Spring Chives & Wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Each year at this time I cannot help but remind you that it is the real season for chives. So today we will talk about chives and the wines that go well with them. Spring in my garden always brings on the chives! And I look forward to those couple of weeks. Chives, those long, thin, dark green leaves – mildest of the onion family with a fluffy purple flower. The flowers are gorgeous and edible, just separate all of the individual flowers and sprinkle them lightly on just about anything. Chives have a tangy sometimes slightly hot taste and they are absolutely at their best when served raw. So if you are cooking with them be sure to add them as the very last ingredient before serving. Chives are really fabulous as a flavorful garnish. Use them in potato salads, green salads, soups, omelets and along with cheese and bread. Chives make a great compound butter; just chop them up and whip them into softened butter. Refrigerate it and then slice it and use it to top fish, chicken, beef or vegetables. Because they have a milder flavor they seem to go well with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. If you are serving grilled meat or asparagus with chive butter it is, believe it or not, very good with Zinfandel. So stop overlooking that clump of chives and use it to enhance your springtime dinners. They won't be there for long. And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.