Bold Commentaries: Fall Food Favorites from Sept 20, 2011 show

This Bold Foods with Bold Wines show had two of Jane Butel’s great recipes for pork and trout. You can check out the how-to of these recipes on Blogtalkradio.com. Enter Jane Butel or Bold Foods with Bold Wines into the search field. The On Demand column lists past shows. Click on show all to find the date in question; 9/20/11 in this case.

Chorizo Stuffed, Jalapeno Glazed Pork Loin Roast
Pork loin is one of the most versatile cuts of meat, and inexpensive, too. This one is so flavorful and over the top, we need a wine that can keep up. Whites will be a little lost here with all the spices and potent flavors and since it is the Fall, red wines to warm us up also make more sense.

Sangiovese just about tops my list, but so does a Dolcetto. Most Piedmont Barbera are a bit too soft for this dish although the Central Coast and Shenandoah Valley of California have versions that are sturdier. New Mexico Dolcetto wines often have a spicy edge and Nebbiolo-based wines work with their earthy, rich texture. Montepulciano is another grape beginning to gain momentum here. My favorite domestic Sangiovese is by Vino Noceto in the above mentioned Shenandoah Valley using the Brunello di Montalcino clone.

Some Pinot Noir wines will also work here, including one I just tried the other night. It’s the Llai Llai 2009 Pinot Noir from the Bio Bio Valley of Chile $7.99 at Jubilation wine shop. Master wine sommelier Tom Molitor turned me on to this one. It begins as dried cherry and tea leaf, but opens into a richer cherry and spice after ½ hour. It tastes like a much more expensive Pinot.

Grilled Stuffed Trout with Lime-Pecan-Green Chile Stuffing.
Trout & green chile will work best with a good solid white. Albarino and Torrontés have the staying power and a good price. Try Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for a good well-balanced wine that is also tasty standalone or New Zealand if you live for razor sharp acidity in a wine. Riesling also works wonders; La Chiripada Special Reserve Riesling in the blue bottle is great or try a Ponderosa Valley Riesling. Winemaker Henry Street crafts sweet and dry versions. Corrales Winery also handles this grape well in an off-dry style. Other whites include Pinot Grigio/Gris or Muscadet from the Loire Valley. This was my go-to wine in France for seafood.

How do these compare to your choices? Agree, disagree? Tell me!