October has arrived and I am done with all my September press trips. Fall is my favorite time of year. After a long, hot Texas summer I am always thrilled when the temperatures begin to fall. Plus fall brings football and hockey! By being intentional about my choices I managed to maintain my fitness level after a month of epic food and wine in Italy and France. However, I am always looking to save calories where ever I am able because I make up for it at other times. I am thrilled to bring you another delicious, light and healthy weeknight food and wine pairing.

The Wine: I am excited to share this wine with you. It is the first vintage of Albariño produced by Gallica. It is also the only white wine Gallica produces. It is a small production (180 cases) crafted from grapes sourced from Rorick Heritage Vineyard situated north of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Foothills 2000FT above sea level. (Remember a previous article Food & Wine Pairing: Forlorn Hope Meets the Grill, renegade wine makerMatthew Rorick owns this vineyard!) Having not yet tasted the wine the terrain and elevation lead me to believe it was going to have a crisp minerality. I’m excited; let’s see what it had to offer.

Gallica “Rorick Heritage Vineyard” Albariño, Calaveras, Sierra Foothills, 2015: The wine is crafted predominately of Albariño with a touch of Muscat Blanc; dazzling aromatic nose of peaches, melons, a soft hint of tart lime zest, and the sweetness I love of my favorite spring flower – sweet allysum; though it has a creamy texture it envelopes the palate in the tartness of the lime zest, its penetrating acidity coats the palate leaving a long finish; not only is this going to be a great food wine, it’s stunningly beautiful; SRP $36; order direct from Gallica or click here to locate this wine near you.

The Food Pairing: When we left off I believe I shared how much I enjoyed the October edition of Cooking Light Magazine. Thank goodness eating well does not mean deprivation of good food. Earlier this week I made Sheet Pan Swedish Meatballs to pair with three delicious Merlots. The meatball recipe made more than the dish called for with the understanding the meatballs could be used in additional recipes from the October edition of Cooking Light.

My Choice: I selected Banh Mi Bowls to pair with the Gallica Albariño. Banh Mi is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich with a cult like following. The sandwich is crafted of a very special Vietnamese crafted crispy baguette, inside it can be filled with pork, chicken, sardines, or eggs, with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, and cucumbers. Cooking light has simplified and deconstructed the French colonial sandwich into an easy weeknight bowl. Authentic? NO! Delicious and easy? YES.

The Results: Quite frankly the results were a dynamite meal. The wine paired seamlessly with the spice of the Banh Mi Bowls. In the words of my husband, “Feel free to serve this again anytime.” I added a little extra heat in the form of Sriracha sauce to the meal and the creamy texture of the wine balanced out the touch of heat with the creaminess of the peanut butter in the sauce. Furthermore, the acidity of the pickled carrots and radishes really complimented the wine. Winner, winner weeknight Vietnamese wine pairing dinner!

More about Gallica from their web site:

GALLICA is a small hands-on family winemaking endeavor. A longtime desire to make wines from unique sites, work side-by-side with committed growers, and explore Rhone varietals, all eventually led to bottling wine under the GALLICA label in 2007. I rely on simple winemaking practices while lavishing in the detail. My goal is to fashion expressive yet balanced wines that represent the very best of a vintage. In addition to our estate fruit, grapes are sourced from family owned vineyards on enviable sites from Napa Valley to Santa Lucia Highlands. We are located in a handsome barn in the heart of St. Helena, California where we organically farm heritage Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rosemary Cakebread has earned her reputation for excellence quietly. With more than thirty vintages, she is known for making distinct wines notable for restraint and elegance, with remarkable consistency. With a degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California Davis, she was introduced to Cabernet Sauvignon at the historic Inglenook Winery. From early cellar jobs to a winemaking position at Spottswoode Vineyard and Winery, Rosemary has built her career around a love for wine. Her appreciation and knowledge about aromatics and blending comes from subsequent work with sparkling wine. Rosemary has been fortunate to work with iconic estate properties in Napa Valley, the right bank in Bordeaux, and currently with several prized vineyards in northern California.

What is your latest and greatest weeknight food and wine pairing?

My Song Selection: I frequently get songs stuck in my head. My latest tune is catchy and fun. It sounds like an old song but in fact it is new. I played the cd on Apple Music while I was making this dinner. I was so excited about this wine it made me want to dance. Listening to this song also made me want to dance. The two go together very well because they are unique and very pleasing.

Get your own bottle of Gallica “Rorick Heritage Vineyard” Albariño, Calaveras, Sierra Foothills, 2015 and let me know what song you pair with it. Cheers!