Pairing: Chicken Spaghetti Paired with a 2010 Bibich Riserva 6 Red (from North Dalmatia in Croatia)

Food:  Craig Claiborne’s The New York Times Cookbook, published in 1975 was a must-have resource to many of us cutting our culinary teeth during that time period. Not only is it filled with fabulous recipes, but also with wonderful stories and anecdotes. The recipe for Chicken Spaghetti comes from childhood memories growing up in rural Mississippi where his Dad raised chickens which they ate at most every dinner. This recipe for a non-turkey Thanksgiving dinner, simply called My Mother’s Chicken Spaghetti, which we adapted for this meal. You can see his recipe if you click on the link. A bit complex, but well worth the time. We shortened the time considerably using previously cooked stock, meat and mushrooms, but still important to have it sit 4 hours. Heavenly.

Wine:  It’s so much fun and rewarding to sample wines from lesser known regions of the world … in this case from Croatia. The Bibich Winery is located in Skradin in the Northern Dalmatia region of the country. It is made from equal amounts of three grape varieties all indigenous to this part of Croatia, namely Babíc, Lasin, and Plavina. All of these grapes are genetically related to Zinfandel (Crljenak Kastelanski) which explains the familiarity in the flavor of the Riserva 6 being quite comparable to a California Zinfandel.

Tasting Notes:   A deep maroon color. Enticing nose of sweet black cherry and blackberry with fragrant whiffs of cinnamon in the background. A wonderful flavor of dark fruit jam (mostly cherry and blackberry, but hints of other dark berries) with lovely cinnamon and black pepper lingering on the finish. Goes beautifully with the chicken, pork, beef, and mushrooms in the dish. A splendid pairing wine in all respects, but also nice as a sipping wine.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Chicken Spaghetti:  Zinfandel (California), Pinot Noir (New Zealand), Côte du Rhône (France), Garnacha (Spain)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Croatian Red Wine: Roast Chicken, Roast Pork, Seared Tuna, Braised Rabbit

Views and Maps of the North Dalmatian Region:  north dalmatian wine region

A Source:   https://www.bluedanubewine.com