Manoavino Taste!

A Dry Chenin Blanc Pairs Beautifully with Salmon

Wines from the Loire Valley in France are so perfect for summer dining. This one by Xavier Weisskopf is wonderful and paired so beautifully with our dinner.

The Wine: La Touche Mitaine, Montlouis Sec Cuvée, Les Rocher Des Violettes, 100% Chenin Blanc

The Food: Crispy skin salmon with a mustard tarragon sauce, roasted asparagus with garlic and quinoa with shallots and sun dried tomatoes.

The Place: Home sweet home, in our backyard outdoor living and dining room

A Surprising Wine Pairing for Guacamole - Cantina del Taburno Amineo Coda di Volpe

The wine tasting theme was "The Exciting Wines of Southern Italy." The food was all to be Italian, Southern Italian. But, a guest brought his special home-made Guacamole. I wondered, would the wines from Sicily and Campania pair with this dish? One did, perfectly.

The Wine: Cantina del Taburno Amineo Coda di Volpe $$

The Food: A homemade Guacamole, but this wine would pair well with many Mexican dishes.

The Place: A private Manoavino tasting. When are you hosting one?

Wherever You Go, Bring Rhone Along

At a very exciting event, “Rhone Odyssey, a Sensorial Exploration,” I had an enlightening experience that revealed to me the boundless beauty of Rhone Valley wines.  Of course I’ve enjoyed famous Rhone wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and popular Tavel, Gigondas and Beaumes de Venise, but never had fully appreciated the breadth and diversity of Rhone wines, especially those from Southern Rhone Valley.

The Wines:  Over 14 tasted, presented by renowned Sommelier Michael Madrigale $-$$$$

The Food: Exciting international creations by chef extraordinaire Russell Jackson

The Place: The Gymnasium, an event space on Mulberry Street in New York City that took us to Scandinavia, Japan, Mexico and back to NYC.

Red Wine with Chicken? Well Yea, Almost Anytime

The conventional wisdom of white wine with chicken and fish and red with meats is so old school.  Light, Medium, even full bodied red wines are fabulous with inspired and richly flavored chicken dishes. Here is an Italian combo you will love.

The Wine: Castello Monaci Salice Salentino Liante $$

The Food: Country Italian

The Place: Home this night, with are hearts in Salice Salentino, Puglia.

A Perfect Time to Discover Chilean Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a wonderful grape because it so gracefully embraces and expresses the terrior of the places where it is grown. Chilean Chardonnays are delicious but certainly different than French or California or any other of the many regions where this grape flourishes.  I find them especially good with food that has a South or Central American influence. They are also incredible values.

The Wine: Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Chardonnay Casablanca Valley $

The Food: Mexican inspired Grilled Tilefish, Sautéed Grape Tomatoes and Roasted Carrots and Parsnips.

The Places:  Home of Course, it was Saturday, and Casablanca, Valparaíso Region, Northwest of Santiago, Chile

Wine maker Paula Cardenas will put a smile on your face as you sip her luscious wine.

An Austrian Wine, Leth Gruner Veltliner, with T.S. Ma Chinese Cuisine

 

Years ago, I’d accept “Gruner What?” as an acceptable question, no more! Gruner Veltliner is a wine you either love, or you haven’t tasted it, or OK, you hate all white wine, that I’ll accept.  It pairs well with so many cuisines, but especially Asian. This particular Gruner is exceptional. If you have not tried Gruner Veltliner, time to get with it. If you have, this is one you will love.

The Wine: Weingut Leth, Gruner Veltliner Steinagrund 2012 $$

The Food: Fresh, Healthy and Authentic Chinese from the kitchen of Thomas Ma

The Places: T.S. Ma, Chinese, in Montclair NJ, and Winery Leth, Fels am Wagram, Austria

What Wine For Chicken Pot Pie?

My friends think we eat out all the time, it’s not true we usually cook at home. They are all great meals, both Diana and I are very good in the kitchen. But when I’m home alone I usually do something simple like this wonderful chicken pot pie. That does not mean I choose a simple wine. In fact I usually pick something extraordinary.

The Wine: Paul Kubler Pinot Gris “K” Alsace, France $$

The Food: Chicken Pot Pie, lovingly made by Vacchianno Farm

The Place: My warm and cozy kitchen, but I imagined myself in the dinning room of a great English estate.

A Wine Pairing for Cavatelli, Broccoli and Sausage - A Sicilian Favorite Insolia

One of our first rules in wine pairing is choosing a wine that comes from the same place as the food. Cavatelli is originally a Sicilian pasta and with sausage you could choose a light or medium bodied red or a white. We chose a white from Sicily, an Insolia or Inzolia as they sometimes call it there, a wonderfully balanced  and flavorful grape.

The  Wine: Insolia from Feudo di Principi Butera $$

The Food: Cavatelli, Broccoli and Sausage

The Place: At home, but we imagined we were in Sicily