Food & Wine — Holidays

  The package arrived unceremoniously at my front door—6 bottles of wine from Plume Ridge Bottle Shop with a note from Wine Buyer, Monica Yu, “This is for your article about the right way to pair wine with cheese and a lovely Holiday Cheese spread as prepared by Patty Lyn.” Challenge accepted.  I’d be crazy not to take advantage of this situation. There was one, inconsequential hiccup ... I am not a cheese expert, so I immediately did 2 things: Jumped on the internet Called my French friends Google is a large, lonely intimidating place for a culinary excursion. However,...

Yule logs, also known as Buche de Noel can be traced to Europe.  Now it is a popular Christmas dessert or pudding in a shape of a log and traditionally eaten in France. A quintessential dessert that is usually complex to make but our founder Christina Coulourides recommends this Food Network recipe to create a miniature versions called Yodels and does not require baking.  Best paired with Sauternes. Photo Credit: Food Network

  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, followed by the trifecta of winter holidays: Hanukkah (12/18-12/26), Christmas and New Year’s Eve. With the addition of Kwanzaa (12/26 - 1/1/23), the season of gratitude, gift-giving and feasting is upon us. Many holiday hosts are scouring the internet for new takes on traditional recipes — and the best wines to highlight those dishes.How did the United States — a country founded by Pilgrims and molded by Puritans—beget a series of harvest and yuletide celebrations so closely associated with the enjoyment of wine?It turns out that early Americans were, in fact, not teetotallers...

This is a versatile fall dish that can be served on the side or as a main course. One can easily substitute with a plant based sausage to make this vegetarian friendly. A nice white dry wine with medium body such as Riesling or Chablis would pair well. Serves 4Ingredients 2 acorn squash, scrubbed and halved from the stem to the base with the seeds removed 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound traditional Italian sausage or plant based 1/2 cup small diced yellow onion 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon finely chopped...

Celebrate the holidays with a twist on your usual dessert. Take inspiration from a popular South African classic treat typically served around Christmas time (Summer in the Southern Hemisphere). This Malva Pudding, first mentioned in our Festive Holiday Food & Wine Pairings Blog is simple to make and perfect to pair with our South African Wines. YIELD: 6-8 servingsIngredients For the Pudding: 150 grams all purpose flour (1cup plus 2Tbsp) 1 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup whole milk 2 large eggs, lightly blended with a whisk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon melted...