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I always wanted to enjoy wine but I don't really like alcohol. I don't like hard liquor, hate beer, and I finally like wine coolers. I can just about drink a whole berry-flavored one. I would like a glass of wine that doesn't have a strong alcohol taste. Sweet is better for me, I think. I'd also like to entertain more now that I've gotten older. Any suggestions? ~kdm
One of my favorite grape varieties is Riesling. This is because the grape can be produced either super sweet or bone dry, and everything in between, or sparkling to still. Riesling, from a quality producer, will have balanced acidity and sugars making it a real crowd pleaser. Try a producer like Dr. Loosen from the Mosel in Germany, Villa Wolf from the Pfalz in Germany, Snoqualimie 'Winemaker's Select' from Washington, or Kung Fu Girl by Charles Smith from Washington's Columbia Valley. Each one of these has balanced fruit, acidity, and sugar making them approachable but also successful in a group of novice or expert wine drinkers. Thanks for the question. And remember it's your glass, fill it with what you like!
Hey Nick, we need your cocktail expertise!! We have paired with a local distiller to make a whiskey called Tee Time, and we are using it to promote our publication, Wisconsin Golfer, and www.wisgolfer.com. We need a good refreshing cocktail to do sampling with. Now of course we could go with iced tea, lemonade and Tee Time whiskey, but we were hoping you might have something with a fun twist to sample out on the golf courses. ~Pamela
Hey Pamela. Great to hear from you. This sounds like fun. Try the whiskey with a Gold Rush (which is basically a cold "Hot Toddy"). The recipe and instructions are below. Again, great to hear from you. Let me know how it goes. Cheers!
Ingredients:- 2 ounces of Bourbon
- 2 Tablespoons of Honey
- 1 ounce of fresh squeezed Meyer Lemon Juice (about 1 lemon)
- Lime wedge
Preparation:
- In shaker add bourbon, honey, and the juice from a Meyer lemon (If you do not have a Meyer lemon use 1/2 of one conventional lemon). DO NOT ADD ICE YET.
- Stir mixture until all of the honey has dissolved into a liquid state.
- Fill shaker 3/4 full of ice and shake well.
- Fill rocks glass with ice and strain mixture into glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
- Serve.
I'm a "big red" fan. This weekend my wife and I are grilling chicken but she was told we should pair white wine with white meat. What would you suggest for a red wine lover like myself (and my wife)? ~Pete
The days of red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat are far gone. While the rule can still apply in many situations there are so many other things to consider. In the instance of your pairing question one component to consider is method of preparation, which is grilling. This is going to add weight and flavor to the mix. In addition the main component is chicken, which can pair well with either red or white wines because it has a touch of weight and a firm texture. Reach for a Malbec from Argentina, one of my favorite grilling reds, or a Merlot from the North Coast (Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, etc) in California. For more detail check out some of the grilled chicken recipes we have on the site by typing in "chicken" in the search box of the home member page. Thanks again for the question. Have a great weekend!
I'm looking for advice on pairing wine with eastern Indian food. I love to cook Indian food but don't know what to serve with it. I can cook any type of dish but prefer vegetarian. Thanks. ~Dan
I too love Indian and Thai food, basically anything with the South Asian Curry Spice. There are two options with spice...enhance it or tame it. If you like to sweat when you eat you will want to enhance it with a new world (USA, Australia, Chile, South Africa, Argentina, etc) Shiraz/Syrah. I recommend a Shiraz from Australia, specifically the Barossa or McLaren Vale. Something with not much tannin (that mouth drying sensation you experience when drinking big reds) and a lot of fruit flavors. Shiraz has a nice spice to it so you are able to enhance but beware, you may need to pair the Shiraz with a glass of milk, because it will heat things up.
If you want to tame spice let me recommend a wine with some sugar like Riesling or Gewurztraminer, especially from Alsace in France. Gewurztraminer can be one of the best pairings around because like Shiraz it has natural spice characteristics to draw out flavor. Not all Gewurztraminer or Riesling is sweet. In fact, many from the Alsace region are dry or off-dry. For less heat apply more sugar, try a Riesling from Germany or a Gewurztraminer from Washington state.
Whatever you choose make sure you consider the weight. Light reds like Pinot Noir or whites like Gewurztraminer and Riesling are going to do a lot better with chicken, seafood, vegetable or noodle dishes. Whereas Zinfandel or Shiraz will be a better pairing for heartier dishes. Have fun and bring a change of clothes in case you sweat through the ones you are wearing!