Food & Wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Today is food and wine pairing day and we are going to talk about sausages and of course the wines that go with them. Have you noticed there seems to have been a revival in the popularity of sausage over the past few years? We no longer have the three mainstays Pork sausage mild medium or hot. I mean - I don't think I ever had a chicken sausage with sundried tomatoes and basil when I was growing up. I like my sausages grilled over an open flame. It gives it that additional rustic flavor contributing to its compatibility with red wine. Even chicken sausages pair well with Chianti. Lamb sausage with lots of mint and cumin is very good with Merlot or Syrah, especially if you serve them on a bed of lentils. Lean beef sausage with some heat from spicy peppers seems to be a match for Cabernet blends. If you enjoy all of those wonderful gourmet mustards, so readily available these days, do break them out when you grill up a platter of tasty sausages. I have been learning to make sausage and it is very interesting how really lean you can make them and how many different types and flavors you can create. And you don't have to stuff them into links – they are really just as good formed into patties and served with salads. And thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.