Wine Down for the Weekend

by Loralyn Mears, PhD

This blog was originally published on Feb 22, 2019 at: https://gritdaily.com/wine-down-weekend/#

This week at GritDaily, we’re introducing a new, weekly column. Each Friday, “Wine Down for the Weekend” will be published. This column is fun and celebrates the end of a long work week with easy-to-prepare-at-home foods paired with wines-for-everybody.

The weekend is finally here. We’ve all been slogging through the cold weather, the high winds and the unwelcomed icy, white stuff falling from the sky. Winter has got to go. Unfortunately, Spring is still a month away. It’s better to cuddle up under a blanket than trudge through the city in boots and hats. The Oscars will be telecast Sunday and it seems like the perfect time to Neflix and chill your way through at least one or two of the movies up for the golden statue.

Speaking of which, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is now available for streaming and, even if you’re not a big fan of Queen or you were negatively influenced by the way that some critics pandered the film for not getting it quite right, it’s the movie that I’m recommending this week. Sit back, admire the celebration of the genius of Freddie Mercury. And dare to be mesmerized by the incredible performance by Rami Malek who is nominated for Best Actor and has already won several awards for the remarkable way that he transcended the late Queen front-man.

Since it is Oscars’ weekend, we need a wine that’s bubbly in a nod to the glamor and glitz of Hollywood. What better choice than a prosecco? I’m a fan of Riondo’s. It’s bargain priced around $15 a bottle and is widely available. An added bonus is that most convenient stores have it ready for you – chilled.

Prosecco hails from a village of the same name in the mountainous region of northern Italy called Veneto. It’s made from the green-skinned Glera grape, which is easy to grow and was introduced to the area by Slovenian farmers more than 200 years ago. The high level of acidity of this grape makes it taste refreshing. Most people consume Prosecco ice-cold as a refreshing summer drink or as an apertif but its simplicity and other features are making it increasingly popular all year round.

Take a sniff – can you smell peaches? The wine is light-bodied, the flavors are simple so Proseccos go with just about everything. The low alcohol content makes it easy to drink, too.

Okay, next, dinner. I like to pair it with grilled chicken or tofu (your choice).  Let’s whip up an easy, tasty meal. It’s Oscars’ weekend, and even if it wasn’t, break out a cloth napkin, placemat and the nicest dishware and glassware that you have. You deserve it!

Here we go – five ingredients and five steps to a fabulous dinner:

First, grill chicken breast or tofu (if you don’t have a balcony grill, use a George Foreman Grill and if that’s not available to you, roast it for about 30 min at 350F). Towards the end of cooking, lightly brush your protein with olive oil, sea salt and oregano (white pepper is optional). Slice your protein when cooking is complete. Wash and chop up a head of romaine lettuce into ribbon shreds then spread out onto a bowl or plate. Add the sliced chicken. Shake croutons (I like the Hidden Valley Caesar croutons ready-made bag) onto your salad. Drizzle Caesar salad dressing then sprinkle or top with shaved parmesan.

Just like that, dinner and bubbly. Set the mood with a few candles, music of your choice or crank up Bohemian Rhapsody. Raise your glass, enjoy the bubbles and chow down!