A Seasonal Nibbles Duet + Pear Valley Vineyard's Frizzante Muscat for #winePW

The second Saturday of the month is one of my favorite days. Do you know why? Because it's our #winePW - Wine Pairing Weekend - reveal. I absolutely adore it. How can you not love bloggers who love food and love wine. It's a fantastic event from which I always make a wine shopping list. And this month Jeff of foodwineclick is hosting this month. Here's his invitation. “Sparkling Wines and Hors D’oeuvres."

December is rife with holiday parties! So, our job this month was to create some great sparkling wine and appetizer pairings. What a perfect theme as we head into the season! If you see this early enough, please join us December 13th at 10 a.m. Central Time. We’ll be chatting on twitter at #WinePW about our creative holiday sparkling wine pairings. We’d love to have you join us!

In My Glass

For these events, I try to pick a somewhat local-to-me vintner...and something I haven't highlighted before. This month, I opted for Pear Valley Vineyard's Frizzante Muscat. Pear Valley is not too far down the road from where I am. 

Pear Valley started in the late 60s when owner Tom Maas was stationed on an army base in Germany…in the midst of a vineyard. There he developed an affection for wine. Pear Valley started with 20 acres in 1999 and now Tom and his wife Kathleen own 113 acres. In the Spring of 2008 they broke ground on a 14,000 square foot winery and a 5,000 square foot tasting room. And in August 2012 Pear Valley officially achieved Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Vineyard Certification. SIP Certification demonstrates a strict adherance to vineyard practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically-viable. Wine with a conscience. I love it!

Their Frizzante Muscat is deliciously sweet with just the right amount of spritz. I was reminded of orange blossom, jasmine and white peach. 

On the Plate

While I would typcially serve muscat with a dessert course, I wanted to create a seasonal nibbles duet that was both sweet and savory. I entertain quite a bit during the holidays and one thing I've learned: simple + delicious = hostess success.

Citronette with Winter Crudités

Ingredients

• veggies for dipping, I used candy cane beets, fennel, carrots, radishes, celery, and asparagus
• 1/4 C orange blossom honey (I picked orange blossom to match the citrus notes of the wine)
• 1/4 C fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 t finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 C olive oil
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 T fresh chopped herbs (I used some parsley and dill)

Procedure

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, and orange zest. Gradually whisk in the oil and season the citronette with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Persimmon Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Fuyu persimmons
• 1 fresh ricotta
• crusty bread, sliced
• olive oil
• thin slices of honey with its comb (you can substitute a drizzle of honey, if you like)
• 1/4 C toasted pecans , coarsely chopped
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the bread with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and lightly browned. In the meantime, slice the persimmons on a mandoline or as thin as you can.

Spread a dollop of ricotta on the toasted bread, lay a slice of persimmon on top. Place a thin slice of honeycomb on the persimmon and sprinkle with pecan pieces. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing Weekend #7 
Here's what all of the bloggers have created for the December Wine Pairing Weekend! Try something new this year! 

Sparkling Wine and Appetizer Pairings

• Bacon and Greens Dip with Bubbly by Cooking Chat 
• Piedmont Sparkling Nebbiolo & Pungent Anchovy Green Sauce by foodwineclick 
• Segura Viudas Aria Cava with Oysters and Spanish Tapas by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Butterflied Spicy Prawns and Treveri Sparkling Wine by Wild 4 Washington Wine 
• A Seasonal Nibbles Duet + Pear Valley Vineyard's Frizzante Muscat by Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Appetizers served with a Sparkling Wine by A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Cranberry Brie Biscuit Bites and Sparkling Muscat by Curious Cuisiniere 
• Moscato with Fresh Fruit Almond Cake and Zabaglione by Vino Travels -- An Italian Wine Blog
• Domaine Meriwether Sparkling Wine and Make Ahead Spanakopita by Tasting Pour 
• Wine and Dine: Anna de Cordoniu Brut NV and Herbed Parmesan Crisps by Grape Experiences 
• Italian Sparkling Wine: Bubbly & Bacon #winePW by Girls Gotta Drink 
• The Holidays Sparkle on #WinePW by Rockin Red Blog 
• Butternut and Bubbly by It's Okay to Eat the Cupcake 
• Smoked Salmon and Potato Chip Appetizer with Louis Roederer Champagne by ENOFYLZ

And that's a Wrap...

...on our December #winePW event.  My Seasonal Nibbles Duet + Pear Valley Vineyard's Frizzante Muscat pairing was so much fun! I'll pin this recipe and other posts on my #winePW pinterest board. David, the event creator, also has a Wine Pairing Weekend pinterest board. 

And, be sure to mark your calendars for January's Wine Pairing Weekend, hosted by Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva. We'll be sharing pairings at the #WinePW 8 conversation on Saturday, January 10! "New Wine Resolutions!"

If you can't find Pear Valley Vineyard's Frizzante Muscat, look for a Muscat that is not too syrupy. And if you try this pairing - or just the wine - I would love to hear what you think. Comment below, find Culinary Adventures with Camilla on facebook, or tweet to me at @Culinary_Cam.