Biodynamic wines can be a confusing term.  For some clarification and hints for how to know if a wine is Biodynamic please see Biodynamic Wines for Earth Day.  If you’d rather get right into the food and wine pairings then let’s go.

We’ve all been cooking and sipping and recipe testing to bring you carefully created pairing suggestions for these handcrafted wines.  Please check out these posts and join us on Twitter from 8am -9am PT Saturday May 11 to discuss.  Just follow #winepw.

• David of Cooking Chat has prepared “Salmon, Farro and Mushrooms with Winderlea Pinot Noir”
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camila is celebrating with “Simple Pleasures, A Birthday Cheeseboard, & Keeler Estate Vineyards’ 2017 Terracotta Amphorae Riesling“
• Jill of L’Occasion writes about “Peace, Bread, Land and Wine’: A Meal With Brooks Winery“
• Jennifer of Vino Travels will share “Biodynamic Wines of the Willamette Valley with King Estate“
• Lori of Dracaena Wines will present “Continuing the Biodynamic Legacy #WinePW“
• Jane from Always Ravenous pairs “Wild Alaskan Salmon with Herbed Ricotta and Oregon Pinot Noir”
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings combines “Biodynamic Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Noir from Johan Vineyards Plus Surf ‘n’ Turf Dinner”
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass shares “Ode to Oregon: Johan’s Biodynamic Expression of Place (#WinePW)”
• Gwendolyn Alley from Wine Predator will present “Our land is our life and our life is our wine” — Cooper Mountain Pinot Paired with Duck #WinePW
• Deana from Asian Test Kitchen has whipped up “Oregon Orange Wine Sparkles with Indian Curry”
• Wendy Klik A Day in the Life on the Farm discovers “Dammit!! These are some great wines from Willamette.
• Lauren Walsh of The Swirling Dervish will tempt us with “Pork Loin, Mushrooms, and Fiddlehead Ferns Meet Biodynamic Pinot Noir from Bergström Wines (#WinePW)”
• Martin of Enofylz Wine Blog brings us “A Taste of Cooper Mountain Vineyards at the Table #WinePW“
• Jeff of Food Wine Click is pairing “Biodynamic Willamette Valley with Brick House and Harissa Chicken”
• Payal of Keep the Peas is presenting “Living off the Land: King Estate Pinot Noir + Mushroom Pâté”
• Rupal of Syrah Queen is sharing “Maysara Winery – Iranian Immigrants Achieving The American Dream”
• Jade of Tasting Pour will share “Thai Green Curry Rockfish and Montinore Estate Gewurztraminer #WinePW”
• Nicole of Somm’s Table shares “A Hunt for a Biodynamic Williamette Valley Wine: Johan Vineyards Farmland Pinot Noir and Salmon“

For my pairing I made Thai Curry Rockfish with Montinore Estate 2016 Gewurztraminer Reserve from Willamette Valley.  This was a triple threat of a special treat.

The Winery: Montinore Estate

Montinore Estate has effected the world of Biodynamic wines in a big way – literally. In fact, Demeter USA, the certifying agency for Biodynamic farming, recently reported that Montinore Estate is the country’s largest producer of certified estate wines made from Biodynamic grapes. This is because of the leadership of Rudy Marchesi, president and chief viticulturist at Montinore Estate. Many people think Biodynamic farming methods are only feasible on small farms.  Marchesi turned that theory on its ear when he successfully converted the 240 estate at Montinore to Biodynamic.

Montinore Estate
photo Andrea Johnson

Marchesi does not just serve as an example of what can be accomplished, he creates opportunities to share knowledge and provide education.  Marchesi has hosted many Biodynamic educational events over the years including a pre-conference workshop at last year’s Biodynamic Association conference. Most recently, Rudy was one of nine growers- and the only American- asked to join the International Biodynamic Viticulture Group, that will be promoting Biodynamic viticulture and winemaking education around the globe, including creating an international web-based forum for Biodynamic winegrowers.  Marchesi is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Demeter USA.

I had the privilege of interviewing Marchesi last year when he was named Oregon Wine Press Person of the Year.  For more details about his contributions please see my interview with Rudy Marchesi here.

Rudy Marchesi
photo Andrea Johnson

The Wine: Montinore Estate 2016 Gewurtzraminer Reserve, Willamette Valley

We kind of loved this Gewurztraminer (sponsored sample).  To me this grape can be hard to get right.  They are usually way fun to smell but sometimes the flavors can be overwhelming and they can feel heavy on the palate.  But this one was FABULOUS!  Lots of spice – white pepper, coriander, fresh ginger – with the fresh aromas of wildflowers and roses, sweet peach and nectarine, and finally blood orange oil.  It screamed for Thai food and then it screamed to accompany our neighborhood walk to see the spring flowers.

The Dish: Thai Curry Rockfish

There aren’t very many food products I use from a jar.  But I make a few exceptions and these can really save me on a busy weeknight.  Here is one of my favorite timesavers: Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce from Trader Joe’s.  I understand all of the words in the ingredients label. Actual edible ingredients like coconut milk, lemon grass, Kaffir lime peel, coriander etc.

All you need for a quick meal that won’t heat up the kitchen is some fresh veg, local fish, and rice or zoodles.

I would like to extend a special thank you to the writers, Willamette Valley Wine Association,  Emily Kaplan Petterson of EKP Media, and the following sponsoring wineries:

Cooper Mountain. Keeler Estate, Brooks Winery, Brick House, King Estate, Johan Vineyards, Maysara Winery, Montinore Estate, Winderlea Vineyard and Winery

The post Thai Green Curry Rockfish and Montinore Estate Gewurztraminer #winepw appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

Check out Jade’s appearance on the KGW – TV news to taste these Holiday Wines with Cassidy and scroll down for more information.

Holiday Wines

All of these wines are available in Portland in stores like New Seasons and Fred Meyer.  If you can’t find these labels, still go for these styles.

Argyle 2015 Vintage Brut from Willamette Valley – $Mid 20’s

Holidays without bubbles make me sad. This is a great welcome wine and can transition into a dinner pairing.  OR if you are having a Holiday Brunch this would be great quiche, lox and bagels, etc.  Finally if are going to a Holiday Party and don’t know what to bring – sparkling wines are always a good addition.  This wine from Argyle is a traditional method sparkling made with traditional Champagne grapes – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. And y’all it is stunning.

Stoller Family Estates 2016 Reserve Chardonnay from Dundee Hills – $Low 30’s

For white wine lovers Chardonnay can be a “go to” grape. It is hard to get a good balance of fruit, acid, and a bit of the oak so many love AND get that all at a good price.  This Chardonnay from Stoller delivers and will pair with many holiday dishes – chicken and dressing, ham, soup and veggie starters.

Bjornson Vineyard 2014 Estate Pinot Noir from Eola-Amity Hills – $Mid 20’s

Pinot Noir is such a versatile red wine.  Lots of red fruit and not too much tannin, makes it easy to pair with a variety of dishes. This lovely one from Bjornson could easily go with everything from salmon, to turkey, to lamb. If you are buying one wine for your Holiday meal, get this one.

Dunham Cellars 2016 Three Legged Red from Washington – $Under 20

For those guests and dishes that call for more intense dark fruits a red blend can really fit the bill.  This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah is big, fruity and cheerful.  It would be a crowd pleaser.

The post Holiday Wines For Every Palate and Pairing appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

Apple Upside Down Cake

As part of a #winepw group post, we recently paired it with a 2016 BOLLIG-LEHNERT RIESLING SPATLESE FROM PIESPORTER GOLDTROPHFCHEN  and 2016 GEORG ALBRECHT SCNEIDER NIERSTEINER HIPPING RIESLING SPATLESE with great success (sponsored).  See Coq Au Riesling for more about this wine, other German Riesling pairings, and of course the recipe for Coq Au Riesling.

The post Apple Upside Down Cake appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

Coq Au Riesling

I was excited to see quite a number of different German regions and grapes in our line up.  I’ll just share our faves.

German Wine Tasting Notes

Fitz Riesling Sekt Extra Trocken from Pfalz

It is always fun to get a sparkling Riesling. This would have been made in the Tank Method similar to Prosecco to allow the lovely fruitiness to stand out.  Slightly off dry with tons of bubbles. Meyer Lemon on a shy nose followed by light peach, a hint of petrol, floral, and pineapple on the finish.

2016 Dr. Nagler Riesling Kabinett from Rheingau

Such a wonderful treat to have a Riesling from this region of Germany.  Tangelo zest, peach, floral and a hint of petrol on the nose.  Fantastic acid with slatey minerality, lovely peach, wafting floral notes, and tart white grapefruit undertones.

A couple of Spatlese really stood out paired with dinner and dessert

2016 GEORG ALBRECHT SCNEIDER NIERSTEINER HIPPING RIESLING SPATLESE 

The sweeter of the two Spatlese and destined for aging if you can wait that long. Toasteed pineapple, candied tangerine peel, cutie oranges, peach, petrol and slate on the nose. Sweet and balanced palate with a crazy fruity rush of all the things you enjoyed on the nose.

2016 Bollig-Lehnert Riesling Spatlese from Piesporter Goldtrophfchen

Wow. Simply wow.  This single vineyard Riesling from the village of Piesport was an absolute delight.  For such a beautifully delicate wine the nose was so complex with mandarin orange, lime, slate, and spicy Asian Pear.  All of these lovely aromas repeat on the palate with  zippy, racy acidity.  This spatlese was perfect with our Apple Upside Down Cake. Click for recipe.

I cannot wait to see what our #winepw friends thought of these wines and more importantly what wonderful pairings they shared.  Don’t miss a single one.

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will be tempting us with “Feasting for Sankt Nikolaus Tag: German Sips, Schweineschnitzel, Spätzle, and Sauerkraut”
• Kat from Bacchus Travel & Tours will share “A German Holiday Celebration #winePW“
• Sarah from Curious Cuisinière is pairing “Chicken Schnitzel and German Riesling“
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen will discuss “German Riesling: The Default Asian Food Pairing #winePW“
• Jade of TastingPour will tempt us with “Coq Au Riesling #winePW“
• Jeff from FoodWineClick discusses “50 Shades of Kabinett Riesling“
• Michelle of Rockin Red Blog will share “German Wines: Expect The Unexpected #WinePW“
• Jill from L’Occasion will “Outfit Your Holiday Table With German Wines“
• Jane from Always Ravenous will share “Food Pairings with German Riesling #winepw“
• David of Cooking Chat has prepared “Chicken Sausage Veggie Bowl with German Riesling“
• Gwendolyn from wine predator will enjoy “German Riesling and Fun Fondue With Friends for #WinePW“
• Cindy of Grape Experiences has you covered with “Your Party Planning Checklist: Must-Have German Rieslings“
• Rupal from Journeys of A Syrah Queen will share “Rieslings For The Holidays“
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will be “Celebrating St. Nicholas Day”
• Jennifer of Vino Travels – An Italian Wine Blog will share “Everyday Pairings with German Riesling”
• Nancy at Pull That Cork will share “Two Styles of German Wine and a Meal for Both #winePW“

The post Coq Au Riesling #winePW appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

1. I learned to make cauliflower rice and it was super easy, super tasty, and super delicious.
2. I then added butternut squash, fava beans, and shrimp to make a fabulous cauliflower rice risotto full of veggies and protein.
3. I get to tell you about Brandborg Gewurztraminer and a small Oregon AVA – Elkton.

Wendy Klik of A Day in the Life on the Farm is hosting this month’s #winepw and has asked us all to highlight lesser known American wine regions and make creative recipe pairings. So there are some cool links at the end of this article.

Cauliflower Rice

I may never make regular rice again.  Cauliflower rice is faster AND low carb – which means I can drink more wine!

All you have to do to make cauliflower rice is grate cauliflower with a cheese grater and cook it with a little bit of liquid in a skillet until it is tender – 5-7 minutes. You can use a special food processor blade but I don’t like to hand wash or hand dry and it took 2 minutes to hand grate.  Like think of how long it takes to grate a carrot and divide by 2. I do think using garden fresh cauliflower is tastier.

Cauliflower Rice Risotto

I wound up making my cauliflower rice into a risotto style because I also attempted to make butternut squash rice. I did not have much luck because it was soft and wet so the consistency was more like a fine mash. But it made the dish super creamy and decadent.  I topped with shrimp and fava beans making it almost like a cross between a risotto and paella.  Regardless of what you want to call it, it turned out delicious and packed with veggies and protein.

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This Cauliflower Rice Risotto is naturally gluten free.  Omit the shrimp and it is also vegetarian/vegan.

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Brandborg Vineyard and Winery Gewurztraminer

The Brandborg Vineyard and Winery Gewurztraminer was a smidge sweet with lots of tropical and spice notes.  Melon, yellow mango, white lilaces, and sweet herb.  It matched the richness and flavors of the dish perfectly.

See also our Mushroom and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pastry with Brandborg Love Puppets Pinot Noir.

How does Oregon count as a lesser known wine region? Well I bet many of you have never had a Gewurtraminer from Oregon and may have never heard of the Elkton AVA.

Elkton AVA

Elkton is a small AVA that is part of Southern Oregon, about an hour south of Eugene.  Southern Oregon is usually thought of as warmer and drier than Willamette Valley, but Elkton is an exception.

• Elkton averages 50+” rain per year (Willamette Valley averages 40-45ish”)
• Elkton is only 142 ‘ above seal level and 33 miles to the coast. Therefore it gets a lot of wet cool  foggy coastal weather.
• Elkton is know for cool climate grapes like Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.
• Some vintages Elkton’s Pinot Noir ripens 2 weeks later than Willamette Valley’s
• Elkton is tiny – population ~200

Now let’s see which wine regions our #winepw friends explored and find some great recipes and wines to try.

• Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla has “A Few Firsts with the Infinite Monkey Theorem: From Colorado + From a Can”.
• Lori of Dracaena Wine talks about how “Bi-coastal Life Gets Confusing.. Thank Goodness for Wine“.
• David over at Cooking Chat shares “Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with Wine Pairings“
• Nicole at Somm’s Table is “Cooking to the Wine: Scallops and Mint Pea Risotto with Macari Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc”
• Lauren, The Swirling Dervish answers the question “What Pairs with New Jersey Wine? Everything!”
• Jill of L’Occasion is talking about “Midwestern Gardens and Missouri Wine: America’s First AVA“.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator invites us to “Under the Radar Regions: Ventura County says Ghost Wineries Be Gone!“
• Jane from Always Ravenous says “Georgia Frogtown Wines with Pimiento Cheese Peach Toast“
• Cindy of Grape Experiences suggests we “Go Greek! Cinnamon Lamb Stew and Limniona/Xinomavro from Karditsa“.

The post Cauliflower Rice Risotto and Brandborg Gewurztraminer #winepw appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

I don’t like mayonnaise.  Yes, they may take my Southern card away.  I can only tolerate small homemade quantities.  So am often looking for ways to reinvent mayo centric recipes. Like this No Mayo Cold Slaw.

I DO love chicken salad.  Mark said he would support some no mayo chicken salad recipe experimentation.  He doesn’t like mayonnaise either.  The first attempt was a smashing success and absolute perfection with Maryhill Viognier.  Now let’s see if I can recall what I did.  Maybe we should not have finished the bottle.

Curried Mango Chicken Salad – No Mayo

2016 Maryhill Viognier

Sip it on the porch, veranda,  deck – choose your outdoor seating and pour a glass.  Vanilla custard, marshmallow, peach, apricot, and light honey on the nose.  Viscous on the palate but with balanced acidity. A little off dry with sugared apple slices, a touch of grounding minerality, and a perfumey floral bite on the finish. $16

Anyone else hate mayo?  What are some of your favorite no mayo recipes?

The post Curried Mango Chicken Salad – No Mayo appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

While I am a huge fan of winter squash I hate how long they take to cook.  Especially if they have to be peeled.  I have also never had any luck making anything that resembled noodles in form or texture from spaghetti squash.  Then I figured out how to cook spaghetti squash in the microwave.  No peeling, not 450 degree oven, no two hours of prep time.  I can make this moroccan spiced spaghetti squash on a Tuesday when I had no plan for dinner.

And it is so forgiving. Once I discovered it was undercooked – discovered by cutting open.  It was not too late!  I covered the cut halves with a wet paper towel and nuked it some more.  You can flavor yours however you want, but I tossed mine with browned butter flavored with warm spices and chickpeas for protein.  Here’s the recipe for Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash. Scroll to the bottom for a wine pairing.  If just one person comments and asks I’ll share a secret ingredient winter squash recipe.

If you can get your hands on Ledger David Cellars Rogue Valley Chenin Blanc, I highly recommend.  It would be perfect with any winter squash dishes.

Yes, we did photograph the empty bottle. There was no time for cameras while we still had wine to drink.

Ledger David Cellars Primoris 2014 Chenin Blanc, Rogue Valley, Southern OR

Smells like lemon pound cake, drizzled with a white peach glaze, topped with tangy lemon zest and edible white flowers.  Slinky silk textured with lots of apricot preserves and canned pear.  Dry on the palate with fantastic bright acid, mineral undertone, and a mix of sweet fruit and tart lemon zest that luxuriates across a long finish.

The post Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

I love to serve fish at dinner parties. It seems elegant and special.  Since my dinner parties usually involve 5 courses, fish is great because it is lighter than most entrees. Although several people did have to lie down on my living room floor between the 4th and 5th courses.  I now see that as a marker for a great party.  We did have 8 white wines and 7 dessert wines so that might have had something to do with it.

Anyway, I hate fussing over food when I would rather spend time with my guests. So I figured out a stuffed fish recipe that is mostly make ahead.  The filling can be made well in advance and frozen.  The assembly can be done earlier the day of the party.  And it cooks, unsupervised, in 30 minutes so I can enjoy the preliminary courses and the company of my friends.

This stuffed fish recipe starts with my spanikopita filling.  Which will easily keep a month in the freezer.  I form the filling into 12 balls 1/3 cup each and freeze.  Defrost in fridge night before you plan to use.

This meal was part of a wine pairing dinner.  The theme was international whites.  Click on each link to read about our tasting of Vivanco White Rioja DOCa, Cusumano Shamaris Grillo Sicilia DOC,   and Planeta La Segreta Il Bianco Sicilia DOC.

Now don’t miss out on these other Stuffed Fish or Seafood recipes. A special thanks to Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting.

The post Stuffed Fish: Spanikopita Filled Dover Sole appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

Blend of 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Fiano, and 10% Viognier

A floral tropical nose that smells like vacation. Baked pineapple, stone fruit, lime blossom, perfume, on the nose. A creamy, buttery, viscous palate with a squeeze of mandarin orange, touch of vanilla, and slight nuttiness.

We tasted this tropical white blend  from Sicily as part of an International Whites dinner party and tasting exercise.  We also reviewed it for International Wine Report and scored it 89 points. For one of our pairing recipes see Stuffed Fish: Spanikopita Filled Dover Sole.  For notes on some of the other whites we reviewed that night see Vivanco 2016 White Rioja  and Cusumano Shamaris Grillo 2015 Sicily 

There were a couple of grapes that were unfamiliar so here is the rundown.

Grecanico – Do what now?  We spelled it wrong like 3 times. But it is the same thing as Garganega, the white grape of Soave, with which we are more familiar.  We typically find wines from this grape to be clean, crisp, and lemon citrusy and if we are lucky we taste some pear or very light stone fruit flavors.  We imagine the warmer region of Sicily, vs Veneto where the Soave appellation lives, gives the grape riper fruitier notes.

Chardonnay  – This one we know.  Wide range of flavors depending on climate and winemaking.

Fiano – Yes we just typed Fiona and thought how great there is a grape named that.  Um, no.  FiAno  According to Jancis Robinson, in its youth Fiano is often intensely flavored and aromatic with honey notes that over time develop more spicy and nutty notes. According to Oz Clarke well made examples of Fiano from favorable vintages should have a fair amount of weight on the palate with a floral aroma and notes of honey and spice with the potential to continue improving with bottle age.

Viognier – This one we know too.  Stands alone in Northern Rhone or is cofermented in small amounts with Syrah.  Blended with Marsanne and Rousanne in Southern Rhone.  Also shows up in New World wine regions.  Very very aromatic and fat with lots of perfumed flowers, ripe tropical and stone fruits, body body body, and sometimes a little less acid than is desired.

The post Planeta La Segreta Bianco 2016 Sicily appeared first on Tasting Pour by Jade Helm.

The bright, crisp, minerality of a Champagne and the acidity, slight tropical notes, and fresh green aromas of a Sauvignon Blanc.  A nose of starfruit, lightly ripe pineapple, lime, grass, a hint of yeasty bread, and a waft of salty ocean air.  The palate is very fresh with  zippy acidity throughout, a pleasurably slick texture, more green apple, mineral notes across a long finish

We tasted this grillo from Sicily as part of an International Whites dinner party and tasting exercise.  We also reviewed it for International Wine Report and scored it 90 points. For one of our pairing recipes see Stuffed Fish: Spanikopita Filled Dover Sole.  For notes on some of the other whites we reviewed that night see and Planeta la Segreta Bianco 2016 Sicily    Vivanco 2016 White Rioja To learn more about this grape see an excerpt from Wines of Sicily below. Well after the pretty picture of our food.

GRILLO—Pronunciation: gree-lo

Description: Grillo is a traditional Sicilian grape whose modern potential has been recognized by the island’s young generation of winemakers, who are bottling it in styles ranging from bright and savory to structured and mature. Grillo is one of the best-known Sicilian grapes.

Alone or blended with Chardonnay or the local Catarratto grape, elegant, aromatic Grillo wines make lovely aperitifs and also refresh the palate with a variety of cuisines. The dishes and ingredients of the healthful and delicious Mediterranean diet—influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spanish and French—are especially suited for the lighter meals of the summer season, and Grillo is specially suited to grilled foods, enjoyed al fresco.

When Grillo grapes are gently pressed and the juice is fermented at cold temperatures, the finished wines smell like fresh-cut grass and grapefruit, and they have a streak of acidity that makes them the perfect aperitivo. When served well-chilled on a warm summer day, alone or with grilled shrimp, salmon sashimi or a fresh cucumber-fennel salad, Grillo is the ideal starter.

Winemakers who vinify Grillo using lees contact create deeper, fuller-bodied expressions of the grape, with aromas and flavors that resemble ripe citrus and spice. This style of Grillo holds up to seafood pastas, roasted fowl and even baked casseroles.

The hallmark dish most often paired with Grillo is grilled swordfish. When complemented with a glass of Grillo, swordfish—grilled to medium and served with a simple, briny, herbal relish of capers, olives, almonds, herbs, peppers and olive oil—effortlessly transports your dining experience to the island of Sicily.

You’ll see Grillo popping up on wine lists, retail shelves and picnic tables everywhere this summer as Americans discover this versatile white. Chill a bottle or two and pair with this easy-to-prepare recipe to catch the Grillo wave.

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