Spring is here! I have received many really nice wine samples and the beautiful spring weather has inspired me to cook some nice meals for my family. Today I have not one but TWO delicious and easy wine and food pairings perfect for a busy week night or to relax and savor al fresco.

The wines:

Matchbook 2015 Rosé of Tempranillo: crafted of 77% Tempranillo, 14% Syrah, 7% Tannat, 2% Graciano all grown in the Matchbook Vineyard in Dunnigan Hills. Penetrating fuchsia in the glass; fresh aromas of strawberries, watermelon, white peaches, and honey dew melon; easy and clean on the palate with lots of acidity that coat the mouth with a long finish; SRP $12

Winemaker Notes from Matchbook Wines: 24 hours after we crushed our Tempranillo grapes, we “bled” a small percentage of the juice off the skins before it had a chance to color up. This juice was then slowly and naturally cold fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The 2015 fermentation took almost three months to complete, producing a wine with beautiful aromatics and a vibrant color. We blended in a small amount of estate rosé of Syrah, Tannat and Graciano for added complexity.

Chasing Venus 2015 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc by Matchbook Wines: Crafted of 100% Sauvignon Blanc; Light gold in the glass; ripe peaches, grapefruit, penetrating lime zest, and grassy notes leap from the glass; rich and round texture, crisp and bright acidity that is mouth-watering good, lingering zesty finish; SRP $15.99.

Vineyard Notes from Matchbook Wines: Chasing Venus wines are produced from grapes grown on small family farms in the acclaimed Marlborough appellation. The fruit was harvested and crushed in Marlborough. After fermentation, the wine was transferred to a stainless steel tank and shipped to our winery in Zamora where our winemakers added the finishing touches before bottling in November 2015.

The food pairing: The May issue of Cooking Light Magazine is packed with delicious, healthy, and easy recipes. I have spent the past weeks cooking my way through this edition. For this edition of “Food and Wine Pairing” I selected two recipes to pair with these two Matchbook wines.

My choice: I chose to pair Cajun Shrimp Linguine with Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc. However, I substituted diced chicken for the shrimp and I had many different left over pastas in my pantry so I substituted farfalle and orecchiette for the linguine. It was a delicious meal, fast, healthy and perfect for a Monday! I chose to pair Strawberry Chicken Salad with Pecans with Matchbook Rosé of Tempranillo. I was excited because I used Bordeaux honey in the salad dressing!

The results: Both dishes were perfect with the wines! Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile wine that pairs beautifully with spring. The pasta dish had a subtle spice notes that built over the course of the meal. Not every wines pair well with spices; thankfully Sauvignon Blanc does pair well with spice and was a hit with this dish! The Rosé of Tempranillo is also a perfect pairing with spring cuisine. Seafood, shell fish, poultry, fresh fruit, and creamy cheese are all great pairing ideas. The salad contained many of these ingredients making it a lovely spring weeknight treat! If you are looking for delicious, healthy and easy spring meals for yourself or your family and great wines to pair with them I highly recommend both of these two pairings!

In my article last winter “Matchbook Wines: Igniting the Fire in Us All” I shared with you the story of the Giguiere brothers and the history of Matchbook Wines. Please read that article to learn about Matchbook Wines in Dunnigan Hills.

From Matchbook Wines web site regarding Chasing Venus wines:

Elusive Venus

In 1769, Captain Cook took command of the HMS Endeavor, setting sail for the Pacific to study the passage of the planet Venus across the disc of the Sun. Little did the world know, this was a ruse for the true objective of Cook’s voyage: He’d been commissioned by the British to find the mysterious and elusive “Southern Continent.” On this voyage, Cook became the first European to explore New Zealand, and he did eventually find Australia. Quite an accomplishment for a captain who was just out Chasing Venus.

Chasing Venus focuses on what New Zealand does best: Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit source is from the Comely Bank and the Griggs Vineyards in the heart of the Marlborough region. The wines are being made under the supervision of winemaker Dan Cederquist and will be made in the aggressive pungent grapefruit gooseberry style that has made New Zealand world famous.

 Please visit the Matchbook Wines web site to learn more about them, view their entire portfolio of wines, and order these wines for yourself!

My Song Selection: As a child of the 80’s I totally love the vibe of this song (a  little Culture Club anyone?)! Though it was published in 1983 I recently heard it for the first time so it is my song of spring and pairs perfectly with these two great spring meals and Matchbook wines! Enjoy!

Get your own bottles of Chasing Venus 2015 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Matchbook 2015 Rosé of Tempranillo and let me know what song you pair with them