10/27/05 Food and Wines - Potatoes

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is Food and Wine pairing day. Now that fall is here we are quickly turning to comfort food. I want to talk about my favorite of comfort foods, potatoes, and of course the wines to go with them. Fall and winter - and the potato - it is back on my table in all its glory, in all of it incarnations. Of course, a few years ago the gourmet chefs of the world showed us that the mashed potato could really be dressed up with everything from roasted garlic to truffle oil. I always hope that there will be leftover mashed potatoes so that we can fry them up into potato pancakes. But lately I have noticed that potatoes are a medium for just about everything from calamata olives to brie cheese. I like taking a summer potato salad with a lemony Dijon style of vinaigrette dressing. Rather than serving it cold I like to warm the dressing, toss it on the potatoes while they are still warm, and then add the rest of the ingredients. It is wonderful when accompanied by a Chardonnay that has seen little or no oak fermenting or aging. Baked potatoes are fertile ground for whatever you want to "dress them up in". In fact a baked potato bar with lots of unusual dressings and condiments is a fun party. Invite a group of friends and set out at least four different wines. The potato enhancing combinations become very personal and so will the wines that go with them. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.