Its been a year since my last blog. In that time my life has been on a roller coaster all related to wine. With those ups and downs I have tasted many wines from many different countries. I have also met amazing people, that gave me knowledge beyond what I've learned in my sommelier classes. These people are managers, winemakers, winery owners, and wine pours who all enjoy the value of wine. With that being said I want to spread my new found knowledge on to you. With winter upon us and the holidays right around the corner, I hope that these selections of food and wine will be helpful. To make this a little more tricky for me I'm going to give you holiday selections for Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah! ENJOY!
Christmas
Baked ham with pineapple and cloves with your chose of side. My personal favorite is Au gratin potatoes.
Wine:
14 Hands Pinot Grigio ($7.99 retail price) (Washington State)
This wine present aromas of green apples and melon that will give any dish a delicate balance.
Kwanzaa
This holiday is not so different to Christmas as it also ties in with family and community. With that this holiday also celebrates the harvest of certain foods native to different parts of Africa, South Africa and the Caribbean. Some of those foods are black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, and collard green. Some dishes that could be made are; Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Jalapeno Black-Eye Peas (below are the links to the recipes)
Wine:
Nederburg Lyric ($8.99 retail price) (South Africa)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay will give your meal an added touch. With its pineapple and banana notes blended with other tropical fruits, this is a true fruit cocktail in a bottle.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah also known as the festival of lights has many foods mostly fried to symbolize the oil that lasted for 8 days.
Latkes, doughnuts and loukoumades are three very traditional treats being made during this holiday (recipes for latkes, and loukoumades below)
Wine:
Bartenura Moscato ($12.99 retail price) (Italian kosher)
This wine is sweet and bubbly with peach aromas. The sweetness of the wine will help counter act the fattiness of the dishes
If you have question about wine and food pairing please feel free to ask and I will answer in a timely manner.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
Wine is bottled poetry.Robert Louis Stevenson
