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The blossoming popularity of avocados (paired with wine)
Avocado: Ripe and Ready
Wine: Light and high in acidity
Pair them together and enjoy the deliciousness they exude
The avocado is a very versatile fruit that is enjoyed in many forms, many dishes, and many ways. One way it is highly enjoyed is alongside a glass of wine. It is true that avocados do not have an overwhelming taste, however their subtle yet succulent flavor can be enhanced with the right wine. Given the fact that they have a rich creamy texture, they need a crisp wine that will cut through it and cleanse the palate.
What we suggest you do the next time you have an avocado is pouring yourself a glass of wine containing the following characteristics:
- Light-bodied
- High acidity
- Sweet
- Fruity or floral aromas
Here are some avocado-based dishes that are beautifully complemented with Lebanese wines:
- Smoked salmon and avocado/ Salmon tartar with avocado & Chardonnay
This dry white wine with its high-acid profile and citrusy floral aromas perfectly cuts through the texture of the dish to deliver the most perfect match of food and drink! Be sure to pop open a bottle of Chardonnay the next time you prepare this dish.
Find your selection here:
LATOURBA Chardonnay 2020
Reserve Ammiq Chardonnay 2020
Rowan Blanco Chardonnay 2020
Chateau St Thomas Chardonnay 2019
- Citrus avocado salad & Sauvignon Blanc
A dry white wine that is both fruity and bursting with fresh scents and aromas is the perfect combination to have with your citrus salad. This mix of zesty flavors calls for a palate celebration as the fruitiness comes through and the citrus notes get highlighted. To do so, grab a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and get ready for a ride!
Find your selection here:
Domaine Wardy Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Aurora Cuvee N Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Chateau Oumsiyat Sauvignon Blanc 2020
- The crowd favorite: Avocado toast with poached egg & Dry White Wine. First off, there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of wine with brunch. Second, the way to go here would be popping open a bottle of dry white wine. The crisp acidity of said wine is fresh, sweet, and pleasant which goes perfectly well with all egg-based dishes. The egg, avocado and chilled glass of white creates a flavorful experience that will leave you feeling both satiated and highly content.
Find your selection here:
Chateau St Thomas Obeidy 2020
Chateau Qanafar Blanc 2020
Chateau Oumsiyat Blanc de Blancs 2021
Chateau Kefraya Blanc de Blancs 2021
- Guacamole & Sparkling wine
The perfect dip for the perfect tortilla scoop, and accompanied by the perfect glass of Lebanese sparkling wine. The sparkle in your glass makes for a great party drink and is a great match to cut through the saltiness of the guacamole.
Bottle to try: Batroun Mountains Frizzante Sparkling White Wine 2021
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
Red wine is not to be forgotten here. Displaying red fruit notes, and spicy aromas; the reds are the way to go when combining with grains as it takes the simple dish to the next level. The flavors are quickly enhanced and made even more delicious with the red grapes.
Find your selection here:
Chateau Oumsiyat Grande Reserve 2018
Couvent Rouge Petit Red 2018
Domaine de Baal Petit Baal Red 2019
Iris Domain Red house wine 2015
- Avocado sushi rolls
With the avocado rolls, the rosé is the way to go! Rosé tends to be a great food wine and the pairing with avocado rolls is genuinely heavenly and is a great way to cleanse your palate in between your bites.
Find your selection here:
IXSIR Grande Reserve Rose 2021
Chateau Cana Les Cabires Rosé 2021
Chateau Trois Collines Pinot Noir Rosé Ample 2020
Terre Joie Aromatix Rose 2019
The addition of a light red, an acidic white, or a lovely rosé while you enjoy the benefits of an avocado is enough to highly elevate both your meal and your mood!
Pinot Noir: The ultimate holiday wine
Pinot Noir has developed a huge fan base among avid wine lovers. In fact, beside it being one of the oldest grapes ever, it is also one of the most planted grapes in the world today.
Pinot Noir, literally translating to “black pine”, was named after the pinecone shape of the grape bunches. It originated in Burgundy, France but is now harvested in many countries around the world (that have the right climate) including our very own Lebanon! Indeed, many wineries produce Pinot Noir: in Batroun, in the Beqaa Valley, in Mount Lebanon and in Bhamdoun for instance.
It is a key variety in the wine world and is very versatile as a grape. While people tend to know the Pinot Noir to make the great reds, it is important to note that it also makes for delicious Rosé when the grapes are less ripe creating a fresh and crisp drink. It also has a lighter body, making it enjoyable for white wine lovers as well. Really, it has the ability to satisfy every and all wine drinkers!
Pinot Noir, due to its acidity, is perfect to pair with foods such as Turkey. This is what makes it the ultimate holiday wine as it flawlessly compliments Christmas dishes. It wonderfully mingles with the savory flavors of the bird and easily enhances our bites.
This holiday season, while you celebrate the festive occasions, have your taste buds celebrate the delicacies of such a pairing! Here’s a list of Pinot Noir wines or Christmas packsyou can purchase from our website to complete your dinner preparations:
Chateau Heritage Pinot Noir Duck Duo Christmas Pack 2021
Lebanon’s Bekaa Heritage Christmas Gift
Chateau Trois Collines Pinot Noir 2019
Rowan Domaine Pinot Noir 2019
Aurora Pinot Noir 2021
Reserve Ammiq Pinot Noir 2021
Chateau Cana Pinot Noir 2014
And Many More...
Enjoy your feast!
La Tourba: Le vin effervescent
Sparkling wine is enjoyed around the world for its particular fizzy characteristic and celebratory feel. It’s a glass of bubbly that is usually shared amongst loved ones which only adds to the feel-good sentiment it already provides us!
La Tourba vineyard in our beautiful Bekaa Valley of Lebanon have excelled at making effervescent wine. The process took several rounds and several years, but they were able to perfect it to the point where it has become a staple in Lebanese households.
The hard work, dedication and patience gave life to a sparkling 100% Chardonnay (The Unique bottle) and a 100% Pinot Noir Rosé sparkling wine (The Kristina bottle) using the Méthode Champenoise Traditional. The latter entails the secondary fermentation process to occur inside the bottle. Later, more time is spent on aging the dead yeast cells which transforms the aroma, flavor, and texture. The aging process lasts between 18 to 24 months depending on the wine.
These wines are a testament to the saying “Good things come to those who wait” since indeed, they always come out to be those delicious, palate-amusing, perfectly bubbly drinks!
Before the bottles are ready to be placed on shelves, there’s the disgorgement (when the yeast used to make the bubbles is removed from the bottle by method of freezing) and finally the dosage (when the final sugar levels of the wine is adjusted). Then, they get corked and are finally ready to go into the world!
It is only after all this that consumers get to pour the wine into a glass and relish in the tiny bubbles, enjoy the sensation of it and have their taste buds thank them for such a flavorful explosion!
Food and alcohol: a match made in heaven
It is no secret that washing down our food with some alcohol is one of the simple pleasures of life.
It adds a little “je ne sais quoi” to our culinary experiences as our palates are delighted with certain mixtures.
There are specific beverages that go with specific foods that take us on a unique adventure.
So, here’s a roadmap for the best combinations in order to reach the best flavorful occurrence.
For starters, if you’re looking to jazz up your meal with some champagne; here are some foods that go amazingly well with it:
Oysters, Shellfish, Duck, Spicy foods and Soft and creamy cheeses like Goat Cheese or Halloumi
If you’re less into the sparkling wine and usually opt for reds; here are some things to pair it with:
Steak ( a classic favorite, of course), Mushroom risotto, Pizza, Veal and Grilled pork
For white lovers, here’s some food items you can indulge in along with your bottle:
Sushi, Poultry (chicken or turkey), Shrimp, crab, and lobster and Light salads
Now, there’s a huge community of beer lovers in the world who enjoy the casual six-pack in front of the TV or by the beach while snacking on some chips or popcorn; but there’s more to just that!
Burgers, Chicken wings, Mexican food, Grilled cheese sandwiches, Barbecue and Sausages
Have a beer with any of the above-mentioned foods and we can guarantee that will it only better your meal!
Now onto Vodka… Vodka on the rocks, vodka with a twist, vodka-based cocktail --- however you prefer to take it, it is undoubtedly a perfect accompaniment for the following dishes:
Russian Salad, Smoked fish of all kinds, Dried of smoked beef, Steak tartare and Creamy or salty cheeses
Moving onto Whiskey now… Whiskey doesn’t have to be served only after food. Times have changed and people now enjoy sipping their drink along with some food! Here’s a list of some:
Focaccia bread, Dark Chocolate, Shrimp cocktail, Onion rings, Mini quiches and Liver pâté
Now gin is popular with a variety of different food options ranging from Indian curries to charcuterie to berries! Pour yourself a Gin and Tonic next time and see for yourself!
Finally, let’s discuss Rum! When you think Rum and food, your mind should automatically take you to Steak for starters! The grilled flavors of the meat along with the wood, caramel essence of the spirit is not something you want to miss out on. It also pairs perfectly well with your Mac and Cheese and really, any dessert at all!
We hope this blueprint will invite you to experiment more with alcohol and food and get your taste buds working!
Your wine preference based on your coffee of choice!
Choosing a wine can be a quite difficult task for many of us; we don’t know what to look for exactly or which characteristics or features would be to our liking. Since not everybody is a wine connoisseur and our ability to appreciate different flavors is defined by our palate, each one of us carries a different appreciation for taste.
Yet, it seems easier for us to pick out our favorite coffee to the point where it has become almost instinctive every time we order it or make it. There are attributes that are present in both wine and coffee that can help us discover our wine preference.
The attributes in question here are:
- Aroma
- Acidity
- Body (how the drink feels inside your mouth)
And now… We’re going to take you on a journey to discover your favorite wine:
For those who enjoy a straight black coffee, you would like sharp wines that have notes of spiciness and acidity like a Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah or a Merlot.
If you’re a Latte or Cappuccino drinker, you should opt for softer wines with low bitterness such as Rosé or Pinot Noir.
Short, black and intense coffees like espressos or macchiatos call for bigger and bolder wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
Lastly, for those who enjoy the Chai Tea Latte; a more refined and elegant palate is at play here so good wines would be the Pinot Gris or the Viognier.
Coffee and Wines are similar; give this a try and see if you find your preference!
Food pairing: Rosé and fresh cheese
Rosé and fresh cheese… once put together, form a beautiful and delicious bond one can’t get enough of. Almost everyone in the world knows this about the heavenly combination, right?
Now, imagine how true it rings in Lebanon specifically with all the amazing local produce we have.
The country’s beautiful landscapes and weather have allowed for the nicest wineries to bloom throughout the years, offering its people amazing Lebanese wines.
Whether it’s from the Beqaa Valleys or Mount Lebanon or wherever your preference is, any Lebanese rosé should be your #1 go-to when preparing your cheese wheels or your wine and cheese nights.
Here’s a few combinations we highly recommend;
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100% Lebanese DNA - Obeidy St. Thomas
While the Lebanese people are becoming more and more international, and our Diaspora is living in the four corners of the world, one of the things that everyone always takes pride in is the country’s heritage and its beautiful identity.
Lebanon is known for its culture whether it be in relation to its music, its art, its food or its delicious wines for instance. There are a variety of different reds, whites and rosés harvested in the gorgeous landscapes surrounding the country. Many of the latter hold European hints to their making and taste but the Obeidy wine made by Château St Thomas is unique in its composition.
This bottle is made using what once used to be considered unsuitable for wine-making; the Obeidy grape. The owners of Château St Thomas decided to send it to DNA testing and profiling where it was revealed that it is authentically 100% Lebanese. After experimentation, the vineyard excelled in the making of Obeidy wine and have launched it in the market with the efforts of reviving the legendary grape of Lebanon.
This dry white wine comes from the Bekaa Valley contains floral notes and sweet spices, perfect for all who enjoy citrus notes. This mix is that of a divine concoction that will add more life to your bar at home and make you appreciate Lebanese wine at its finest.
It’s not day drinking, it’s brunch…
Brunch is the best excuse to start drinking early in the AM and what other than a good mimosa to pair with your food?
We’re here to make sure you host your best brunch yet with our mimosa recipe that will have you and your guests reaching for the carafe all afternoon.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 chilled bottle of your favorite dry sparkling wine
- 3 cups chilled orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
And that’s it; an easy and quick make for a delicious drink that is guaranteed to upscale your eggs benedict, your avocado toast and honestly… your overall day.
Terre Joie from the Bekaa Valley brings us joy with its wines (as per its name).
If you’re somebody who doesn’t particularly enjoy red wine due to its warmer temperature or perhaps its more aggressive nature, Terre Joie has created the perfect bottle that will make you question all you have ever known. The CinLight 2018 made particularly with Cinsault (which originates from France) is meant to be drank cooled. According to the owner of the winery, it is a “white red”. It’s light and perfect to taste!
Another bottle that is exclusively unique to Lebanon would be The Aromatix Rosé 2019 that is the only wine made 100% from Grenache which is similar to many French wines all the while staying true to its Lebanese foundation. Just like its name indicates, the aromas are impossible to miss with all the freshness they impose.
These two unique bottles are crafted to excellence and should definitely be additions to your bar shelf.
Wine and cheese; a heavenly pairing
Wine and cheese have been the perfect pair for centuries.
It is something everybody seems to enjoy; whether you’re having a big gathering with friends and family or simply staying in with your partner (or by yourself); wine and cheese always seems like the perfect way to do it.
Today is National Wine and Cheese Day; a special day where we get to rejoice and enjoy that wonderful bond.
What better way to celebrate this day than by hosting your own Wine and Cheese night?
Order your bottles here, get yourself some fine cheeses to experiment with and have at it!