Great food pairings with white wines

Wine is meant as a companion for food and I love to try new combinations. I just created a new seasoning  for scallops to go with our Seafoam, sparkling chardonnay. If you want to try it, here is the recipe: Pesto Marinated Scallops.  Just as a blanc de blancs champagne, it is light and frothy with a slight hint of green apple and brioche. Pouring bubbles is a great way to start a party. And if you do not want to cook, just make some popcorn and flavor with lemon olive oil and a little salt to go with the sparkling.

For lunch I suggest a Spinach and Sweet Pepper Frittata. A refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect companion to the fluffy egg and vegetable concoction. Frittata is a type of Italian omelet and you can make individual ones for each guest or a bigger one.

With our Viognier I recommend Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado and Mango Salsa. The inherent pineapple and citrus flavors from the Viognier grape is accentuated by the salsa and is contrasted by the steeliness of the Ahi. This is one of my favorite pairings.

Now for dinner put a West Chardonnay in the fridge and get going with an easy and elegant Sesame Salmon. We are using sesame seeds to coat the salmon while it bakes in the oven.

Still hungry? How about a fruit tart or a Tosca Almond Tart with some Late Harvest Viognier? Almonds go really well with the mature peach and mango flavors in the late harvest wine. When the grapes get an extra month on the vine they are sweeter and almost like raisins. Some years we leave some grapes after the main harvest so I can make a dessert wine.

More recipes at www.westwines.com/recipes