fbpx

Wine Pairing

Did you know you can find a wide variety of wine and other spirits here at Alan’s Market?  Well now you know! There is no better way to have the whole culinary experience than pairing your dish with the right glass of wine.

Take a look at our wine selection and our food recommendations:

 

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety of the Vitis vinifera species , predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the form of the grapes that tightly cluster giving them the form that resembles a pine cone.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing:

Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines to match with food. Because of this it makes a great option in the kitchen when one of you is eating meat and the other fish. Who needs to make a compromise when you have Pinot Noir?

Fruitier versions of Pinot Noir make a great match with salmon or other fatty fish, roasted chicken, or pasta dishes. Bigger and more tannic Pinots are ideal with duck and other game birds, casseroles or, of course, stews like beef bourguignon.

Pair with:

 


Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates. From Canada’s Okanagan Valley to Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing: 

Because Cabernet Sauvignon wine has a more intense, bold, flavor the food that pairs well with it should be heartier and richer. Pair it with meats, burgers, portobello mushrooms, and cheeses.

Pair with:

 


Tempranillo

Native from Spain, Tempranillo is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish word “temprano”, a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing:

Tempranillo is a versatile partner to food. It has high acid, providing structure and cutting through fats and proteins. This makes it a refreshing partner to all sorts of heavier meats, fatty cheeses and more. No doubt perfect for tapas.

Pair with:

 


Albariño

Albariño or Alvarinho is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia and Northwest Portugal. The different pronunciation of the wine depends of the region. The Galicians pronounce the grapes name as Albariño,  while in Portugal it is known as Alvarinho, and sometimes as Cainho Branco.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing:

This wine is perfect to all things from the sea. Albariño pairs exceptionally well with white fish and seafood, as well as light meats and leafy green herbs. Try it with ceviche, seafood risotto, grilled (or fried) fish tacos, oysters, mussels, and clams. When in doubt, think sea, think Albariño.

Pair with:

 


Chardonnay

One of the most popular and versatile wine varietals in the world! Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape that originated in the Burgundy region of France and is still the most popular white varietal grown in that region. Now a days the grape is grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing:

Pair Chardonnay with Halibut, seafood with butter and brown-butter sauces, grilled and roasted salmon, and shellfish with butter (crab, lobster or shrimp). Makes my mouth water!

Pair with:


Blends

“Blended wine” means wine that is made from different types of grapes or varietals. Some might be a blend of different barrels, vineyards or blocks of a single variety. Others might be a blend of different appellations or varieties.

The idea of blending wines is to take the individual pieces and make the sum of what’s blending better than those individual pieces. Makes you wonder which is better, traditional wine or blended wine.

Alan’s Market Selection:

Food Pairing:

Cuvée Gyotaku is a blend of biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc and Riesling, with small amounts of Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer. This wine is like a patchwork of aromatic elements, from Asian pear to chamomile to white peach, with a bracing acidity that makes it an easy match for virtually any produce.  The creators of this wine wanted to perfect combination for sushi, shellfish and other crustaceans, and they nailed it!

Pair with:

Food Pairing:

When it comes to Ardal Reserva 2015, we think that a food match made in heaven would be with a T-bone steak, any game food or a roasted lamb.

Pair with:

 

Now that you’ve had a small briefing of our recommendations of food wine pairing, you could say that you are on your way to becoming an wine pairing expert.

The question is: What will be your choice for tonight’s dinner?

Leave a Comment