cork'd content: food and wine pairings

In lieu of today's Monday Meal Planning (I'm really, really, really sorry and I promise to make up for it this week) let's take Cork'd contributor, Nathan Scherotter's advice and get down with some classic Italian dishes and the wines that beg to be paired with them.

Pasta: The Perfect Pairings For Your Not-So-Typical Summer Meal

By Nathan Scherotter

With summer here, we always talk about what wines to pair with this hot season of the year. And while light, fun, crisp whites and easy-drinking fruity reds are normally the go-to during these next few months, at some point you have to sit down and switch it up a little. A long day out in the sun makes for a hungry, thirsty individual that just needs some gastronomic pleasure. Enter Italian comfort food – more specifically pasta!

Now we can go many different directions with this versatile grain. We can mix it with red sauce, meat sauce, and white sauce; with chicken, sausage, or various vegetables and oils. Pasta is filling, and when you want to lay back, relax, and replenish your system with carbs, it presents some awesome wine pairing options.

Below are some familiar Italian dishes along with the perfectly paired wine pick. Let the summer breeze blow and the good wine flow.

Scene One (not pasta but a great way to get ready for some):

The dish: An appetizer of prosciutto and melon

Ingredients: Unadulterated! Cured ham and ripe summer melon

The wine: Here is a really fun and light appetizer that brings together sweet and salty, all wrapped into a delicious way to wet your palate. Like any good meal should start, some sort of bubbly will be in order. The Italian Brachetto d’acqui is one of my favorite ways to kick off a meal; awesomely delicious and a touch of sweetness. Good acidity and low alcohol here will go perfectly with the melon and most certainly will hold up to the prosciutto. If you have any leftover after your first course (which is doubtful) it makes for a great after dinner drink too... [Read the rest at Cork'd]

cork'd content: food and wine pairings

Food and Wine: A Pairing Should Fit the Bill

By Jon Troutman

I was recently out to eat at a restaurant in downtown New York City that inspired this piece. While the name of the establishment will remain nameless, I've noticed this particular restaurant's downfall becoming a trend, sweeping across both Manhattan and the nation as a whole. The issue that I've experienced, is with the pricing and quality of wine lists that are completely out of line with the pricing and offerings from a kitchen. The following description of incongruity between food and wine is not unique to restaurants. This same principal should be applied when preparing a meal at home...

My friend and I showed up for dinner decked out in our finest jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. A casual spot, we were led to our table by an unkempt, disheveled looking teenager and presented menus and a wine list. For food, we had an assortment of gourmet dishes to choose from, including a "chicken cutlet sandwich" and a "cheeseburger with sweet fries." Nope, these were not kids menus.

After a quick dinner menu perusal, I flipped open the wine list. With over 150 wines by the bottle and 20 wines by the glass, there was a major French influence to the list. The least expensive by the glass pour was a Loire Valley Saumur -- priced at $11 per glass. By the bottle there were verticals of Dom Perignon and Opus One. Suddenly I asked myself, "should I be wearing a collared shirt?"

You wouldn't serve Beluga Caviar with Lay's potato chips for scooping, would you?

For that very same reason, you shouldn't serve a bottle of 1990 Dom Perignon alongside Popcorn. The two may complement each other. In fact, the two might even enhance one another. Like your Uncle Charlie who always seems to have a gas-attack when company is around; it's funny, it might even work in the right situation, but it's just plain inappropriate...read the rest on Cork'd (and get involved in the Comments section!)

cork'd content: seasonal wine drinking

My love for Cork'd is old news by now but I'm about to give you even more reason to get amped up about it. We're going to be streaming some of their kick butt content on Eat and Greet to beef up our wine expertise. Because nothing is cooler than being able to drop wine knowledge at your next get together. I know this to be true.

If you haven't joined Cork'd yet, get on it, homeslices. It's a fantastic wine-lovers community and nothing but good things will come out of getting on board. I can promise you that.

And so, without further ado, let's dive straight into the first of what I hope will be many, Cork'd articles. Cheers.



Seasonal Wine Drinking: Spring Time Wines to Pair with Raw Foods

By Jon Troutman, Senior Editor, Cork'd

Are you a seasonal wine drinker? What I mean by that is, do you tend to drink certain wines or wine styles during certain times of the year? When Fall is in the air and the evening temperatures begin dropping, many make the transition from refreshing, summer sippers to more bold, full flavored wines that complement colder weather cuisine. Is there anything more comforting than a blood-warming Chateauneuf du Pape or Brunello di Montalcino served alongside a plate of roast short ribs and root vegetables?

My favorite season cuisine is this time of year. The temperatures steadily rise, the sun sets just a little bit later with each passing day, and our favorite dinner spots offer Al Fresco dining. With the spring season, my stomach starts growling as though it were possessed with a laser beam focus…

My tummy wants it raw – and I’m not talking about a wrestling program every Monday night. I’m talking about pure, fresh, unadulterated foods. These are foods that are clean, served the way that nature intended them. The ingredients show the merit of their quality and quality alone, not the manipulation of cooking and molecular gastronomy used by many master chefs.

With the windows cracked and raw foods on the table, you can wipe your brow and focus on choosing a wine to serve. I’m going to steer you in the right direction with a handful of wine categories that aren’t to be ignored with Spring in the air.

Sparkling Wines: The very best will feature pure, clean fruit flavors that are as pure as the food you’re serving. At the same time, the wines will offer up high acid levels that leave your palate feeling refreshed and cleansed. Sushi at the table? Bring on the bubbles! Nuanced, subtle and refreshing flavors are characteristics which make a good Cava fit for Sashimi Salmon and Champagne a match for Ahi Tuna.

Loire Valley Whites: Made predominantly from two grapes, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, these wines often have a brightness and delicate quality matched only by your backyard’s sprouting Lilacs. A spring salad with a light vinaigrette dressing screams…. read more on corkd.com…