With aromas of grapefruit, lychee and a touch of cinnamon and flowers on the nose, this light straw-colored wine is an inexpensive and uncomplicated version of the Gewurztraminer varietal. Bright flavors of pineapple, peach, grapefruit and spice maintain the wine’s balance between sweetness and mild acidity. This off-dry wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley is ideal for spicy foods like Greg’s Cajun-style shrimp.
In my opinion, Gewurztraminer is the most aromatically distinct white wine. Literally translated, the name means “spicy grape,” referring to “baking spices” such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. This is my Thanksgiving wine, because it works so well so with the flavor profiles found in roasted turkey, sweet potatoes and other traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Perhaps the best examples of this wine come from the Alsace region of France, where the wines are usually fuller and richer than German and American styles. For a truly amazing wine experience, look for an Alsatian Vendange Tardive (late harvest) Gewurztraminer.
GRANT HENRY
Pairs With Road Trip Reminiscence: Creole BBQ Shrimp
Price $10
Also pairs well with Asian food, soft cheeses, curries, glazed ham, and sausage.
- Category White Wine
- Varietal Gewurztraminer
- Region Columbia Valley WA
Just had this dish the other night at a Thai place in Cerritos, and I was telling my friend that I needed to learn how to make this dish. You must have read my mind. Thanks for posting!
I love what the Thai do with basil and this looks spectacular plus its spicy, all over this one!
These dishes are never as simple as they look. The layers of flavor that come from the number of ingredients… incredible. It ain’t easy to do well.
Go Dark Meat! This looks so good, wow! And i totally agree that dark meat is where it’s at 🙂
greating
offered this up and it was DEEEEEElisicous! So much that it is the dish we choose to do a column on.
Okay so the story: There is this wonderful Thai Temple in the backwoods of Tampa and every Sunday all of the little old Thai ladies bring their signature dishes to the church to sell for donations. There are literally rows and rows of yummy, authentic Thai food. The little old ladies spend all day Saturday cooking these dishes and pay for everything themselves so that 100% of the money goes to the Temple (which is gorgeous…in a gold on cream accented with coca cola red kind of way). It is unbelievably awesome.
xxooMichelle
I finally used one of the Thai bird chilies that I picked up at that market, I couldn’t believe the heat that one little pepper had! My recipe called for 1 to 6 chilies…I’m sticking with 1!
…to more than one. Once you do you will start to taste more than the heat. You will see chilies have flavors and they are exciting. It’s just like the gym… push yourself because the benefits are at the outer edges. GREG
This looks so good, wow! And i totally agree that dark meat is where it’s at 🙂
I love Thai food, Gkai Pad Gka-prow sounds great, I only hope I can do it justice following your instructions. Too often “basil” is called “basil” when we all know there are different types. You opened my eyes…
Interesting that you say the spiciness is used to preserve the meat in rural Thailand. I live in rural Thailand and I’ve never seen the spices added to the meat before cooking. The chicken is chopped fresh and then tossed in the pan with the rest of the ingredients. In the villages the chickens are usually slaughtered just hours before use — no need for refrigeration.
Strong spices are often used to “help” gamey and not so fresh meats.
I did not mean to say that they spices were added to the meat before cooking to preserve it uncooked.I read that (once upon a time pre-refrigeration) that spices were added to the finished dish during cooking to aid in preservation between cooking the dish in the very early morning and the time it would be eaten which could be much later in the day.
I know there’s quite a variety of basil, though I haven’t a clue as to how to identify them. I usually go with whatever is available at the farmer’s market. I think I need to find out what kind they are.
Delicious looking basil chicken, btw. I remember having this dish once, but it was long ago. It was pretty good, too. Maybe I’ll making on my own next time.
I have to quit reading your blog because every time I do, it’s “Wow, he did it better and more eloquently and took way better pictures than I did.”
🙂
Great job, Greg!