Wine Pairings for the Week of 9/25

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Wine pairings for this week's meal kits are brought to you by Bethany Taylor, a sommelier at Brookhaven Wines. Brookhaven Wines is one of our partner pick up locations–stop in to pick up your G&G order from their shop on Mondays and grab a bottle of wine to go with your meal kits while you're there. Cheers!

Arugula Pesto Chicken

Pair with Grasso Langhe Bianco | Piedmont, Italy ($19.99) - This gorgeous white is a blend of Chardonnay (52%) and Sauvignon Blanc (48%). Fresh and lively, lightly aromatic with juicy citrus flavors that will be a perfect match for the strong herbal flavors of pesto and that lemon zest component of the dish. 

Sausage & Sage Orecchiette 

Pair with Caruso e Minini 'Naturalmente' Perricone | Sicily, Italy ($22.99) - The sweet fall flavors of butternut squash, apples, sage, and Italian sausage will be amplified by the subtle spice aromas of clove and star anise of this Perricone. This wine is so fun - I've never had anything else like it! Flavors of blue raspberry, bramble berries, and sweet spice. Fruit forward but well balanced with moderate acidity. 

Buffalo Cauliflower Taco

Pair with Weszeli 'We Love Pet Nat' Rosé | Austria ($27.99) - Anything with Buffalo sauce needs a nice juicy & fruity rosé! This fizzy Zweigelt (a native Austrian grape) is made using a process called pétillant naturel (aka Pet Nat), resulting in a wine that is more frothy than bubbly. Flavors of strawberries, sun ripened raspberries, and bright red cherries with a touch of creaminess from the non-filtered style. 

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Cups

Pair with Zaha Malbec | Mendoza, Argentina ($27.99) - The Chipotle spice in this dish may overpower a lot of other reds but will be perfect with the flavors of blackberry jam, chocolate, and hints of mocha in this Malbec. 

Crispy Chicken Katsu

Pair with Weszeli 'Loiserberg' Riesling | Kamptal, Austria - Full disclosure, I will find any excuse to pair a dish with Riesling - it is such a beautiful, versatile grape! This one is bone dry with lots of good acid, balanced out by some juicy flavors of stone fruits and ripe citrus. Perfect for pan-fried lighter meats and seafood, and especially great with the sweet accompaniment of miso-sesame. 

Korean Beef & Shiitakes

Pair with Ridge 'Three Valleys' | Sonoma County, California - This sweet, flavor-rich style of beef needs a wine equally rich, and there is nothing better than a smooth, jammy Zinfandel blend. Flavors of grilled plums, and macerated cherries with sweet and savory spices. 

Cashew Eggplant Curry

Pair with Day Wines 'Dazzles of Light' | Willamette Valley, Oregon - There are a lot of fun, bold flavors in this dish, and this white blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect match to ensure that both the dish and the wine shine their best. Flavors of ripe stone fruit, juicy mango, lemongrass, and honey suckle.

The Expat’s Seared Salmon

Pair with Terras Gauda Albariño | Rias Baixas, Spain - Albariño is a slam dunk with fish, especially dishes that incorporate salty components like capers and olives. This wine is salty with tons of minerality in addition to flavors of lemon zest, white peach, and necartine. 

Farm Burger’s Jalapeño Burger

Pair with Olivier Rivière 'Rayos Uva' | Rioja, Spain - Juicy smokey red wine with a juicy spicy burger. Match made in heaven. This red is a blend of 50% Graciano, 30% Garnacha and 20% Tempranillo with flavors of red berries, tart cherries, and a bit of pepper.