Wine Together

Smoke, Sweet, and Southern Italy

This week‘s wine and food was a bold and surprisingly cozy pairing: a 2022 Salice Salentino Rosso alongside a BBQ Chicken grilled cheese served on sliced ciabatta. The sandwich brought together shredded BBQ chicken, melted cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and red onions pressed into crispy grilled ciabatta - smoky, sweet, spicy, and rich in all the right ways! Mmm… mmm… mmm.😋 The Salice Salentino Rosso delivered dark berry notes, soft spice, and enough earthiness to balance the sweetness of the barbecue sauce while standing up beautifully to the sharp cheddar and heat from the peppers. What really worked was the contrast: • smoky + fruity • sweet + savory • creamy cheese + structured red wine • spice + dark fruit The cheddar especially helped bridge the wine and food together, making the pairing feel fuller and smoother with every bite. This pairing felt relaxed, comforting, and perfect for a casual night that still felt a little elevated. Cheers, B & D 🍷💜

La Isla Bonavita (Tinto)!

Casa Santos Lima 'Bonavita' Tinto is a popular, budget-friendly Portuguese red wine from the Lisboa region, known for its fruity profile with notes of cherry, plum, and berries, often with hints of spice or oak from aging. It's a blend of grapes like Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Castelao, and Syrah, making it a smooth, easy-drinking wine that pairs well with grilled meats, pasta, and barbecue.  Key characteristics     •    Origin: Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal      •    Grapes: A blend, commonly including Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Castelao, and Syrah      •    Flavor profile: Ripe red and dark fruits (cherry, plum, fig, blackcurrant), with some vintages showing chocolate, liquorice, or spice notes from oak aging      •    Style: Full-bodied, smooth, and fruity, with good acidity      •    Aging: Often aged for a short period (e.g., 6 months) in American oak barrels      •    Food pairings: Excellent with roasted red meats, barbecue, pizza, pasta, and cheese      •    Value: Considered a great value for its price point  We paired this wine with classic steak and eggs Portuguese style (meaning with rice and potatoes-French fries for us) and it was an excellent plan.😁 This wine was less than 6 CHF/bottle… was better when decanted… and checked off all our boxes for what we look for in a wine and food pairing. Great material to chat about.🍷 Cheers, B & D🍷💜

A Berry Fruity Wine!

This week’s pour: Be Dream Red Berry This week we opened a „sweet little bottle“ - literally… 50cL and just 7.1% ABV. This Swiss red blend came in sweet, fruity, and somewhat easy to drink. But this episode turned into something more interesting than expected… We explored the relationship between sweetness and alcohol in wine, breaking down how fermentation works: Yeast converts sugar into alcohol When fermentation is stopped early, leftover sugar creates sweetness That often results in lower alcohol content + sweeter wine. Sounds simple, but the pairing told a different story. We paired this wine with braised pork chop and blueberry sauce with mashed potatoes on the side. We expected a complementary balance of fruit and richness… instead the wine‘s sweetness overpowered the dish, turning the experience into what we called: „Dessert fighting dinner.“ This led to one of our favorite takeaways of the episode… not every wine is meant to be paired with food. Some wines (like this one) are better enjoyed on their own, slightly chilled, or alongside an actual dessert. Final verdict: A fun, fruit-forward, low alcohol „vibe wine“ that’s easy to sip - but better solo than at the dinner table.😉 Cheers, B & D 🍷💜

Chenin Blanc? Chenin Not!

🍷Wine: Balance Chenin Blanc Colombar 2025 🍲 Pairing: Cape Malay Chicken Curry This week’s pot leans bright, youthful, and unapologetically easy to enjoy. The Balance Chenin Blanc Colombar 2025 is a young, white blend, and that youth works in its favor. Unlike many young red wines - which can feel tight, tannic, and a little aggressive - young white wines tend to show off their best qualities right away: freshness, fruit, and approachability. This wine delivered exactly that! Expect: Ripe orchard fruit (think pear, apple) A touch of tropical sweetness Light, refreshing acidity A noticeable sweetness that lingers And yes - this wine is decidedly on the sweeter side, which turned out to be a key part of the pairing. Cheers, B & D 🍷💜

A Rosé-Palooza!

Wine: Palooza Creation Rosé 2024 Food: Mexican Chicken Street Tacos Started out as crisp, light, and fruity… turned into tequila-like somethin‘ somethin‘… just sayin‘ we didn’t expect that. Brooke is showing some real confidence by going outside the box with the food and wine pairings! Cheers, B & D💜🍷