I'M BACK!

      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)

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/kwanzaa/feast/recipes/food/views/Jamaican-Jerk-Chicken-11115

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/kwanzaa/feast/recipes/food/views/Jalapeno-Black-Eyed-Peas-665

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)

http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/bldes11.htm  

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Latkes-104406

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!

Wine is bottled poetry.

              Robert Louis Stevenson 

Summer wine and food pairing

Hello everyone this is your ticket into the wine and food pairing world from a person who has gone to culinary art school and is now perusing a dream to become a sommelier. First thing that you all need to know about food and wine pairing is that all the ingredients in a dish need to compliment a wine. For summer most people tend to go for the Margaritas or other refreshing alcoholic drinks, but if you want wine migrate towards a refreshing white wine. Standing Stone Gewurztraminer(guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner)is a New York state wine with lychee(it is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree)and grapefruit notes. This wine is dry on the palate and is exquisite for a hot summer day.

Good Food Pairings-
-Salami and fatty meets
-Shell fish
-Fried vegetables
-Spicy food(Mexican, Asian cuisine)

Bad Food Pairings-
-Tomato sauce
-Acidic vegetables 

Cost- $9.99 retail price 


If you have question about wine and food pairing please feel free to ask and I will answer in a timely manner.

Wine is bottled poetry.

              Robert Louis Stevenson