After consulting What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, we decided to try a Gewürztraminer and a Pinot Noir. The two wines that we had with the meal were the 2009 Ardiri Due Stati Pinot Noir from California and Oregon and the 2010 Dowsett Family Gewürztraminer from Washington. Both wines were excellent! We vacillated back and forth as to which was the better pairing with the food—at first, the Gewürztraminer seemed to be the favorite, but once the meal was completed, we concluded unanimously that the Pinot Noir paired better. But really, you couldn’t go wrong with either one. If you are in the mood for a white wine, a Gewürztraminer is a good choice; and if you would prefer to have a red wine, a Pinot Noir works wonderfully.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Ardiri Due Stati Pinot Noir (70% California and 30% Oregon): Medium deep purplish red in color. Nice nose with strawberry, red cherry, and oak aromas. Beautiful red cherry, strawberry, earth, and spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish. An excellent food wine.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38; Available elsewhere, $43

2010 Dowsett Family Gewürztraminer (Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, Washington): Pale to medium greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, and white peach on the nose. More gorgeous white peach and pear come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $18; Available elsewhere, $17 to $25

Challenging Wine Pairing: General Tso’s Chicken was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

After consulting What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, we decided to try a Tempranillo and a Zinfandel. The two wines that we had with the meal were the 2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Tempranillo and the 2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Estate Zinfandel. While we certainly enjoyed both wines, the unanimous choice for the best pairing with the food was the Tempranillo. And for the record, while the Tempranillo was great with the meal, we all concluded that a margarita is still the best beverage of choice overall for taco night.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Tempranillo (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with black cherry, earth, and cocoa on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balance with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $30

2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Estate Zinfandel (Spencer’s Hill Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, California): Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with red fruit, mint, and leather aromas. Fruit-forward with raspberry, Red Vines, and mint on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long, jammy finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $32

Challenging Wine Pairing: Taco Night was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

As you probably know by now, my favorite reference book for pairing information is What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. After looking up wines that pair well with chocolate and wines that pair well with mint, I then compared the two lists and selected two wines that appear on both lists—Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato d’Asti. When possible, we enjoy trying very different wines in these challenges. And this time, we not only had a red wine versus a white wine but also a still wine versus a dessert. Since we were featuring inexpensive cookies rather than a gourmet entrée, we chose value-priced wines. The unanimous choice for the best pairing with the Thin Mints was the Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, all four of us believed that the Thin Mints actually enhanced the taste of this particular Cab. On the other hand, while we love Moscato d’Asti, we found it to be too sweet with the Thin Mints.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with these cookies. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2010 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark purplish red. Lots of oak, smoke, and burnt toast on the nose. Dark chocolate, smoke, black plum, black cherry, and a hint of coffee come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington) $10.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $12

2010 Villa Rosa Moscato d’Asti (Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with white peach and floral notes on the nose. White peach, apricot, and a touch of honey come through on the palate. Semi-sparkling and sweet, almost syrupy. Medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington) $11.79; Available elsewhere, $10 to $12

Challenging Wine Pairing: Girl Scout Cookies – Thin Mints was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Since we were eating beef, we decided to try two different varieties of red wine to see which paired the best. We enjoyed the 2009 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah and the 2008 Watermill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines were very good; however, the consensus favorite both before dinner and paired with the meal was the Syrah.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah (Columbia Valley): Deep, dark purple. Aromatic with dark black licorice, black fruits, spice, and a touch of oak on the nose. Very vibrant fruit, blackberry, black cherry, black plum, licorice, spice, and a hint of leather come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24; Available elsewhere, $22 to $33

2008 Watermill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley): Dark, dense red. Nose is a bit tight at first, and then oak and earth aromas come through. Very jammy on the palate with loads of blackcurrant and black cherry. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long, viscous finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $29.75; Available elsewhere, $37

Challenging Wine Pairing: Beef Lettuce Wraps was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We decided to pair the pie with a Tawny Port and a Muscat, specifically the Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto and the 2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Both of these wines were excellent! However, we all thought that the Tawny Port paired best with the German chocolate pie.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this dessert. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto (Douro Valley, Portugal): Deep garnet color. Nice nose with black plum, caramel, and toffee aromas. Black plum, toffee, caramel, honey, and raisin come through on the palate. Medium sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $28.99; Available elsewhere, $21 to $30

2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC, France): Pale to medium, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with honeysuckle, potpourri, and apricot on the nose. More apricot and floral notes come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $14 to $15

Challenging Wine Pairing: German Chocolate Pie was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

I found a brisket recipe on the beef council website that is baked in the oven rather than prepared with the more common outside cooking method. Once the main entrée was set as peppered beef brisket, I decided to round out my entire menu from recipes found on the site, including Texas caviar (made with black-eyed peas and corn), garlic flan, and kickin’ slaw (made with Napa cabbage). As you might expect from a group of Texans, we thought the meal was fabulous.

The two Mourvedres that we paired with the meal were the 2009 Rasa Vineyards Vox Populi Mourvedre and the 2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Mourvedre. Both wines were excellent, and we went back and forth trying to determine which we believed paired best with the peppered beef brisket. The final tally had the Vox Populi in front by a 3 to 1 margin. Really, though, you can’t go wrong with either of these wines.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Rasa Vineyards Vox Populi Mourvedre (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Mourvedre. Deep purple in color. Very aromatic with plum, game, leather, and earth on the nose. Pepper, spice, black cherry, and plum come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish. Gets even better with food.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $45

2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Mourvedre (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 90% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah. Deep, purplish red. Nice nose with a lot of red fruit and floral aromas. Fruit-forward with black cherry and spice on the palate. Medium-bodied and smooth with medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $34; Available elsewhere, $34

Challenging Wine Pairing: Peppered Beef Brisket was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

When researching what wines might be served with moussaka, it was no surprise that Greek wines were recommended. However, I wanted to pair this meal with Washington State wines, so I looked in both What to Drink with What You Eat and The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page to see what other wines are recommended with moussaka or Greek cuisine. I decided to pair the meal with a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Rosé so we selected the 2008 Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Chinook Cabernet Franc Rosé. Both wines were very good; however, the rosé was the unanimous choice as the best pairing.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2010 Chinook Cabernet Franc Rosé (Yakima Valley, Washington): Pale, pinkish salmon in color. Aromatic with strawberry, raspberry, and floral notes on the nose. Watermelon and raspberry come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $14.99

2008 Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Nice nose with black cherry and leather aromas. More black cherry as well as spice and oak come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $19.99; Available elsewhere, $17 to $30

Challenging Wine Pairing: Greek Moussaka was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

While researching Korean food and what wines to pair with it, I learned that it is often difficult to find wines that will pair well with these dishes. Korean dishes are usually high in acid, which can pose a challenge when trying to find wines that will work with them. As I started looking for wines that would go with Korean foods, I learned that most often white wines are chosen. However, since I decided to prepare a beef dish, I really wanted to find some red wines to pair with it.

Beef bulgogi is basically a marinated barbecued beef. Bulgogi means “fire meat” in Korean because it is cooked over an open flame. I marinated the meat and then cooked it on the grill. The meat and white rice were wrapped in a red leaf lettuce and served with a side dish of kimchi. Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish of fermented napa cabbage, radishes, green onions, and sometimes cucumbers. I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor of the kimchi; it was very good and spicy.

One of the guidelines for food and wine pairing is to go for a match. Since Korean cuisine is high in acid, we decided to pair the beef bulgogi and kimchi with red wines that were also high in acid. The two acids cancel each other out and all of the other flavors come forward. We selected the 2009 Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir from Oregon and the 2008 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Le Orme Superiore from Italy. Both wines were excellent. Before we had any food, we especially enjoyed the Barbera; however, with the meal, the higher acidity in the Pinot Noir made it the consensus favorite as the best pairing.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir (Oregon): Medium-deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with red fruit, perfume, and floral notes on the nose. Sour cherry, strawberry, and floral notes come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with tart acidity and soft tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish. Great with food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $23.29; Available elsewhere, $20 to $32

2008 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Le Orme Superiore (Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy): Medium-deep ruby red in color. Nice nose with earth and red fruit aromas. Fruit-forward with ripe red fruit, especially cherry and raspberry, earth, and black licorice on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and medium, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $14.49; Available elsewhere, $12 to $14

Challenging Wine Pairing: Beef Bulgogi and Kimchi was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

For this month’s challenging wine pairing, I decided to prepare hot dogs and some complementary side dishes beyond the usual choices of chips and baked beans. We enjoyed a meal of hot dogs with mustard and relish condiments, green bean salad, hominy salad, and almond crunch bars for dessert. It was delicious, if I may say so myself!

I truly believe that there is a wine to pair with every food, even hot dogs. And, my trusty guide for pairing food and wine, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, came through once again with recommendations. We selected the 2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Blue Slate and the 2010 Conde de Valdemar Rosado. Both wines were very good; however, the Riesling was the consensus favorite both for sipping and with the meal. However, the rosé paired really well with the dessert; it really brought out the toasty and salty notes in the almond crunch bars. On a side note, if you like chili on your hot dogs, you might consider a red wine such as Zinfandel.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Blue Slate (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany): Pale to medium greenish yellow. Aromatic with minerality, pear, and white peach on the nose. White peach, Granny Smith apple, and mandarin orange come through on the palate. Off-dry to medium sweet and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with good mouthfeel and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99; Available elsewhere, $15 to $25

2010 Bodegas Valdemar Conde de Valdemar Rosado (Rioja, Spain): 85% Garnacha and 15% Tempranillo. Hot pink in color. Nice nose with cherry, raspberry, and strawberry aromas. Reminds me of Ocean Spray cran-raspberry on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish. Gets better the longer its open.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $5 to $13

Challenging Wine Pairing: Hot Dogs was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Here in Seattle, the weather has not been as warm as it usually is at this time of year. Nevertheless, it is summertime so I wanted to have a summer menu for this month’s challenging wine pairing, no matter the temperature. We enjoyed a marinated beet salad, seafood crepes, and steamed mixed vegetables. The seafood crepes were filled with crabmeat, baby shrimp, light cream, cream cheese, green chilies, green onions, white wine, and soy sauce. When served, they were garnished with additional green onions and avocado slices. The seafood crepes were a hit with our family! If you like seafood, I highly recommend them.

After referring to my favorite guide for pairing food and wine, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, we decided to go with an Alsatian Pinot Blanc and a New Zealand Pinot Noir. We selected the 2008 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France, and the 2008 Nautilus Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. We enjoyed both wines very much; however, the consensus favorite prior to the meal and paired with the food was the Pinot Blanc.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2008 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc (Alsace, France): Medium yellow-gold. Aromatic with pear, honey, and mineral notes on the nose. Pear, lemon, tart apple, and minerality come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. A wonderful food wine.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: The Olde Wine Store (Mercer Island, Washington), $22; Available elsewhere, $17 to $26

2008 Nautilus Pinot Noir (Marlborough, New Zealand): Medium-deep ruby red. Nice nose with strawberry, raspberry, and earthy aromas. More strawberry and raspberry as well as smoke and dust come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $24.99; Available elsewhere, $20 to $25

Challenging Wine Pairing: Seafood Crepes was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.