Mix-and-Match Wine Pairings for the Season

Can we chat about wine? This past weekend I was browsing the aisles of my favorite Save Mart store and I noticed they were having a fantastic sale on wine. You can buy ANY four (or more) wine and spirits and receive 10% off your total - you even get this cute tote that fits all four bottles! I realized that I don't talk about wine or alcohol in general in this space, unless it's added to a sauce or as an additional flavoring to meat. Since the holidays are upon us, I felt this was a subject that we needed to discuss before guests arrive. Plus, I love a good bargain and most of the time wine isn't cheap!

Now, I'm no wine connoisseur. I'm a Moscato girl through and through and I find most red wines a bit too dry for my taste. I've gone wine tasting and I'm always drawn back to the white wines, although there's a few sweeter red dessert wines that do please my palate. I decided to try four new wines since they were at such a great price. I'm usually more of a cocktail or mixed drinks girl and not much of a beer drinker either. I worked as a cocktail waitress in my past life as well, but that's another story for another time. Anyhow, sometimes I can appreciate the simplicity of pouring a glass of your favorite wine and sipping - no blender necessary. I decided to only purchase one white wine with this sale, and try my luck with some new deeper colors and flavors!

I envisioned the type of meal I would serve with each wine as I purchased them, this helped to ensure that I purchased a wide spectrum. I may not be too knowledgeable in the wine department, but I'm not too bad at pairing flavors so I felt like I was on the right track. My favorite meat sale was also going on at Save Mart so my first thought was, "Which wines would pair well with which meats?" Since it's the holiday season it's always a good idea to have a variety of wines on hand, never knowing who might come by for a visit and we all want to be properly prepared. With such a variety of meats and dishes on the menu this holiday season, it's good to keep a variety in your wine rack.

For the first wine I chose a rich red wine, the Alamos Malbec. This wine was a pleasant surprise to my taste buds. It wasn't overly sweet but had a nice mild flavor with no dry aftertaste. There's dark cherry and blackberry flavors in this wine with hints of brown spice and vanilla. The richness of this wine paired well with a traditional spaghetti dish, enhancing the tomato sauce and red wine vinegar that I added, as well as the seasonings and ground meat added to the dish. I felt the wine enhanced the flavors and balanced the entire meal pretty well, bringing out the sweetness in the spaghetti sauce while balancing the spices and flavor. I was pleasantly surprised!

For my next experiment, I paired my one and only white wine, Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, with a simple and healthy meal. Salmon with brown rice and asparagus. The meal was flavorful and light, and it paired beautifully with the white wine. The wine was a drier white wine and wasn't too sweet nor tart, and went well with the zesty flavors of the salmon, the nuttiness of the brown rice and the natural flavors in the asparagus.

I couldn't purchase all this wine without a Moscato, but I changed it up a bit and purchased a Barefoot Bubbly Red Moscato Champagne. I thought it was lighthearted and fun and would be a great wine paired with a casual late lunch. I served this with a flavorful chicken BLT sandwich and lightly battered onion rings. It was just the right amount of fun and the lightness of the Bubbly Moscato was great with the rest of the meal! 

For my final experiment, I took a bit of a chance. I purchased a sweet red chocolate wine, ChocolatRouge Sweet Red, which I'm sure is considered a dessert wine. I decided to pair it with a succulent New York Steak served with sweet roasted carrots and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. To be honest this was the first thing on my mind from the moment I purchased these wines. I was excited about this pairing because I knew it'd be different and it was amazing! The sweet richness of the wine was a wonderful match to the simple steak and sides that were full of flavor.

I'd say I chose well and I feel I've broadened my palate a bit. I now have a new appreciation for red wines, and I have Save Mart to thank! The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money on wines that you're not sure you'll love, but with this sale it's totally worth it!

Not only do you get your pick of any wine or spirits, but you get a FREE bag! It's so cute!

What wines would you purchase and what are your favorite wine and meat pairings?