Posted by Sandy GluckEvan Spingarn is the perfect person to talk wine with -- no attitude, no wacked out terminology, just good, common sense and great advice. He ought to know his stuff; he’s the author of “The Ultimate Wine Lovers Guide” and the founder of Evan Spingarn’s wine events.
I love working with Evan. I created a few dishes, let him know what I was going to prepare and he brought the roses he thought would work best with the food. We started with marcona almonds (they’re heart shaped, sweeter, and softer than regular almonds). I put the raw marcona almonds in a small skillet with cold olive oil, and then slowly cooked them until golden brown. I drained the almonds, tossed them with coarse salt and that was it! They tasted wonderful with a Spanish Rose Cava -- sparkling and fresh, a touch of sweetness that perfectly complimented the nuts.
Next a French rose paired with shrimp tostadas.
Along with the shrimp I made crisp corn tortillas, topped with a spicy concoction of cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle chili powder, and lime zest mix and finished with spiced sautéed shrimp. Again, another winning combo – in fact, Evan thought this was one of his best pairings ever.
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We ended with ginger-pistachio biscotti and a delicious Spanish rose.
Rose has come a long way. Once it was just a combo of red and white wine (and sometimes that’s what the least costly roses are created from) but it's come a long way. Whether they’re called roses, or the catchy marketing name "blush," they’re perfect for summer: fresh, cool, light, yet often full-bodied and luscious. Give them a try; I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. And thanks again to our friend Evan Spingarn for all the great info and tips.
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