Pinot Noir and it's Relatives

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is food & wine pairing day. I’ve been drinking wines from the Pinot family so I though we would take a quick look at the foods I think are lovely when accompanied by Pinot Noir and a couple of it’s relatives.

Because Pinot Noir is a wine of such complexity, flavors and textures, I like to keep the food simple and not heavily seasoned. Poultry such as chicken or game hens work well. Mild cuts of beef stew or roasted for long periods, making them very tender and flavor infused often match well. My absolute favorites with Pinot Noir are grilled salmon or grilled lamb chops. Now Pinot Gris is a wine that really works well with seafood salads and creamy asparagus or mushroom soups. It has good acidity so it will also be a nice compliment to pasta with a cream sauce. Pinot Blanc, especially those from Alsace, France are delicious with grilled fish such as tuna or swordfish. Try serving it along side a roasted chicken with au gratin vegetables for a simple dinner party. And I must say that Pinot Blanc is one of my favorite wines with Butternut squash soup. Pinotage is made in so many styles that it is a bit tricky. But generally game meat such as duck or boar is delectable. It also lends itself to good cheeses such as Irish Blue cheese or Wisconsin Colby.  Most of all I encourage eating and drinking and making an effort to get to know Pinot Noir and a few of its relatives. Tough duty!  And thank you for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.