Monday, July 16, 2018

Murietta's Well Virtual Wine Tasting and the Pairings We Have Enjoyed

I was very excited to receive these wonderful samples of Murietta's Well wines from Snooth with a request to join in a Virtual Wine Tasting.


They requested no other action from me other than participation in the Wine Tasting.  I have chosen to write about the experience today.  All opinions, thoughts and content are completely my own.



I had never heard of this California Vineyard and I love wine tastings, virtual or otherwise.

You can see a video of the Wine Tasting and see all of our comments and thoughts at this site.
We had so much fun!!

Now I have a small confession to make right here.  I did not wait until the wine tasting to try some of these wines, nor did I try them all as of this writing.  But I will, you can be assured of that, and I will share my thoughts when I do.  Either on this blog or on Social Media so stay tuned.

But let me start at the beginning.  I received this package from Wente Winery.  Now, while I was not familiar with Murietta's Wall, I am very familiar with Wente.  This just added to my excitement.  Come to find out, this winery is owned by Wente, no wonder the wines are so wonderful!!

I reached out to our contact at Snooth and asked if I must wait for the wine tasting or was I allowed to pair with food prior to the tasting.  I got a resounding "Please do" so I did.


The first bottle I opened was the White Blend called The Whip.  This bottle retails for $26.  This wine is created and blended beginning in August with Sauv Blanc and ending in September with Viognier.  In between those they add some Semillon, Chardonnay and Orange Muscat.  It is fruity and crisp and delicious.


I paired it with these amazing Grilled Chicken Packets.   It was perfect but I have a feeling nearly every food would pair well with  The Whip.  It was made to be food friendly and it certainly is.


The next wine I opened was the Red Blend called The Spur.  This bottle retails at $35.  It contains Cab Sauv, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cab Franc.  My husband LOVED this wine.  He thought it poured and tasted like a much more expensive bottle.

I hadn't planned this pairing.  My brother, Larry, is visiting from California, staying at our home.  While I was working at the food pantry, I got a message from Frank that my brother, Dick and his wife, Jackie, had also stopped by.  On my way home from the food pantry, I stopped for carryout pizza.  When I went into the wine fridge to get a bottle, I saw this and grabbed it.  It was a very nice wine to pair with pizza LOL but we all enjoyed it very much.


The last bottle I opened was the Dry Rosé.  Priced at $30 this wine is a blend of Grenache, Counoise and Mourvedre.  It is bright, acidic and bone dry.  I did not pair this with food, although I think it would pair very well with fish and seafood or even charcuterie.  Frank and I sipped this as we joined the other bloggers at the Virtual Wine Tasting.  

We have yet to try the Cabernet Sauvignon which was an extra gift as it is a pre release and not yet available retail.  We are grilling steaks for dinner tonight and this is the wine I'm opening. 

I will also be sharing the pairing I conduct with the Sauvignon Blanc, just as soon as I decide what that is going to be LOL.


These Chicken and Veggie Packets are the perfect "one pot" meal during the summertime with the added bonus of no pot, saving clean up and giving you more time to enjoy being outdoors.  The steaming in the packet keeps the chicken tender and moist alleviating the problem of dried out white meat chicken cooked on the grill.



#winepairing, #winetasting, #onepotmeals, #grilling, #chicken, #onedishmeals, #easy, #quick, #summerlife,
Grilling, Chicken, One Dish Meals
American
Yield: 4Pin it

Chicken and Veggie Packets

prep time: 10 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 35 mins
These Chicken and Veggie Packets are the perfect "one pot" meal during the summertime with the added bonus of no pot, saving clean up and giving you more time to enjoy being outdoors. The steaming in the packet keeps the chicken tender and moist alleviating the problem of dried out white meat chicken cooked on the grill.

ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless  chicken breast halves
4 red, new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4" slices
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2" slices
1 summer squash, cut into 1/2" slices
Kernels from 4 ears corn
12 asparagus spears, woody end removed, cut into thirds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs thyme

instructions:

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Preheat grill to high heat and sear the chicken on one side for about 5 minutes, until nice grill marks appear.  Remove chicken from grill, leaving grill lit.

While chicken is searing, place the potatoes, zucchini, squash, corn, asparagus and red pepper into a bowl.  Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Lay 4 large, doubled pieces of aluminum foil onto the counter.  Divide the veggies between the pieces of foil. Top with a chicken breast and a sprig of thyme.  Seal the packets, making sure the edges are tight but there is room for the steam to build up in the middle.

Place on the top rack of your grill (or shut off the burners on one side if you don't have a rack), close the lid and let the packets cook for 20 minutes.  

To serve, cut an X in the top of the packet and peel the foil back.

NOTES:

This recipe adapted from one found in Cuisine at Home.
Created using The Recipes Generator

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