Saturday, January 9, 2010

Cabin Fever!

It's that time again - time to hide indoors from the negative wind chills, time to say "I will eat better this year - starting tomorrow", time to start planning your Super Bowl Party snacks!! Well, we have started pairing junk food with wine @ Twin Brook. I will be able to elaborate more on this in the immediate future, for the time being my wine tasting must be halted. Post surgery meds do not mix well with alcohol! However, I can lay the ground work for what is to follow!



Why do certain foods and flavors pair well with some wines and not others?

Acids and flavors in wine can react with different components in food. Oaked whites like Chardonnay will make magic with things that are creamy or buttery. White chocolate, alfredo sauce, and cheeses match up nicely due to the presence of lactic acid in the wine.
So far, we have tried cookie dough with different wines, and found Vignoles to pair excellently!
Conversely, the Cayuga did not blend well with white chocolate or the cookie dough. It's higher acidic nature made the buttery flavors taste more like cheese. Not a good pairing!

We are still amazed with the Bellavitano from The Town Clock Cheese Shoppe, it pairs with every wine we try it with!! Just the right balance of creamy, fruity, and salty; it is the chameleon of the cheese world!

Next on the sample platter: buffalo wings. More on that soon!

Try your hand at pairing things!
We have ideas of what should pair well, but only taste testing will tell for sure! One of my favorites is Lindt's white chocolate with coconut paired up with an oaked Chardonnay, Vignoles, and Vidal Reserve. The tropical fruit and pineapple flavors in the Vignoles and Vidal make for a pina colada taste with the coconut especially!
Salud!


Tuesday, January 5, 2010

no wine before it's time...

Yay! More time to blog!! Look for more babble to come out in the next 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it all comes out of a broken leg and being stuck on the couch.
I have been stressing lately over not having time to even blog 2 sentences, I guess I jinxed myself!
Now, to weed through all the ideas swimming around in my head...