Always Ravenous

Tips and Recipes for Alsace Pairings

June 15, 2018 By Jane 11 Comments

Alsace is a wine growing region in northeastern France that lays between the Rhine river and the Vosges mountains. Over 90% of the wines produced in Alsace are white grape varieties including; Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Sylvaner. Pinot Noir is the singular red grape variety produced in the region. The Alsace white wines are known for their true expression of varietal character and the terroir where they are grown. Alsatian white wines are typically dry with aromas and flavors of fruit, flower, or spice combined with noted minerality, acidity, and structure; making for food-friendly pairings….

Chicken with Shaved Vegetables and Almond Pesto Paired with Soave

June 7, 2018 By Jane Leave a Comment

What I love about summer meals is the ease in which they can be prepared. Chicken with shaved vegetables and almond pesto is that easy summer salad: raw shaved vegetables and leftover chicken accented with almond pesto for a burst of added flavor. I created this salad to pair with Soave, an Italian white wine traditionally made from the Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes, grown in northeast Italy, on steep hillsides above the towns of Soave and Monteforte d’ Alpone, just east of Verona….

Which Vermentino to Pair with Shrimp and Fresh Herb Pilaf

May 4, 2018 By Jane 9 Comments

Looking for a food-friendly white wine for the summer months ahead? If your usual summer choices are Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, try Vermentino! Vermentino, in general, has more complexity than Pinot Grigio and not the bracing acidity and grassy notes often found in Sauvignon Blanc. Vermentino is produced in a number of different countries and styles. Which Vermentino to pair with shrimp and fresh herb pilaf? Start with Vermentino from Italy….

Turkey and Salmon Sliders Paired with Rosé

April 27, 2018 By Jane 3 Comments

Hooray, it’s rosé season! The days are getting warmer and longer, who doesn’t want to spend as much time as possible outside! Dinner on the deck or a picnic in the park, these are the days we have been dreaming of all winter. To kick off this new season, I made turkey and salmon sliders and paired them with the newly released 2017 Gran Moraine Rosé of Pinot Noir….

Halibut with Spring Vegetables and Picpoul Wine

April 20, 2018 By Jane 15 Comments

Spring is truly here (at least in Georgia, sorry northern United States), the forest behind my house is green again, and the spring produce is a rebirth of lighter fresher ingredients in the kitchen. The French #winophiles have chosen the perfect spring/summer wine variety, Picpoul for our April theme. (more details for the French #winophiles at the bottom of this post) Picpoul is a fresh, crisp wine that pairs well with lighter spring flavors and seafood like halibut with spring vegetables….

If you haven’t discovered the food and wines of Navarra, northeast of Rioja in northern Spain, they are worth exploring and tasting. What foods to pair with wines from Navarra starts with the region’s local culinary specialties and the wine varieties grown there.

Verdicchio Paired with the Flavors of Spring

Spring Cacio e Pepe paired with Verdicchio

Craving Spring? Whether you are still experiencing the random snow storm (enough already) or like here in the South, one day in the 80’s and the next morning freezing. We are all ready for Spring weather and the fresh lighter foods including the wines we drink that come with those warmer Spring days. If you…

Two Sonoma Wineries and the Inspiring Women Behind Them

Breathless Sparkling Wines and Pedroncelli Winery are two women-owned wineries in Sonoma County producing quality, award-winning wines. Their stories are inspiring because they successfully compete in a male-dominated industry.

Bison Burger Paired with Northern Rhône Syrah

“There is no question that among the world’s greatest red wines, Rhônes are the most untamed. Their howling spicy, dark flavors can seem almost caged, ready to explode with fierceness. Rhônes are the wine equivalent of a primal scream.” “The Wine Bible” – Karen MacNeil It is obvious from MacNeil’s description of Rhône…