Paella paired with Valsacro Rioja

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What better to go with Paella, a traditional Spanish dish, than a good, hearty Spanish red wine. The first one that springs to mind is Valsacro Rioja, a delicious blend of 70-year old Grenache, 28-year old Tempranillo & 25-year old Mazuelo. This is a serious, structured, backward effort displaying notes of lead pencil shavings, black cherries, cedar & licorice. It is a medium-bodied, attractive, elegant Rioja with moderately high tannin, excellent depth & fine purity as well as personality. Still tightly knit, it will benefit from another year or two of bottle age, and should last for a decade.

Arctic Char and Smoked Salmon Rillettes paired with Lemelson Pinot Noir Thea's Selection

Please click the photo to take you to the recipe!

One of the best wines paired with salmon (in my humble opinion) is Pinot Noir. The Lemelson Pinot Noir Thea's Selection is my choice to pair with Bea's recipe. This wine recently received a rating of 92 points from Wine Spectator: "Rich and aromatic. Not heavy, but packed with huckleberry, plum and an array of sweet spices that keep sailing through the long, beautifully formed finish. A complete wine that has style and grace."

Sound good? Try it, and let me know what you think ;-)

Kiwi, Grapefruit and Crab Salad paired with Santa Julia Torrontes

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The ingredients in this colorful and gorgeous creation would work very well with Santa Julia Torrontes from Argentina. This lovely dry white wine has notes of rose, orange peel, white peaches, fruits salad, chamomile and other aromatic herbs that fill the nose. A fresh flavor and light body with flavors of green apple, ripe fruits like peaches and pears. A balanced wine with great fineness in aromas and flavors.

Sautéed Gnocchi with Tarragon Tomato Sauce paired with Carpineto Dogajolo

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Carpineto Dogajolo is a wonderful Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is deep garnet with violet reflections. Aromas of intense fruit, with hints of cherry, vanilla, coffee and spice. The palate is full, soft, complex and well-balanced. This wine will be a lovely match for the gnocchi!

November 6

Last night there were eight of us in attendance and we tried some really nice wines! First up was Joseph Phelps Le Mistral, a lovely blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignane, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouchet. Soft and delicate aromas of dark cherries that followed through on the palate. A little bit of spice rounded out the finish. Clearly it was the hit of the evening!

Next up was Heaven's Gate Barossa Shiraz. Australian Shiraz, and Barossa Valley in particular, have to be my most favorite wine. Inky-dark with aromas of tar and roasted fruits, this was my personal favorite of the evening (no surprise there). Full-bodied with a good, long finish, it was everything a Shiraz should be.

Last we tried BenMarco Malbec. Still quite young, this tannic treasure has some aging to do before it is perfect. Bold, dense and full-bodied, with a wonderful bouquet of roasted coffee beans. All this wine needed was a good thick steak to pair with it.

Next month, we're changing the venue for the Divas meeting. Instead of meeting at Blue Bamboo, we'll meet at my store (Southside Cellars) on December 9 for Laurel D'Agnillo's one woman exhibit entitled "Simple Reflections". So join us for wine, art and fun!

New, or rather, improved series!

Not long ago I made an attempt to do a once-a-week recipe with a wine pairing. That didn't last very long because I ran out of recipes and was too lazy to search for more. Well, I made a new contact on the website where I post my photos. She takes the most wonderful food photographs and has her own weblog called "La Tartine Gourmande" where she posts photos and recipes. Once a week (or more) I'll post one of her photos which will link to the recipe, and I'll suggest a wine pairing.

This week I'll start off with Potato and Celeriac Gratin:

This dish, to me, begs for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Babich makes a wonderful crisp and citrusy Sauvignon Blanc that's not too over-the-top grapefruity. It's a fresh and lively white whose 2005 vintage was on the Top 100 Wines in Wine Spectator. With its wonderful herbal characteristics and acidity, it will be a perfect match for this recipe.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Got Bread?

Great Harvest Bread Company opened just a few short weeks ago, conveniently located at University and San Jose Blvd. They have everyday breads (Honey Whole Wheat, Harvest White) and daily specials with names like: Dakota, Apple Scrapple, Cheddar Garlic, Cinnamon Swirl, High 5 Fiber, Cinnamon Chip, Cracked Pepper Parmy, Hearty Caraway Rye and Challah. And if you have a sweet tooth, try a Berry Cream Cheese or Cinnamon Cream Cheese Scone, a Pumpkin or Berry Oatbran Muffin or Batter Bread. More photos of the store can be seen here.

Their store hours are Tuesday - Friday 7am - 6pm and Saturday 8am - 5:30pm. Phone number is 73-BREAD.

What are you waiting for? Go!