Paired Up: Rosé and Bouillabaisse

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2010 Syncline Rosé

We were in the mood for some seafood, and Katy came up with the idea of a bouillabaisse. Not knowing at all what to pair with it off the top of our heads, Hunter consulted the internet. A rosé of Bordeaux grapes is one of the most popular picks, and we hadn't officially tasted a rosé yet, so we headed to Metropolitan Market to see what we could find. There wasn't a lot of Washington rosé there, so we picked the one that wasn't a rosé of Sangiovese. This one, from Syncline, is made from Pinot Noir, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Counoise grapes. Since it was a bit last minute, we popped it in the freezer to cool it down, and ended up getting it a bit too cold for ideal serving. Live and learn, eh?

The Food

This one was all Katy. In the chef's words:

Paired Up: Syrah and Double Plum Chicken

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2007 Tapteil Syrah Spilya Vineyard

On our way to Walla Walla Spring Release last year, we stopped at Red Mountain to visit Hightower Cellars. They recommended we stop at Tapteil Estate, and we were very pleased with the range of varietal wines we tasted that day. For this meal we wanted something to mesh with the plum, and this Syrah fit the bill. We decanted the wine for a half hour before tasting, and it really came together about an hour after that.

The Food

Hunter got back out of the kitchen for this one. In the chef's words:

Paired Up: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chunky Chicken Chili

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2007 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon

We got this bottle of Januik Cabernet Sauvignon back in April during our visit to the winery. It's been laying in our wine rack since then, just waiting for the right moment. We chose it for this meal because, well, why not? We really just wanted to drink a Cab; this Cab was lying there. Yes, sometimes it really is that simple! It decanted for an hour or so before we tasted it.

The Food

Hunter stayed out of the ki... wait, no. This was Hunter's creation. In the chef's words:

Paired Up: Red Blend and Mushroom Lasagna

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2008 SuLei Cellars Beet Red

We picked this bottle up at the winery during 2011 Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla. It was our second visit to SuLei Cellars, having been lured in the year before by an adorable little puppy. The wines were our reward for following our hearts, and the following year's releases were so good that we bought a bottle of each. The Beet Red is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, and 20% Cabernet Franc. We expected some full flavors for this meal, and wanted a wine that would complement the earthiness of mushrooms. This wine stuck out as one that had that dirty goodness, its name is Beet Red after all, so we popped it open and decanted it for a couple hours before tasting. It was a bit tight on opening, so the airing out was a definite plus.

The Food

Hunter stayed out of the kitchen once again. In Katy's words: