Cork & Fork: McBride Sisters Collection + Seafood Pairings

“A bottle of wine begs to be shared.” - Unknown

The McBride Sisters have blended their passion: wine and created a beautiful collection for their consumers. Their winery is the largest African-American-owned wine company in the United States. The winemakers, Robin and Andréa were raised in the wine regions of Monterey, California and Marlborough, New Zealand respectively.

Today, I am pairing two of my favorite wines perfect for summer, with amazing dishes you’ll be able to enjoy right at home.

McBride Sisters Collection NV Hawke's Bay New Zealand Sparkling Brut Rosé

McBride Sisters Collection NV Hawke's Bay New Zealand Sparkling Brut Rosé

McBride Sisters Collection NV Hawke's Bay New Zealand Sparkling Brut Rosé

This lovely wine has the following notes:

  • Red fruit: strawberry, cherry, and a touch of cranberry

  • Citrus: lemon and orange

  • A hint of honey, toast and sourdough

What I love about this wine is that it is so light and effervescent. You’ll immediately get red fruit on the palate when drinking this wine. It is fruity, but not sweet - the perfect balance of acidity. The grapes used in this wine are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - which compliment so very well.

This is the perfect summer wine and will pair well with many dishes, such as salad, pork, seafood, and/or vegetarian.

Food Pairing: Honey Chipotle Lime Shrimp (recipe here)

Honey Chipotle Lime Shrimp with a Parsley herb garnish

Honey Chipotle Lime Shrimp with a Parsley herb garnish

McBride Sisters Collection 2018 Central Coast California Chardonnay

McBride Sisters Collection 2018 Central Coast California Chardonnay

McBride Sisters Collection 2018 Central Coast California Chardonnay

This crisp Chardonnay has the following notes:

  • Butter, oak, and a touch of vanilla

  • Green fruit: pear and green apple

  • Citrus: lemon

  • Tropical fruit: pineapple, peach and papaya

I really enjoyed this wine, and it is the perfect wine to drink in the summertime. You’ll immediately taste the tropical fruit, citrus, and green apple after your first sip. It’s extremely easy to drink. It errs on the dry side, and has medium acid level. It is a bold Chardonnay, but does not have overpowering oak notes, which makes it lovely to pair with any seafood or chicken dish.

Food Pairing: Lemon & Herb Smoked Salmon

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XO, Analise

Cork & Fork: Brown Napa Valley + Food Pairings

“A gourmet meal without a glass of wine just seems tragic to me somehow.” ― Kathy Mattea

I absolutely love trying new wines, and supporting Black-owned businesses is something I’m always a huge advocate for. So, when I heard wonderful things about Brown Estate in Napa Valley, it was a must that I try their wines.

Brown Estate - Napa Valley, is the first Black-owned estate winery in its respective county. Their wines are stellar, and I was so thrilled to support and receive my order from this wonderful establishment.

Today, I’m sharing the six bottles I ordered, and pairing them with my favorite recipes on the blog! Check out my wine and meal pairings below.

The line up from Brown Estate - Napa Valley.

The line up from Brown Estate - Napa Valley.

2018 Chaos Theory

This wine is simply wonderful. It is medium bodied, smooth tannins, and so well balanced. It is a blend of the following varietals:

  • 50% Napa Valley Petite Sirah

  • 40% Napa Valley Merlot

  • 10% Sierra Foothills Zinfandel

The notes on this wine are guava, passion fruit, red fruit - cherry and raspberry, black fruit - plum and blackberry. Also, there are some subtle notes of oak, tobacco, and persimmon. This wine is bold, dry, medium to high tannin, and medium to high acid. Chaos Theory will leave you with a smooth finish, inviting you to take another sip.

My ideal food pairing with this wine is a Short Rib Stir Fry. It would compliment the wine perfectly and provide the optimal balance. The beef and seasoned vegetables and rice would pair wonderfully with the red blend.

Food Pairing:

Short Rib Stir Fry - find my recipe here

2018 Napa Valley Zinfandel

The 2018 Zinfandel produced at Brown was absolutely lovely. It was bold, dominant in black fruit, such as blackberry, plum, and blueberry. You’ll get some oak on the palate as well as red fruit - cherry, strawberry, and a hit of raspberry.

There are some herb notes like clove, and hints of forest floor - leaves and pine kissed with orange. Over all, this wine is well balanced in fruit and acid.

This wine is unique and lovely, it’ll pair perfectly with a Smoked Pork Chop. The protein has the perfect balance of sweet and smoky, which will complement the Zinfandel so well.

Food Pairing:

Smoked Pork Chop - find my recipe here

2018 Merlot

The Merlot is a perfect balance of dry, smooth, soft, and bold notes on the palate. You’ll get a hint of cinnamon, black and blue fruits, leather, and herbaceous notes.

This wine has a medium body, and the finish is long. The perfect pair for this wine would be Grilled Lamb Lollipops. Lamb is an ideal compliment to the structure that this Merlot possesses.

Food Pairing:

Grilled Lamb Lollipops - find my recipe here

2018 Chardonnay

This Chardonnay is aged in oak and has the following fruit notes:

  • pear

  • pineapple

  • honeysuckle

  • lemon

  • guava

  • lychee

  • citrus - dried and candied

What makes this wine so special is how bold, silky, and full it is. It is so well balanced, and is truly exceptional. The Chardonnay has a lengthy finish, inviting you for more. In addition, to the fruit notes, there are hints of sage and jasmine. The acid in this wine is low to medium, and is so wonderful on the palate.

This wine would be perfect with a vegetarian or seafood dish, and I have recommended both. A Broccoli and Asparagus Quiche or Fried Prosecco Shrimp would be a great match.

Food Pairing(s):

Broccoli and Asparagus Quiche - find my recipe here

Fried Prosecco Shrimp - find my recipe here

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon

This Cabernet Sauvignon is medium bodied, and the tannins are soft. You’ll get notes of citrus, spice, blackberry, boysenberry, and roses.

It’ll be an amazing match for a Smoked Prime Rib. The coffee dry rub on this protein would pair so well with this lovely wine.

Food Pairing:

Smoked Prime Rib - find my recipe here

2017 Petite Sirah

The Petite Sirah has floral and ripe black fruit notes - plum and blackberry. Additionally, you’ll find notes of the following items:

  • tobacco

  • oak

  • spice

  • eucalyptus

  • brown sugar

  • cocoa

  • leather

This structure is so complex thus resulting into a full bodied wine. The acid is vibrant, which yields to a medium to high level. The tannins are high, and its finish lingers after each sip.

A wine this bold deserves a protein that can match - a 45-Day Dry Aged Steak would be the perfect pair.

Food Pairing:

Dry Aged Steak - find my recipe here

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XO, Analise