“The combination of olive oil, garlic and lemon juice lifts the spirits …” - Yotam Ottolenghi

Wings are a staple in my house, and one of the things my husband and I really enjoy making together. This recipe has been a hit lately, and it was created on whim one afternoon.

I was inspired to pair this dish with a Sauvignon Blanc that blew me away at Linden Vineyards - a Virginia winery. The acidity and fresh notes on the wine paired perfectly next to the smoked chicken with lemon and garlic notes.

Please, continue to read more on how this perfect pair came to be.

Lemon Garlic Parmesan Wings

Garlic and lemon paired together are a powerful combination, but sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, and it is truly next level. These smoked chicken wings are literally a dream, and the flavor complexity alone is a total knockout.

The wings were marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning overnight. Then, the next day they were smoked for about 45 minutes on the grill. Once, they were removed from the grill, lemon pepper and garlic herb seasoning were sprinkled on top of the wings, as well as freshly grated parmesan cheese - pure perfection.

I absolutely love the flavor profile on these wings, the herbs and lemon, paired with a mild cheese is delicious. These wings are definitely a twist on the classic lemon pepper wings that are so extremely popular.

Linden 2018 Sauvignon Blanc

The Sauvignon Blanc from Linden Vineyards is comprised of the following grapes:

88% Sauvignon Blanc
12% Semillon

This wine is so lovely, and as the winemaker noted during our visit to Linden, it has elements of oyster shell and lemon rind. Upon tasting it you’ll find crisp, mineral, salinity, and citrus notes. It’s light refreshing and clean. On the nose you’ll get a subtle bouquet note as well. This wine is incredibly balanced and the acidity in the wine works beautifully with each sip.

The Sauvignon Blanc is light and fresh. It would pair perfectly with fresh herbs, fish, grilled chicken, salad with goat cheese, oysters, and of course shrimp. I absolutely love how versatile this wine is. You can most certainly drink this by itself or pair it with a dish.

XO, Analise

“My favorite fall meal has to be a simple roasted chicken. There is just something about roasting your own chicken and vegetables that screams 'fall' and 'home' to me.” - Chrissy Teigen

The absolute best way to enjoy a whole chicken is to spatchcock it. What is spatchcock you ask, let me break it down for you (no pun intended).

The spatchcock (or butterflying) technique, drastically cuts the time it takes to smoke, roast, or grill a whole chicken. During this process you’ll remove a chicken's backbone so that it lays flat. This process is really fantastic. You’re able to evenly distribute seasonings all over the protein, and enjoy your bird at a much quicker rate than keeping it whole.

Spatchcock Smoked Chicken

This spatchcock smoked chicken goes through a lengthy preparation process. A two-day wet brine, followed by a two-day dry brine, ensures that the flavor of this chicken goes all the way down to the bone. Our dry brine is a sweet, spicy, and herb seasoning blend that gives this chicken such a unique flavor. In total this chicken has a four-day seasoning process before hitting the smoker.

When smoking this chicken, the goal is to have a nice hearty flavor. A mixture of mesquite and hickory wood is used during the cook time. This gives the protein a nice smoke flavor while promoting all of the wonderful sweet, spicy, and herb notes that the chicken was marinated in.

2016 Claret

My recent trip to Linden Vineyards was a dream, and one of my absolute favorite wine trips during this pandemic. Their wines are simply lovely, but one of the standouts was their 2016 Claret.

This is a medium bodied red wine, and you’ll smell an abundance of raspberries, earth, and herbs on the nose. One of the descriptors Linden's winemaker used for this wine is 'sun kissed' - you most certainly can taste the ripe red fruit on this wine, giving it a well rounded body with subtle tannins.

This Claret is comprised of the following grapes:

50% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
14% Cabernet Franc
11% Petit Verdot

The tannins on this wine are very soft, but present. Also, the acidity is almost refreshing, a compliment really to a smoked or roasted chicken. This pairing was really lovely, and the blend of four grapes were so balanced and a joy to drink.

I’d pair this wine with roasted or smoked chicken, braised lamb shanks, or grilled portobello mushrooms.

XO, Analise

Lemon Garlic Parmesan Wings + Sauvignon Blanc Pairing

Spatchcock Smoked Chicken + Claret Pairing

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