When in doubt, pair with rosé? Testing the theory with two love them or hate them brunch dishes and a rose made from 100% graciano grapes.
Sunday Farmer’s Market inspiration
This menu came about on a Sunday trip to the farmer’s market at Stonestown in San Francisco. It is one of my favorite markets in the Bay Area due to its variety of vendors, wide open aisles between stands, and a good mix of prepared foods to nibble on.
They have one fresh fish vendor and one meat vendor that sells fresh pasture raised meat, which is a little unusual because most vendors sell their meats frozen.
With wild, pink fillets of rockfish beckoning and a fresh lamb liver for just $5 a pound, I decided to make two of my favorite dishes for a low carb brunch. I also threw in a fresh melon because the farmer just spoke of them so highly.
A High Protein Brunch Menu
Wild CA Rockfish Ceviche – early girl tomatoes, red onion, white onion, cilantro, fresh lime juice, pink Himalayan salt
Sauteed Pasture Raised Lamb Liver – with onions caramelized in liver “juice”, black pepper
Ambrosia Melon – looks like a cantaloupe but tastes more like honeydew
And what wine to pair with these two wildly different protein dishes? The ceviche is sour and fresh, while the liver is chalky, savory, and well tastes like organs.
Since rosé can generally handle any food you throw at it, I decided to pair these with a California rosé from an emerging winery in Los Angeles.
Angeleno Wine Company “The Meadow” Rose – 2017
100% Graciano; 12% ABV; $20
Visual: peachy, coral, ting of copper, light amber, swirls with a slight fizz
Aroma: peach blossom, honey, baby powder
Taste: sour pucker, chalk, stone, watermelon. When I first tasted this rosé without food, it stumped me. I just had no idea what I would pair with this wine, so I looked forward to seeing how it faired with two very different dishes.
Pairing: As suspected, the food gently coaxed out latent flavors in the rosé. The ambrosia melon brought out the melon tartness in the wine; the ceviche tamed the acidic pucker; and believe it or not the wine made the liver taste more “livery.”
Takeaway
Rosé really can make all your pairing fears go away. It pairs well with brunch, dinner, and even liver.
Leave a Reply