food pairings for zinfandel

Turkey Leg Confit … Paired with a Robust Zinfandel

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Pairing: Turkey Leg Confit Paired with a 2015 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel 

Food: Confit is most often made with duck , usually the leg quarters. Thanksgiving this year was just the two of us (thanks to the pandemic). Last year we had made a turkey roulade which left us with a couple of uncooked legs in the freezer. Well … why not make turkey leg confit? This linked video is excellent in describing the technique for making this most satisfying dish. We made it the exact same way, but used only sage, thyme, salt and pepper for the seasoning. A delicious way to help celebrate this wonderful holiday giving thanks for all our blessings.

Turkey Leg Confit served with vegetables from our garden.

Wine: The Dry Creek Valley wine region in Sonoma County is home to some of the finest Zinfandel in California. Indeed the case could be made that this area produces the best anywhere. As we have stated elsewhere on this site, Zinfandel was the first wine we really fell in love with, and twenty years later it remains a favorite, frequently served on special occasions . For years, we have viewed Zinfandel as the quintessential American wine perfect for celebrating American holidays. However, DNA testing in the 1990’s at UC Davis ascertained that the Zinfandel grape is identical to the Italian grape, Primitivo. Hmmmm …

And, to further muddy the waters, we know that the Primitivo grape is genetically the same as the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. So, did the Zinfandel grapes in California originate in Italy or Croatia? Yet another mystery … what are the origins of the name Zinfandel? What we do know is that it is a wonderful wine, with complex fruit and spice flavors that pair beautifully with so many foods. And Ridge Vineyards produce some of the very best Zinfandel, single-vineyard wines (e.g., Lytton Springs) being their signature product.

2015 Ridge Lytton Springs – 74% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mourvedre

Tasting Notes: Dark garnet in color. A bouquet of blackberry, black currant, and black cherry. On the palate one gets layers of earth, black currant, spice, and cedar. A pleasant deep “woodsy” taste balanced nicely with the black fruit flavors. The depth of flavors in the wine complements well the richness of the confit. Really nice.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Turkey Confit: Pinot Noir (New Zealand), Cahors (SW France), Saint-Emilion (Bordeaux), Malbec (Argentina)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Zinfandel: Roasted Duck and Lamb, Grilled Beef, Sausage, Lasagna

View the Dry Creek Valley Region:  Dry Creek Valley

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Caribbean Jerk Pork … Splendid with a Spicy Zinfandel

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Pairing:  Caribbean Jerk Pork Tenderloins Paired with a 2015 Dutcher Crossing Rockpile Zinfandel Pritchett Peaks Vineyards

Food: Jerk is a style of cooking with hot, spicy seasoning thought by many historians to have originated with the Maroons, communities of escaped African slaves living in the wilds of Jamaica in the early 1700’s.

A longtime favorite cookbook of ours is Molly O’Neill’s A Well-Seasoned Appetite. Here is her recipe for Caribbean Jerk Pork Tenderloins. What a knock-out version of this dish that she’s created for an authentic taste of Jamaican Jerk. It combines allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, scallion, garlic, a Scotch Bonnet chili (handle with rubber gloves!), and some dark rum into a thick paste. Rub the paste all over the pork, refrigerate overnight and cook it under a broiler for 12-15 minutes. Let rest for 5 more. Wow! What an unbelievable flavor! Despite the heat of a Scotch Bonnet chili, it is delicious when combined with the other seasonings. We served the pork with barley pilaf and sliced tomatoes from the garden. Perfect!

Pork Tenderloin Rubbed with Spices, Scotch Bonnet Chili and Dark Rum

Wine: Zinfandel was the first wine we ever really fell in love with, and many years later, it still holds a special place in our hearts. Dutcher Crossing, located in the Dry Creek Valley region of Sonoma was the first California winery we ever visited, and year after year we make sure to get a shipment of wine from them to enjoy and reminisce. Although they have a very nice portfolio of excellent wines, Zinfandel is their star. Rockpile is a renowned wine subregion producing some the finest Zins in all of California. And, it’s a positively gorgeous area to visit.

Please Note: Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families in Napa and Sonoma counties who have so recently lost their homes and livelihoods to the ferocious Glass Fire. Even now, firefighters continue to battle the inferno as we post this note.

Tasting Notes: Color is a deep maroon with a pretty brown tint. Nothing subtle about the nose … aromas of black currant, blackberry, and cocoa powder. A wonderfully complex flavor profile … pepper, cocoa, clove, vanilla; black cherry and wild cherry in equal parts; another layer of wild black fruit … service berry and thimble berry. Soft tannins hold it all together. An exceptional wine … by itself or in great congruence with the jerk spices and heat.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Caribbean Jerk Pork: Gewürztraminer (Alsace, France), Sparkling Wine (e.g., Champagne, Cremant, Prosecco, Cava), Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Zinfandel: Barbecued Chicken or Pork, Pizza (especially with Pepperoni or Hot Sausage), Ham, Grilled Salmon

View the Breathtaking Rockpile Wine Region:  Rockpile

A Source: http://www.dutchercrossingwinery.com

Chicken Spaghetti … Paired with a Croatian Red

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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.

Chicken Spaghetti

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.

 

Dalmatian R6 Red

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

 

 

Roast Turkey … Served with a Robust Sonoma Zinfandel Blend

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Pairing: Roast Turkey Paired with 2013 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel

Food:  Our Thanksgiving dinner has remained mostly unchanged for decades. We no longer raise our own turkeys, and we now brine the turkey with our own cider added to the water, salt, star anise, cinnamon sticks, dried apples, and juniper berries, among other spices. The turkey is served with cornbread stuffing, Berks County filling (a family recipe of mashed potatoes with an egg and some stuffing mixed into it and baked), creamed onions, pickled beets, peas and carrots. I start salivating just typing out the menu on the screen! The meal can accurately be described as a ensemble of flavors, and it requires a wine that can be the orchestral conductor that brings these elements together into a memorable symphony. Enter … Ridge Vineyards Geyserville.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Wine: Turkey, like Chicken and Pork, is what we refer to as one of those universal foods that pairs beautifully with a diversity of red or white wines. For our special Thanksgiving meal this year, we selected a favorite red wine that is a blend of 73% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, and a scant 1% Mourvedre. Ridge Vineyard’s Geyserville estate is located in the Alexander Valley wine area in the northern part of California’s Sonoma County, Some of the vines grown by Ridge to make their Geyserville wine are said to be more than 130 years old.  These old vines are at least partly responsible for the intensity of flavors in this Zinfandel blend.

Ridge Zinfandel

Tasting Notes:  A deep purplish red in color. Delightful aromas of blackberry, leather and earth. A rich full flavor that combines layers of blackberry, hedgerow fruit, earth, allspice and mace. The pleasant tannins, balanced acidity, and earthy flavor (possibly from the inclusion of a little Mourvèdre) tip it more toward the taste of an Old World wine, despite its California source. Flavors in the wine are deliciously enhanced by the cornbread stuffing, Berks County filling, gravy and creamed onions, and vice versa. Exquisite.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Roast Turkey: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Riesling, Chardonnay (California), Gerwürztraminer

Other Food That Pairs Well with Zinfandel:  Roast Lamb, Roast Beef, Barbecued Chicken or Pork, Cheese Burgers

Read About:  https://www.ridgewine.com

A Source:  www. klwines.com

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Ham … with a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

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Pairing:  Baked Ham Paired with 2012 Dutcher Crossing Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley)

Food:  If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that our family is big on traditions when it comes to food. So, every Easter, we celebrate the day with friends and the traditional Easter meal of our family … baked ham, pineapple, popovers, potatoes gratin Dauphinois, asparagus, and lemon meringue pie. Served … always … with Zinfandel. Each person has a favorite part of this holiday meal … some say it’s the ham centerpiece with the mustard and brown sugar-crusted topping … others can’t get enough of the over-the-top gratin Dauphinois with it’s thinly-sliced potatoes baked in a cream, butter, and Gruyère cheese sauce. For me, though, it wouldn’t be Easter without  our giant, puffed up 6-inch popovers. My … oh my!

Easter Dinner with Zin

Wine:  Although Pinot Noir is the most widely recognized pairing for baked ham, we have found that the slight sweetness and spicy flavors of Zinfandel is a perfect foil to the salty ham with its mustard/ brown sugar topping. Although Zinfandel traces its origins back to Croatia and is the same grape used to make Primitivo wine in Italy, the vast majority of Zinfandel in the world today is grown in California. And in California, many are convinced that the best Zinfandel comes from the Sonoma region. Our favorite Zinfandel  is produced in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley area of Sonoma. This Zinfandel made by Dutcher Crossing is blended with a bit (13%) of Petite Sirah.

Dutcher Crossing Zin 2012

Tasting Notes: One really gets the spices of mace, allspice and vanilla notes on both the nose and the palate. The flavors of blackberry jam and leather also emerge along with some earthiness resulting from the inclusion of a little Petite Sirah in the blend. And there’s just enough fine tannins to result in good balance in the wine so as not to be too “fruity”. This is yet another example of a wine that goes well with several elements of the meal … the salty/ sweet ham, the cheesy potatoes and the buttery popovers in particular. Even, surprisingly, the pineapple soaked in kirschwasser.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Baked Ham:  Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Riesling, Rose (Dry), Sparkling Wine

Other Food That Pairs Well with Zinfandel:  Barbecued Meats and Chicken, Cheeseburgers (with Blue Cheese), Duck, Lamb, Mushrooms, Pizza, Turkey

Read About:  http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/zinfandel-wine-grapes-flavor-character-history/

A Source:  http://www.dutchercrossingwinery.com