December Food Pairing

December 2023 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

After many months of anticipation, we were finally able to release our 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon for the December wine club this year! We usually like to have one meat and one vegetarian option for our food pairing, so Kimari and Tricia came up with a delicious vegan pâté for this pairing. To be quite honest, I didn’t know what to expect from a mushroom pâté, but this recipe was so full of flavor and delicious umami richness. It paired very well with the Cab, bringing out some richer flavors and oak spices that weren’t as noticeable without the food.

The other wine featured in this shipment was our very popular 2021 Petite Sirah. This wine is very rich and heavy in tannins, creating a grippy mouthfeel on the tongue. This is a wine that needs a match for bold flavors and intensity. We chose to make brie-stuffed venison and pork meatballs along with a cranberry glaze to pair with this wine. The fattiness of the brie cheese helps to cut the intensity of the tannins, the venison provides that strong flavor, and the pork helps to make the meatballs juicy and flavorful.

We had a lot of fun with this pairing, and we’ve provided the recipes below for your inspiration at home!

2021 Cabernet with Mushroom Walnut Pâté

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2.5 cup chopped cremini mushrooms 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and unsalted
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add balsamic vinegar, chopped rosemary, garlic and thyme and Sauté another few minutes.
3. Allow to cool, then add to food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste
4. Serve at room temperature on crackers or toasted baguettes.

2021 Petite Sirah with Brie Stuff Lamb and Pork Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1lb ground pork
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz brie at room temperature
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine venison and pork with salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well. Use a small scoop to portion out even size meatballs.
2. Flatten each meatball into a disc. Use a smaller scoop to portion out the brie. Put a ball of brie on each disc of meat and enclose into a meatball.
3. Roll meatballs in breadcrumbs and repeat until all your meatballs are done. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Fry meatballs in batches in the olive oil. Turn constantly until browned on all sides. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce.