We’re celebrating National Grilling month all July long with our wineries’ favorite BBQed pairings ranging from the classic to the adventurous. We all know Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is the quintessential wine to pair with all things grilled – and trust us, you’ll get some of those pairings, but did you know that Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rhone wines and Cabernet can also complement the savory goodness that your grill imparts?

For week 1, we’re featuring Matorana’s Olio di Gio’s Pesto Marinated Grilled Shrimp and Seghesio’s Grilled Berkshire Pork Chops with White Cheddar Polenta, Swiss Chard and Blueberry Compote. Can you guess what these experts paired with these grilled delicacies? You’ll have to read and find out!

Martorana’s Olio di Gio Pesto Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Picture source:Cook Your Food.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup fresh basil
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
  • 4 tablespoons Olio di Gio olive oil from Martorana Family Winery
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:

  1. To make the pesto, pulse the basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, Olio di Gio olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth.
  2. Marinate the shrimp in the pesto for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
  3. Skewer the shrimp (if using bamboo skewers, soak for at least 20 minutes prior to grilling).
  4. Grill the skewers over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  5.  Serve with lemon wedges and a glass of 2017 Sauvignon Blanc or 2016 Chardonnay from Martorana Family Winery.

Why we love this pairing: the herbaceous qualities of thyme in the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc perfectly complement the fresh herbs used in the pesto while the nutty characteristics from the Chardonnay shine when next to their pine nut and parmesan friends.

You can find Martorana’s wine and olive oil via their website or their tasting room on West Dry Creek Rd. 

Seghesio’s Grilled Berkshire Pork Chops with White Cheddar Polenta, Swiss Chard and Blueberry Compote

This is an easy and delicious summertime dish – so don’t be intimidated by the steps. You can marinate the pork, cook the chard and make the compote one day ahead of time as well, leaving just the polenta and grilling Berkshire Pork Long-Bone Chops for the day of the meal.

PORK

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 each Berkshire Long-Bone Chops
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

The pork should be marinated a minimum of six hours but 24 hours would be ideal if you have the time. Toss all ingredients together and keep cold. You should pull the pork out of refrigerator and allow to come up to room temperature for at least an hour before grilling.

POLENTA —

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup polenta
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup fresh grated aged white cheddar cheese
  • 3 T butter

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Bring the stock and milk to a boil.
  2. Whisk in polenta and continue to whisk until polenta sets – around 4-5 minutes. Then cook on low heat until soft.
  3. When finished cooking, add butter and cheese, taste and add salt if needed.
  4. You can keep covered and hold warm until you cook the pork.

CHARD —

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 bunches Swiss chard – destemmed, cleaned and cut into 1 inch strips
  • 2 each cloves of garlic sliced thin
  • ½ lemon
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Sweat garlic in oil on medium heat until soft, then add leaves of chard.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, and allow chard to wilt.
  3. When wilted, season with salt and pepper to your taste and add the juice from ½ of one lemon.
  4. If made ahead of time just heat up in pan on medium flame.

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE —

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 T plus 1 t of cornstarch
  • ¼ cup port
  • 2 T red wine vinegar
  • 2 each shallots diced fine
  • 1 T of butter

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Coat berries in mixing bowl with sugar and cornstarch using a spoon. Make sure cornstarch and sugar are distributed evenly. Let sit for about 30 minutes.
  2. Sweat the shallots in butter using a small sauce pan. Do not allow any color on the shallots.
  3. Once the shallots are soft, add port and red wine vinegar and reduce by ½.
  4. Add the blueberry mixture and cook until everything starts to thicken slightly and berries begin to soften.
  5. If preparing the day ahead, allow to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate. To warm at a later time, heat gently in sauce pan or in oven to prevent scorching.

ASSEMBLY —

Pull pork from marinade and scrape off excess marinade with the hands to prevent garlic from burning on grill. Cook over medium-high charcoal until desired doneness is achieved. I generally pull mine at 145 degrees for a pink and juicy medium. Enjoy with a glass of Seghesio’s 2015 Cortina Zinfandel.

Why we love this pairing: this recipe joins together savory and sweet so well that we feel it highlights the best qualities in this bottle of wine – its subtle white pepper spice and classic dark cherry and raspberry notes make it truly a perfect barbecued pairing.

You can find Seghesio’s wine online, at their tasting room, or at a variety of wine shops and grocery stores near you.

Did you try any of these recipes? We want to see!

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