It is cool and green here in New York and spring is in bloom. The daffodils are fading making way for azaleas, lilacs and dogwoods and gorgeous pink crabapple flowers. The crabapples trees spread the green with a carpet of pink flowers almost out of the scenes of some Bollywood romance and the wine of the season is Rose - that is if you are looking for a wine to pair with spice food. Other advantages that these wines bring for you is their affordability and the instant beauty that they bring to the table making it a perfect recession proof celebration option.
Rose wines are a wine that is not completely red due to the color of the grapes and tends to really have a hue that is pinkish orange in most cases. Rose’ wines are sometimes not quite sophisticated enough for wine snobs, but really do provide a great alternative for the red wine lover looking for a warm weather glass to drink. Interesting enough pink wines are created from red wine grapes that are removed early in the fermentation to ensure a lighter color
These “pink” hued wines like their redder and whiter counterparts come in all flavors and tastes. The drier rose wines made from the Mediterranean tradition such as the Italian or Spanish creations offer the best options for spicier food pairings and grilling and summer meal options. Somewhere in the middle there was a trend towards the sweet rose wines something that we more commonly refer to as blush wine in American, however most wine drinkers are back to favoring the drier roses. The blush wine actually does however as a place a an introductory wine or good for making cocktails or pink sangria.
One of the ways I make sangria with pink wine is as follows, this sangria called Pink New York Sangria. Try it paired with my spicy rosemary lamb chops recipes, enjoy the beauty of the season and drink up.
Pink New York Sangria
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 bottle of blush wine (note: I would prefer a sweeter rose such as Beringers White Zinfandel)
3-4 sticks broken cinnamon
1 cup Captain Morgan’s spiced Rum
1 cup cranberry juice
½ cup sliced strawberries
Method of Preparation
1. Mix all the ingredients together and chill for 1-2 hours.
2. Pour into punch glasses and serve.
Rosemary Apple-Ginger Lamb Chops
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 granny smith apple
1 large piece peeled ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 green Serrano chilies
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 lbs. lamb ribchops
Sea salt
Cooking spray or oil
1 teaspoon sumac or crushed pomegranate seeds
Method of Preparation
1. Cut the granny smith apple into quarters and core.
2. Place the apple, ginger, garlic, chillies, chopped cilantro, cumin, coriander into a food processor and blend into a finely chunky purree.
3. Rub this over the lamb chops.
4. Mix with sea salt and marinate for 1 hour or longer.
5. Place on a grill, spray or brush with cooking oil, cook for 10 minutes on each side.
6. Sprinkle with sumac or pomegranate seeds and enjoy!
