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The wine you serve with a meal can make or break the experience. If you select a wine that does not compliment the food then it can ruin the meal, but if you select the right wine then you can impress everyone at your dinner party with your knowledge of wine and food. To help all of our readers we have put together this first entry in our three part series titled “Delicious Meals for Delicious Wines.” This entry includes three of the most popular red wines, and the future entries will cover both white wine and Champaign.

Pinot Noir
Strong cheeses, pasta, red sauce, pork, beef

When making a dinner to go with your favorite Pinot Noir, make sure to compliment it with a good pasta dish. Having pork or beef either as a side or in red pasta sauce will all add to the flavor of the wine. Another great choice is pork in a bold marinade with a side salad with plenty of strong cheeses.

Pinot noir is best served cool-room temperature, 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve younger Pinot Noirs in larger, tulip-shaped glasses to suit the fruitiness and older mature Pinot Noirs in smaller glasses, to compliment the wine’s complexity.

Sample Recipe:

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin:
Original recipe yield: 9 servings
Recipe Courtesy: AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
3 (1 pound) pork tenderloin

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. Set aside 1/3 cup; cover and refrigerate. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the pork and remaining marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from meat. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the reserved marinade on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with a fun, colorful salad with crumbled Gorgonzola and plenty of vegetables.

Merlot
Strong cheeses, pasta & sauce, beef, chocolate

With a Merlot, you’ll want a hearty cheese dish followed by a sweet chocolate dessert. Fondue is the perfect way to mix cheese with sweets and wine (If you don’t have a fondue pot, you can purchase one pretty cheap at any department store). Have a wide selection of bold cheeses and fruits, and make a choice between cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. If you choose cheese fondue, make up for it by having a small chocolate dessert to follow, like chocolate mousse.

Serve your Merlot in a large mouthed glass slightly below room temperature. Put the bottle in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving to lower it to the right temp.

Sample Recipe:

Chocolate Mousse
Recipe courtesy: Alton Brown

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whipping cream
12 ounces quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 ounces espresso or strong coffee
1 tablespoon dark rum
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon flavorless, granulated gelatin

Directions:

Chill 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in refrigerator. Chill metal mixing bowl and mixer beaters in freezer.

In top of a double boiler, combine chocolate chips, coffee, rum and butter. Melt over barely simmering water, stirring constantly. Remove from heat while a couple of chunks are still visible. Cool, stirring occasionally to just above body temperature.

Pour remaining 1/4 cup whipping cream into a metal measuring cup and sprinkle in the gelatin. Allow gelatin to “bloom” for 10 minutes. Then carefully heat by swirling the measuring cup over a low gas flame or candle. Do not boil or gelatin will be damaged. Stir mixture into the cooled chocolate and set aside.

In the chilled mixing bowl, beat cream to medium peaks. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream in two doses. There may be streaks of whipped cream in the chocolate and that is fine. Do not over work the mousse.

Spoon into bowls or martini glasses and chill for at least 1 hour. Garnish with fruit and serve.

(If mousses are to be refrigerated overnight, chill for one hour and then cover each with plastic wrap)

Zinfandel
Strong Cheese, pasta & sauce, beef

With the much-loved Zinfandel, you want to accentuate the wine as much as possible. Keep it simple with a classic dish, like red sauce with meat over spaghetti and vegetables. Another option is a nice casserole or lasagna. Have a selection of breads and cheeses on a tray as an appetizer with your first glass of wine.

Serve Zinfandel as you would Pinot Noir, in a tulip-shaped glass at room temperature, or 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sample Recipe:

Baked Fettuccine Lasagna
Original Recipe Yield: 10 servings
Recipe Courtesy: AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1 pound lean ground beef (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped black olives
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Drain fat from pan, and transfer meat to a bowl. In the same skillet, cook onion and bell pepper in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and beef, and season with oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Arrange half of the cooked fettuccine in the prepared dish, top with half of the beef and vegetable mixture, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Mix together soup and beef broth until smooth, and pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through.

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This Saturday, June 22nd, there will be another open house at Rim Rock Ranch from noon to2:30 pm. It will be hosted by Nancy Meacham, and to request more information or schedule a private showing please contact her at 707 968-2565.

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1. Choose to your taste

Merlot comes in 3 styles: fruity and soft, medium weight, and full and rich. Consider your taste as well as your guests before making a selection.

2. Check I.D

Like most wines, merlot matures at a certain age. Most merlot is best aged between 3-8 years, though some need 10-15. Check the label for more information.

3. Where is it From?

The two main Merlot producers are California and France. Choosing a Merlot from one of these regions is your best bet. While California Merlot is more fruity, Merlot from France is a good balance of the fruit and non-fruit taste.

4. Be Specific

The more specific the region on the label, the higher the quality of wine is likely to be. For example: if a label says it is from “Northern California”, it may not be very good. Now, if the label said it was from a certain mountain, valley, or vineyard the quality is likely to be much higher.

5. Lighter Taste? Go Abroad

If you are new to wine tasting or your taste in wine is a bit light, try a Merlot from Italy. The Merlot wines from Italy tend to be much lighter than the heavier ones found in California and France.

6. Consider your Diet

Checking the label for calorie count, ingredients you might not want to ingest, and unwelcome chemicals is always important. Most wines are low in fat and actually quite healthy in small quantities.

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When you select a wine for drinking or entertaining it is important to know the difference between red and white. Not only will you look smart in front of your dinner guests, but you will also know how to pair the right wine with the right food.

1. Taste
The difference in taste between red and white wines is pretty significant. Due to the process, white wine comes out much lighter and fruity (perfect for beginners), while red wine has a much heavier and complex flavor.

2. Process & Color
When fermented, the grapes used to make red wine release tannins that contribute to the deep red or burgundy color. With white wines the skin, stems, and seeds are not present in the fermentation process and without the tannins to release their color the wine comes out white.

3. Age
Red wines are typically aged much longer then white wines. This is because of the tannins, which help preserve the wine. White wines that contain a much lower amount of tannins cannot be aged like red wine can.

4. Serving Temperature
Red wine is served at room temperature in a balloon glass. While white wine is served chilled in a long stemmed glass (which you hold by the stem to avoid warming your chilled wine).

5. Antioxidants
Your doctor may tell you to drink a glass of red wine with dinner to stay healthy because it contains antioxidants. But white wine also contains antioxidants. They’re much smaller, which actually makes them easier to absorb.

6. Pairing
When serving wine with food, pair your meal with the wine that compliments it best. White wine goes well with white meats and light foods, such as fish, chicken or pork. Red wine goes best with red meat and heavier tasting foods.

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