Those that know me well know how much I enjoy a glass or two of red wine. I can honestly say that wine, especially red wine, is my favorite libation! I suppose it stems from my family’s long history of growing grapes and wine making.
My grandfather grew Riesling grapes in a small village in the south of Hungary and made Riesling wine. When I was growing up, my father continued in the wine making tradition and made his own wine.
Living in the California wine country he was able to purchase good quality grapes from local vineyards to make his own wine. His favorite varietal was Zinfandel.
Ours was a small operation; and when I say small, I mean it was my dad, my sister and me making wine in the garage of our suburban home. My mother abhorred the process due to all the fruit flies that came along with it, and would have nothing to do with it, but that didn’t stop my father.
I can still remember the excitement on my father’s face when he came home from the vineyard with dozens of wooden crates filled with Zinfandel grapes in the back of his van. Even though I was too young to enjoy wine at the time, his excitement was contagious!
First order of business was to crush the grapes. Being a small operation meant we didn’t have any fancy equipment, we used a wine barrel cut in half; one half set on top of the other supported with 2X4’s. The top half had holes drilled into the bottom to allow the juice from the grapes to filter through to the half barrel below as the grapes were stomped.
My sister was the one that got to stomp the grapes instead of me. When I complained to my father, he pointed out the fact that her feet were the size of pizzas and were perfect for grape stomping. It’s true, I used to tease her mercilessly that her feet were as big as Fred Flintstone’s feet. LOL. Sorry Sis!
Once the grapes were crushed, we scooped the skins and pulp from the grapes into large plastic garbage cans. The juice that had been extracted during the stomping was added and this concoction and allowed to ferment for about a week or so.
Allowing the red grape skins to sit in the juice is what gives a red wine its deep ruby red color and intensifies its flavor. This is when the fruit flies arrived, by the millions! This is also when my mother complained the most!
My father would borrow my grandfather’s wine press for the next step. The juice, shells and pulp were placed into the press and the juice pressed out and poured into a 60 gallon wooden wine barrel. The skins and pulp were added to the compost heap in the backyard. The barrel was capped with a plug that had a coiled clear plastic tube filled with water. Magically, once the grape juice was in the barrel and capped, all the fruit flies disappeared overnight.
When the grape juice began the fermentation process, the gasses created by the fermentation would cause the water in the tube to bubble. It allowed the gasses to escape the barrel without allowing any air into the barrel. Once the bubbling stopped it was technically wine and ready to drink, but my dad would allow it to age for at least another several months.
He told me that the longer it aged, the better it tasted and the clearer the wine would become. As it sat, the sediment would slowly settle to the bottom of the barrel and the clarity of the wine improved with time.
Every few weeks, he would siphon off some wine and place it in a glass. He would hold the glass up to the light to check its color and clarity, give it a taste or two, until one day he would finally declare that it was done.
As you can see I have a long history with wine and I have grown to love and appreciate it as much as my father did. I am by no means an expert on wine, I just love to drink it and enjoy pairing it with good food.
Certain foods pair well with wine and enhance their flavor profiles. The general rule of thumb is to pair a white wine with white meats such as fish and chicken, red wines with red meats such a beef and lamb.
Wine and cheese make perfect partners, one brings out and enhances the flavor of the other. To get you started see the table below for some ideas on what cheeses and foods pair well with your favorite wines.
| RED WINES | WHITE WINES |
Merlot pair with: Dutch Gouda (smooth & nutty) Berries | Riesling pair with: Havarti (creamy) Roquefort (pungent) |
| Zinfandel pair with: Aged Parmesan (salty & nutty) | Chardonnay pair with: Double Cream Brie (buttery) Almonds |
| Cabernet Sauvignon pair with: Sharp Cheddar (sharp & rich) Salami Walnuts | Sauvignon Blanc pair with: Feta (tangy) Mozzarella (fresh & mild) |
| Pinot Noir pair with: Emmental (mild & nutty) Manchego (earthy) Walnuts | Pinot Gris pair with: Gruyere (nutty) |
This is by no means an exhaustive list. The subtleties and flavor profiles of pairing foods with wines to enhance the flavor of your favorite varietals has evolved into quite a science. But don’t let that intimidate you! You can easily start with the tried and true pairing basics and experiment to see what you like the best.
Have fun and host a wine pairing the next time you have a few friends over. Decide on what varietals you want to try and ask your guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. Put together a Charcuterie board with the corresponding cheeses for each varietal, add some nuts and bread or crackers and have fun!
If you need some ideas on how to put together a fabulous Charcuterie board that will impress your guests you can read my post here. It has tons of tips and ideas for what you need to make a really outstanding one!
Wine can be a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Go wine tasting and try different wines. You will figure out what you like. Wine should be enjoyed with friends and savored. Have fun while you figure out what you like best.
My dad taught me to love wine and fostered my lifelong appreciation for it. I know he will be waiting for me when I am gone; he will be there with a glass of wine ready to welcome me when it’s my time. Make mine a nice red, ok? Until we meet again Daddy. I love you!
