to a friend :(

(9) Girl Go Lightly Moscato

About the wine:

I was very excited to open this wine for two reasons: (1) the label is so freaking cute. I know what your thinking - c'mon Kelley how can a wine enthusiast like you get hung up on the label. True, I generally urge my friends that the quality of the wine is in no way associated with the label art. However, sometimes the label is a little piece of art in its own right and is worth mentioning, and (2) its the first time the Enthusiast! gets to discuss Moscato! 

Moscato is actually made from the muscat grape variety. This grape is known for its pronounced sweet aroma and multiple varieties and synonyms. For example, Muscat is known in Spanish as Moscatel, and Moscato in Italian.

Paired with:

 White Chocolate

Comments from the group:

 The group thought this wine paired nicely with white chocolate!

And the award goes to... wine and chocolate!

Cheers!

The Enthusiasts! NYC Wine Club: Wine and Chocolate

This month... a red hot exclusive for the Sweetest Month of the Year - Wine and Chocolate Pairings!

Some Initial Thoughts

Like cheese or any other food, you can never go seriously wrong with pairing wine with chocolate. If it tastes good to you, then its a perfect pairing!  However, some critics argue that one needs to be more careful when pairing wine with chocolate because the wrong pairing may yield a bitter result.  Some basic tips include: (1) 

Pair light chocolate with lighter wines, and (2) 

Pair darker chocolates with full-bodied wines

What You Have Been Waiting For... The History of Chocolate

The chocolate we know and love today has had a rich history, which dates back almost 2000 years. In fact, for most of it's existence chocolate was known as a beverage and not a candy bar. As an introduction, some of the most important chocolate terms include: (1) 

"Cacao" - refers to the plant or its beans before processing, and (2) 

"Chocolate" - refers to anything made from the beans, while "cocoa" refers to chocolate in powdered form.

Photo source:

www.xocolatamante.com.au

The word chocolate has been traced to several sources, including, the Aztec word "xocoatl" referring to a bitter chocolate drink, and the latin term for cacaco tree,

Theobroma cacao,

" meaning

food of the gods.  

In the early days, many cultures (shout out to the Mayans and Aztecs in particular!) considered chocolate valuable enough to use it as currency.  E

uropeans finally discovered the awesomeness of chocolate around the 17th century and hot chocolate quickly became a fashionable drink.  Chocolate remained popular throughout Europe for its nutritional, medicinal and even aphrodisiac properties.  Chocolate finally took bar form in 1847, when Joseph Fry (according to the Smithsonian) created the first chocolate bar.  A small British company called Cadbury (who is not so small anymore!) was credited with introducing boxed chocolates to the masses in 1868.  Nestle (another well-known name today) was credited for introducing milk chocolate just a few short years later.  Since then, chocolate has remained a staple part of the food industry: it was included in army rations during both world wars and has grown to include exotic truffles and intricate candy bars. 

Wine and Chocolate Pairings

Salted Caramels and Fortified Wine.

One recent article from the

New York Times

featured this pairing as a favorite if one wants to pair wine with chocolate. Salted caramels are growing in popularity and need no introduction. Fortified wine, however, may be a different story. Put most simply, fortified wine is with combined with another distilled beverage, usually brandy.

Icewine and Fruit Filled Truffles.

Icewine (in German - Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine made from grapes that were frozen while still on the vine. Here, the sugars and dissolved solids that add to the flavor of the wine do not freeze, but the water does, so the juice that results from these frozen grapes is sweet and highly concentrated. This sweet dessert wine will pairing nicely with any fruit based chocolate because the fruit enhances the honey flavors of the wine.

Reisling and White Chocolate.

For my choco-holics, you may already know that white chocolate is not chocolate at all. It is actually made of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and salt. As a result, the vanilla and honey flavors of white chocolate blend well with the tangerine notes found in most rieslings.

Bordeaux Blends and Intense Dark Chocolate.

Most bordeaux blends are full-bodied wines that contain dark fruit flavors. Chocolate with a high cacao content will stand up to the intensity of most bordeaux blends and bring out the berry flavors. 

Other interesting Pairings include:

(1) Rose Champagne and Truffles, the sharp tannin is balanced by the decadence of the truffles; (2) 

Pinot Noir and Medium Dark Chocolate; and (3) 

Chanti Classico and Vanilla Filled Truffles, Chianti has a dark and full-bodied flavor that balances nicely with the strong aroma and mild flavor of vanilla truffles.

General Suggested Pairings with Milk Chocolate.

If you like milk chocolate, try pairing it with the following wines: 

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc (I'm thinking this may be weird - try it and let me know how it goes), 

Sparkling Wine/Champagne, and 

Dessert Wines. If you're thinking the term "dessert wine" seems like a general classification - you would be right! There is no simple definition for dessert wines. It simply encompasses any sweet wine that follows the meal and should be distinguished from

fortified wines

 that are commonly consumed before the meal. But, if you want to get technical, in the United States, a dessert wine is defined as any wine over 14% alcohol by volume and thus taxed at a higher rate.

General Suggested Pairings with Dark, Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate.

If you love dark chocolate, try pairing it with the following wines/beverages: Zinfandel, 

Pinot Noir, 

Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Merlot, Tawny 

Port, and Cognac. I know what you are thinking next ... what is

tawny port

. I'll admit I was interested in looking it up myself, but put most simply, it is wine, made from red grapes, aged in wood barrels, and gradually exposed to oxidation and evaporation. This exposure to oxidation creates a "nutty" flavor in the wine.

Pairings with White Chocolate.

For those of you who love white chocolate, try pairing it with: Chardonnary, 

Zinfandel, or 

Sherry.

For Those of You in the NYC Area, My Favorite Places to Buy Chocolate!

1. Vosges Haut-Chocolate. I love this place because they take pairing chocolate with interesting international flavors to a whole new level. My favorite is the dark chocolate truffle with coconut and sweet Indian curry. While these chocolates are available online, you should go to the store in Soho - there are tons of free samples!
2. Jacque Torres. The chocolates here are inventive and excellent. But if you had to come here for one thing, it would have to be the chocolate chip cookie. They are served to you after sitting on a griddle for several minutes, so not only is it warm, the chocolate chunks are also melting. Perfection!
3. Trader Joe's. I know I shout out TJ's all-the-time, but this really is a great store for those looking for a bargain. They offer a lot in terms of standards and I even see truffles from time to time.

Check out the following sources for additional detail:

Smithsonian

, on the history of chocolate; 

AllChocolate

, an online resource for all things chocolate; and

Oprah's website

on specific chocolate and wine pairings.  Stay tuned for the wine club results on what the group thought pair best!

Cheers!