Wine for your favorite cheese

Cheese is without a doubt my favorite pairing with wine.  Our friend at AGirlintheSouth is running a monthly, “You Asked…” column.  So, of course I took the bait and asked about her favorite cheese – on its own, and to cook with.  Here are recommended pairings to her responses, which happen to be some of my personal favorites as well! 

 “…my favorite cheese is Blue Cheese”

Blue cheese is wonderfully sharp and salty, and goes well with a fruitier cabernet, or even a merlot.  If you really want to be different, pair it with a port.  Slice into some Roquefort, and pour a glass of our favorite, Heitz Ink Grade Port.  It would make a great beginning, or end to your meal!

The port is currently available in limited supply at select Spec’s stores

“I cook with parmesan more than any other cheese…”

As you start to build your Italian feast, open a Sangiovese or Sangiovese blend (like a Super Tuscan).  Sangiovese typically has high acidity and moderate alcohol, which makes it a great match with tomato-based dishes.  We enjoy Cosentino Sangiovese, especially with pizza!

“I must admit to also loving to cook with feta”

I must admit, I love cooking with feta, too.  One of my favorite go-to apps is feta whipped with basil, lemon, and pepper.  Spread this on a baguette, and pour a glass of Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay.  It is well balanced, without too much oak or citrus, and would let the feta remain the star of the meal.    

What's your favorite cheese and wine pairing?

Wine with Chocolate Cake? You bet!

Many of my friends will be happy to hear that January 27 is Chocolate Cake Day.  I’m not much of a baker and chocolate cake is typically not my top dessert choice. But, pair it with a yummy wine, and I’m in!  There are actually a number of wines that would pair well with a gooey chocolate cake, and some may surprise you.  Here are a few recommendations.  If you don’t bake…find a friend that does and bribe them with wine, or just grab a bottle and share it over a slice from your favorite bakery!

Port

Ports pair well with a big slice of dark chocolate cake.  Not long ago, I challenged my dear friend who shares some pretty tasty recipes over at A Girl In The South to put together a gooey chocolate dessert to pair with one of my favorite ports, Heitz Ink Grade.  Man, did she hit the nail on the head with this one (check it out).  

Port-Style Dessert Wine

Try a port-style dessert wine with a slice of black forest or red velvet cake. One of my personal favorites with the Cuvaison Espiritu.  This is a port-style wine made with Petite Syrah grapes and fortified with brandy.  YUM.  

Sparkling Wine

A dry or rose sparkling wine would pair well with any slice of cake.  To get a nice dry sparkling, pick out a brut.  One of my favorites is Roederer Estate, which can be found at larger beverage stores and usually under $20!  

Cabernet Sauvignon

That’s right.  A the right cab will pair well with chocolate cake.  Did you stock up on ding dongs with the crash of Hostess??  Open up a fruity cab and dive in!  I’d recommend a bottle of Niner.  It is a softer cabernet with subtle flavors.  It would balance the chocolate rather than compete with it.  

What wine would you pair with a slice of chocolate cake?

Classes are a great way to drink and learn

Sally and I attended a wine and cheese pairing class at Village Vino this week. I'm pretty sure I'd flunk a test on what was taught, but our experience was proof that classes can be a fun way to learn a few new things, meet cool people, and drink great wine.

Our class was facilitated by Village Vino's own Rita Pirkl and cheese expert Mary Palmer. We tasted eight wine and cheese pairings, and were seated at a table with seven other participants so we could discuss our reactions to each one. 

Here were the pairings:

• NV Villa Sandi Prosecco paired with Brillat Savarin
• NV Over the Moon Sparking Pinot Noir paired with Ewephoria
• 2011 Domaine Girault Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) paired with Bucheron
• 2011 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc paired with Chabrin
• 2010 Copain "Tous Ensemble" Pinot Noir paired with Zamorano
• 2010 Cervantes Mt. Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Fiscalini 18-month bandaged cheddar
• NV Nierport 10yr Tawny Port paired with 5yr vintage Gouda
• NV Quinta do Noval "Black" Ruby Port paired with Bleu de Auvergne

They were all expertly paired, and I did manage to learn a few things. For example, hard cheese generally works better with reds while softer cheeses generally pair better with white. And, there are actually some really good cheese and port pairings!

More important, our experience was a great reminder that classes can be a lot of fun. If you are in San Diego, check out Village Vino's advanced wine and cheese pairing class on January 22. 

Talk to someone at your local wine shop or wine bar if you'd like to know more about classes in your area. There are also a lot of email newsletters that advertise local wine events. In San Diego, we're big fans of The Juice.

Wine and cheese pairing at Village Vino on January 15

Heitz Ink Grade Port ~ add chocolate for a truly divine dessert!

We challenged our dear friend, and food blogger, AGirlInTheSouth, to create a perfect dessert for this Portuguese style port ~ and boy, did she deliver!

When it comes to ports, it is not often I find one that hits the mark for me.  I am not a fan of ports that are overly sweet, or have heavy brandy taste.  I prefer my port smooth and well balanced ~ one that can be enjoyed on its own as well as with a tasty dessert.  Heitz Ink Grade Port nails it. 

The first time we tasted the Heitz port was a few years ago while visiting the tasting room in Napa. I don’t know who was more surprised… me, because I actually liked it or Jeff, because I put a big smiley face on my tasting notes (our indicator that we want to buy). After just two sips I knew we weren’t leaving without at least a bottle. 

The Ink Grade Port is a traditional Portuguese style port.  They produce this wine from eight Portuguese varieties, which is unique in the Napa area as most produce dessert wines from the traditional dry red varieties (zin, cab, grenache). This is a rich, full bodied port with flavors of dark berry and hints of plum.  We also detected notes of caramel.  It has a perfect balance of flavors and a sweetness that never goes over the top.

We recently opened our bottle to share with Jeff’s parents.  We mistakenly paired this with a slice of apple pie.  It did not do the port (or the pie) any justice.  So… we turned to the expert.  I’ve known Terri, food blogger at AGirlInTheSouth, since I was 5.  As she has noted in her blog, I’ve got a lot of dirt on that girl…so I knew she had to steer us right.  This port needed a rich, gooey, chocolate dessert, and we challenged her to find that perfect pairing.  No worries of telling any childhood secrets, she more than delivered!

Now, I like to cook, but I have never really been a great baker ~ that measuring thing.  Not only did Terri find an excellent pairing, she found a recipe this novice baker could pull together quite easily.  The bread pudding and port created what Terri accurately called a “divine dessert”. 

The Ink Grade Port runs about $20 for a split, and is also available in 750ml for $35.  It is available to purchase directly through Heitz, and at various wine shops.  Pick up a bottle, and check out the recipe at AGirlInTheSouth ~ the pairing truly is divine! 

Good Food, Good Wine, and Good Fortune in 2012

Good wine deserves good food.  We partnered with our friend, and food blogger, AGirlInTheSouth, to create a perfect pairing for New Year’s Day.

According to tradition, New Year’s Day supper will bring you good fortune in the year to come.  There are a variety of foods that are believed to be lucky and improve the odds that next year will be a great one ~ including grapes!

AGirlInTheSouth put together a tasty New Year’s Day menu that is sure to bring luck your way.  We selected some of our favorite grapes to pair with it to make a very fortunate feast!

Menu

 Pork with Apple and Onion Confit

 Shaved roasted brussel sprouts

 Latkes (sour cream on the side)

 Dessert ~ chocolate cupcakes

A nice white wine pairs best with this lineup.  We recommended going with a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Viognier.  Here are a few of our favorites, all of which can be found at larger wine shops, such as BevMo and Specs:

Gewurztraminer:  Handley Cellars ($18) - Dry wine with flavors of grapefruit, vanilla, and lychee  

Riesling: Chateau Ste Michelle ($10) - Off-dry, sweet lime and peach character with subtle mineral notes  

Viognier: Anglim ($25) - Fruit-forward, with fragrant ripe melon and white peach

If white wine really isn’t your thing, or you want to offer a red option for your guests, with this meal we suggested a fruitier pinot noir.  Wild Horse makes a very food friendly pinot noir ($20).  It is a fruitier, California style pinot that has flavors of cherry, pomegranate, and cola.   

Pair a port or a muscat (especially black/orange) to wash down the chocolate cupcakes.  One of my favorite ports is Heitz Cellars Ink Grade Port ($35 for 750ml bottle).  This is a traditional Portuguese style port, and is simply delicious! 

Wishing you all good food, good wine, and good fortune in 2012!