For us, wine is an agent of wonder and joy. Many would say that a wine’s greatest potential for sowing the seeds of joy occurs when paired with a meal. We agree and think that one of the really great parts of growing wine is the diversity of flavors, aromas, and textures that emerge from a given vintage. Greater yet is that we get to go through the process of trying different foods with our wines to see which foods fall in love with which wines, and vice-versa. Adding to this joy, we now get to share these wines and their significant other dishes with our family, friends, and fellow wine enthusiasts. If you still have a bottle of our 2018 Mount Alto, it has a bonafide suitor.
My Greens are Wilted, My Heart is Full
While, generally speaking, red meats are thought to be the ultimate companion of red wines, there is a whole lot more than just meat on the dinner table, and often enough there is no meat at all. So, imagine my delight when the first dish that truly grabbed me by the taste buds as a pairing with our 2018 vintage was a (not so) humble salad, clamoring for a sip to accompany every fork full. This salad was prepared for us by an old friend who had yet to taste the vintage, but who has a knack for such things, and while the proteins of the evening were memorable, it was this beautiful wilted spinach salad with beets, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers that really sang in harmony with the wine.
Ingredients
spinach, barely wilted
crumbly goat cheese
roasted red peppers (the kind that comes in a jar, packed in olive oil is perfect)
your favorite beets, roasted ahead of time
balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper
walnuts (optional)
Preparation
Preheat a sauté pan for a few minutes on low heat. Assemble all ingredients in a bowl, even the dressing, reserving half the goat cheese for later. Heat control is the key: very low heat and very briefly. Throw that all in your (not too hot) pan, and keep it moving. Might be as fast as 30 seconds, 1 minute tops. Plate and sprinkle top with the rest of the goat cheese to serve.
Did I mention not too hot? My friend urges me, “You want the goat cheese in the pan to go gooey but not completely melt, and when you plate it, if the greens are steaming, it's waaaaayyyyy too hot”.
Hope you enjoy, the recipe, and the wine. Let us know what wonderful pairings you find.
This is not a spinach salad. But lamb is also a wonderful pairing, and a bit more photogenic than wilted spinach.