March Madness wine pairings - cheeseburgers and guacamole

Jen Murphy of Food and Wine magazine quizzed Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary TV on his recommendations for great Superbowl snack and wine pairings for the article, 'Tailgating Wines: Best Bottles for Pairing - How to go the extra yard at parking-lot parties.'

The Superbowl has passed, but March Madness is about to begin, so these are great tips for adding wine to your basketball snacks!

Vaynerchuk recommends a fruity Syrah for Cheeseburgers and an Albarino for guacamole.

The strong flavors of the Syrah will match the strong tastes in the cheesy burger and the zingy acidity of the Albarino will clean the fat of the guacamole off of your tongue and prep you for the next bite!

Related article: Pairing Wines with Superbowl Snacks - http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/pairing-wines-with-superbowl-snacks.html

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March Madness Wine and Buffalo Wing Pairings

My favorite Long Island wine blogger Lenn Thompson recently posted an interview with my favorite Hudson Valley winemaker - Benmarl's Kristop Brown.
Read the interview here:
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2009/01/quick-qa-with-kristop-brown-winemaker-benmarl-winery.html

Check out my Youtube interview of Benmarl's Wendy Crispell, who offers tips on wine and cheese pairing here:
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/search?q=kristop



Wendy offered several game day wine and food pairings at a class last year, including:

Buffalo chicken wings with Sesame, Soy and Ginger sauces paired with Riesling; Spicy BBQ wings with a Zinfandel; and, the most dangerous pairing to my tongue - Wasabi wings with a Traminette!

Wendy also paired a white bean chili with an Austrian red wine and nachos with some spicy red wines.

These pairings were geared to a Superbowl party, but can easily be used at your March Madness parties.

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The REAL Health Benefits of Wine

Kudos to Gourmet magazine for printing Laura Shapiro's advice to American Wine drinkers in the piece 'Mondavi + America's Wine Problem.'

Shapiro bemoans the fact that though America is the world's largest wine market, the money spent on this delicious beverage is only enjoyed by a few - 17 percent of the population drinks 92 percent of the wine!

Why? Because Americans just don't get it - wine is more than a cancer prevention beverage, it is a tool for relaxation, enjoyment and living the good life.

My favorite part is Shapiro's closing thoughts:

"There really are health benefits associated with wine, but a laboratory can't replicate them. They have to do with slowing down for a meal, tasting what we eat and drink, spending time with people we care about, and bringing back the art of conversation."

Do you enjoy a meal more if you are drinking a glass of wine?

Related Articles:

How to Drink One Glass a Day (and not waste bottles of wine)http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-drink-one-glass-of-wine-day.html

Wine and Fish Pairing Guide - How to Match Wine and Fish
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/wine-and-fish-pairing-guide-how-to.html


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Why buy special wine glasses?

Rick Kushman from the Sacramento Bee writes about the why serving wine in the correct wine glass is important in the article 'The Good Life: Clearly, glass affects taste.'

A wine's 'tasting notes' are more accurately described as 'smelling notes' - the majority of our enjoyment of food and wine is through our sense of smell.

Kushman interviewed wine drinkers that taste tested a wine in both an inexpensive wine glass and a Riedel glass. He believes that a good wine tastes better in a glass with a larger bowl and a thinner rim because the construction of the wine glass impacts the amount of evaporated wine that enters the nose.

I offer tips on choosing the right wine glass for a wine dinner in this Youtube video:

How to Choose the Correct Red and White Wine Glass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSVMX73Td68



Related Article:
How many wine glasses for a wine dinner and a decanting primerhttp://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-many-wine-glasses-for-wine-dinner.html

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How to Learn More About Wine

Rodolphe Boulanger, President of The Wine Messenger and a diploma student at the WSET in London, provides an overview of wine courses and classes available for wine lovers.

First, the big three:

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust offers three levels of wine and spirit courses: Intermediate Certificate, Advanced Certificate and Diploma in Wines and Spirits (DWS).
William Roach of Putnam Market in Saratoga Springs is the closest instructor to Albany. Alyssa Hooper from the New York Wine and Culinary Center offers instruction in Canandaigua, NY.

The Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA offers two levels of certification: the Certified Wine Professional (CWP) and Advanced Certified Wine Professional (ACWP).

Society of Wine Educators offers exams for the titles of Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and Certified Wine Educator (CWE).

I am a Certified Specialist of Wine. My tips about how to study for the CSW exam are here:
Certified Specialist of Wine Exam - How I Studied for the Society of Wine Educators CSW exam
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/certified-specialist-of-wine-exam-how-i.html

Additional wine education organizations Boulanger profiles include the International Wine Guild, the Wine School of Philadelphia, Napa Valley College and the Professional Culinary Institute.

He also provides links to several organizations offering courses and or certifications for Sommeliers, including the Court of Master Sommeliers, American Sommelier Association, Sommelier Society of America and the International Sommelier Guild.

Did you like this article? Click HERE to receive Kathleen Lisson's FREE Wine and Food Pairing Tips by Email.

Indian style Spicy Shrimp and wine pairing

Lynne Char Bennett shares a spicy shrimp recipe in her 'Spicy Shrimp for Racy Riesling' Pairings column for the SF Gate. "Spiced Shrimp & Orange Cauliflower" features shrimp, smoked paprika, coriander and cumin, as well as a side of cauliflower seasoned with curry powder, garlic, yellow onion and mustard seed. The dish is full of complex Indian cuisine flavors, but is not really 'hot and spicy.'

Because it does not need a sweeter wine to balance any 'heat,' it can be paired with a flavorful Dry Riesling.

Bennett explains that, to her, smoked paprika complements the mineral notes in the Riesling and coriander and cumin interact with the wine's fruity notes wine's fruit. One of the best experiences for me in wine pairing is tasting when a food and wine match becomes more than the sum of its parts. Each person's palate is different, so don't be disappointed if these spice and flavor note pairings do not have the same appeal to your taste buds.

Related Articles:
Dry Riesling and Cheese Pairings
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/08/dry-riesling-and-cheese-pairings.html

White Wine Pairings for Soft Shell Crab
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/07/white-wine-pairings-with-soft-shell.html

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Please Excuse the Hiatus

I will be undergoing surgery for a ski injury tomorrow, so I may not have the chance to update the blog for a week or so. Please keep me in your prayers!
Kathleen Lisson, CSW

How to Choose a Quality Olive Oil

Karissa and I recently led an tasting of Olive Oils available at the Honest Weight Food Coop in Albany. I enjoyed the spicy flavor of the Spanish olive oils. My household Olive Oil is Zoe, but I am tempted to buy a bottle of spicier Spanish olive oil for adding flavor to my salad greens.

We sampled the following oils:

A L'Olivier from France
Olio Beato from Italy
Onesto from Sicily, Italy
L'Estornell, Catalonia from Spain
Les Moulins Mahjoub from Tunisia
Casa Pareja from Murcia, Spain
Terra Medi from Greece
Zoe from Spain
Authentikon from Greece
Spectrum Organic from Tunisia
Agrumato from Italy
Urbani Tartufi Olive Oil with White Truffles from Italy

The article 'Olive: The facts about olive oil' offers some pointers on holding your own Olive Oil Tasting in your kitchen. Storage tips and recipes are also included.

Related Article:
Olive oil is used as a finishing oil in one of my favorite spring/summer recipes -Pissaladiere!

Anchovy Onion Tart and Rose Wine recipe:
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/03/anchovy-onion-tart-and-rose-wine-recipe.html

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"Tested and Approved" Valentine's Day wine and dessert pairings

Earlier this month I invited friends over for a 'Knock your honey out with a sassy Valentine's dessert and wine pairing' dessert party.

We tasted the following wines and desserts together to see which match works best and left the party with some great dessert ideas for Valentine's Day and other special occasions!

We tried these wines:

Moscato d'Asti
Brachetto
Riesling Late Harvest wine
Ruby Port
Banyuls

The pairing OPTIONS were:

Fresh berries and cream with Moscato d'Asti
Pineapple dessert with Moscato d'Asti and Riesling dessert wine
Apple-Citrus Custard Tart with Late Harvest Riesling Dessert Wine
Fresh Cherry Tart with Brachetto, Banyuls, and Ruby Port
Cheesecake with Banyuls
Chocolate cake with Brachetto, Ruby Port and Banyuls
Dark chocolate with Brachetto, Ruby Port and Banyuls

The Beni di Batasiolo Moscato d'Asti was especially full bodied and unctuous for a slightly sparkling wine and could be a good selection to please someone who thinks sparkling wine is far too dry for their tastes. It was a good pairing with the pineapple part of the dessert but too acidic when paired with the cake alone. It was a good match for the berries and cream, but tasted bitter when paired with the citrus custard tart.

My favorite wine of the night, the Marenco 2007 Pineto Brachetto d'Acqui Piedmont was an excellent match with dark chocolate and a good match with fresh cherry tart. It paired well with chocolate cake, even with the white frosting.

The Ey Banyuls was a good pairing with both the chocolate cheesecake and regular cheesecake. It was not a good match with the tart cherry pie and the chocolate cake tasted too dry when paired with the Banyuls. The wine overpowered the dark chocolate.

The Ruby Port was a good match with the dark chocolate as well as chocolate oreo-type crust on the cheesecake. It matched well with the cherry tart.

A glass of Royal Tokaji paired well with the cheesecake and the chocolate cake.

Related Article:
Eight Tips on How to Plan a Valentine's Day Wine and Food Pairing Party
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2009/01/following-is-question-received-from-one.html

How to impress friend and family with a memorable wine at dessert
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-impress-friend-and-family-with.html

Did you like this article? Click HERE to receive Kathleen Lisson's FREE Wine and Food Pairing Tips by Email.

Petite Sirah Wine and Food Pairings

Erie Times News "Living" columnists Kraft and Kristin Casler discuss wine and food pairings and the history of Petite Sirah in the article "Petite Sirah's flavor gaining popularity."

The Caslers recommend pairing Petite Sirah with hearty red meats, specifically steak au poivre with a Bogle Petite Sirah. I enjoyed matching the Bogle Petite Sirah with a mouthful of Tofurkey Deli Slices.
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/wine-blogging-wednesday-petite-sirah.html

Petite Sirah is sometimes spelled Petite Syrah, and it is related to the Syrah grape, but is not the same grape as Syrah.

Petite Sirah is also known as Durif. Here is a Steak and Kidney "Sponge" recipe that could pair with a glass of Petite Sirah:
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/08/hearty-recipe-pairing-for-durif-wine.html

Related Articles:

Petite Sirah and Pork Tenderloin Pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/01/petite-sirah-and-pork-tenderloin.html

How to Make Red and White Wine Vinegar

Pardonfield Farm (Chester, Vt.) owner Shawn Cunningham gives readers the tools they need to transform leftover wine into delicious red wine vinegar in the Washington Post story "DIY Vinegar Is Worth the Wait."

Cunningham recommends starting with a medium-bodied, medium fruit wine. Unchlorinated water is needed, as is 'Mother of Vinegar.' A wine making or beer brewing supply shop will have the needed 'mother of vinegar' in either red wine, white wine, malt or cider versions.

Owning your own "vinaigrier" could be a great way to effectively use leftover wine and produce top quality vinegar to share with family and friends. Homemade vinegar could be a great gift idea for birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mothers Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and as a hostess gift.


Hennessey Homebrew lists Mother of Vinegar for $11 on its website.

The Vinegar Man recommends using a sun tea type jar as a vinaigrier and using Braggs Apple cider vinegar as a starter culture.


Related Article:
How to Drink One Glass of Wine a Dayhttp://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-drink-one-glass-of-wine-day.html

Did you like this article? Click HERE to receive Kathleen Lisson's FREE Wine and Food Pairing Tips by Email.

How to plan a Finger Lakes Winery Vacation

Learn about the Finger Lakes with the Wine Spectator

The Wine Spectator provides a great introduction to the history, wines, climate and soil of Upstate New York's Finger Lakes AVA in the article "Finger Lakes Travel - An introduction to this great New York State wine region, and where to stay."

The article introduces tourists to the top wineries, restaurants and lodging and provides tips on how to plan your wine country vacation in my favorite wine growing area!

Watch the video below for my tips on planning your wine country vacation here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYl5P_LzGWw

Did you like this article? Click HERE to receive Kathleen Lisson's FREE Wine and Food Pairing Tips by Email.