Pairing Food and Wine

One of the most fun things about wine is how it can enhance... or be enhanced by... pairing with food. Here are some pairings that I have put together. Hopefully, they will inspire you to come up with some pairings of your own!

Mac and Cheese Fritters with Birch Wood Vineyards Rosé

The Lanza Tasting Room at Birch Wood Vineyards hosted a Thanksgiving Wine Pairing for ShaSha’s Wine Club that featured a variety of Thanksgiving themed foods that we could taste with their wines. I was blown away by their Rosé and loved the pairing they offered with Macaroni and Cheese Fritters. Here is the recipe that I came up with.

The Birch Wood Vineyards 2022 Rosé is the best rosé I have ever had. I consider this a red wine drinkers rosé because, being made from Mouvedré and Syrah, it is full and almost chewy. It’s a beautiful rose gold in color with fresh strawberries on the nose and flavors reminiscent of strawberries and cream. Just gorgeous!

Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Chops with Russian River Chenin Blanc

I wanted to make something different for Tommy and I based this on the Pork Valdostana we get from one of our favorite local Italian restaurants, On The Corner Grill. I used Ondine Chattan Russian River Pinot Gris from my Naked Wines Wine Club for creating the sauce and enjoying with dinner! I served this with caprese salad and garlic Parmesan risotto.

Beef Wellington with Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

I made Beef Wellington for Tommy's family (who are foodies like us) when I had them over for family Christmas dinner and they absolutely LOVED it. Even though it seems fancy, it really isn't difficult to prepare and much of it can be done ahead of time. I served it with pomegranate glazed Brussels sprouts, butter sautéed carrots and herb roasted potatoes. It was absolutely perfect with the full-bodied Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon!

Chicken Piccata with California Chenin Blanc

Tommy and I enjoyed this great chicken piccata recipe from Giada De Laurentiis with The Prisoner Wine Company Saldo Chenin Blanc. What a lovely pairing. The wine itself is beautiful with a mandarin orange or pineapple (depending on who you talk to) essence and a bright citrus note. When paired with the lemony/briny piccata sauce it becomes softer and the fruit (whichever you think it is) complements the dish. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear what you taste in this wine!

Shrimp and Broccoli Scampi Bake over Angel Hair Pasta with Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc and seafood is a match made in heaven. This Hawley Winery Sauvignon Blanc from Russian River Valley, California is bright and citrusy and complements the freshness of the shrimp and broccoli with the rich garlicky butter sauce deliciously.

Asian Orange Chicken with Pork Fried Rice with Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling

I had a leftover Chinese barbecued pork chop and a bottle of my favorite Riesling, a Semi-Dry Riesling from Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes Region of New York and decided it was time to try making some Asian food. These are the recipes I found and the pairing worked great!!!

Pulled Pork Nachos with Russian River Valley Syrah

My sisters LOVE Pulled Pork Nachos, so I decided to help ring in the New Year with this creation. The braised chili rubbed pork butt was melt in your mouth yummy and enhanced by this spicy smooth Syrah from Healdsburg's own Stephen and Walker Winery, another of our favorite Russian River Valley Wine Clubs.

Chicken Florentine Pasta with Italian Rosé

A wintery day and what I had in the house inspired this Chicken Florentine Pasta and Tommy broke out this beautiful bottle of wine that we picked up at a wine tasting event at Tuscan Kitchen & Market. The 2015 Sartori di Verona Bardolina blush was the perfect pairing for the lightly tomatoed dish with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Pecorino Wine from Abbruzo

New to Pecorino wine, I was looking for something different for a wine pairing party. Goat cheese and tomatoes were both recommended pairings so I thought this dip featuring both would work. It did work, but honestly, the more drastic pairing with the Pecorino wine was simple Pecorino Romano cheese. Tommy loves this dip, though, and is already planning the next time I need to make it. The wine is 2016 Cerulli Spinozzi Cortalto Pecorino from Abruzzo, Italy that I picked up at Tuscan Market.

Pork Medallions with Fig Glaze with Amarone from Veneto

This pork dish is absolutely delicious, so easy to make and only FOUR ingredients (if you do the TV trick of not counting salt, pepper, olive oil and water as ingredients). The fig glaze works so well with the pork and goat cheese, honestly, it would probably be wonderful on chicken or steak, as well and the Amarone, which has a slightly raisiny quality balances it nicely. This particular Amarone was on the lighter side and much less expensive than Amarones I have had in the past (and tend to save for special occasions). At less than $20 at Trader Joe's, this 2016 Conte de Bregonzo Amarone della Valpolicella makes a delicious everyday dinner wine.

Scallops and Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Parmesan Risotto and a Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

This is a super delicious and fancy feeling meal that is a treat for yourself or great for company. The lemon works so well with the seared scallops and broccoli and I bright, citrusy Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is beautiful with it. I served it a Sauvignon Blanc from Stephen & Walker Winery Wine Club, one of my absolute faves.

Garlic Poached Shrimp with Lemon Aioli and an Italian Falanghina

Confession time... I almost always serve poached shrimp with lemon aioli at my wine pairing parties. I make a vegetable stock to poach the shrimp in (this time I made the stock with a full head of peeled garlic cloves) and, here's my BIG secret, the lemon aioli is Hellmann's mayonnaise, the zest of a lemon and lemon juice to taste. When I tell you that I am asked for this "recipe" every time I serve this, I am not exaggerating. This combination is delicious with any bright white citrusy wine, especially if the wine is from a region near the sea. The 2017 Mustilli Sant' Agata Dei Goti Falanghina from Sannio, Italy was absoutely GORGEOUS with this dish.

Porterhouse Steak with Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms and a Bordeaux Blend from Washington State

A very simple yet elegant dish, I reverse sear seasoned steak to an internal temperature 120 degrees F and then place on a griddle with temperature on high to develop a nice crust. I then topped with shiitake mushrooms sautéed to golden brown in butter with a little seasoned salt. I served this with a 2011 Rasa Vineyards "In Order To Form A More Perfect Union" Bordeaux Blend. The wine was amazing. Really big and held up so well to the steak and mushrooms. I can't recommend this wine (or the pairing) more highly.

Shrimp Étouffée with Alsatian Riesling

My husband, college roommate and her husband all have February birthdays and this is the requested dinner every year. Doesn’t hurt that we celebrate during or close to Mardi Gras! An Alsatian Riesling is the perfect accompaniment. I served this with one of our favorites... a 2014 Trimbach Riesling from Ribeauvillé... WONDERFUL!

Pasta and Peas in Lemon Cream Sauce with Pecorino Wine

A bright and creamy dish that is enhanced by the crunchy bread crumb topping. I served this with Banfi’s Cerulli Spinozzi Pecorino “Cortalto” Colli Aprutini IGT and it truly was a perfect pairing the wine held up to the pasta so well. It didn’t lose it’s lemony characteristics at all. LOVELY!!!

Southern Fried Shrimp Tacos with Crispy Jalapeños with Tuscan White Blend

Tommy and I enjoyed Cornmeal Crusted Southern Shrimp Tacos with Crispy Jalapeños paired with Tuscan Kitchen’s Toscana Bianco. I absolutely love Toscana Bianco. It’s a 50% Trebbiano and 50% Vermentino blend made especially for Tuscan Kitchen. And as great as this wine was, it was even better after the tacos. The spiciness of the crispy jalapeños made the wine have a creamy character that was absolutely fabulous. Can’t recommend this pairing more highly!!!!

Braised Chicken with Paso Robles blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah

One of the ORIGINAL and most loyal ShaSha’s Wine Club peeps, Debbie Young, reached out to me asking for a wine recommendation to pair with chicken in a tomato sauce flavored with cinnamon and star anise. My recommendation was a Syrah/Shiraz or Petite Syrah. She had one of my favorite wines J. Lohr Pure Paso which is a beautiful and complex Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Sirah blend that she said went beautifully with her Braised Chicken. She was kind enough to share the recipe!!!

Pork Tenderloin with Red Onion Bacon Marmalade with Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling

Oh My GOODNESS was this recipe good!!! I think that Red Onion Bacon Marmalade would be delicious on almost anything! I’m definitely going to keep some on hand for burgers this summer. Such an easy and yummy recipe. We enjoyed this dinner with one of our favorite Rieslings... Heron Hill Semi-Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes Region of New York. The wine held up to the sweet/tart characteristics of the marmalade beautifully. This combination is definitely a keeper!!! On the side we had carrots with parsley butter and pecans... mmm... mmm... good!!!

Chicken Schnitzel over Sweet Potato Hash with Butter Wine Sauce with Washington State Chardonnay

I created this dish while self-quarantining because this is what I had on hand. The Butter Wine Sauce is something
that I came up with based on a fish dish we had at Mistral
in Boston. I usually serve it over haddock (in a dish I very cleverly call Fish in a Bowl) making it with Sauvignon Blanc, but it was equally delicious over the chicken and hash made with a lightly oaked Washington State Chardonnay. Tommy and I absolutely loved this combination and enjoyed the same Chardonnay with dinner. Hope you like it, too!!!

Asian Pork Noodle Bowl with Finger Lakes Gewürztraminer

This is a basic ground pork noodle bowl recipe using your favorite Stir Fry sauce. This time I used House of Tsang Saigon Sizzle Sauce and it was delicious, just a touch of spice. I paired this dinner with a Semi-Dry Gewurztraminer from Thirsty Owl located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It was a perfect pairing. The wine on it’s own was floral and spicy and then after the stir fry it was brighter and more fruity. A delicious and fun pairing!!!

Lamb Roulade with Oregon Pinot Noir

Our Easter dinner pairing was a delicious Carlton Cellars Estate Pinot Noir with Lamb Roulade. This wine is a wonderful example of a full-bodied Oregon Pinot Noir and held up so well to the lamb stuffed with Garlic, Spinach, Pine Nuts, Fresh Mint And Lemon Zest.

Stuffed Turkey Dinner with Roussanne

I received a Roussanne from Wine Text that I was excited to try and thought it would make a great pairing with Roast Turkey. Boy, was I right. The wine was lemony, creamy and almost nutty and was a beautiful compliment to the turkey dinner. The wine held up to the turkey, gravy and stuffing and the buttery butternut squash brightened the Roussanne up and made it more fruit forward. Such a fun combination! Need to remember this for Thanksgiving!!!

Meat and Cheese Board with a beautiful Russian River Valley Rosé

Here comes the embarrassing honesty... I could happily have dried meats and cheeses with wine for dinner every day. Really, could it be more fun? And, these salty meats and hard cheese were absolutely gorgeous with Hawley Winery's Rosé. It is truly a party waiting to happen!!!!

Chicken Florentine Pasta with Tuscan White Blend

This is a slightly creamy pasta with chicken, blistered grape tomatoes and wilted spinach with a bite from crushed red pepper. I served this with 2017 Poggio Ai Ginepri Toscana from Tenuta Argentiera. I’m not sure where I found this wine but it was a light and citrusy Vermentino blend. I would generally try to pick a creamier wine to go with this dish but this did actually work because the bright citrus notes complemented the spiciness of the red pepper flakes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Oregon Pinot Noir

Why is it that I only make Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day? I love it, especially with Coleman's Mustard, and it is so good with a full bodied Pinot Noir like this one from Anne Amie in Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Sirloin Strip Steak, Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom Risotto and Spinach, Summer Squash, Roasted Red Pepper, Avocado and Bacon Salad with Honey Garlic Vinaigrette with Russian River Petite Sirah

When Tommy and I have the opportunity to have dinner just the two of us and enjoy a beautiful bottle of Hawley Winery Petite Sirah, I try to create a dish that is going to highlight the wine. This beautifully robust petite sirah became fruitier after tasting the steak, spicier after the risotto and more tobacco-y (if that's a word) after the raw garlic flavor in the vinaigrette. It is so exciting to experience all the changes that food can have on wine!!!

Shrimp Lo Mein with Roasted Peanuts and Bok Choy with an Australian White Blend

Normally I would lean towards a Riesling or Gewürztraminer with Asian flavors, but I had this 2019 Toliman Celestial White Blend from Riverina, Australia and the reviews suggested tropical notes (which are often found in Reislings) along with nuttiness and citrus which I thought would work well with this recipe. Boy was I right! This wine is better served closer to room temperature rather than super cold so that the flavors have the opportunity to bloom and they complimented the shrimp, peanuts and fresh lime so well. I highly recommend this pairing!

ShaSha’s Wine Club Chili with Mouvedre

I may have made chili once before... probably for a Super Bowl Party that had a Texas theme... decades ago, so I was scrambling to come up with an interesting chili recipe for an upcoming cookoff. Naturally, I reached out to my dear friend Nick Vecchio of Nick’s Supper Club. Nick is an excellent cook who creates his own recipes. He is famous for his chili and I was intrigued by the Keto version that he created by removing beans and replacing them with vegetables (he also makes keto versions of his spice rubs, but I didn't use them). Of course, I can't resist tweaking recipes when I cook, so this recipe isn't keto because I decided to use sweet potatoes and cauliflower for my veggies and the non-keto versions of Nick's spice rubs. I also swapped out the beer for dry red wine, Mouvedre in this case, which was absolutely fabulous with the chili.