pairing food with zinfandel

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

Popovers with Ham & Asparagus … Nicely Paired with a California Red

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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!

Popovers
Huge Popovers! Fresh Out of the Oven

Popovers with Ham & Asparagus Cream Sauce
Filled with Ham/Asparagus Cream Sauce

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.

Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red

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