Pairing: Popovers Stuffed with Ham and Asparagus Paired with NV Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red

Food:  There is always a bit of ham and asparagus left from our special Easter dinner. But never any leftover popovers of which every crumb and morsel is gobbled up before anyone gets up from the table. Well … guess we’re going to have make some more … what a hardship! We like to make them jumbo-sized using a larger muffin tin to bake them in. Easy to make … thoroughly beat up 3 eggs and a cup of milk until light and frothy, add a cup of sifted flour and 1/2 tsp salt, then beat them some more (vigorously!). Then let stand on the counter for at least an hour. Generously butter each cup of the muffin tin you plan to use, putting water in any cups you plan not to put any batter in. Heat up the muffin tin in a 400F oven. Remove from the oven, pour the batter into the hot tin and bake at 400F for about 25 minutes until brown and puffed up. While the popovers are baking, mix up a béchamel sauce with some cheese and add some ham and asparagus pieces. Open up the popovers, ladle some of the mixture into the popovers and dig in. We served ours with potatoes dauphinoise. Good stuff!

Wine:  One of our favorite wines to serve with ham is Zinfandel. The Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red is predominantly Zinfandel, but blended with Petite Sirah, Syrah, Barbera and Montepulciano (your classic “everything but the kitchen sink” blend). Marietta Cellars uses grapes harvested from vineyards scattered throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Multiple generations at Marietta Cellars have perfected the art of making great blended red wines. And at an amazing price … about $12.

Tasting Notes:  A beautiful shade of garnet. A nose of rich earth and black currant. A wonderful complex palate with layers of black and red raspberries, black currant, leather, black pepper and other spices. With each sip, a new flavor moves to the front. But the myriad of tastes does not overwhelm the food. The wine makes an excellent companion.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Popovers and Ham/ Asparagus Cream Sauce:  Pinot Noir (Oregon), Chardonnay (California), Syrah (Washington), White Burgundy (France)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Zinfandel-based Blends:  Grilled Chicken or Pork, Baked Ham, Hamburgers or Hot Dogs Cooked Over an Open Fire

Read About:  https://www.winemag.com/2017/06/06/how-generational-change-is-driving-marietta-cellars/

A Source:  www. klwines.com