Food & Wine Pairing

Pumpkin pie is a staple of Thanksgiving dinner. Whereas most traditional desserts are derived from either chocolate or fruits, pumpkin pie is different in that it is a vegetable dessert (though botanically it is technically a fruit). As such, pairing a dessert wine with pumpkin pie is a unique challenge. IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts their thoughts on what dessert wine to pair with pumpkin pie: "Cream or Oloroso Sherry . My specific bottle recommendation is the Lustau East India Solera Sherry (approx price range $22).

Thanksgiving dinner is arguably the biggest feast Americans enjoy in a given year. More time and energy goes into planning and preparing this meal than any other. Choosing a wine to serve that not only pairs well with a dozen side dishes but also appeals to everyone from Aunt Margaret to Cousin Bobby can be a daunting task. In the spirit of Turkey Day, IntoWine.com posed the question to a panel of wine experts: What pairs well with Thanksgiving turkey? " The traditional Thanksgiving meal , to the English, who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, would be considered almost identical to their Christmas dinner. Turkey with all the trimmings. An English friend recently asked me what I thought of the difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The answer quite simply: a tree, gifts and crackers. Crackers are an indispensible accoutrement to the English Christmas dinner table. They look like small wrapped colorful tubes, inside of which are surprises [trinkets, indoor fireworks, paper hats and lame jokes]. These fall out, piñata style, when two people pull at each end, as it suddenly breaks open with a loud crack. Drinking is an all day affair. I’ll be starting my Thanksgiving with Montsarra Cava , which I drink regularly as a perfectly delicious alternative to expensive Champagne. I might opt, instead, for my own Broadbent Vinho Verde , which has lower alcohol and a very subtle spritz. With the turkey, I’ll probably drink a white wine, perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc, my favorite Spy Valley , the most delicious one I’ve found from New Zealand. However, Riesling is also fantastic with Turkey and selections like Guntrum Dry Riesling from the Rheinhessen or Dr. H by Dr. Hermann in the Mosel are not only delicious but also kind to the wallet! For the more adventurous, a Gewurztraminer, such as Aresti Gewurz from Chile offers a little more complexity to the meal. If you insist on a red wine with turkey, no question, my choice would be Chateau Musar , which goes with almost everything! However, they also make a wonderful crowd pleasing rose called Musar Jeune, which would be fun with turkey.

Summer is barbecue season and -while beer is likely to reign supreme for picnicers on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day- wine is increasingly more popular as a relaxing summertime beverage. With wine's increase in popularity comes the challenge of finding a wine to serve that not only beats the heat, but pairs well with typical barbecue fare. In the spirit of summer, IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts their thoughts on what wine to serve at your summer barbecue: The best barbecue wines are fruity , simple but well made, with juiciness and good acidity. Good rosés go well with a lot of lighter barbecued meats, as well as the salads and appetizers typically found at a barbecue. Some of my favorite rosés, year after year, come from François Chidaine, whose Touraine Rosé is a delicate and minerally stunner, and Charles Joguet, whose Chinon Rosé has very appetizing olive and lightly herbaceous flavors. For richer barbecued meat dishes, I find the right fruity, balanced, high acid combination in Pinot Noir, the wine that goes with virtually everything, and cool climate Syrahs. Pinots with the requisite acidity can easily be found, at value prices, from New Zealand (try Pinots from Wither Hills, Mud House, Mt. Difficulty and Nautilus Estate). Cool climate California Syrahs that won’t break the bank include Dierberg Santa Ynez Valley, Saxon-Brown Owl Box Parmelee-Hill (Sonoma), Shane Valenti Ranch (Anderson Valley) and Peay Vineyards Les Titans (Sonoma Coast). Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com.

Valentine's Day conjures up images of wine, roses, and chocolates. Yet every year young and old lovers alike are disappointed when they try to pair a Valentine's Day wine with chocolate. Either the chocolate overcomes the wine or the wine overcomes the chocolate. In the spirit of the holiday, IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts their thoughts on what romantic wine pairs well with Valentine's Day chocolate: The perfect bottle for such a sweet occasion is Louis Guntrum's Scheurebe . Not only is it a very good white wine but it comes in the quintessentially perfect Valentine presentation of a bright red bottle! The Scheurebe grape is similar in character to Riesling but perhaps more food friendly. It is the right price at $16.99 to gift along with a lovely box of chocolates [my favorite valentine's chocolate purveyor being www.cocoabella.com ]. Buy Louis Guntrum Wines So, not only does this wine go well with a lovely dinner but it has enough richness but a dry enough finish to pair well with chocolate! This bottle should be on every table of every restaurant on Valentine's day. It brightens up the room and puts a warm smile on every face that sees it. - Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO, Broadbent Selections, San Francisco.

Easter dinner is an annual feast rivaled -in many households- only by Thanksgiving and Christmas. With ham being the traditional Easter dinner main course, IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts their thoughts on what wine to pair with an Easter ham. Before I offer my suggestion on a wine pairing for ham, I must confess, my Easter is usually dominated with the pigglish consumption of chocolate. Morning to night, chocolate beckons and, of course, Port washes it down nicely. I suggest a nice tawny with dark or bitter chocolate, such as the Ferreira Quinta do Por to 10 year old . With milk chocolate, I prefer a richer, fruitier Port such as, recently reviewed on IntoWineTV , Ferreira Ruby. If your budget is more flexible, you could trade up to an unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage, such as Quinta do Crasto LBV . But I digress from the assigned topic: wine paired with ham.

New Year's Eve conjures images of champagne corks popping and bubbly flowing as party goers sing Auld Lang Syne while the clock strikes midnight to ring new hope for all. Rather than buying the typical boring grocery store Champagne for New Year's Eve, IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts their thoughts on what a good sparkling wine alternative would be to toast the clock striking midnight: "At the turn of midnight , New Year's Eve, you don't want to be singing Ol'Langsynen with an expensive Champagne being carelessly flung around. However, you do want to think that you are drinking true Champagne. Well, there is one Cava that hits the jackpot. It is Montsarra at approx $16 a bottle, you cannot go wrong with this wine. It has a beautiful label and also a true Champagne taste. The three traditional grapes, Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada are enhanced by 5% Chardonnay, one of the three principal Champagne gr apes [the other two being Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier]. This 5% Chardonnay lends it to being more true to Champagne, whereas those that add grapes which are neither true to Cava or Champagne may be fun but more of a fruit cocktail. Montsarra has been consistently the highest ranked Cava by the Wine Enthusiast and it is certainly the only sparkling wine that I like to drink as much as true Champagne." - Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO, Broadbent Selections, San Francisco Watch " Sparkling Wine Recommendations " - Latest Wine Tasting Videos on IntoWineTV

Summertime for most of the United States means the return of vegetation. Both our rural and urban areas come alive with the blossoming of flowers, the production of fruits and vegetables and the long hours of sunshine. We spend countless evenings cherishing this season. As we relax, whether on our own patio or at a neighborhood restaurant, we look for refreshing wines to share the intimate harmony between both humanity and nature.

Use a progressive wine list to please the palates of party members. Each season, I intend to share my favorite party foods and several wine options to serve with a few of the courses, using what is called a progressive wine list.

A blending party is one of the most enjoyable of the various events offered by wine clubs. When combined with a lobster feed, it makes for a most memorable day of hands-on play at winemaking, then hands-on work at lobster -cracking. A tasteful pairing of higher education and higher hedonism. It was just such a day at Alderbrook Winery, located just west of Healdsburg, just off US Highway 101 in California’s Sonoma County.

Now that it’s actually getting warm here in Seattle, it’s time for those delicious Summertime meals – lots of fresh vegetables, salads, and seafood. Normally, I watch my food budget very carefully, but when the farmer’s markets are rocking the produce, I fill up my bag with abandon and gather friends around to enjoy the light fresh flavors of the fields, rivers and ocean. While some people drink red wine year around, I match my wines to the season and, of course, the food.