Are you a wine drinker? Or perhaps you simply like to drink a glass of wine when out to dinner. I'm sure you've wondered which wine pairs well with certain meals, and maybe you’ve asked the server for their recommendation. Let us help you! Local wine enthusiast and entrepreneur, Susan Beaudry, of Beau Co. Wine, partners with Ed and Mary Hamel of Glendale Ridge Vineyard, Erin Patrick of Chester Common Table, and Emma Sesti from Emma's Everyday Gourmet Restaurant, to do just that!
For our 5-course pairing dinner, we selected 6 wines to accompany the meal.
First Course: Appetizer
Grilled Bruschetta paired with Chateau Laborde Bordeaux Blanc
Grilled bruschetta kicked off the evening. We paired that dish with Beau Co. Wine’s French 2018 Chateau Laborde Bordeaux Blanc. We chose this 100% Sauvignon Blanc because it is light, crispy, and well-balanced. On the palate, this dry sauvignon blanc tastes similar to how it smells, with flavors of lime and grapefruit, passion fruit, white peach, and bell pepper with floral notes, and a lovely long finish. It pairs nicely with bruschetta because of the acidic and flavorful taste of tomatoes, along with the added salt of cheeses (and, in this instance, capers), which is nicely balanced with the scrumptious fattiness of olive oil.
Second Course: Pasta (Primo)
Chester Common Table Veggie Pasta & Glendale Ridge Vineyard Rosé
The Italians famously start their meals with a pasta course. Chester Common Table created our pasta course. A beautiful collection of color was provided by the summer squash and zucchini, tomatoes, onion, and spinach. This fresh and light combination of savory flavors paired beautifully with Glendale Ridge’s Rosé. This pale pink, still wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and it screams summer with watermelon and strawberry dominating the nose and palate throughout. Savor further to find notes of rose petal as it finishes with a mineral acidity. This was a great compliment to the savory flavors of the summer pasta!
Third Course: Main Course
Next up, we have two pork dishes as our main course.
Emma’s Pork & Glendale Ridge Vineyard Malbec
Emma’s Everyday Gourmet Chef, Kyle Cortis, created the favorite main course, skillfully combining savory flavors for this amazing meal. A dish this complex deserves a wine that matches its flavor with equal complexity and intensity. Glendale Ridge's Malbec is a perfect choice. This 2019 Malbec is medium purple, rich with dark fruit and a little smoke. The berry flavors intermingle with cedar notes from its barrel aging. It finishes with beautiful acidity.
Susan’s Pork & Monchiero Barbera d’Alba
The second dish, a grilled pork tenderloin, is super easy, and super good! Again, bold flavors should be met with a bold wine. We chose Beau Co. Wine’s Monchiero Barbera d’Alba. This wine is produced in the Piedmont region of Italy. The region is known for its production of Barolo wine, but the natives will tell you they always drink the Barbera! This wine is aromatic with violet, plum and berry notes. It is a dry, full-bodied Barbera with lush plum and blackberry flavors, balanced by round tannins and bright acidity. A perfect match for the apple cinnamon grilled pork.
Fourth Course: Dessert Course
Chester Common Table Blackberry Tart & Glendale Ridge Vineyard Riesling
Erin Patrick, who owns Chester Common Table with husband Aaron Allen, is one of the area's most talented bakers. Known for locally sourcing ingredients, Erin made the most wonderful French style blackberry and almond tart, with a shortbread crust, and frangipane filling – a fantastic combination of flavor and texture. The tart was not too sweet, so we paired it with Glendale Ridge’s 2021 Mid-Dry Riesling. This classic Riesling is medium dry. It is smooth, with flavors of pear and lemon. Its minerality gives it a sense of place. This balanced nicely with the fruit and filling of the tart.
Fifth Course: Cheese Course (Finale)
Cheeses paired with Portuguese Fine Tawny Port by Miguels
Traditionally the cheese course allows you to finish the wine that accompanies the main course and serves as a transition between the salty and sweet portions of the meal. This trend has become increasingly popular in the North American dinner ritual. We not only finished the wine from the main course, but topped off the evening with adding a Portuguese Fine Tawny Port by Miguels. A golden-colored, sweet wine with aromas of red berry compote, it is well balanced with wood and vanilla aromas.
Between the ambience, the food, the drink, and the company - this is a meal I can't wait to replicate. And just in time for the holidays!
I'm feeling prepared to take on this wine-paring challenge, and we hope you are, too. If you'd like to enjoy the wines featured here, visit Glendaleridgevineyard.com or beaucowine.com to see current selections.
We hope you enjoyed this as much as we did - make sure to tag us @westfield_northampton_cl with your wine-pairing results!
Beau Co. Wine is a local small business, and Susan Beaudry believes that supporting small business is at the heart of the wine world. Susan works with nearly 50 vineyards and wineries, most of whom are owned and operated by families, who take great pride in making beautiful products. As an importer and distributor, she is helping small businesses by bringing these beautiful boutique-style wines to Western MA.