Recipe Thursday: Rosé and Cheese

When cheese meets wine, beautiful things happen. It’s even more magical when cheese and rosé get together – because that means that somewhere an alfresco dinner party or rooftop gathering is underway, cocooned in the warmth of the sun. Rosé and cheese belong together, but there are a few pointers for the best pairings. The Spruce Eats has a handy guide to help you narrow down which cheeses to get for your next rosé-filled summer gathering.

Photo: Jennifer Meier, The Spruce Eats

As for the rosé to serve with cheeses, go with a food friendly variety, such as Chateau Lamothe Miette rosé, a smooth find with just the right amount of acidity and fruit to cleanse the palate. The fruity, yet savory notes on this wine ease the creaminess of the cheese into balance, while also bringing out the rustic, earthy notes of a well-curated cheese platter.

Wine of the Week: Chateau Lamothe Miette Rosé

This week's featured wine is one of our most food friendly rosé. With an exquisite body, and fragrant nose, this rosé from Chateau Lamothe is sure to delight a variety of wine drinkers. The Chateau Lamothe rosé is comprised of Cabernet Franc and  a drop of Merlot; with 50% skin content. The resulting wine is round, smooth, with a fruity yet savory flavor and a bright salmon pink hue. This delightful rosé has notes of strawberry and cherry, with a round, fresh and dry palate. Drink with any charcuterie platters, pungent cheeses, fresh flavorful pizzas, or poultry dishes. The Miette rosé could easily become a summer staple!

Located in the commune of Haux southwest of Bordeaux’s city center, Château Lamothe has actively produced estate-bottled wine since the 16th century. Its renovation in the 19th century yielded the distinctive façade now pictured on the label of each of the Lamothe cuvees. It is currently run by The Néel- Chombart family, who have owned the property since 1956. The Château currently spans 80 hectares of clay and limestone slopes in prime Bordeauxgrowing conditions. Over the past fifty years the family purchased morehectarage under vine and converted what were underground galleries below the chateau into cellars ideal for aging wine. Winemaking technology was also modernized and vastly improved. Today Château Lamothe’s distinctive label is recognized world-wide, and enjoys quite a following.

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Recipe Thursday: From Takeout to A Special Dinner

Looking to elevate tonight’s Chinese takeout? If you’re feeling ambitious, you could try making it yourself. Blogger Sabrina from Dinner Then Dessert has a fantastic and easy Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe that tastes “just like your favorite takeout place, without the food coloring.” Enough said.

Photo: Dinner Then Dessert

Not up for cooking? Well, nothing can take food in a takeout box to the next level than plating your meal and enjoying it alongside a good quality glass of wine. One may think that Sweet and Sour Chicken is a tough one to pair with wine due to its complex flavors; however, a classic pairing for this dish is Chenin Blanc. For example, Benoît Mérias' "Les Maisonnettes" Chenin Blanc has a lively acidity and inherently fruity flavor, an excellent pairing with foods that have a sweet and sour element.

Wine of the Week: Merias Montlouis-Sur-Loire "Les Maisonnettes"

Just south of Vouvray, across the Loire river is Montlouis-sur-Loire. This picturesque town is known largely for it's rolling hills; where caves are used as both cellars and homes carved into the mountainside. It is here, that Chenin Blanc is king. Unlike Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire tends to reflect more earthy and mineral notes of Chenin Blanc. Wines from this region are also know for their extreme ageability! This is largely due to Chenin Blanc's naturally high acidity. Benoît Mérias' "Les Maisonnettes" is made from 40-60 year old vines. The grapes are soft pressed, then the must ferments with indigneous yeasts in concrete barrel. The wine is aged for 11 months on its lees in neutral oak barrels. The resutling wine incredulby terroir driven. It is fruity, dry, and retains its fresh minterality and acidity. This Chenin Blanc would go perfectly with grilled fish, roasted chicken, or herbed goat cheese. 

After a career as a teacher in a small village in the Aveyron, Benoît Mérias decided to start over, reinventing himself as a winemaker. He started to work at the Cave Coopérative de Marsillac, then trained in Amboise. After his graduation from that program, Benoît earned his stripes at Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in Montlouis before taking over 6 ha of Chenin in Saint Martin le Beau in 2011. The different soils and terroirs give Benoît the change to create different cuvées; from sand to siliceous, siliceous to int on clay bedrock soils, Benoît’s wines are always bright and mineral. 

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Celebrate spring with this roast chicken, ramps, and potatoes recipe. And don’t forget the Beaujolais-Villages “La Savoye” from Raphael Chopin. http://bit.ly/2rS4Y5X #raphaelchopin #beaujolais #epicurious #ramps #springeats #farmersmarket #eatlocal #eatseasonal #blog

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Recipe Thursday: A Toast to Millennials with Avocado Toast and Rosé

Millennials get a bad rap about avocado toast. But really, who can resist a perfectly assembled piece of crispy bread topped with impeccably seasoned creamy avocado? That’s just the blank canvas. Think of all the creative combinations of ingredients you can add on top: Eggs, bacon, garbanzo beans, fresh herbs, pico de gallo, cheese – the possibilities are endless. This week we’re toasting millennials’ – or any person’s – love of avocado toast. We’ll start with a protein-packed version from Serious Eats, Avocado Toast With Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Capers. Avocado and smoked salmon are delicately accompanied by tomatoes, capers, and thin slices of red onion. Goat cheese provides an extra tang, while a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh ground pepper bring everything into balance.

Photo: Vicky Wasik, Serious Eats

An optimal wine pairing for this treasure, and a millennial favorite, is rosé. Try something a little different, such as the Austrian Diwald rosé, made from 100% Zweigelt. With a refreshing burst of acidity and notes of red fruits, the brightness inherent in this wine is the perfect counter to the richness of the goat cheese and smoked salmon.