I would like to thank Adam for supporting this blog with his article on versatile wine and food pairing. Adam is a blogger who loves sharing everything from designer aprons for the kitchen, to pairing wines with food and even traveling. He manages five or six active blogs and wants to thank you for taking the time to read his post. 

Enjoy Adam’s article……leave us a comment……………thanks John

I have a wine for that!

Pairing wines with food such as a potluck dinner, hor d’oeuvres and greasy game day foods can be a nightmare. Fortunately, even if you do not have a huge wine cellar, by keeping a few versatile wines for pairing with food on hand, you can be prepared for any number of foods, and always be able to say, “I have just the wine for that!”

 

Stefano Farina Barolo (Italy)

 

This Barolo has a powerful nose full of floral and fruit character, with a high acidity and full mouth feel. If you are in a rush, this can be a great wine to grab for a quick versatile wine and food pairing, as it requires minimal decanting to reach its peak.

 

Because Barolos are known for their powerful flavors and fragrances, many assume that they can only go with heavy foods. However, the Stefano Farina Barolo is a versatile wine and food pairing that works properly with glazed pork or even chicken. It can also complement a variety of pasta, seafood and even steak, like a bone in rib-eye , as long as they are served with red, olive oil, or garlic based sauces. With its versatile wine and food pairing potential and minimal decanting requirements, the Stefano Farina Barolo is a great option when throwing last minute dinner parties or romantic meals with a person you care about, when you may not be able to shop and properly decant your wine well ahead of time.

 

Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay (United States)

 

The Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay comes from California and is acidic and creamy, bearing hints of lemons and oranges, with a drawn out finish. Because this Chardonnay is so much more powerful and dynamic than most others, it opens the doors to unique wine and food pairing that are uncommon with this varietal. This makes it, the perfect drink to have with light hor d’oeuvres or even heavy ones like a cheese stuffed mushroom, before a dinner party, or with appetizers while watching television.

 

Since this wine is extremely full bodied, it seamlessly spans the gap from typical chardonnay pairings, like fish, all the way to cream based pasta dishes and red meat, like a steak, as long as the red meat is not served with a thick or heavy meat sauce.

Great Versatile Wine for Pairing With Food

 

Much like other chardonnays, it is a perfect complement to white meats like chicken or pork. One of the most unique things about this wine is that because of its flavor and accents it can pair with a heavy cream sauce, but also be the perfect wine to serve during a game as it will match anything from a vegetable tray with ranch dressing to Buffalo wings with spicy sauce.

 

Los Vascos Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)

 

The Los Vascos Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has a bright palate, with a fruity nose full of berries and notes of cedar, pepper, tobacco and herbs, with a powerful finish. While great for drinking by itself, its wine and food pairing versatility comes from its lightness and flavors that can pair virtually with any meal.

 

Because of the flavors and how light it is, it can match your standard red sauces and be perfect alongside sea foods, white meats and the variety of appetizers that you can expect to be served at a dinner or cocktail party. Whether you’re looking for a dependable but versatile wine for pairing with food to bring with you to a dinner, or just to spending an afternoon relaxing with some friends, the Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon is always a great choice.

 

Pairing food and wine for those last minute meals will always be more difficult than a preplanned menu. However, by keeping several bottles of these versatile wines for pairing with food on hand, you’ll almost always be able to have something to go along with whatever is being served.

International Wine Gift Basket Delivery

Any of these three versatile vinos make ideal wine gifts to bring to a party or event. This great wine shop will ship internationally so share wine with the  world. So, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, holiday or even a we miss you gift for someone in the military or studying abroad, the selection of wine gift baskets is unparalleled and they can send the perfect bottles to match the tastes and varietals that the people who will be receiving it will potentially enjoy the most.

Web Master Summary:

Again I would like to thank Adam for the article on versatile wine and food pairing. I have personally tasted all three of these wines and completely agree with Adam on the wine and food pairing versatility of these wines. I do suggest that you use a wine aerator on the Barolo wine as it makes a pleasant difference in the finished product and enhance the wine and food pairing experience.

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Note from Andy Steven: Every nation has its set of unique, traditional cuisines, and Canada is no exception either. In fact, this North American nation is pretty well-known for the exotic dishes and rich wine varieties that are available here. If you are looking for dishes that you should definitely try while in Canada, you will find the following article really handy.

Canadian cuisines vary according to the different regions of the country…..

According to Prime Minister Joe Clark, “Canada has a cuisine of cuisines. Not a stew pot, but a smorgasbord.”

Some of the unique Canadian food items and wines I experienced are listed below:

Poutine – Poutine is, arguably, the most famous Canadian dish. It is a fast food item which initially originated in Quebec, but is currently available all over Canada. It consists of cut fries layered with cheese curds, and warm, rich, peppery gravy.  The taste of Poutine is remarkable indeed, making it a hot favorite among all food-lovers from this region.

Donuts- One of the most well-known Canadian desserts is a donut.  There are various types of donuts that can either be prepared at home, or purchased from the markets (bakery shops / confectionaries). Tim Horton’s donuts are extremely popular in Canada.

Pierogies- Pierogies are a type of dumplings made of butter, onions, sauerkraut, cheese, ground meat and potato filling.  Pierogies enjoy maximum popularity among the Polish and Ukrainian people living in Canada.

Tourtière- The recipe of the Tourtière meat pie initially originated in Quebec. However, it is now a popular dish for Christmas parties, during the winter months. You can make this pastry with anything you like, including diced pork, beef, veal or seafood, and vegetables.

Kraft dinner- This is another very famous Canadian dish, made of ultra-processed macaroni and cheese. Apart from the original variety, there are a number of other types of Kraft dinner available in the country. These include the White cheddar, Sharp cheddar, Spiral noodle, Spaghetti & Cheese, and Alfredo.

  

Canadian Wines And Drinks

Canadian wine is produced in mainly southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. There is also a growing number of small scale producers of grapes and wine in southern Quebec and Nova Scotia. The two largest wine-producing regions in Canada are the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario..

The Canadian wine industry also vinifies imported grapes and juice. These products are labeled Cellared in Canada and are not required to conform to the strict Vintners Quality Alliance content regulations.

Icewine, which can be produced reliably in most Canadian wine regions, especially the Okanagan Valley, is the most recognized product on an international basis.Canada produced 75.9 million litres of wine which is 0.3% of world production.

 

Icewine: When talking about Canadian wines, the first thing that comes to our mind is Iced Wine.  It is a sweet dessert wine that is produced from grapes like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Vidal, and Cabernet Franc, when they have been frozen. The best Ice Wines have gone through the freeze and thaw cycle a few times normally in December.  Inniskillin is the most famous and widely known top Canadian brand of quality iced wine. Other key producers of iced wine in the country include Peller Estates, Pillitteri Estates Winery, Riverview Cellars Estate, Kittling Ridge and Chateau Chantel. Iced Wine can be used before dinner, with spicy entrees and after dinner as a dessert.

Cider: Cider is another alcoholic beverage that is famous in Canada. It is generally made of fermented apple juice, although though pears can also be used for its preparation.

Fruit wines: Fruit wines are immensely famous and abundant in Canada, with more than 160 fruit wineries found to be operating all over the nation. Three well-known types of fruit wines are iced fruit wine, sparkling fruit wine and fortified fruit wines. Each of these varieties has a different taste and aroma and the process of brewing is also different for all of them. A trip to Canada is not a completed with trying Fruit Wines.

If you are visiting Canada for the first time and want to taste these culinary delicacies, you can try them out at any good Canadian restaurant. There are a number of liquor stores in different parts of the country, where you can have a taste of a wide variety of Canadian wines. Among all the other wine stores in Canada, you should visit the famous Sherbrooke Liquor Store at least once, since it enjoys the pride of being the best beer store in Edmonton for three years in a row.

 

Andy Steven is an avid traveler and publishes web articles about  different geographical locations. He is out-and-out foodie and in his free time is constantly looking  on internet finding great deals on travel as well as food. He is brought up in Irish family but since he is a travel and food journalist he moves from country to country.  Recently he was in Edmonton and tasted some authentic style European dishes with great local wine paring from the  Continental Treat Fine Bistro.

Study of Wine

My Trip to Napa Wine Country

Hello,
My name is “Nita”. I am from the beautiful State of Minnesota. I am sharing with you as a guest blogger my wonderful wine experience of visiting the Napa Wine Country, January 12-17, 2012

Below are my notes from the first day of the adventure in January. “There is no BAD time of the year to visit Napa wine country. This trip, the weather was very sunny , not a cloud in the sky, about 65 degrees daily. The afternoon of Jan. 12th, it was 71 degrees. Morning temps were sometimes in the 30′s, on Jan. 17 th it was 21 degrees.”

Day One

Wine Bar @ Napa General Store – Downtown Napa, CA.

The General Store specializes in a selection of hand picked wines of limited quanity from small producers in Napa Valley Wine Country.
The wine producers usually make less than 500 cases a year. The Napa General Store brings to tasting public wines that are unique, hand-crafted and express a distinctive winemaker’s vision.

This was a special treat because the wines are so limited.

My individual tasting included:

White Wines

1) Richard Grant-Sparkling Cuvée Rose Pinot Noir, (500 cases/year)
Easy sipping sparkling. Good with or without food. Will add a festive note to any of your gatherings. “In the past I wasn’t a connoisseur of sparkling wines however this  wine has converted me.” “Not to sweet – not too dry, just right”

2) Sempre Vive, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa (200 cases/year))- “fruit forward but not too fruity; would pair well with your favorite cheese or any dish you prefer with white wine”

3) Screenplay, 2009 Chardonnay, Viogner, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa (328 cases/year)-”what a pleasant surprise, this wine was again, not one of my favorite grapes but this blend was so well rounded, not too much fruit, that I could be a fan of Voigner”

4) Jana, 2008 “Old Vine” Riesling , Napa (356 cases/year)

Price ranges for these wines run from $25 – $36/bottle

Red Wines

5) Hendry, 2008 Primitivo, Napa (175 cases/year)

6) Crane Brothers, 2008 Bodatious Red, Napa (550 cases/year)

Price ranges from $35 – 44/bottle

Port Wine

7) Scott Harvey, “Forte”, Amador County, best paired with cambazolla cheese or dark chocolate with sea salt. Excellent and very, very smooth!

“didn’t think I could ever love a port wine like this but again, I’m a new convert, some port wines are not too sweet for my palette. A good rule to have, when traveling in the Napa wine country, don’t make any assumptions or refuse to taste any wine”

My favs were the Screenplay, Richard Grant Sarkling Cuvee and Hendry Primitio. All are traveling back to MN with me!

Website: www.NapaGeneralStore.com

Your “MN Connection” Napa Wine Country blogger,

Nita

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Study of Wine

Day Two

Hello,
My name is “Nita”  Below are my notes from the second day of the adventure in January.

Whitehall Lane Winery – St. Helena, CA

Daniel was pouring the wine today. Small winery specializing in Merlots and Cabernets however do not count them out for white wine. Loved their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, perfect balance of dry but fruit forward. This is one to keep in the collection for when you need a “refreshing” glass of wine after a hard day at work.

Paraduxx Winery -Yountville, CA

Owned by a larger winery in the valley but unique in their blending of red wines. Sampled 10 different wines, 2 whites, 8 reds. Most of the reds had a variety of Zinfandel blends at various % with Merlot and Cabernet. The first white, 2010 “V” Blend, was a Viognier blend with 40% Chardonnay. Well balanced with melon, fruit and fresh cream.

My fav! The reds were all really great but my fav was the 2008 Canvasback Napa Red, 63% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 1% Cabernet, 1% Carignane; great blend for a smooth finish. Didn’t linger too long on the palette. All wines paired well with two types of cheeses: mimolette, aged for 6+ months and Point Reyes Toma, aged for 90+ days.

Duckhorn Winery – St. Helena, CA

Great tour of the winery estate. Sampled 5 reds and 1 white. The Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc started my ” love-at-first” sip with this white wine. It is a classic, not too dry, medium bodied white. Best combination of freshness and complexity. Aromas of pineapple, guava, peach and lemon zest. It is blended with 25% Semillion, mellowed in 100% French Oak for a few months. My fav red is a Cabernet called Patzimara estate grow at the base of Spring Mountain. 100% Cabernet aged in French oak for 18 months. Flavors in this Cab are earthy but silky notes of black truffle, olive and lush fruit. Tannin are balanced well with a smooth black currant with hints of tobacco leaf finish. Both of these wines will continue to be part of my collection from the Napa wine country.

Your “MN Connection” Napa Wine Country blogger,

Nita

Copyright 2012 | Wine Information and Napa Wine Country

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