01/12/06 Food and wines - Appetizers

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is food and wine pairing day. On this program I would like to share a recipe for a great appetizer and of course the wines that go with them. We love to have friends over for wine and a fun thing is to have everyone bring an appetizer with them to share. Two of my favorite appetizers are very easy and they go well with most all dry white wines. The first appetizer is a simple shrimp dish. Purchase bags of frozen shrimp, with the shells off, and the tails still on. The 20  30 count is about the right size. Allow them to thaw and then slit them open lengthwise and lay them flat on a cookie sheet. Spread the shrimp with pesto either home made or from a jar and sprinkle a touch of parmesan cheese on top. Slide them under the broiler until the parmesan is bubbling and just starting to turn brown. Serve immediately with Pinot Grigio, dry Reisling, unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or as I said just about any dry white wine. I also love bean spreads and I have a recipe that has white beans goat cheese and herbs all blended together to make a delicious spread for crusty bread or crackers. We even use it as a dip for veggies. It is a real crowd pleaser and not only goes great with most dry white wines but it is even good with many reds. To get the white bean spread recipe visit our website at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.