Entertaining is fun when it takes no time to put together a few appetizers and pop the corks from a few wines! The trick is to find wines that complement each bite and appetizers that bring out the best in each wine. To that end, I’ve found four appetizers that take just a few minutes to prepare and lovely wines for pairing. Add these choices to your play-list so that when guests drop by or when you’re relaxing on a Saturday afternoon, the moments are even better. These ideas are already on repeat at my house!
Creating an appetizer of brie melted on a toasted crostini then topping it with blackberries or raspberries might take 3 minutes! What’s not to love about the crunch of the bread, rich and savory brie and slightly sweet flavors in the fruit? For pairing, I love a glass of bubbly and you and your guests will, too. How about popping the cork from Giuseppe Galliano Brut Nature Millesime 2018 by Borgo Maragliano ($55)? With plenty of body from 80% Pinot Nero and sophisticated elegance thanks to 20% Chardonnay, brilliant notes of brioche and lemon were luscious counterpoints to the appetizer. For more about notable Borgo Maragliano of the Langhe in Italy, click here.
Stroll on over to your freezer and pull out ready-made spinach and parmesan cheese puff pastry bites to heat and serve. There’s nothing easier than that! While you’re waiting for the puffs to puff, open a bottle of Alma de Cattleya 2022 Chardonnay ($28). The brand is from Bibiana Gonzalez Rave who produces high quality wines from northern California. 100% Chardonnay is from Sonoma County AVA and was aged for 11 months in French oak barrels. A lovely pairing with the flavorful pastry bites, I found intense aromas of spiced pear, vanilla, red apple skin followed by flavors of crisp apples, pears, white peaches and hint of chalk. Bright acidity lifted the profile of this complex, structured wine. Read more about Bibiana and Alma de Cattleya wines here.
Nothing says “welcome” better than warm roasted red pepper soup in individual shooters and grilled cheese bites. Add a glass of Melville Estate Pinot Noir 2021 ($44) and your guests will settle in quickly. The wine is made from 17 Pinot Noir clones from Melville’s Lompoc, California property and 40% of the grapes were fermented whole cluster. The result was a wine with notes of red fruit, pomegranate, dried herbs and breezy salinity. Fresh, bright and savory, this Pinot Noir was a lush counterpoint to the intense flavors of the soup and cheesy texture of the bites. For more about Melville Estate, click here.
For those who love something sweet, indulge their palate with a rich chocolate brownie topped with a marshmallow and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Decadent and delicious, the small bite was perfectly matched with Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port ($25). The name is an homage to the six grapes symbol that dates back to the 19th century as a mark of top quality fruit cultivated in the Douro Valley in Portugal. Full bodied with rich black fruit flavors and intense cherry and ripe plums aromas, this Port is a staple in my house… along with chocolate brownie bites! For more about Graham’s Port, click here.
Cheers to keeping life simple and delicious! ~ Cindy
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