Homemade Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas: Recipes & Wines That Pair Well With Them!
With a name like ‘Pinot’s Palette’, it’s obvious that we love wine! We love a delicious wine and what’s better than that is a food pairing that highlights the wine’s flavors, perfectly. The two can be a match made in Heaven if done correctly and that’s where we come in. We’ve selected a few popular wines to discuss, as well as a recipe that pairs will with each one, for the ultimate menu for February 14.
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CHARDONNAY
*Pairs with food better than almost any other white wine. Why? It’s not a wine of extremes. It’s not heavy in acid or tannins but it has more structure than most other white wines, so may people think of it as a chameleon. Lean and bright here, big and buttery there. It can be a zillion different things, and it’s susceptible to suggestion. When winemakers go for rich ripeness and lots of long, languorous bathing in oak, the agreeable grapes go along for a big buttery ride. But Chardonnay grapes can go the other way, too. In parts of Burgundy, France, say, the unoaked style is more crisp and lean; and the grapes are often grown on limestone, so you taste stony, flinty flavors, along with some apple and melon and such.What this means when you’re pairing food with Chardonnay is, one size doesn't fit all. But Chardonnay's versatility let's you have the best of both worlds.
*The Recipe:
Baked Dijon Salmon
http://allre...=recipe%20hub
PINOT GRIGIO
*Pinot Grigio is one of the lighter white wines available. It’s slightly citrusy, with hints of apple and flowers. It’s also low in alcohol, crisp, and clean. It’s light, refreshing, and pairs beautifully with a wide variety of delicious seasonal food.
*The Recipe:
Pan Fried Halibut Steak with Light Green Sauce
http://allre...-green-sauce/
(Sweet) RIESLING
*"Wrongly maligned as overly sweet, good Riesling has a brightness and balance that make it delicious with an astonishing range of foods. Here, a look at six of the most important styles of Riesling, from steely to luscious, with recipes to match.”
*The Recipe:
Honey-Soy-Roasted Pork with Braised Vegetables
http://www.f...ed-vegetables
PINOT NOIR
*Merging the flavors of a red wine palate profile in a white wine style, the lighter-bodied, rich fruit character components of many Pinots give it a step up in the glasses of both red wine and white wine drinkers. Pinot Noir is well-suited to pair with a wide variety of ethnic dishes, classic cuisines, and traditional foodie favorites. This versatility is due in large part to its consistent acidity, subtle and silky tannins, and lighter-bodied style.
*The Recipe:
Gourmet Mushroom Risotto
http://allre...recipes_mades
CABERNET SAUVINGNON
*Cabernet Sauvignon is a red grape varietal known for its thick, durable skin, and the vine’s resistance to the elements. After the birth of the grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal began to be adopted in parts of France by winemakers searching for more durable plants that were relatively easy to grow, and the grape found its champion in the region of Bordeaux.
*The Recipe:
Smothered Filet Mignon
http://allre...recipes_mades
MERLOT
*The friendly, inviting pal of the sometimes standoffish Cabernet. Merlot's the wine that wants you to approach it. It's ready to share its soft, supple, fruity qualities...right now. It’s gentle tannins help develop a wine that's easy to drink, with soft, rounded edges and lush fruit flavors of plums and berries. Don't banish it to the cellar, pull the cork and dive in!
*The Recipe:
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce
http://allre...=recipe%20hub
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After you’ve gotten creative while making that dinner (cooking is an art form, after all), why not spend some time in a painting and wine class?! Whether you’re planning on an early dinner, then looking for something special to do after, OR if you’ll be doing dinner and a movie on Valentine’s Day but want something else to do that week, we’ve got a class for you! We’ll be offering two classes on the evening of 2/14 (7-9pm), and all week long after that, into the weekend. You can view the date, times, and the picture of each painting on our website at the bottom of the page, then sign up there as well!
Read all about the fabulous classes we have coming up, next week, HERE:
Galentine’s Day: https://www....galentinesday
Valentine’s Day: https://www....esdaypainting
We hope you’ll join us soon, whether it’s on Feb. 14 or another day! If you’ve never been to a wine and painting class, you’ve been missing out! An experience like Pinot’s Palette is one you’ll enjoy in the moment and always remember for years to come. You’ll be walked through a 2-3 hour painting, step-by-step, and leave with a hand-made masterpiece. First-time painters, don’t worry, we’re here for you! We are meant for the novice; the ones who think they can’t paint but leave, realizing, ‘maybe they can’, after all… We will guide you slowly, easily, and helpfully through the painting, taught by a talented and encouraging instructor and aided by a helpful and friendly staff. We have wine and beer, excellent playlists of music to help you paint, and it’s always a wonderful environment to spend time in! So, if you live in or around the Raleigh-Durham area, we’re the perfect place for you to spend time, getting creative and experiencing something new!
Share Find more food and wine pairings HERE | View our full calendar here