Hosting a wine party is one of my favorite forms of entertaining. Every February my husband and I host the Posner Catalina Wine Mixer where we assign our friends a region and tell them to bring a bottle of wine. I always plan the menu with delicious foods that pair well with standard wines. My favorite part of preparing for the party is creating recipes that compliment the wines. Below I am sharing a few of my new perfect wine pairings!
-Riesling Paired with Bacon Wrapped Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes-
Pairing: The sweet and fruit favors of the Riesling are balanced by the rick cheese and salty bacon
Recipe Hack: Use a boxed macaroni & cheese recipe. Prepare macaroni and cheese as directed on the box. Take 12 strips of bacon and outline the cups in a cupcake pan. Once macaroni & cheese is prepared fill the bacon cups with it. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 10-15 before removing from the pan. Serve in cupcake papers with a fork.
-Sauvignon Blanc Paired with a Wild Mushroom & Roasted Tomato Feta Flatbread-
Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc's crisp acidic edge lends itself well to the rich roasted tomatoes and a light splash of balsamic.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 15 over roasted cherry tomatoes roasted
- 1 cup of wild mushrooms sauteed
- 2 medium sized already baked flat breads
- 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme
- 4 tablespoons of light virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Slice cherry tomatoes and place in a glass baking dish
- Drizzle tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Bake tomatoes for 20 minutes or until they start to wrinkle
- Sautee mushrooms in a skillet
- Place flatbreads on a baking sheet. Spread out tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkle with feta and thyme.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until flatbread starts to crisp.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with remaining olive oil and balsamic
-Chardonnay Paired with a Brie & Strawberry Preserve Croissant-
Pairing: An oaky Chardonnay pairs well with Brie' smooth and buttery texture. The oaky flavors of the wine will mellow the sweetness of the strawberry preserves.
Recipe: Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Overlap triangle croissant pieces to form a star. Cut the top of the brie wheel off. Place the wheel in the center of the croissant start. Cover the top of the wheel with strawberry preserve. Fold the tips of the croissant over the top of the brie wheel. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the croissant is golden brown and preserves are bubbling.
-Pinot Noir Paired with Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuff Mushrooms-
Pairing Pinot Noir's smokey under tones pair perfectly with a mild mushroom and salty bacon.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 12 medium/large mushroom caps
- Stems of mushroom caps chopped
- 1/2 cup of yellow onions minced
- 3 tablespoons of green peppers minced
- 2 pieces of cooked bacon minced
- 3 ounces of cream cheese (softened)
- 1/3 cup of bread crumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Sautee onions, green peppers and mushrooms in the bacon grease
- Combine bacon, onions, green peppers, mushrooms with cream cheese
- Place mushroom caps in a bakin dish
- Stuff mixture in mushroom caps
- Sprinkle with bread crumbs
- Pour 1/3 cup of water in the bottom of the bacon dish
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
-Cabernet Paired with Cabernet Chocolate Ganache Cookie Sandwiches-
Pairing Cabernet's dark fruit flavors pair well with a rich chocolate dessert.
We have a recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Ganache Cookie Sandwiches on the site. Just substitute bourbon for cabernet.
xoxo- LL