How to Throw Your Best Ever Halloween Party (with 100+ recipes!)
/How to throw your best Halloween party yet! Plus, 100+ Halloween recipes and spooky Halloween facts that will impress your party guests!
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loved recipes, at-home entertaining tips and local points of interest on the Central Coast.
How to throw your best Halloween party yet! Plus, 100+ Halloween recipes and spooky Halloween facts that will impress your party guests!
Read MoreWho says you can only drink cookies with milk? This year, kick your cookie swap party up a notch and serve wine, instead!
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It’s that time of year again–pumpkin flavored items are reappearing on Starbucks menus and your local grocery store. Even if you aren’t affectionate towards the seasonal gourde, chances are you will find a dish on your dinner table that includes pumpkin or someone will request such a dish. Depending how the pumpkin is prepared can make it tricky when it comes to selecting a wine to go along side of it.
Pumpkin can be somewhat of a challenge when it comes to pairing wine. Like wine, not all pumpkin varietals are created equally and it would be remiss to assume that they’re all the same. The same can be said for the way the pumpkin is prepared. To take some of the hassle out of the guesswork involved with pairing your favorite pumpkin dishes with delicious wines that won’t be too overpowering or simply incorrectly matched.
There’s lots more to pumpkin than good old pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Think main dish! Think side dish! Think warming you from the inside on a cool fall evening!
When preparing a creamy pumpkin dish, such as a pumpkin soup or pumpkin risotto, think “dry” or “creamy” on the palate when it comes to wine. Here’s the place for your Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, a dry Prosecco or an Albariño.
Yes, there is such a thing as pumpkin ravioli or pumpkin lasagna! It all depends on the color of sauce and spice profiles you are using. For a while sauce, grab a Viognier, a gruner veltliner, or a nice pinot gris. Prefer the flavors in a red sauce? You can’t go wrong with a Sangiovese or a nice Rhone blend.
Pumpkin stew, you may wonder. Does such a thing exist? Yes it does, and it will warm you from the inside on one of those getting-longer evenings. There’s room for your chardonnay here, if you must, but why not be as bold as your pumpkin stew and choose a Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot?
Are you still not convinced that pumpkin isn’t only for desserts? There’s still a wine for that! Alongside your pumpkin pie, pumpkin-spiced cake or cupcakes or pumpkin pots de creme, look for a Riesling, Madiera, sherry, ice wine or a sparkling wine. There’s certainly a wine that will please the fussiest palate at your dinner table.
A rich dish in itself, select a rich and creamy white wine such as Chardonnay (like La Crema which is widely available) or Viognier.
Pumpkin Risotto recipe via A Nerd Cooks.
Pairing this chocolate based sauce can be as simple as pairing it with a regional wine (temprantillo) or a wine with a bit of spice to it (petite syrah).
Recipe via Food Done Light.
With a white sauce, you might be thinking wine is the obvious choice but a nice Barbera from Italy is robust enough to handle the creaminess of the Alfredo but it's not so overpowering that your hard work will be masked by a wine.
Recipe via Two Purple Figs.
This white based sauce will be balanced by a white wine, such as a Gruner Veltliner.
Recipe via Goodie Godmother.
Combat the subtle spiciness of this chili with a dry riesling. It's important you do not select a sweet riesling for this recipe!
Recipe via Family Food On The Table.
The light butter sauce would be overpowered by a buttery Chardonnay, instead choose a zesty white such as a Pinot Gris. It'll highlight the earthy flavors of the sage and pumpkin!
Recipe via What A Girl Eats.
Exploring different styles of Pinot Noir and recipes to pair them with.
Read MorePairing food and wine can seem like a daunting challenge at first, but with these simple and useful tips for food and wine pairing, you'll be pairing like a professional in no time.
Read MoreWith a new (unfamiliar) bottle of wine in hand, it was important to experience the wine in a way that would enhance its natural flavor. This Chicken Creole dish pairs well with Gewürztraminer and Riesling wines, which is a great introduction into the world of wine for those non-wine drinkers in your household.
Read MoreYou may have noticed a slight re-design and that's because: big changes are coming to nsolence + wine in the very near future. We're excited and focused and have our road map all planned out, all that's missing is your input. Plus, we're hosting our very first giveaway!
Read Morea food & wine lifestyle blog, focusing on wine pairings from California’s Central Coast, approachable recipes with a collection of helpful party planning tips.
Hi, I'm Rae. As you browse through this site, you'll find a collection of beloved family recipes and other favorites developed in my kitchen. I recommend Central Coast wines to pair along with a recipe taking the guesswork out of food and wine pairing.
Rae Goldman
I love working with Central Coast wines. If you want to see your wine featured in a recipe, contact me!
info@insolenceandwine.com