Food & Wine Pairings To Try This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of the year where you surround yourselves with the ones you love. This Thanksgiving, why not surround yourselves with the ones you love and a bottle of these wines to share with the table? Not sure what to drink or how to pair it with? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with a food and wine guide is guaranteed to make your guests think you’re secretly a sommelier.

For Those Drinking White

Sauvignon Blanc

Enjoy a glass of fruity Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018. Cloudy Bay, produced in the Marlborough region which produces wines with an extra fruity aroma and flavor. If you enjoy the taste of lime, grapefruit, and nectarine, you'll definitely enjoy sharing a glass with your loved ones this Thanksgiving. We suggest pairing this with your sides like scallops and green beans.

Bordeaux

Made from the best varieties of white grapes in the Bordeaux region 2016 Mouton Cadet Blanc will fill the room with a wonderfully fruity smell. Meanwhile, it will fill your tastebuds with a delicious blend of grapefruit and lemon flavors. Since white bordeaux is rare, you may not want to miss out on your chance to share a bottle around your Thanksgiving table this year. This too will pair well with scallops with citrus fruit, oysters, seafood linguine.

For Those Drinking Red

Grenache

Bonterra Grenache 2015 will give you the taste of Thanksgiving dinner all on its own. The grapes used in this wine were grown on a previous cherry farm, so keeping with history, this wine features black cherries. You'll also enjoy the taste of sage, rosemary, and cracked black pepper, which is perfect to go along with your turkey this year. They even have a whole list of recipes you can find here.

Bordeaux

The Château Couronneau 2015, Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux ($19) is biodynamic wine from Côtes de Bordeaux’s newest and smallest appellation. This Merlot-forward red has a bouquet of ripe plums, blackberries, dark cherries and violet. This stunning wine enhances any dish with a fruit component such as duck with cherry chutney or a pork roast with winter fruit and Port sauce.

Merlot

The Elysian Merlot, the debut wine in Bonterra Organic Vineyards’ Elysian Collection, plays off the bucolic ideals and pastoral tranquility of northern California’s organic farmland, highlighting the diverse natural elements that create unique environments for grape cultivation, handpicked from plots teeming with life and biodiversity. The Elysian Merlot embodies the essence of a wine vinified from organically grown grapes, with a harmonious chorus of black plum, carob, raspberries and soulful minerality. This will pair perfect with any red meat you may be eating.

Cabernet Sauvignon

For those who can’t resist dessert this Thanksgiving, Spoken Barrel's Cabernet Sauvignon gives off the aromas of cherry, black currant, dark chocolate, and roasted oak, which are all symbolic scents of fall. This wine also tastes of blackberry, cherry, and vanilla. Whatever dessert you plan on serving this Thanksgiving, consider serving a glass to your guests with their dessert. Will be using the recipe below for the perfect tart,

Spoken Barrel Apple, Shallot and Blue Cheese Tart

 Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 ½ cups shallots, thinly sliced, (about 3 large shallots)

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight

• 1 small pink lady apple, thinly sliced and seeds removed

• 1 ½ tsp thyme leaves, roughly chopped

• 4 oz mild blue cheese, crumbled

• 1 Tbsp honey

1.       Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.       Over medium high heat, sauté shallots with 1 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt until soft and starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool slightly

3.       Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry until 12x12”, dusting your work surface with flour as needed.

4.       Assemble the tart by evenly spreading the shallots over the pastry, followed by the apples, thyme and blue cheese allowing a ½“ border.

5.       Bake the tart for 20 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and crisp. Drizzle over the honey and serve warm or at room temperature with Spoken Barrel wine.

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Chandon To Unveil New Holiday Bottles

Tis’ the season to start planning your holiday parties or coming up with some great gift ideas. Add the perfect conversation starter and kitchen flair to your party or friend’s home with this limited edition Chandon holiday bottle design.

Chandon California has teamed up with Baublebar, an accessory brand, to help created their second annual, beautiful limited edition holiday bottles.

The Chandon Holiday Collection features both a Brut and Rosé bottle inspired by Baublebar’s statement-making style and glamor. You can pick up your own beautiful holiday bottle starting September 24th as that is when the holiday bottles are set to launch.

Baublebar also created a limited edition #ChandonSquad necklace to celebrate their collaboration as it features Chandon’s signature shooting star logo.

Chandon’s holiday collection is a representation of collaboration between two brands with female leaders that bring the sparkle and shine into everyone’s lives in an accessible way. For Chandon California, their female leader is their Head Winemaker Pauline Lhote. For Baublebar, their female leaders are their founders Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky. Chandon has a long history of working with strong, inspirational female entrepreneurs, and feels Baublebar is a perfect fit and welcomed additional to their #ChandonSquad.

By Shaunna Redman

Have something you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

A guide to pairing up drinks with BBQs with love

We embrace the concept of LOVE in families, business, and also in food. Barbecuing is not just another form of getting foods on the table but a total skill that should be driven by a piece of passion.

Passion births the essence of skill in choosing accompaniments for barbecues which is why we hold it dearly at heart; hence, this bbq and drink pairing chart.

Many days before we discovered the skill to this art, we couldn’t care about what drinks we took with what food, so obviously, enjoyment downplayed.

Now, as BBQ professionals, we love to walk you through this wine and beer food pairing path for we attest to the fact that there is some real good to be felt when a perfect pairing is done.

Are we sure you really need this guide?

Have a think through this - have you ever been in a state where you had a good meal but yet a few minutes after, you had a strong craving to gobble up on some drink?

Exactly! Food and drinks are meant to be paired as a satisfying balance to the tummy and tongue so it is pretty old-fashioned to leave one out of the other. In the same way, barbecues should always have a fantastic drink pair up to enjoy the complete taste and flavors that it sits in.

A few questions for you to ponder over.

• Why do certain foods get spicier on the tongue after a cold drink to stop the spiciness?

• Some drinks make the taste of food bitter, why so?

• You had champagne with meat and you didn’t like the after-taste in your mouth. What went wrong?

Right here, we have all these questions answered

It is wrong to take just any drink lying on your counter with just any barbecue. There’s a skill to this, chap, and from this infographic, you will be well in the know on how to go about it.

Imagine putting in work to make some well-thought-out seasoned pork chops on your grill smoker combo and after, the taste goes bad simply because you had it with the wrong drink.

As a general rule of play, always pair spicy and sour foods with drinks with lesser levels of tannin and alcohol content while sweet foods can go with stronger drinks.

In the same way, thicker meat portions should go with stronger drinks because of the strong flavoring while leaner meats, cheese, fish, and vegetables can go with mild flavored and sweet drinks.

Have something you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

The Cool New Collaboration Between Moët and Chandon With Virgil Abloh

By Shaunna Redman

A good rosé goes a long way, but a designer bottle goes even further. For those of who have tried and love Moët’s Nectar Imperial Rosé, the #1 rosé champagne in the U.S., you can look forward to a new limited edition bottle design by Virgil Abloh.

Virgil Abloh

Moët’s iconic Nectar Imperial Rosé is getting an exclusive, limited edition collection of custom designed bottles created by Virgil Abloh. Virgil Abloh is currently the artistic director of Louis Vuitton, and has previously worked with companies such as Nike and IKEA. This was Virgil Abloh’s first time working with a liquor brand.

Virgil Abloh has been spending the past year working with Moët and Chandon. They came up with an all-white design of the bottle’s original design. There is also a special message on each bottle which says, “Do Not Drop”.

Starting on October 15th, 750ml “ready-to-wear” bottles will become available both nationwide and in select cities according to the listing. Meanwhile, Virgil Abloh will also be revealing special, limited number 3L jeroboam bottles some time in early October. These 3L jeroboam bottles will be exclusive to friends and family.

Have something you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Everything To Know Before your Labor Day Weekend BBQ

Summer is a great time to go outdoors and start grilling, but if you’re up for a challenge then you should consider trying Argentine Asado. Asado is Argentina’s version of a traditional barbeque that strictly uses wood for fuel. Grilling beef the Argentine way takes years to master and is considered a rite of passage amongst Argentinians.

Mario Graziano, a recent recipient of Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce Business Man of the Year title, and his son Leo are two experts from Argentina who have mastered the art of asado. They brought their culinary smarts to Miami in 1990, then opened a chain of steakhouses, bakeries and markets which were entitled Graziano’s. Below are a few of their secret tips to making their amazing asado.

1. Start with quality ingredients.

When preparing to grill this summer, don’t skimp on the quality of your food. You want to get the best products you can. Getting locally sourced beef which has been grass-fed will give you a more flavorful taste, and it is noticeable leaner.

A staple for any backyard chef, propane grills offer a wide variety of grilling options that will delight the entire family.

2. Fire is the heart and soul of Argentine grilling.

When it comes to asado, only wood is used to give the beef a smokey taste and to remain to the traditional roots of adado. Although, the trick to grilling the perfect asado is to not let the beef touch the flames. Graziano’s has Quebracho wood ordered on a quarterly basis to give the asado its smoky flavors that it is known for.

3. One flip is all it takes.

There is no need to keep flipping the beef when it comes to asado. Flipping the beef once will keep it juicy while also giving the outside a nice brown crust.

4. No fancy tricks. Just salt.

When it comes to asado, it is believed that the flavor comes from the quality of the beef you are grilling, which is enhanced by only salt. When grilling your asado, salt it from above and serve it with some homemade chimichurri.

5. Patience is everything.

Asado takes time and patience as it best cooked low and slow. The process can take up to three hours, but it’s well worth the wait. While you’re waiting, gather your friends and family around and enjoy some Carbernet Sauvignon or Mendoza Malbec. Leo Graziano’s pick is Las Perdices Cabernet Franc.

For those who need the ultimate bbq wine Ravage 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon that come along with the ultimate summer grilling kit – complete with expert grilling advice from Pitmaster Hugh Mangum. During summer grilling. Whether making flavorful steak tacos or opting for equally as delicious lamb shoulder pitas, Ravage’s smooth, fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon enhances the flavors of any sizzling-hot meal. 

For those you who are looking for a new sauce to try out Williams Family Kitchen’s has recently debuted NONO SAUCE which brings an extra shine to supper time, grilling, side dishes, family gatherings and fills all your meals with flavor and soul.

Produced in partnership with NYC’s iconic leading purveyor and retailer of fine foods, DEAN & DELUCA, this spicy yet sweet blend will become your culinary secret weapon and can be purchased online here.

By Shaunna Redman

How To Drink Like You're At The U.S. Open

Grey Goose Honey Deuce

If you haven't gone to the U.S. Open, then there is a lot you're missing out on. From spending the last Summer Days outside, as athletes and celebrities like Andy Cohen, Kevin Spacey, and Anna Wintour take part in this 2-week sporting event, it's always an elegant event.

Crafted to pay homage to the world’s most exciting Grand Slam, the Grey Goose Honey Deuce is comprised of Grey Goose Vodka, freshly squeezed lemonade and raspberry liqueur, topped with tennis-inspired honeydew melon balls.

Designed to transport tennis fans near and far to the non-stop courtside action, the cocktail is named after the most exciting moment of a tennis match when the score is tied at 40-40 - coined by tennis nerds as “deuce.” The refreshing sip is ideal for cooling off during the sultry summer days or powering through the wee hours of the morning to see if Roger Federer can keep up the momentum stateside following his record-breaking Wimbledon triumph.

Not able to attend this year's event? You can still try the Honey Deuce for yourself as it will be served at several New York hot spots, around the city. Bars include the Dream Downtown, PHD Terrace at Dream Midtown, 48 Lounge, Ascent Lounge, The Pierre, and Four Seasons Hotel.

Don't feel like going out, or want to host a viewing party yourself, make your guests feel like they're at the event by making the cocktail yourself. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 parts Grey Goose Vodka

• Fresh squeezed lemonade

• 1/2 part Chambord or premium raspberry liqueur

• Crushed ice

• Honeydew melon balls

Directions

Chill Collins Glass by placing in refrigerator/ freezer or by filling with ice water for 5 minutes. Remove Collins Glass from refrigerator/freezer, and fill with ice. Measure and add vodka to Collins Glass. Top with measured amount of fresh lemonade. Measure and add raspberry liqueur. Garnish with skewer of 1 or multiple frozen honeydew melon balls (note: place honeydew melon in freezer beforehand, then, to create melon balls, use melon baller).