Holiday Food and Wine Pairings Part 2

Aside from my love for all things sparkling, I really am a red wine drinker...so in doing my research and checking my wine logs on appropriate recommendations for whites, I rediscovered how many whites I enjoy and with but a few exceptions, most of these I've enjoyed over the holidays!

Unlike my last post, I think this time I will list the wines with a little description and then recommend foods to go with them.

Arneis: This light to medium bodied Italian wine is one of my favorite wines for appetizers.  So if you are having friends pop in for tree trimming or to watch a classic holiday flick...consider serving this wine, a few nibbles and you'll have happy guests! With hints of fruits like peach and pineapple, it loves proscuitto and melon.  I would also serve it with poached shrimp, grilled scallops, an antipasto platter and goat cheese served with fruit.  Wild Horse Arneis is a good value, but if you want a stellar example of the varietal, check out Cal-Italia vintner Viansa, on-line or on-site sales only...their Arneis was my introduction to this wine and is still my favorite!

Chardonnay:  We have twins here...but they are not identical!  First we have the full bodied buttery, sometimes oaked Chardonnay.  I would pair this with a holiday turkey, complete with all the traditional fixings.  Anything cooked in a brown butter sauce would be very happy paired up with this twin!  Seafood like butter poached lobster, baked cod, fried clams, or roasted salmon will shine with a buttery Chardonnay...Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay 2013 is worth the $35 for a special holiday meal...especially if buttery is your kind of Chardonnay.  For a real splurge, I recommend Cakebread Chardonnay 2012 or 2013 at about $45.  Cakebread is a classic Chardonnay and has long been a favorite of mine.

As for the lighter to medium bodied Chardonnay which is typically aged in steel and features grassier notes, along with some minerality...this begs for brinier foods...whether crabs, shrimp or oysters...most shellfish pair well with this sister.  So, if a seafood salad or boiled shrimp were to make an appearance on your Christmas Eve buffet...go with the unoaked Chardonnay like Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($30)...bright and light aromas of kiwi, lemon and peach.  For a refreshing and inexpensive quaff, consider Kenwood Sonoma County Chardonnay 2013 ($12)...it is full of green apple pucker and zingy lime and ginger notes.  It is perfect for a salad course or leftover turkey sandwiches...light on the mayo!

Drunken Shrimp Salad

For Hanukkah, perhaps latkes and sour cream..try the kosher Backsberg Chardonnay ($12)...a nice, natural acidity with hints of lemon zest, white peach and hazelnut notes.

White Burgundy: The first wine I sipped that made me want to drink more wine was a Chassagne Montrachet...a glorious white burgundy...so blame Paris...a sole meuniere to die for and this very special occasion wine for my predilection for wine...perhaps you might indulge for a romantic New Year's eve lobster dinner...ask your wine merchant for availability and pricing.

Gewurztraminer:  Probably the most versatile white I can recommend is a Trimbach Gewurztraminer ($24).  The 2013 is a bright pale gold with aromas of warm spices, lychees and roses.  The taste is rich, spicy and well balanced, pairing beautifully with ham, turkey, foie gras, lobster and fried seafood and Thanksgiving leftovers!

Riesling:  Another favorite Alsatian white is the Trimbach Riesling 2012 ($20).  It is light, crisp and has honeyed fruit highlights...all of which pair nicely with  corn pudding, trout, scallops and yes...the New Year's Eve staple...Chinese take-out.

The next three wines are worth experiencing...but you may want to go to a wine tasting first to try them...they can be pricy...and very often are too sweet for the uninitiated.  But that being said...this is the perfect time of year doe these dessert wines and they should be experienced with love and joy!!

Ice Wine:  this sweet white wine is made from grapes that were allowed to freeze on the vine before harvesting...intense fruit flavors from raisin to pear and apple, this type of wine is perfect for sipping after enjoying fondue or raclette before a roaring fire!  Enjoy apple pie with a slice of cheddar, some cheesecake or perhaps some shortbread cookies as an end to your repast.  While up at Niagara Falls this past summer, I purchased some Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine to enjoy this holiday season.

Russian Tea Cakes and Ice Wine!

Muscat (or Moscato) is a fragrant, sweet and spicy wine which is quite reminiscent of a liqueur. Highlights are warm spice notes, peach and or candied orange flavors. I have spent many a dinner in Europe finishing up an lovely meal with a muscat and some biscotti for dunking in the sweet wine. Creamy custards, panna cotta or souffles are naturals for this wine,  Muscat that has prominent orange flavors was meant to be enjoyed with dark chocolate....as a matter of fact, a perfect hostess gift would be a bottle of Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d'Asti ($15.00) and some dark chocolate truffles...hint...hint...

And my final recommendation for a holiday white is a Sauterne.  I always feel very grown up and special when I am offered a glass of this lovely French white.  I believe that simpler is better with Sauternes...it is all about this wine after all...so a lovely stilton and some pears or an almond tart or cake...simple and delicious.  If serving Sauterne as an aperitif, consider almonds, pate de foie gras or campagne, blue cheeses or stuffed mushroom caps. The Chateau Guiraud 2005 375 half bottle ($45) is an excellent dessert wine that is full bodied with hints of honey, vanilla and nuttiness and is a very good wine at a very good price.



"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."  Meister Eckhart

Next post...Holiday food and red wine!

Cheers!

Holiday Food and Beverage Pairings I: Champagne and Sparkling Wine

This post is coordinated with my Facebook page Champagne Thursday by Alice Anne Barbo...and as a supplement to my self published cookbook,  Champagne Thursday!www.facebook/mychampagnethursday/


I have been asked by many friends and family members to help them with food and beverage pairings, particular recommendations and even to develop signature cocktails for their holiday fetes and menus so over the next few weeks, I'll be posting some of my favorite ideas, recipes and beverages to serve as a guide for your holiday plans.

A couple of notes before talking about pairings...
1)  Drink what you like and like what you drink...Looong gone is the notion that you must drink red wine with meat and white wine with fish...experiment...or ask a knowledgeable person at a restaurant or liquor store about what they'd enjoy with this dish or that...or drop me a line...I have lots of ideas!

2)  There are two old adages that have served me well...everything in moderation...so drink responsibly and... never mix the grape and the grain...by this I mean...if you are going to drink wine, then stick with wine during the festivities...same holds true for beer, hard cider, or spirits...for some reason if you start the festivities with a cocktail and switch to wine and maybe finish off with a liqueur, you are almost always guaranteed a hangover...so moderately enjoy...stick to one type...certainly, you can progress through wines from white to red to sweet...if you do choose to have a mixed drink or a beer before wine, try drinking a large glass of very cold water in between...hydration helps.

3)  If you are entertaining on a budget, consider having a signature drink for your event/s.  I like to prepare a champagne cocktail to serve alongside the unadulterated version of wine.  From a classy Kir Royale which is sparkling wine with a splash of Chambord to something out of the ordinary, like my Sparkling Rose' Sangria Punch...having a go to cocktail saves money and affords less stress during the holidays! Adding some lovely garnishes like whole berries, pomegranate seeds or long peels of citrus zest, jazz up a glass of Prosecco or Cava.

4) Finally...hosts should never be so inebriated that they lack judgement because as we all know, friends don't let friends drive drunk...buzzed...tipsy...if they've had even one drink at your home, make sure they have something non-alcoholic, like very cold water, coffee, tea or juice... at least 30 minutes before departing your home.  Have the contact info of a cab company or UBER posted by their coats...it's your responsibility to see that your guests are safe.

Now that that's been said...over on Facebook I started with a little background on Champagne and Sparkling wines and how, if there were but one beverage to serve for all the upcoming occasions...you'd find success if it sparkles.

Beginning with a holiday breakfast or brunch, Champagne or sparkling wine cocktails bespeak of celebrations.  I find that a glass of oaky Champagne does wonders with anything cooked in butter.  I guess that is why I love having Champagne with a classic French omelet.  And if you care to add caviar to your morning eggs...then Champagne is the ONLY drink to enjoy.  Champagne along with other dry sparkling wines is very versatile.  The bubbles balance the unctuousness of fats and fried foods...it highlights foods that are smoky and grilled...it can handle spiciness or support sweetness in fruits and dessert.  So whether you are sharing charcuterie and cheese or chilling out over your favorite Chinese takeout...add some bubbles...they come ready for any party.

This year, we will be starting our Thanksgiving with a traditional southern style brunch:

Sausage gravy and biscuits
Asparagus wrapped in crispy prosciutto
Scrambled eggs (with caviar optional)
Monkey Bread
Grapefruit Brulee

My beverage selection will include a sparkling California Blanc de Noir, sparkling apple cider for those who prefer their boozy buzz to begin later in the day...strong coffee and plenty of sparkling water. This year, I will have a blood orange and pomegranate mixer available for a festive mimosa.

Serving appetizers?  Keep the bubbly flowing...Champagne and most other dry sparkling wines love cheese and crackers, creamy dips, pigs in a blanket and seafood...smoked salmon or trout, shrimp, scallops wrapped in bacon and of course...the sexiest of all, raw oysters...served with a classic mignonette sauce: 
In a small non-reactive bowl, combine 1/4 cup red wine or Champagne vinegar with 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots, 1/4 tsp. fresh, coarsely, ground black pepper...serve icy cold and drizzled over chilled oysters or clams on the half shell.  Makes enough for 1 dozen oysters.

If you feel the need to continue with sparkling wine throughout the festivities...I applaud your aplomb and recommend, especially with turkey, duck, or ham even a red meat like beef tenderloin a sparkling Rose'.  With just a hint of sweetness and lovely fruit forward notes, a sparkling rose' like Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rose' (about $25) or Cerdon du Bugey NV ($22) pairs beautifully with everything from cranberry sauce to cornbread stuffing!

When I serve something elegant like lobster (or lobster mac and cheese) I will serve the driest sparkler I can find...Tattinger Brut La Francaise ($50) or Champagne Billecarte-Salmon, Brut ($60)...with oaky, buttery,toasty and yeasty notes...come to mind.

And, if you like to serve mushrooms as a side or in a sauce...something magic happens when a sparkling wine appears!  For a more conservative budget, try an affordable American blanc de noirs like Gloria Ferrer (a personal fave at $25!) or Gruet ($17)...a slight sweetness from the red grape varietal, but it works with the "floor of the forest" terroir of mushrooms and red meats.

For dessert and or a cheese course, try a demi-sec (sweet) or doux (sweetest) champagne! Try Veuve Cliquot Demi-Sec Champagne ($55) with holiday pie, French style pastries like Macarons or with a fruit and cheese platter...focusing on dried fruits like apricots, figs and fresh fruit like pears and apples...the cheese, a triple cream, like Brillat Savarin or a very creamy goat cheese drizzled with honey and chopped pistachios.

Dried Apricots with Goat Cheese and Sweet & Spicy Pecans

Here's to your holidays..
"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Next post:  Which white wines to serve for your finest holiday occasions.

Bon appetit!