-- Search By Title -- Liven up your New Year’s Celebration with a Healthy Dose of Nuts Go Nuts for Romance… Celebrating the Holidays with Nuts Celebrate with Flavorful Nuts Add a Cool Nutty Touch to Summer’s Bounty Now that the holidays are here, many of us are planning parties, dinners and cocktail events. For the novice--and even knowledgeable--wine enthusiast it can be difficult to decide what wines to serve and what foods to pair them with…this is where nuts can come in very handy. Adding nuts to food generally makes it much more wine-friendly. The rich and toasty character of nuts brings roundness to any dish, helping to bridge the food and wine.  Adding a sprinkle of toasted nuts to classically hard-to-pair foods such as asparagus, artichoke and salads can suddenly make them the perfect match for wine.  And chili or hot Asian foods with a few ground or chopped nuts folded through will have their heat softened enough by the nuts to allow the wine to pair nicely.

Wine pairs beautifully with nuts and cheese, here are some combination ideas that bring out the flavors and work well together: Light zesty wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Pinot Grigio and Sancerre are great with pistachios and cashews, the brightness in the wine bringing out the undertones of the nuts and visa versa. Sparkling wines and almonds are a real hit, whether toasted, raw, or marcona style. Rich, fruity whites like Chardonnay and Ligonier, pair perfectly with hazelnuts and hazelnut paste with a touch of honey. Rose and walnuts are delightful (or make walnut bread with lavender for a really perfect match) and pecans go any which way with lighter reds such as Pinot Noir. Pretty much any roasted nut is going to bring out something great in a rich aromatic, heady red wine as there are so many nut-like elements in these wines. Have fun and health experimenting with different flavors this holiday season! Cheers from the Nutty Chef!“What wine goes with Captain Crunch?” -George Karlin

Pairing wines and food is too often stressed about (and debated). True, in these days we no longer abide by rules like “ONLY white with fish” (ever had a coriander and coffee encrusted ahi with Syrah? but we are often confused about how to pair certain flavors and elements of a dish. The following are some guidelines for pairing a few common wines. Remember, pairing is a funny thing, because every dish will have more than just one component. You might try to pair a wine with chicken… but it’s not JUST going to be chicken, is it? It will have herbs or spices, a side dish of veggies, etc. There are many things to think about when pairing a dish, but in the end, you have to choose which part of the dish you want to emphasize and then match the wine to that element. This crisp, lighter white wine is known for having a high level of acidity and a lot of citrus. It is a great wine to pair with dishes that are lighter yet still packed full of flavor, and the herbaceous qualities often found in the wine often bring out the herbs in a dish.

Here are some foods/flavors that go exceptionally well with Sauvignon Blanc: Cheese/nuts: feta, goat cheese, pine nuts Seafood: fatty white fish, oysters, scallops, lobster, shrimp, sushibest wines with taste Fruits and Veggies: citrus, green apple, asparagusbest wine in mexico Herbs and Spices: chives, tarragon, cilantrogood side dish for red wine Sauces: citrus and light cream saucesbest wine for white meat Desserts: sorbet, key lime pie, meringue, mangobuying red wine online in india The most difficult thing about pairing Sauvignon Blanc? best wines of paris

With this wine, I find that “like” does not always go with “like”: vinaigrette acidity kills the flavors of the wine and numbs the tart flavor in the vinaigrette.best places in italy for wine Chardonnay can be made into many styles, and this should always be kept in mind when pairing the wine with food. best wine brand indiaAre you drinking a full-bodied, California-style Chardonnay with a lot of oak and butter presence, or one that is lighter on the oak… or maybe not even aged in oak at all? top wine brands 2014Make sure you factor this in to your pairings. The best thing about Chardonnay? It’s a decadent wine with sensual body, so it stands up against dishes and flavors when other white wines might fall flat. Despite its body, it still has great acidity, making it perfect for cutting the richness of cream dishes.

Cheese/nuts: mild, semi-soft cheeses with unoaked Chardonnay; asiago, havarti, Stilton or other blue-veined cheeses with oaky Chardonnay; almonds and nearly any toasted nut Seafood: halibut, shrimp, crab, lobster Fruits and Veggies: potato, apple, squash, mango Herbs and Spices: tarragon, sesame, basil Desserts: banana bread, vanilla pudding Top tip when pairing Chardonnay: make sure your wine doesn’t overwhelm a dish with more subtle flavors. It is known to do so! Riesling might be one of the more misunderstood wines. In the U.S. it varies a lot in style, and many produce a very sweet Riesling that has almost become the “norm” for Riesling style in the U.S. Truth is, Rieslings from Europe are often very minimally sweet, and this wine’s balance of acidity and sweetness actually makes it a very food-friendly option. The thing I love best about Riesling? It balances spice incredibly well, making it a perfect accompaniment to Thai food or other spicy dishes.

Cheese/nust: Havarti, gouda, candied walnuts or pecans Meat/poultry: smoked sausage, duck, foie gras Fruits and Veggies: apricots, chili peppers, pears Herbs and Spices: rosemary, ginger, Thai or Indian spices Desserts: apple pie, caramel sauce Pinot Noir is a funny, funny grape that makes funny, funny wines. Only Pinot Noir can have fruits like cherry alongside descriptors like “forest floor” and “mushroom”. It is truly a beautiful juxtaposition of flavors and aromas. Although lighter in body, Pinot has some weight behind it and can stand up to some meat dishes. And don’t be afraid to–gasp!–pair it with a heartier fish. I happen to love salmon and Pinot Noir, particularly if it is a winter dish with heartier accompaniments like mushrooms. Cheese/nuts: goat cheese, brie, walnuts Meat/poultry: lamb, sausage, filet mignon, chicken Fruits and Veggies: mushrooms, dried fruits, figs, strawberries Herbs and Spices: truffle, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove

Sauces: mushroom sauces, light-medium red sauces Desserts: creme brulee, white chocolate It is hard to pinpoint Syrah. As one of the world’s more popular varietals, it is made throughout the globe and in many, many different styles. Although hard to generalize, overall, it’s a big wine that often exudes pepper on the finish. It is great with herbs, and often has enough fruit to balance a bit of spice. Cheese/nuts: sharp cheddar, Roquefort/bleu-veined cheeses; Meat/poultry: roasted game, pepperoni, spicy sausage, braised pork shoulder Fruits and Veggies: currants, stewed tomatoes, beets Herbs and Spices: oregano, sage Sauces: BBQ, heavy red sauces Desserts: black forest cake, rhubarb pie, coffee-based desserts Avoid lighter dishes when drinking Syrah. No white fish, no oysters, no shrimp. Merlot has fallen out of fashion over the last few years… but its sales numbers prove that although it might not be “trendy”, it is still being drunk.

We often forget about this grape and the soft berry flavors and beautiful eucalyptus nose its wines often have. I love that you can find characteristics like mint and juniper in a Merlot and think its fun to play up these flavors and aromas by pairing it with a dish that contains the same elements. Cheese/nuts: Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, chestnuts, walnuts Seafood: grilled meatier fish, ahi tuna Fruits and Veggies: caramelized onions, tomatoes, plums Herbs and Spices: mint, rosemary, juniper Desserts: dark chocolate, berries, fondue Top tip: if drinking Merlot with chocolate, make SURE that the wine is sweeter than the chocolate. If not, the wine will taste sour. (Chocolate is tough to pair with!) Cabernet is king in the U.S. and in many other parts of the world. We crave its bold tannins and fruit and it certainly pairs well with many of the dishes we as Americans love: including beef! But Cabernet Sauvignon has a softer side, and goes well with some cheeses and even lavender.