“Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures.” - Michael Broadbent
One of my favorite things to do is pairing a delicious dish with an amazing bottle of wine.
This past Christmas I gifted my husband a smoker, and he has literally perfected the art of smoking amazing proteins. Also, one of my preferred seafoods to enjoy are oysters, especially when they are flash fried.
Today, I’m sharing some of my ideal food and wine pairings with meals that we have curated at home.
Smoked Chicken
Chicken is a protein we smoke and/or grill almost weekly. It is such a versatile protein, and you can add it to salads, sandwiches, nachos, tacos, or enjoy it by itself with a wide variety of sides.
This spicy smoked chicken is so delicious, and is layered with a variety of seasonings that pair perfectly with a velvet bordeaux style wine. The Octagon produced by Barboursville Vineyards is a winner for this dish. It is so smooth, and is such a unique blend of varietals Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Petit Verdot 30%. It is so well balanced, with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, baked berries, and a bit of oak. This wine is dry, but the finish has a nice smooth velvet texture.
Smoked thinly sliced chicken breast paired with broccolini and herbed potatoes with rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, and thyme with a spicy old bay mayo.
Barboursville Octagon 2016
Smoked chicken leg paired with broccolini and thinly sliced herbed potatoes with rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, and thyme.
Smoked Duck
When duck is smoked, it brings out some amazing flavors of the protein, and is tender and juicy. Also, the port cherry reduction is a great addition, the perfect compliment to the meat.
The wine I paired with this dish is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. It is soft, has an amazing body to it, and is fruit forward, while having a great texture and balance. This wine has notes of black fruit immediately on the nose, and cherry on mid-palate. The tannins on this wine are present, but not overwhelming, which is ideal with smoked duck.
Medium rare sliced duck breast with a port cherry sauce, accompanied with herbed seasoned red potato crisps.
Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Fried Oysters
Oysters are something that I enjoy so much! Whenever I’m able to indulge in them, champagne is the obvious choice to pair with this dish.
The fried oysters are seasoned with lemon, pepper, sea salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and a dusting of grated parmesan - which gives the protein a great balance of spice and citrus.
A champagne that is 100% Meunier is a lovely pair with oysters. Champagne Salmon was a great choice for me to accompany this dish, as it provides the right balance of acidity to the oysters.
Fried oysters paired with a pair of grilled rosemary crostini, and garlic herb aioli.
Champagne Salmon - 100% Meunier
What are your favorite wine and food combinations? Feel free to share your favorite wine and food pairings below!
XO, Analise