Last weekend my “Supper Swap” group met again for the first time in a while. (We try to meet at least quarterly, picking a theme to inspire our respective culinary adventures for the night and otherwise help us break out of any cooking ruts we may have fallen into.) As we sat around the table discussing our “Summer-is-coming” dishes and what changes we would make to the recipes, I realized I have gotten away from discussing food more specifically in relation to wine on the Pour Favor blog.  I’ve been talking wine first, then food. But most of the time we work the other way around, right? You pick your meal or what you are going to chef, and then select a bottle to accompany it.

Food is important.

I mean, yeah, there is the whole sustenance factor, lol. But in seriousness, wine is meant to be enjoyed with food. There are certainly some that excel on their own; but for the most part winemakers hope their wares grace your table and, ideally, take on a whole new meaning when matched with a wonderful meal.

This isn’t to say we should always strive for the perfect pairing. Nonsense! Rather, we should be mindful that the components which make a wine a wine – fruit, acidity and tannin – are elements that, by nature, are designed for food. On that note, let’s start talking about the union of food and wine over the next few weeks, shall we?

Supper Swap dish #1:  Watermelon, mint salad.

Apparently this dish was inspired by the Mustard Seed restaurant out in Davis, CA. Now their (online) recipe calls for cucumber, watermelon, mint and feta – but my friend recalled it with red onion, watermelon, mint and feta. Either which way you slice it, this salad was terrific. A true summer crowd pleaser. Fresh, healthy and delicious. And there is literally nothing more to it than dicing up the ingredients and tossing them together.

What wine would pair? This dish is incredibly versatile. But my instinct is to go for a terrific, DRY, rose – still OR sparkling! Rose tends to have terrific strawberry, raspberry or watermelon characteristics. One with more minerality (typically French offerings from areas such as Provence) or a more spice-nuanced flavor profile would be best because of the mint, bite of onion and slight richness to the feta.  You can certainly try one with more fruit-forward flavors.  But the watermelon on its own is so delicious, I’d want something nuanced in other ways to draw out it’s more subtle, secondary (et. al.) flavors.

White varietals to consider would be Spanish Albarino or Txakoli or lesser known/sought French offerings like Muscadet, Gros Manseng and Picpoul.  Sauvignon Blanc might be an easier grab-and-go choice that would certainly work.  Simply think crisp, refreshing, minerality.

Prefer red? Try a fruity, ligher-styled, dry summer red. You don’t want to upstage the juicy watermelon on your plate!

What wine(s) would you pick for this dish?

Graduation season is in full swing throughout the country. No doubt corks are flying as years of hard work are celebrated and new adventures anticipated. But what to do with left over bubbly?

We often think of sparkling wine as a special commodity not for everyday buying. So when purchasing a bottle (whether actual Champagne, a domestic effort or some other country’s fine offering) we are remiss to waste it. But we all know sparkling doesn’t hold up so well overnight. The wine simply cannot deliver the same experience on Day 2. Or can it?

Pop over to Wicked Local today to learn all about what to do with your leftovers this celebratory season. You certainly don’t want to miss what Rachel Nason from Brookline-based D’Lish Intimate Catering has up her sleeve!

Then, chime in here with your own ideas!

I tried to write a novel a few years ago. Unfortunately I discovered I don’t have the patience to develop characters in that special way that sucks you in and devotes you to their trials and tribulations and celebrations as if they were your real-life friends. Any wine writer who can do that to me is Prime Rib, or perhaps more appropriately, a glass of truly tremendous Growers Champagne.

I’ve had the uncommon pleasure of “drinking” my Growers Champagne, if you will, at the pen of two different writers, given two very different wine context in the last week and a half alone.

The first are the fabulous duo from the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. True, this is not the first time I have sung their praises. But usually I talk about their content, not their writing style. This week I read just the first few lines of their article and had to save it for later – like a much anticipated dessert. If you have not yet read their “Rails, Romance and Really Good Wine” article, you must. Romance, indeed. I aspire to such greatness.

The second is Deborah Haro, of the absolutely amazing Taberna de Haro of Brookline. If you want a good read, simply get your hands on her wine list. There are other truly savory things about Taberna de Haro, but I’ll be getting to that in a future Wicked Local article. In the meantime, hussle over to Taberna to enjoy another tantalizing read (and meal!).

For those of you less interested in the romance of wine reading, but perhaps intrigued by broken hearts (or is that hearts rewarded? tough to say…) check out what Parisians have been up to to keep economically afloat. Bitter sweet, I suppose….

Which wine lists have you encountered that are simply a lovely read?

Ever been wary of a “Wines by the Glass” list? Been dubious the wines were opened two days prior to your debut at the bar? Or better yet, ever been overwhelmed by a list that’s a real list, offering an ample array of wines you’ve never heard of?  The bars/restaurants that take their glass pours seriously are a rare and wonderful breed. The trick is navigating their list with style and grace. Not always an easy task!

The Achilles Project/Persephone here in Beantown offers more than 20 different wines by the glass. To me, this is the first indicator they are serious about wine. The second indicator is that a good number of the wines on their list are “nerdy” (read: boutique offerings you don’t see everyday). Like the boutique shop they run up front, they are focused on being fashion-forward, offering something new for folks to try. And because they are serious about glass pours, they also tend to be on the lookout for any wine that is past its prime, giving customers a greater opportunity to enjoy a “fresh” experience.  Sign me up!

Today I thought it would be fun to go through their “Wine By The Glass” list and pick out a handful of grapes that might cause a customer or two to scratch their head – when really they should be doing a little jig and embracing the list’s fabulous uniqueness. Buckle your seat belt!

Lambrusco: This red wine varietal from Emilia Romagna, Italy is something else… Lightly sparkling (frizzante, as the Italians like to say), this wine offers smart red berry fruit flavors, often with just a touch of sweetness eminating from the ripe grapes they pick for this elixir. Think antipasto or anything with a touch of saltiness or lightly fried (calamari anyone?) as a perfect pairing. Or sip it on it’s own! It’s a real charmer.

Assyrtiko/Asirtiko: This white grape varietal may have different spellings, but to me they say the same thing: crisp, citrus deliciousness. The closest “mainstream” varietal I can reference for new Assyritko drinkers would be Sauvignon Blanc. But Assyrtiko brings additional minerality and even a hint of smoke to the table. This is a probably one of the most well respected varietals in Greece, with its real home in Santorini. Unique, bright goodness in your glass.

Scheurebe: This is one of Germany’s best known hybrid varietals, yet it is still somewhat of an orphan…. DNA tests prove that this grape’s dad is Riesling, but Mom is still unknown (though previously thought to be Sylvaner). Gotta love a freak! This wine typically offers tremendous floral aromatics and a touch of residual sugar (RS).  Tasting the wine out on the town can be a bit of a gamble, but your bartender should be able to guide you on just how sweet it is (though often enough you’ll find they err on the drier side). Very much worth the experimentation, I’ve found. Often a great match for slightly spicy Asian dishes.

As for the Reds on their list, well…. some of these may be better paired with food than as a “cocktail wine” but it is certainly not everyday you see Austria’s own delicious and lightly refreshing test-tube varietal Zweigelt on the roster, let alone a Mencia or a even a Monastrell (the Spanish name for the grape Mouvedre, which is better recognized in French wines). Nero d’Avola is up and coming, thought to be a pseudo Syrah with additional notes of currants, clove and vanilla; I find them more often distinct in their own right and offering far less oomph than Syrah can. But they are often just the thing to scratch the itch at a very reasonable price. Carignane can be wonderful, but I prefer to enjoy it when dinner’s up, rather than at the bar with friends. I find it too dry, earthy and edgy without a bit of food on hand.

Any which way you look at it, the key thing is context. Do you want to sip something easy like a bit of Zweigelt while you chat with friends? Do you prefer something more familiar but still adventurous (like an Assyritko) to take the edge off a long day? Or do you crave a bit more body in your wine as you snack throughout the evening? If you’re unsure you can either start with a bit of bubbly or white wine to get the ball rolling – and you can always ask your bartender for a recommendation to suit your mood!

Half the fun of wine is where you  are, what you’re doing or who you are with. It’s worth a touch of experiment; don’t you agree?

Whether you are in the majority for or in the minority against our next President, chances are you are getting a bit wrapped up in the fervor that surrounds us. Almost everyone I know – correction: everyone I know – is ready for change in 2009. And we’re bound to see some soon enough!

Where wine and the Inauguration is concerned, a few things have been on my mind lately…  First, when we were looking at our post-New Year’s bubbly stock at the store last week, we had to decide if we had enough depth and range to satisfy our customers’ demand on Inauguration day; bubbly is a natural, but truth be told, the festivities really start over breakfast. Will people be drinking that early on a weekday? Second, is bubbly too ‘just-done’ (with the holidays just behind us) such that folks will be looking for something else special to open later that night?

And then, last Wednesday, my fellow wine bloggers took on a challenging topic for Wine Blogging Wednesday: Wines for Breakfast Foods (no bubbly and no rose!).  Things were too nutty after the New Year for me to participate in the fun, but I was intrigued by the challenge. Eggs are considered one of The Hardest food/wine pairings, and bubbly is the given answer – but that wasn’t allowed.

Since I’m always a proponent of trying something unknown and since we’re about to take on the world from a different perspective (Obama’s), today it seemed natural, with just a few hours left under the old world order, to get us thinking outside the box about our Inauguration Celebration wine.  And since Inauguration festivities will begin tomorrow morning, it’s only appropriate to start with breakfast…. Below I’m going to link up a few of the posts from last week’s Wine Blogging Wednesday and another article or two I’ve come across lately. Hopefully this will give you enough time to think about where your plans will take you tomorrow  – and to get to your local shop to pick out something special to accompany them!

For those of you starting early, here are a few WBW Breakfast Wines…

Three fun reds? Who knew. It’s a Twisted Breakfast(s) extravaganza!

Having a party? Pairing wines for each (breakfast) course. Too much fun.

Anyone who thinks to describe a wine’s texture “like wearing some kind of tasty satin underroos for your tongue” deserves a closer look-see, I’d say. Definitely outside of the box thinking on that one!

Or…

If you want to stay domestic in your celebratory sipping, while taking it outside the box (aka NOT California) and giving yourself a real treat, check out the musings of Gaiter and Brecher…. Those two know where it’s at.

Are you toasting over breakfast? Which wine do you have in mind?