Join in the Fun as We Explore New Varietals and Share our Discoveries #WinePW (Ligurian Seafood Salad)

 I love learning about wines.  I visit different wines each month with our Wine Pairing Weekend Group as well as our Italian Food Wine and Travel Group, our French Winophiles group and most recently our World Wine Travel group.  

The second weekend of the month is set aside for our Wine Pairing Weekend Group that, unlike the other three groups, has no set jurisdiction or country of wines and requires a food pairing with the wine.

I am hosting this month and I asked the others to join me in finding a grape varietal that is new to them.  They were to taste and pair it and then meet with me and any interested parties for Twitter Chat on Saturday, March 12.  We will be meeting up at 11 AM ET and you are welcome to join in the fun.  You will find us by following #WinePW.

Here are some of the Grape Varietals and Pairings that will be discussed.......

• A Day in the Life on the Farm invites you to  Join in the Fun as We Explore New Varietals and Share our Discoveries 
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Exploring Pineau d'Aunis Rosé: Two Bottles and Chicken Two Ways 
• Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Nosiola - a disappearing Northern Italian variety 
• Our Good Life discovers Montepulciand d’Abruzzo and Italian Stuffed Peppers 
• Avvinare is Exploring Ancient Grapes Prokupe and Vranac At Kosovo’s Stone Castle 
• The Quirky Cork shares Discovering Asproudi, a Re-Emerging Greek Grape 
• Wineivore:introduces us to  Biodynamic Portugese Sparklers with Goan Cuisine 
• ENOFYLZ Wine Blog serves up A Taste of Castelão; 2017 Casal Figueira “Tinto” 
• Cooking Chat has a Pork Tenderloin Pasta Recipe with a New Italian Wine 
• Vino Travels pours Barone di Serramarrocco Pignatello with Barbequed Ribs 
• Gwendolyn Alley Wine Predator invites us to  Discover Portugal’s Native Grapes in Esporão Organic Blends Paired with Alentejo Pork and Clams and Discover Portugal’s Native Grapes From Three Regions Paired with Peri Peri Chicken

While normally I seek out a certain wine or varietal and then choose a meal to pair with it.  This time I chose the recipe I was going to make and looked for a new varietal that would pair well with it.

I was hosting a Mardi Gras Dinner Party and had chosen a Ligurian Seafood Salad as a First Course.  I then went on a quest to find a varietal that was new to me that would pair nicely with the salad.

I often start my searches at wine.com because I have great luck finding what I need and having it delivered to my door.  I live in a rural area and the closest large wine shops are an hour travel time both ways.  Especially now, with the crisis in Ukraine and gas prices as they are, wine.com is the answer.

Even though my recipe, that I will be sharing with you on March 18, was adapted from one found at Louisiana Kitchen & Culture, I searched for wines from Liguria, an area in Northwestern Italy.

While I didn't find a wine I wanted to buy from Liguria I did find this wine made from Cortese grapes in Gavi.  Cortese is a new varietal for me.  Here is what wine.com had to say about this grape:

First recorded in the early 17th century in the province of Alessandria in SE Piedmont, Cortese today is most highly regarded from Gavi where soils are limestone-rich. It also grows well in the surrounding zones, namely Monferrato and Colli Tortonesi. Somm Secret—Because of its freshness and chalky minerality, this white wine commonly populates the fish restaurants’ wine lists of the Ligurian coast so practically owes more allegiance to this neighboring region than its home.

I knew I had found the wine I wanted to pair with this salad.  I was so pleased with the pairing. This wine "popped" when I opened it, making me expect some sparkle but while fresh and bright, it is definitely a still wine.  

It is full bodied and a little yeasty, so perhaps that is where the "pop" came from.  The producer, Broglia, is a third generation family business started in the 1950's.  They are recognized as a top producer and their wines are enjoyed in the Vatican.  I thought this was a sign that this wine should be enjoyed as we celebrated our last hurrah before the Lenten season began.

I hope that you will join us as we talk more about our discoveries.  Again, you will find us on 3/12 at 11 AM ET on Twitter Chat following #WinePW.  Come and learn about varietals that may be new for you too.