' Here is a recipe to pair with our 2020 Lazy River Riesling - VanArnam Vineyards
Spring has sprung and so has our Lazy River Riesling
04/07/2021

Riesling is one of the most versatile wines to pair with food due to its high acidity. And because it’s produced in a range of sweet to dry, this opens up a variety of pairing possibilities. Our 2020 Lazy River is made up of 95% Riesling and 5% Black Muscat with just a small amount (.5%) of sweetness. 

It is important to understand the taste characteristics of this wine to ensure the best food pairing.

Riesling is a light bodied wine with high acidity. It has notes of citrus fruits like lemon, grapefruit and pear along with stone fruit notes of peach and apricot. 

Light preparations and seasonings pair best with a light bodied wine.  Stick with proteins such as seafood and white meats like, chicken, turkey, duck and pork. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes, lemon sauces and vinaigrettes pair beautifully with the acidity of a Riesling. Also try using a wide variety of vegetables like carrot, cabbage, chili peppers, asparagus, green beans, onions, ginger and many more.  At the same time an off-dry (slightly sweet) Riesling such as our Lazy River pairs nicely with hot spicy dishes because the sweetness counteracts the heat in the dish.

My favorite dish to prepare with our Lazy River is

 

Spicy Chicken Yakisoba

Sauce

  • ¼ Cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

  • 2 Tablespoons Asian Chili Sauce

  • ¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

Stir-Fry

  • 2 5.9 oz pks. Refrigerated yakisoba noodles (seasoning packet discarded)

  • 2 Teaspoons toasted sesame oil

  • Vegetable oil

  • 1 lb. Chicken breast cut into small equal pieces

  • ¼ Teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika

  • 1 Red bell pepper sliced into strips, then halved

  • 1 Large carrot cut into matchsticks

  • 2 Green onions chopped

  • 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

  • 3-4 Garlic cloves minced

  • 4 Cups thinly sliced green cabbage

 

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, prep your veggies.  Once boiling, turn off heat and add the noodles.  Stir the noodles with a chopstick to loosen the noodles for up to 1 minute (no more) just until they are separated.  Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water.  Drain very well then drizzle with sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together – set aside.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large wok or heavy bottom skillet with deep sides.  Once very hot, add the noodles to the pan and stir fry 2 minutes, transfer to a plate.

  • In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together, set aside

  • While the chicken is still on the cutting board, pat dry and season with salt, pepper and paprika.

  • Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat to the now empty skillet.  Add chicken and let sear for a couple of minutes, then continue to cook and stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate; don’t wipe out skillet.

  • Add additional 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet.  Once hot, add bell pepper, carrots, half of the green onions and stir fry for one minute.  Add garlic, ginger and stir fry for one minute.  Add the cabbage and saute until cabbage begins to wilt, approx. 1-2 minutes.

  • Add the chicken and sauce to the skillet and stir to combine.

  • Increase the heat to high and add the noodles.  Cook until just warmed through, approx. 1 minute then remove from heat.  Garnish with the remaining green onions and season with salt, pepper and Asian Chili Sauce to taste.

 
Post By:   Noelle Cook