What is a Wine Consultant? What do you do exactly?

Every wonder about what it is I do?  Take a read from the Huffington Post...

WineShop At Home, a company with a mission to take the intimidation out of learning about wine and the wine buying experience by holding a casual tasting in the comfort of people's homes.  Think of it as a Tupperware party for wine.  Yes there is a sales pitch, but it's a soft sell.  You get to try before you buy.  No one is judging your knowledge about wine or what you're tasting in the glass.  It's all about being in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages enjoying wine rather than analyzing it.

read more....

This has been great year for me with WineShop.  Let me know if you know of anyone looking to make a little extra money with a fun and flexible job.

Chops and Halcyon Chardonnay - Smoky and Toasty

Mom and dad were in town as we tried another primal dinner paired with wine. None of the four of us are "wine experts", but based on the food pairings recommended by WineShop on the tasting card we gave it a whirl.

For those unfamiliar with a primal diet - it's a whole foods approach to eating that eliminates modern processed foods and limits carbohydrate intake.  This time we chose the Grilled pork chops, grilled carrots (from Mark Sisson's Quick and Easy Cookbook) with the raw kale slaw I'm addicted to (lcbo.com).  Decided to pair it with WineShops Halcyon 2011 Chardonnay.  This wine was good and well received when it came out, but fellow consultant and friend Julie Shepard and I think it has recently been even better! It is a classic Chardonnay with a nice toast on the finish.

The meal!

Chops and Carrots - Mix ancho chile powder (I had Chipotle on hand), cumin, cinnamon and salt. Add 3 T of melted butter.  Pour half over carrots and half over chops.   Grill.

Also on the plate is a mushroom that a generous neighbor pulled out of her garden.

Raw Kale Slaw.  One of my favorite salads. Raw Kale Slaw Recipe

The meal was delicious. We liked the smoky taste off the chops and carrots with the toasty finish on the Chardonnay.  This white wine stands up nicely with a meal with big flavors.

Thanks to Nuno for the photo!

Primal +wine

I am a few days in to my primal cooking journey. Adding to the challenge, I was keeping in mind what wine I would serve with the dish!  

For those unfamiliar with a primal diet - it's a whole foods approach to eating that eliminates modern processed foods and limits carbohydrate intake.  A spicy sausage dish caught my eye from Mark Sisson's Quick and Easy Cookbook. I decided to pair it with WineShops Frisch Gewürztraminer. While I'm not usually a fan of sweeter wines, I was hoping the spiciness from the meal would pair well with the wine.

- Spicy pork sausage cut bite sized wrapped in lightly steamed cabbage leaves, toothpick, dipped in grainy mustard

- Sautéed portobello mushrooms in olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes

- Carrots and celery in dip; spinach, parsley, mayo, lemon juice, scallions

The meal was delicious. The wine was well structured and sweet, yet paired well with the spiciness of the meal!  Yum!  Thanks to Nuno for the photo!