Cooking with Herbs & Pairing with Wine

The Holidays are a time of coming together – family, friends and loved ones all gathering around the table reminiscing on the year and anticipating what is to come.  This time of year also brings with it an emphasis on cooking, meals together, and foods from sweets and treats to the Christmas feast.

Herbs are a useful ingredient year round in cooking, and can be highlighted to add pops of flavor to your dishes as well as fill the home with the perfume of the dish eagerly waiting to be consumed.  There are a wide variety of herbs available to incorporate into a dish, however with all of options and wide array of flavors, how is it best to pair with wine?

Collin Thornton, executive chef of Epic Restaurant at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto believes that:

“pairing wines with herb-infused dishes is the same as choosing the herb for a specific dish…you have to trust your senses…Many herbs have the versatility to be used in almost any dish. It depends whether you choose to have the herbs as a dominant feature or simply provide another layer in the finished product.”

This holiday season experiment with the flavors of rustic verse bright, earthy verse fresh herbs paired with different wines and see what you find work best to appropriately highlight both the food and the wine to their utmost potential.

Mira’s highly ranked Syrah hits perfect balance with sage.  Try this delicious and easy Pear & Blue Cheese Flatbread as a perfect appetizer to serve at a party or pre-meal.

Click here to read more from Wine Enthusiast on cooking with herbs and wine, as well as to see some delicious recipes & wine pairings.