WINE and FOOD

Wine interacts dramatically with food, enhancing and complimenting each other in ways many people never experience. We have attempted to give you some adventures in wine and food, and invite you to tell us about your own experiences and recommendations.

• Food and Wine Pairing

• Master Chef Recipes

• Add your recipe or food idea

FOOD and WINE PAIRING

• Thanksgiving Dinner

• Beef

• Cheese

Thanksgiving Dinner:
What wine do you like? That's the right wine!

It is nearly impossible to serve the wrong wine with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. There are so many different flavors and textures that almost any wine will pair well with something.

For the white meat, try a buttery Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc. Dark meat matches Pinot Noir especially well, although a dry to off-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer works with the oily nature of the turkey.

If you barbecue your turkey (as I do), try a light, fruity Zinfandel or Gamay Beaujolais.

Can't decide? Open a Rose or drier White Zinfandel. Blush wines match well with both white and dark meat. Better yet, try several wines and experiment.

I would avoid excessively sweet wines such as German Piesporter, Liebfraumilch, or any Late Harvest styled wines. Save those for the dessert AFTER dessert!

Beef:
Red Wine for Red Meat (usually)

Beef is prepared in hundreds of styles, flavors and dishes, yet remains true to its intrinsic identity: hearty. Served throughout most of the world as a staple meat, and an expensive delicacy in some countries, it is usually best served by a full-bodied red wine. The possible exception to this occurs when beef is used in spicy or heavily creamed dished. In these cases, a sweeter, fruitier, or more acidic wine could be ideal. We have outlined some general cooking styles and suggested some wines as accompaniment. Don't forget to experiment!

Roasted, Broiled or Barbequed Beef: 
Steaks, London Broil, Prime Rib, Ribs, Tri-Tip Roast

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Heavier Merlot

• Bordeaux varieties

• Robust Pinot Noir

• Meritage blends

• Petit Sirah

• Syrah (Shiraz)

Blackened or Spiced Beef: 
Cajun, Garlic, Pepper Steak

• Fruitier Cabernet Sauvignon

• Merlot

• Zinfandel

Delicate Beef Dishes: 
Beef Wellington, Stroganoff, or very rare meat

• Lighter Merlot

• Pinot Noir

• Sangiovese

• Heavier Gamay

• Chianti

Sauced Beef:
-Italian: 
  Merlot, Zinfandel, Sangiovese
-Cream: 
  Pinot Noir, Gamay
-Asian (Spicy, spicy-sweet):
  Sweeter Gewurztraminer, Late-Harvest Zinfandel

Sautéed Scallops with Mushroom and Sherry 
Rack of Lamb with Winter Fruit Compote
Roasted Turkey with Pistachio Pinot Noir Sauce
Sautéed Chicken with Gewürztraminer 

Sautéed Scallops with Mushroom and Sherry 
Compliments of Beringer Vineyards

Suggested Wines:  Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Recipe: Serves 4

Here's an elegant but quick entrée perfect for busy holiday entertaining. The secrets to impeccable sautéing lie in using a pan large enough not to crowd the food and in cooking quickly over high heat.

1 pound large sea scallops
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, divided
1/2 pound large mushrooms, crimini or white, quartered
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
3-1/2 cups cooked long grain white rice (1 cup raw, cooked according to package directions)

Remove any muscles still on the sides of the scallops; quarter each scallop. Rinse; dry well. Reserve. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan until very hot but not smoking. Sauté the mushrooms until lightly browned and just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from pan; reserve. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Sauté scallops over high heat until lightly browned and opaque, about 3 minutes. De-glaze pan with Sherry; return mushrooms to pan. Over high heat, stir in tarragon, lemon juice, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 serving plates. Serve with rice.

Rack of Lamb with Winter Fruit Compote
Compliments of Beringer Vineyards

Suggested Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Recipe: Serves 6-8

Rack of lamb provides an elegant entrée with little fuss. The accompanying Winter Fruit Compote, spiced with cinnamon and brandy, balances the deep flavor and richness of the well-seasoned meat.

2 (eight-ounce) packages mixed dried fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces
Water
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 cup brandy
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup olive oil
2 racks of lamb
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make compote, just cover fruit with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently until fruit is tender, about 20 minutes. (Add more water, if necessary.) Stir in sugar; add cinnamon. Simmer mixture 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in brandy and discard cinnamon stick. Best chilled overnight to marry flavors. To prepare lamb, mix garlic, rosemary, and olive oil; rub half of mixture over each rack of lamb. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove lamb from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. When lamb reaches cool room temperature, lightly score fat in a diamond pattern; season well with salt and pepper. Arrange meat in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Roast at 500 degrees F until the internal temperature reads between 125 and 130 for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cover with a tea towel. Let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm compote. Carve racks into chops. Accompany with Winter Fruit Compote.

Roasted Turkey with Pistachio Pinot Noir Sauce

Suggested wines: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Gewürztraminer

Recipe: Serves 4

1 small turkey, tom, whole
2 cups dry red wine, preferably Pinot Noir
1/2 cup garlic cloves, roasted
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
dash salt, to taste
dash fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons olive or corn oil
4 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

STEP ONE: Roasting the turkey--
Make two 4x4x8 inch stacks of charcoal along opposing sides of a kettle barbeque. Light them, letting them burn until they begin to whiten. Place the turkey breast down into a poultry rack. When the charcoal is completely white, set in the center of the lower briquette grate. Close the lid holes to about 1/2.

STEP TWO: Making the Red Wine Sauce--
In a large saucepan, combine the stock, red wine, 3 tablespoons of the roasted garlic, the shallots, and 1/4 cup of the chopped parsley. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into another saucepan, then adjust the salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining parsley, then reduce heat to low.

STEP THREE:
When the turkey is cooked, place a slice of thigh overlapping a slice of breast, spooning the sauce over and around them. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the sauce, then garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Sautéed Chicken with Gewürztraminer 

Suggested wines: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, White Zinfandel

Recipe: Serves 4

2 2-pound chickens, boned
2/3 pound leeks, cleaned and julienned
1/3 pound seedless grapes, halved
4 2/3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 cups Gewurztraminer
1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup Cognac
2 cups chicken stock
2/3 small carrot, chopped
2/3 small onion, chopped
2/3 teaspoon fresh thyme
2/3 medium tomato, peel, seed, chop

STEP ONE: The Chicken--
Bone the chicken; set aside the meat. Chop the carcass and sauté in 3 tablespoons butter until browned. Add the carrot, onion, and shallots; sauté a few minutes. Add wine, cognac, chopped thyme, and the chopped tomato.

STEP TWO: The Sauce--
Reduce to 2 tablespoons liquid. Add chicken stock; reduce to 1/2 cup liquid. Remove the bones. Add cream, bring to a boil, and strain. Season to taste. Keep warm.

STEP THREE:
Sauté the chicken in 3 tablespoons butter. Transfer to oven with pan drippings and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and tent with foil.

STEP FOUR:
Using the pan juice, sauté leeks for 5 minutes and remove. Using remaining 1 tablespoon butter, sauté grapes for 1 minute to heat.

STEP FIVE:
To assemble, divide leeks among 6 plates. Place chicken atop leeks. Nap with sauce and garnish with grapes.

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