Agua Dulce Wine Adventures/Pairing food with Chardonnay/food and wine pairing

Chardonnay

There are a couple of things to keep in mind while pairing Chardonnay with food. First, avoid tomato based dishes as they are too acidic and clash with the smooth, buttery flavors of Chardonnay. Instead, you'll want to go with the lighter flavors such as fish (Halibut and Salmon are great examples), seafood, and lighter meats like turkey and chicken. It is also important to serve Chardonnay at the proper temperature, so it doesn't mask the flavor of your foods. Typically a Chardonnay should be served at about 50°F.

Some of our favorite pairings are quite simple. You can always start your guests out with a simple Caesar Salad paired with our Chardonnay. Or, if you want to go with finger foods, we recommend Brie cheese and a slice of green apple atop a water cracker, Melba toast, or even a toasted baguette. If you're looking for something a bit more complex, have a look at the recipe below:

Simple Crab Cakes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/4 diced green bell pepper

1/4 diced red bell pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 egg white

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay TM seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

3 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat, drained and flaked

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, mix together 1/3 cup bread crumbs, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions, and parsley. Mix in the egg white, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Season with Old Bay seasoning, dry mustard, and onion powder. Fold crabmeat into the mixture. Form into 6 large cakes, or 12 mini cakes. Coat with the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Fry the cakes 5 minutes on each side, or until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.