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Baklava and Wine Pairing

Who doesn’t love a good piece of baklava with a nice wine pairing?

What’s that? You’ve never eaten baklava while drinking wine? Looks like you’re in for a treat! (Literally.)

Especially around this time of year when we get to enjoy so much delicious cooking, a sweet, honey-laden piece of baklava is arguably the perfect way to conclude a meal.

Interested in making your own? While there are a million ways to make it, this is one of the most straight forward recipes to follow. You can always mix and match with other recipes as well. For example, some Turkish recipes call for including pistachios, and some Greek recipes include finely ground almonds to be included within the walnut mixture to aid in binding the nut mixture together (it works like a charm)!

 

Don’t mind if I do!

Because baklava is so sweet and has an intense honey flavor, try finding a wine that will meet it at this point of heavy sweetness, but able to stand up to the dessert through cutting through with the wine’s natural acidity. This could be:

  • Sauternes from the Bordeaux region of France. This is one of the most important and famous sweet wine regions.

  • Ice wine. You can find producers from Germany, Austria, the northern USA and Canada who make wine in this interesting and unique method.

  • Muscat from Samos, Greece. These rich-hued orange-amber colored wines are like drinking a liquid form of baklava. Apple, pear, apricot, honey, and sweet spice flavors are to thank for this delicious wine.

Or go another route and choose a dry style wine if you don’t have a big enough sweet tooth for a sweet wine and a sweet dessert at the same time. These options could be:

  • Chardonnay. Whether you choose new world or old world Chardonnay for this pairing, make sure it’s been aged in oak, notably American oak (most commonly associated with new world Chardonnays). This added layer of associated creaminess will lend to smooth, approachable drinking with such a sweet after-dinner treat.

  • Champagne. The holidays are a time for celebrating and finally opening up that wine you’ve been saving. So pop open that bubbly and get partying!

 

 

We tried Empathy’s Rosé Autumn Sangria recipe and it was too good not to share!

We tried Empathy’s Rosé Autumn Sangria recipe and it was too good not to share!

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While Empathy’s Rosé is a crowd pleaser pairing just by itself, there’s nothing wrong with spicing things up! We’ve included Empathy’s recipe for their Rosé Autumn Sangria, and we’ve included some tasty parings to go along with it.

Empathy’s Rosé Autumn Sangria

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Let’s start with what you’ll need for ingredients

  • 1 Red Apple
  • 1 Green Apple
  • 2 Oranges
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 2 Pomegranate
  • 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks for garnish
  • 2 Cups Apple Cider
  • 1 Bottle of Empathy Rose

How to Make It

  • Slice up all of the fruit, dicing the apples into sticks.
  • Pour all of the fruit into a pitcher
  • Add bottle of Empathy Rosé and Apple Cider
  • Stir and serve over ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange peel.

Musto Wine Grape’s Rosé Autumn Sangria Pairings

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  • Butternut Squash Soup. The cinnamon and apple cider will go especially well with this savory autumn soup, which often times has apples and cinnamon blended in. Try Musto Crush Crew’s Autumn Butternut Squash Soup!
  • Pear, Blue Cheese and Candied Pecan Salad. The crisp pear, the creamy and salty blue cheese, and the sweet nutty pecan flavors perfectly compliment this sangria recipe.
  • Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon and Pecorino. Brussels sprouts, like most brassica, can be a difficult food to pair with. Using this autumn sangria recipe, with all of its spicy and fresh fruit additions, is an excellent route to go.

 

Want to try this with your own Rosé? Musto Wine Grape Company is here to help! We are New England’s largest supplier for home winemaking products and services. We can get you set up with all of your juice, grape and equipment needs and have you on track to making your own perfect pairing for next fall! Visit juicegrape.com or give us a call at (877) 812 – 1137 to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mulled Wine ~ Getting in the Holiday Spirit

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We hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and it’s good to take a step back, reflect, and enjoy each others company.

Now that we are in the holiday spirit we have been experimenting with different winter wine recipes. One of them being Mulled Wine. Below is my recipe. I suggest pairing it with friends by the fireplace and a tasty charcuterie plate.

 

4 cups apple cider (or can use apple juice if you want it a little sweeter)

1 bottle of red wine (suggest cabernet, merlot, or a blend of both)

1 tablespoon – 1/4 cup of honey (depends on your sweet tooth)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 orange – juiced and zested

4 whole cloves

2-3 stars of anise (do to taste)

orange peels/wedges for garnish

Add the apple cider/juice, wine, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, orange juice, and cloves to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add stars of anise and honey to taste. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel/wedge for garnish, and enjoy!