May I Suggest...
By Barbara Kozlowski (11/21/08)
For the Village Wine Rack

MAY I SUGGEST. . . a white wine tasting! I usually look to red wines at this time of the year, but there are many of you, my readers, that prefer white wine. As the holiday season begins, this may be the perfect time to gather a few friends, each bringing a different white wine and a food idea to pair with their choice. Perhaps you could organize an old fashion ‘soup kitchen’ with white wine to pair with different soups. Another idea is an ‘antipasto party’ with various white wines. White wines that seem more appropriate for this time of year are full-bodied Chardonnay, like LA CREMA, or a Viognier from California or DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Dry Riesling. Any of these white wines are full-bodied and can pair well with rich chicken dishes, seafood and creamy pasta dishes.

As we prepare for our American Thanksgiving, consider serving your guests a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine as they arrive at your home. It’s a very elegant way to greet your guests and puts everyone in a special holiday mood. I really enjoy a sparkling wine for special occasions, looking to Spanish sparkling wine as being about the best. My favorite is a CAVA, HEREDAD SEGURA VIUDAS, a brut Reserva that I first tasted several years ago. This is an incredible CAVA (Spanish sparkling wine) and I keep a bottle chilled for ‘just in case’ or a sudden special occasion. SEGURA VIUDAS also has a CAVA, ARIA. This is also very good and my next best choice. If you prefer a true Champagne, there are several choices and Candy will be happy to assist you with this. It can be a fun party to do a tasting of Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world and selecting your favorite.

As I mentioned earlier, organizing an ‘old fashion soup kitchen’, check with a local community service organization to donate any leftover soups for their clients. You may be able to donate to a local food pantry with the idea the soups would be distributed as soon as possible.

Besides that, many years ago, several friends organized a ‘soup kitchen’. Several people made soups, of all different kinds and styles. Fresh breads were also served and we ate and enjoyed soups from split pea to a mushroom to a vegetable and so on. We all tasted the various soups, going for seconds on our favorites. It was a great and inexpensive way to celebrate friends.

Ideas for soups can range from pumpkin, squash, and potato along with bean, vegetable and meat soups. I like to be creative, using vegetables and fruits of the current season, beef, chicken and/or sausages and very rarely follow a recipe, just the basic idea. I learned this from both my Mother and my Grandmother. One soup both of these women made that was a winter time favorite was a ‘fruit soup’ incorporating dried and fresh fruits. Used primarily for dessert, it could be served either cold or warm. Haven’t made this soup in awhile, so I guess I’ll plan it for the holidays.

BON APETIT AND SKOL!!