Vino Etcetera

Wine & Food Pairing Made Simple

corienne — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:16:25 +0000

The most common question asked during this season is “What do I pair with_____?” Well, my friends it is easier than you think! Let’s keep it simple and have fun with it. The holidays are stressful enough without having to worry about what wine to pair with the enormous variety of foods. To be honest, there is no ONE wine that will go with everything so stop freaking out. Let’s start with the simple rules of engagement: Rule #1: Match the weight of your food with the body of the wine. In the food, the weight is described as the intensity or fullness of flavor and in comparison with wine, the body is the “mouthfeel”. The easiest way to bring you to the Ah ha moment is to put it simply. Think about how water feels in your mouth versus milk or cream. Usually, wines with a heavier body have more alcohol. You don’t want your food to overpower your wine or your wine to over power your food. Pair your wines to the sauces, spices, tannins or proteins. Is your sauce cream or water based? Spices make foods have a heavier “weight” and tannins will make wines seem heavier and the higher the protein will mean more weight. Tannins are in love with protein so it is quite the experience on the palate. Rule #2: Compliment. Acidic wines pair with acidic food; fruit and fruit, earth and earth, sweet and sweet, spice and spice and so on. Rule #3: Contrast. Again, to keep it simple, pair salty food with sweet wines, spicy foods with sweet or crisp wines to tone down the heat or if you want to kick it up a notch, spicy food with high alcohol wines is like throwing gas on a fire. Bitter foods go great with fruit forward wiens and pair higher acidic wine with fatty cream sauces. Remember, just drink what you like and have fun with your pairings. To help you along your wine pairing journey, just remember W.I.N.E. Weight, Intensity, Note the region & Equals (when in doubt). If you are still need help check out the book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine & Food Pairing” written by Jaclyn Stuart and Jeanette Hurt.

Putting it Together: Pairing Basics ABC’S
Apples- Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc
Apricots- Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Late Harvest Wines
Artichoke- Gruner Veltliner, Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc
Asparagus- Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay
Avocado- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Brut Champagne
Bacon- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo
Banana- Blanc de Blanc Champagnes, Tawny Port
Beans- Shiraz, Zinfandel, Red Blends
Beef- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, French Pinot Noir
Berries- Sparkling wines, Riesling, California Red wines
Bread- Chardonnay, Sparkling Wines
Broccoli- Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
Butter- Chardonnay, Sparkling Wines
Carrots- Viognier, Semillon, Riesling
Cheddar Cheese- Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
Chicken- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling
Cinnamon- Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer
Corn- Chardonnay, Sparkling Wine, Pinot Gris
Duck- Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot
Garlic- Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rose’s, Chardonnay, Zinfandel
Green Beans- Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir
Lamb- Pinot Noir, Dry Rose’s, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc
Lobster- Chardonnay, Sparkling Wines, Riesling, Pinot Noir
Mushrooms- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sparkling Wines, Zinfandel
Nutmeg- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Nuts- Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Chardonnay
Olives- Dry Rose’s, Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo
Onion- Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Riesling, Beaujolais, Syrah
Peach- Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sparkling Wines, Late harvest wines
Rice- Pinot Grigio/Gris, Chardonnay, Sparkling Wines
Salmon- Dry Rose’s, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sparkling Rose’s
Salty- Sparkling Wine, Riesling, Zinfandel
Sausage- Riesling, Beaujolais, Zinfandel, Sangiovese
Scallops- Riesling, Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Chardonnay
Squash- Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir
Shrimp- Riesling, Dry Rose’s, Pinot Noir
Spinach- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Beaujolais
Turkey- Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Dry Rose’s
Vanilla- Sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Oaked wines
Veal- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aged Reds
Zucchini- Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese
Source: The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Wine & Food Pairing Jaclyn Stuart & Jeannette Hurt

Look Mom! No Hangover!

corienne — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:46:26 +0000

Eat, drink and be merry and not feel like crap the next day! Wow! What an amazing newsflash! We all have our trusted and tried ways to nurse ourselves back to health after a night of way too much alcohol. What a surprise to discover an article written about a new study published in the Journal of Food Science posted on www.rodale.com that states eating asparagus will help prevent a hangover. According to Korean researchers, they discovered that the extracts taken from the leaves and shoots of asparagus boosted levels of the important enzymes that aid in the breakdown of alcohol. They state that eating asparagus before or after a night of heavy drinking can serve as a hangover cure!

The scientific juice of it all is that large consumptions of ethanol alcohol leads to a number of unpleasant ailments such as a pounding headache, waves of nausea followed by vomiting, extreme fatigue, dehydration and the list goes on and on. We all know.
During the metabolic breakdown of ethanol some toxic results may occur in the liver which involve two key enzymes ADH and ALDH turning the ethanol into a nontoxic acetate. The study goes on to state that the specific enzymes in asparagus help stimulte these enzyme functions therefore, accelerating the alcohol breakdown process. Imagine that! You could always not drink alcohol to avoid a hangover, but what fun is that? Just keep it in moderation and enjoy a little asparagus to keep you from feeling the throws of an alcoholic saturation. Drink responsibly and hydrate! Eat Asparagus to Prevent a Hangover

Chemistry of Red Wine

corienne — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:27:55 +0000

This month’s Wired Magazine had an interesting article written by Patrick Di Justo talking about “What’s Inside: Red Wine” and it completely fascinated me. Many people have told me they are sensitive to the sulfites and insist they need a “sulfite-free” wine or they just simply won’t drink red wine whatsoever. After reading this article and discovering many more of the chemical compounds red wines are made of, it could be something else these people are reacting to.

All wines have sulfites in them in order to preserve. These sulfites occur naturally in the wine and some wineries add more or less depending. So, what is in red wine and what are the effects? Let’s start with Ethanol which is a toxin that confuses our brains into thinking we are invincible and far more superior than we are and most cultures enjoy this magical thinking of being some form of a god. (in our own minds and some people take this to the extreme!)

Ethanol is formed by microorganisms that eat the C6H12O6 (Sugar) and excrete the waste as CH3CH2OH (Ethyl Alcohol). After overconsumption of ethanol, a hangover develops with symptoms of dry mouth, headache, nausea and light sensitivity. These symptoms are partly due to the toxic acetaldehyde produced from alcohol by alcohol dehydrogenase, and partly due to general dehydration. Wow! Keep it in moderation and don’t forget to hydrate with glasses of water.

Next we enjoy the body of wine or mouth feel which is created from the Glycerol, a syrupy sugar alcohol, a byproduct of ethanol fermentation. Tannins are the astringent molecules found in grapes and oak from the barrels the wines ferment in. These phenol groups bind to salivary proteins making your mouth feel dry even when it is full of liquid. Imagine that! Malvidin 3-glucoside is one of a family of natural pigments known as oenin which puts the red in red wine. The next chemical gives Cabernet Sauvignon its herbaceous green pepper aromas is 3-Isobutyl-2-Methoxy-Pyrazine. If the wine is overpowered with these aromas it could mean the grapes did not ripen fully or leaves were mixed into the fermentation tank. Tyramine can cause an over dose of amino acid which can cause migraines. Tyramine constricts cerebral blood vessels and when they reopen, they cause a throbbing headache! OUCH!. Skip the cheese but at least nibble on something so you’ll absorb less tyramine. The malic acid which naturally occurs in grapes can give wine a harsh taste so many times wine makers will put the wine through Malolactic fermentation which “softens” the wines and sometimes adds a buttery flavor. The final chemical compound worthy of discussion is the Resveratrol raved in recent decade as the miracle cure all, cancer fighter, and diabetes tamer! A glass of red wine a day can have health benefits incorporated with a healthy lifestyle and of course, moderation. Toast one up to these beautiful chemical compositions combined to create the “Nectar of the gods”.

Taste of Spanish Elegance – Wine Club Soiree

corienne — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:27:33 +0000

Hosted by Heidi Harwood of Wirtz Beverage

September’s wine club soiree featured seven wines from Spain and a variety of Tapas to pair with. Tapa’s and wine is the perfect way to spend a Thursday night even in light of the big football game on. Vino Etcetera was packed with people all enjoying excellent wines, delicious tapas and fantastic company. The lineup started with a dry sparkling Brut Cava and then followed with a light white blend of Viura and Macabeo. The lighter reds we enjoyed were two different styles of Garnacha followed by Mencia (Cabernet Franc) and the big hit of the night was the Old Vine 2002 Tempranillo Gran Reserva. While our guests were sipping on the elegant wines, they were encouraged to squeeze their halves of ripe, juicy tomatoes into a piece of soft baguette and a smear of fresh minced garlic topped off with fresh cucumber, red onion or tuna. The evening finished off with a Semi-Seco Cava (off dry) paired with a piece of milk chocolate sea salt from Indulgence Chocolatiers and a slice of fresh peach. Cielo! (Heaven)

Humble Beginnings

corienne — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:26:54 +0000

Before you fly off to Napa or France and tour the First Growths, you may want to start out right her in your own backyard so you can truly appreciate the experience. Wisconsin has over fifty wineries all sure to be a rewarding, unique and interesting. Recently, I had the pleasure to visit the Vetro Winery in Concord, Wisconsin. A sweet woman who calls herself “Foxy” greeted us and offered us to taste her wines for a donation to the Special Olympics. They were in the process of moving to their larger facility in Johnson Creek and she was gracious enough to let us go down to the vineyard and explore. It was the perfect thing to do on a beautiful September day and we tasted some grapes off the vine and tasted a few of their wines.

We purchased a bottle of Chardonnay and sat on the little patio enjoying the fantastic company of my Dad and best girlfriend. The Chardonnay was a combination of the grapes grown here in Wisconsin and imports from California. The wines we sampled were on the sweet side and a few I tasted were fruit based and much sweeter than I usually drink. I wanted to sample these to learn why our fellow Wisconsin residents go crazy for these wines. They reminded me of adult Kool-Aid which is perfect for a beginner just starting to learn about wines and start drinking them. The plan is to do the Wisconsin Winery tour and then expand the horizons from there.