Perfect Pairings

Ohio’s bountiful harvest is under way, and stores and roadside stands are piled high with freshly picked vegetables and fruit. Providing a natural complement to these crops are the fruits of Ohio’s vineyards — wines that pair perfectly with Ohio produce and meats. Read on for wine-friendly recipes with suggested Ohio wine pairings, expert tips for creating your own food and wine match-ups and the latest from Ohio’s wine trails.

Many thanks to chef and food stylist Doug Zimmer, owner of Gatherings Kitchen in Lakewood (gatheringskitchen.com), which offers gourmet catering services and cooking classes, as well as Marianne Frantz, wine guru and owner of the Cleveland Wine School (clevelandwineschool.com) in Beachwood.

 

St. Joseph Vineyard Shiraz

A hearty beef dish needs a full-bodied wine like this Shiraz to stand up to its size, and Shiraz’s peppery notes make it a nice pairing with grilled red meat dishes.

Blanch the cubed peppers in salted boiling water before placing on the skewer to soften slightly, otherwise peppers will remain crisp.

 

Ingredients:
1 orange
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sherry
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
2 pounds beef tenderloin, cubed
1 each — red, yellow, orange and green peppers, cubed salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, zest and juice the orange. Whisk in the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, dry sherry, garlic and ginger. Pour the mixture over the cubed beef and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

While the beef is marinating, pre-soak the wooden skewers.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the marinated beef onto the skewers alternating with the peppers. Salt and pepper and place on the grill, rotating after about 3 minutes. Serve immediately with buttered potatoes or rice.

 

The Wine:

Ferrante Golden Bunches Riesling

Why it Works:

Chef’s Tips:

Be sure to remove the foot (the small tough square muscle that attaches the scallop to the shell) from the scallop.

Ingredients:

For the Skewers:
12 large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
12 sea scallops
12 grape tomatoes
4 metal skewers (If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1 hour prior to grilling)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons melted butter salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Pasta:

2 cups Acini Di Pepe pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Lemon Wine Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Ferrante Off-Dry Golden Bunches Riesling
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1/8 cup cornstarch combined with 1/2 cup water (for thickening) salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place shrimp, scallops and grape tomatoes on skewers, alternating each piece. In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, olive oil, melted butter and salt and pepper. Brush over both sides of each skewer.

Cook and cool pasta according to directions.

Prepare lemon wine sauce. In small sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the Riesling, half-and-half, garlic, juiced lemon and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. In separate bowl combine the cornstarch and water and whisk into the sauce to thicken.

Continue to cook 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

In medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 4–5 minutes, until spinach wilts. Toss with cooked pasta. Cover to keep warm.

Place seafood kabobs on grill over medium heat and cook 4 minutes on each side. Place on bed of pasta and spinach and drizzle with lemon wine sauce.

 

 

Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne

The wine is a natural match for lighter chicken dishes.

For juicier results, brine your chicken breasts in a mixture of 1/4 cup kosher salt and
1/2 gallon water for 30 minutes before grilling.

 

2 8-ounce skinless, boneless
chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 portabella mushroom cap, cut into strips
1/2 small red onion, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pesto
4 pieces leaf lettuce
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
4 pita wraps, warmed on the grill

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (Skip the salt if you brine the chicken). On a clean, oiled grill, grill chicken breast over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices when cool.

Chop vegetables and toss with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Roast vegetables until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch rounds. Thoroughly combine the pesto and the mayonnaise.

To assemble, spread 1 tablespoon of pesto mayonnaise onto each wrap. Top with leaf lettuce, 1/4 of the roasted vegetables, 4 ounces of chicken and 2 ounces of fresh mozzarella, then roll to seal.

 

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Explore Ohio’s wineries along six wine trails.

This month marks Vintage Ohio (visitvintageohio.com), Aug. 7–8 at Lake Farmpark in Kirtland and the Toast of Ohio Wine Festival (merrygoroundmuseumorg/ winefestival.html), Aug. 15 at the Sandusky Bay Pavilion in Sandusky, two of the state’s biggest celebrations of our local wines.

These events offer the perfect opportunity to sample Ohio-produced wines of all makes and models — red, white, rose, bubbly, sticky sweet, bone dry — in one spot. Once you’ve found your favorites, grab a map and head to the source. Ohio has six wine trails to help with your treasure hunting.

The Lake Erie Shores and Islands Trail in northern Ohio stretches from the Indiana border to Cleveland along the western Lake Erie basin and houses more than a dozen wineries. Continuing east, the Wines and Vines Trail in the state’s far northeast corner is home to 20 wineries clustered within a 30-mile radius and acres and acres of vines (this area grows more than 65 percent of all the wine grapes in Ohio). Heading south, you’ll hit the Canal Country Trail near the communities of Akron, Canton and Wooster — the fastest-growing winery region in the state. The Capital City Trail includes eight wineries all clustered around and near Columbus, with the Appalachian Trail just a short drive to the southeast along I-70. In southwest Ohio, near Dayton and Cincinnati, the Nicholas Longworth Heritage Trail harbors the history of Ohio’s wine industry as well as a few remaining descendants of trail namesake Nicholas Longworth’s original vines (located at Valley Vineyards in Morrow).

With more than 100 wineries in the state, having a plan before you head out will help make your trip more fun and productive. Here, some suggestions from wine expert Marianne Frantz for making the most of your vineyard adventure:

1. Embrace the idea of spitting. A normal part of tasting wine, spitting helps the taster evaluate many wines without the effects of alcohol. Most tasting rooms have special spit vessels or buckets at the ready.

2. Make a plan. Grab a map and get to know the wine region before you head out. You’ll spend less time getting lost and more time trying Ohio’s fantastic wines.

3. Bring bottled water to sip between tastes of wine.

The structural components of wine (acid, tannins and alcohol) all serve to dehydrate. Drinking water keeps you hydrated and prevents palate fatigue.

4. Take notes. It’s your best bet for remembering your favorite wine. Jot down three simple notes for each wine tasted — the name of the wine, the grape variety or varieties and three words you would use to describe the wine to a friend.

5. Bring a cooler. Warm summer days are perfect for touring wine country but can cook newly purchased wine left in a hot car. Red, white or rose, put your new bottles in the cooler to keep them cool until you get home.

 

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Appetizing Combinations
Ohio cheeses such as those on this month’s cover are a piquant summer party food, especially when served with Ohio wines and crusty bread or crackers.

 

Pictured on the cover are, left, top to bottom:

 

Guggisberg Baby Swiss, made in Millersburg, Holmes County. Try it with a dry Riesling or Pinot Noir.

 

Heini’s Marble Cheese, a combination of white and yellow Colby cheeses, manufactured in Millersburg, Holmes County. Try it with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

 

Middlefield Original Cheese certified organic Tomato Basil Cheese, a zesty cow’s milk variety made in Geauga County. Try it with a dry Riesling or off.dry Vidal Blanc.

Middlefield Original Cheese Sharp Cheddar, made in Geauga County. Try it with Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

On the right is Buckeye Grove Gouda Boeren Kaase, produced in Beallsville, Monroe County. Try it with Pinot Noir.

Add to your cheese board a spreadable goat’s milk cheese such as Mackenzie Creamery Chevre Artisan Goat Cheese, made in Hiram in Portage County, or Integration Acres Fresh Chevre, made in Albany in Athens County. Try it with Seyval Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc.