Holiday Appetizer Inspiration from the Suhru Kitchen
The holiday season is upon us meaning our lives are all filled with holiday cheer and lots of delicious wines, incredible foods, and family recipes galore!
It should come as no surprise that one of our favorite family traditions is to gather with a bottle of wine and share a delicious spread of snacks. There are many excellent chefs in the extended Suhru Wines family, so we often find ourselves gathering over appetizers to allow everyone's culinary expertise to shine!
We have compiled a selection of our holiday favorites and recommended wine pairings perfect for any get together. These three small bite appetizers were recently featured in our December Wine Club tasting event and make a great addition to your holiday and New Years celebrations!
Smoked Salmon Endive paired with Sauvignon Blanc
When it comes to holiday pairing, I for one tend to think of warm dishes, however it is always nice to add something bright, crisp and fresh into the mix! One of my favorite white wines this time of year is Sauvignon Blanc. While often thought of as a warm weather wine, Sauvignon Blanc offers a deliciously rich texture and savory quality that makes it an excellent winter white!
A few years ago I was introduced to a version of this recipe at a dinner party and have been tweaking it ever since—fresh endive leaves filled with crumbled goat cheese and smoked salmon topped with fresh dill and a lemon dill sauce adds a bit of brightness to any cocktail party and plays nicely with the rich undertones and light grassiness you so often see in Sauvignon Blancs.
Raspberry Brie Crostini paired with Shiraz
Baked brie is the best appetizer, there I've said it. No-one is sad when they arrive at a party and there is a baked brie on the table, however sometimes it can become a little unruly having everyone hacking into the brie sending melted cheese every which way. If you are looking for a more elevated version I recommend brie crostinis, they are quick and easy to make and delight every time!
WWhen it comes to brie there are endless pairing options but this holiday season I am reaching for our Shiraz. The bright red fruit notes that come forward in this wine make it an excellent pairing with the fresh raspberries and raspberry balsamic glaze in this recipe.
Local Cheddar & Prosciutto Crostini paired with Ember
One of our most popular wines this and every time of the year is our Bordeaux style red blend, Ember. As one of our favorite wines we have a wide variety of excellent food pairings and this one is always a crowd favorite! If you are local to the North Fork be sure to stop into Goodale Farms in Aquebogue to pick up some of their Reserve Aged Cheddar which is one of our favorite local cheeses and pairs beautifully with wine!
Melt a piece of the Reserve Cheddar on a toasted crostini then top with prosciutto, a drizzle of honey and some fresh thyme for a simple and delicious bite, that pairs beautifully with a fruit forward, medium bodied red like our Ember. The fresh thyme brings out the dried herb notes on the nose while the hint of sweetness and richness from the prosciutto plays wonderfully with the robust flavors in the glass.
The Best Wines for Your Cheese & Charcuterie Spread
You can't go wrong with a cheese and charcuterie board especially around the holidays! When is comes to pairing wine and food there are a lot of factors to take into account, when you apply that to a dish like a cheese and charcuterie plate with so many components and flavors, it can become overwhelming. There are endless options when it comes to wine pairing but my three go to's are Brut, Dry Riesling & Teroldego.
Sparkling Brut is a classic choice and will bring a little sparkle to your get together! The the light, delicate flavors and touch of brioche on the finish will work well with most cheeses and is there anything more festive than a glass of bubbles?
For a more traditional wine pairing I recommend Dry Riesling in white and Teroldego in red. Both wines are incredibly food friendly, fruit forward and offer a nice acidity making them well rounded wines to pair with a spread. The light hint of sweetness in Riesling offers a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors of cheeses and cured meats and acts as a natural palate cleanser. Teroldego is a medium to light bodied red offering more robust flavors without the heavy oak notes which can sometimes overpower a dish. An incredibly fruit forward wine, Teroldego offers a refreshing burst of fruit followed by soft flavors on the finish allowing the flavors on the plate to shine through.
No matter what wines you choose to pair this holiday season we wish you nothing but happiness! Here's to a happy holiday season filled with good foods, good company, and excellent wines! Cheers to 2022 and to all that 2023 has to bring!