March Wine (and pairings)
A peek into my wine club!
Hello! If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. There’s lots to read – from my origin story (click here to read) to fun content focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food. For now, my newsletter is free and you can find all the content by clicking here – basically a little Grape to Table website created by the great folks at Substack. I did realize recently that you only see the various categories of past newsletters if you open this link in a browser (rather than the Substack app). It’s a shame because the categories make it easy to find content you might be interested in…so here are some more embedded links! Click here for Wine Tips. Click here for Recipes. Click here for Q & As. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button as it helps get the content in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!
This is my bonus edition of the newsletter where I fill you in on my current wine club offerings, which I think you will enjoy even if you have no interest in signing up for the club and/or don’t live in Charleston. It’s a nice little look into wines that I think pair well with this time of the year and the stories behind them AND pairing ideas. Perhaps you can even find these wines at your own local wine shop! I will include the brass tacks about my wine club below in case you are interested in signing up (I do appreciate the support). But feel free to scroll down to my March wine picks if you are just here for the reading!
Wine Club Brass Tacks:
I am honored to host my wine club out of Wine & Company (a bottle shop and wine bar) at 441 Meeting Street, corner of Meeting and Spring, in downtown Charleston, SC. That’s where you will pick up your wine if you sign up. Also keep in mind that wine club makes a great gift for friends/family :) It’s easy for me to set it up for you to just be billed for 2 or 3 or however many months if you want to gift it. And I have a cute certificate for you to give the recipient. Just email me if interested – sarah@grapetotable.com :)
About the wine… this is a wine club that celebrates the magic of wine and food through an exploration of small, family-run wineries and detailed pairing suggestions! I definitely draw heavily from the old world (Europe!) with an occasional new world gem thrown into the mix. All of the wines are sustainably farmed with some producers going the extra mile with organic and biodynamic practices.
The GTT wine club is $70/month for 3 bottles that are available for pick-up on the first of each month. You can choose between my seasonal mix, all white, or all red. But the seasonal mix is the MOST popular option for good reason!!
Most importantly – wine club is a great way to learn about new grape varieties and styles that you might not reach for yourself! If you want to join: sign up is easy and secure by clicking here!
Cheers!
Now about March’s seasonal mix offerings…I know we are all SO ready for spring but something tells me we still have a bit of cool weather left so I have a nice mix of wines and food ideas – all inspired by Louisiana cooking as Mardi Gras celebrations are fully happening right now, which makes me miss my old home and all its delicious cooking! Laissez le bon temps rouler!
Narupa Albarino
Grape: Albarino
Region: Rías Baixas, Spain
Story: Narupa Wines, situated in the heart of the Val do Salnés valley in the Rías Baixas region of Spain, is a small family run winery founded by four friends: the Pedrosa brothers (Rosa and Fran), Ruth Campelo, and Nacho Jímenez. Their viticulture focuses on organic treatments and the avoidance of chemicals.
Pairing: For a lot of my Louisiana cooking I turn to New Orleans Chef Donald Link’s cookbook Real Cajun (yes, he is a bonafide Cajun from the rural area west of New Orleans). He has so many great recipes in this book, and his techniques are spot on! For this Albarino I am looking at his Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Stew, which to me reads a bit like a Shrimp Creole recipe (and that would also work great here). It takes a certain wine to stand up to tomatoes, and I think this Albarino will do the trick! (And yes, I realize corn is out of season right now…BUT as much as I love all things fresh and seasonal…nice frozen corn is actually quite fine for a dish like this.)
Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Gialla
Grape: Ribolla Gialla
Region: Friuli, Italy
Story: There are many terrific small producers in the Friuli region, and Ronchi di Cialla is a standout. Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi bought this property in 1970, and today the winery is run by their sons Pierpaolo and Ivan. Ronchi di Cialla is certified as biodiversity friendly by the World Biodiversity Association, and they remain committed to using natural practices with minimal interference in the cellar.
Pairing: Ribolla Gialla is an ancient white variety that’s native of this area and rarely seen elsewhere! I love it for all the reasons – lovely aroma, flavor, and texture. It’s really just an incredible pairing partner. Because of that texture I know this wine will be outstanding with Crawfish Étoufée. I feel like most folks just see the word “etouffee” and become intimidated. But trust me it’s not that difficult. You will want to reach out to one of our local seafood markets to see if they can source some frozen Louisiana crawfish tails. Or you can follow Eula Mae Doré’s example in her book Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen and make a Crab and Shrimp Étoufée instead. I love her recipe because she does not overcomplicate things :) (Eula Mae lived and worked on Avery Island (home to the famed Tabasco Hot Sauce) for more than 50 years – cooking in and managing the Tabasco Deli and cooking for special McIlhenny family events. My old friend, noted food writer Marcelle Bienvenu wrote this cookbook with Eula Mae, and it’s such a treasure.)
Casa Aurora La Nave
Grapes: Mostly Mencia with Tintorera and Palomino
Region: just outside Bierzo, Spain
Story: Casa Aurora is German Blanco's homage to his great-grandmother, one of the first female miners in Spain, who raised him in Albares de la Ribera, a small village in Leon. Here just outside the Bierzo DO, German makes pure wines from micro-vineyards that dot the landscape and are planted with very old vines of a variety of different grapes. According to his importer, “The high-altitude and the iron-rich clay soils of the area gives these mountain wines a great balance between a soft mouthfeel and firm tannins. There is also a fair amount of granitic rocks in the terroir, and these are probably responsible for the floral, distinctive aromas of the wines.” Bottom line – they are delicious!!
Pairing: Wine club regulars know just how much I love the Mencia grape so I was stoked to find a producer I had yet to experience. Mencia is native of northwestern Spain/northern Portugal, and to me always seems a bit like Gamay meets Syrah! It generally has those dark fruited aromas and flavors of Syrah (and earthiness) but not the weight. It has the weight and freshness of Gamay. When I was flipping through Chef Link’s book looking for pairing ideas I came across his recipe for smoked brisket, which might not seem to be the most New Orleans recipe, but out in Cajun country you are getting close to Texas. And we all know Texas = brisket! But what really sold me on this recipe is his technique – starting on the smoker but finishing in the oven – so smart!! Furthermore, I really believe this wine is meant to go with brisket! If you want to cheat and go pick up some from John Lewis I won’t tell anyone!
Yum!!!!