I really enjoy when I hear from you and your adventures in trying either the recipes, wine, or pairings from Craig’s Grape Adventure. I would even love to hear about your recipes and pairings! Just send them my way, and I will be glad to feature them here.
Just yesterday, my friend Jay made a full on run at the Shrimp and Grits (See Shrimp and Grits Paired with 2009 Cuvaison Chardonnay). Jay, being a brilliant man, was preparing the shrimp and grits for his wife – a big fan of grits.
Jay was also kind enough to share some thoughts about his experience with the pairing. Here are some paraphrased thoughts from Jay:
“I thought it was an excellent recipe, there were a variety of flavors going on in each bite. It's got some nice complex stuff there…and yet it is pretty easy to put together - we are going to make it again (for guests next time). “
“It was interesting with the creaminess, the bacon flavor, countered against the more bitter tastes of the lemon juice and the parsley. My dinner guests said they would like to cut back on the lemon juice by about half next time and see how that compares - though they did like it.”
“As far a prep, I drained off about a 1/3 of the rendered bacon fat before I put the shrimp in and I think I would like to cut that even more next time. I'd say I had about two tablespoons of grease in the pan after the bacon was done and I could have gotten by with quite a bit less which would have made the parsley/garlic/onion combo not get drowned out as much.”
“I had some Chardonnay with it and it was a decent match but I think I'd like to find one that had a little more butteriness than the one I had which was more fruit forward.”
Jay’s comments are thoughtful and appreciated. And I like the thought on the wine…a buttery Chardonnay would meld into a sensual slow dance with the creamy grits and the shrimp. And I just recently found a wonderful value in a Chardonnay that would do just this – 2008 Sebastiani Chardonnay, Sonoma County. This wine is a true delight with well balanced fruit flavors, moderate acidity which makes it a good food pairing choice, subtly present minerality and an understated oak profile. A friend brought this wine to a recent event and I was hooked. I quickly began my search and found this wine at Harris Teeter for an amazing $10.99. This is a super value.
I have several pairings to write about, including one from just a couple days ago – Curried Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken and Peas Paired with 2008 Cuvée De Peña Viognier. Wow! Soooooo good.
In vino veritas, buen provecho.
Craig
Just yesterday, my friend Jay made a full on run at the Shrimp and Grits (See Shrimp and Grits Paired with 2009 Cuvaison Chardonnay). Jay, being a brilliant man, was preparing the shrimp and grits for his wife – a big fan of grits.
Jay was also kind enough to share some thoughts about his experience with the pairing. Here are some paraphrased thoughts from Jay:
“I thought it was an excellent recipe, there were a variety of flavors going on in each bite. It's got some nice complex stuff there…and yet it is pretty easy to put together - we are going to make it again (for guests next time). “
“It was interesting with the creaminess, the bacon flavor, countered against the more bitter tastes of the lemon juice and the parsley. My dinner guests said they would like to cut back on the lemon juice by about half next time and see how that compares - though they did like it.”
“As far a prep, I drained off about a 1/3 of the rendered bacon fat before I put the shrimp in and I think I would like to cut that even more next time. I'd say I had about two tablespoons of grease in the pan after the bacon was done and I could have gotten by with quite a bit less which would have made the parsley/garlic/onion combo not get drowned out as much.”
“I had some Chardonnay with it and it was a decent match but I think I'd like to find one that had a little more butteriness than the one I had which was more fruit forward.”
Jay’s comments are thoughtful and appreciated. And I like the thought on the wine…a buttery Chardonnay would meld into a sensual slow dance with the creamy grits and the shrimp. And I just recently found a wonderful value in a Chardonnay that would do just this – 2008 Sebastiani Chardonnay, Sonoma County. This wine is a true delight with well balanced fruit flavors, moderate acidity which makes it a good food pairing choice, subtly present minerality and an understated oak profile. A friend brought this wine to a recent event and I was hooked. I quickly began my search and found this wine at Harris Teeter for an amazing $10.99. This is a super value.
I have several pairings to write about, including one from just a couple days ago – Curried Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken and Peas Paired with 2008 Cuvée De Peña Viognier. Wow! Soooooo good.
In vino veritas, buen provecho.
Craig
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