This was what I served for our Valentines' Date Night In. But this loved up dinner menu - with Asian flair - is a favorite of ours all year long. I paired it with one of the bottles from the American Wine Project that I sourced for an upcoming event about wines made from hybrid grapes.
Let's talk about Piquette. It's a no-waste brew whose name is derived from the French word for 'prick' or 'prickle,' which describes the drink’s delicate fizz. The brew dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times, when it was known as lora. Because it uses pomace, the fruit scraps of winemaking, piquette was considered meager and an appropriate drink for slaves and laborers.
I still have some Piquettes on which to report from Troon Vineyards and one of my favorites is from I. Brand Winery that has hibiscus blooms added to the pomace. So much fun! In Italy, Piquette has various names including acqua pazza, acquarello and vinello.
2022 Light Verse Piquette Blanche
Though I haven't been able to determine either the white wine grapes included in this blend or their percentages, I know it's listed as "made from rehydrated American hybrid white grape pomace." Â
This Piquette is floral and spicy. Think orange blossom and cardamom. With a bit of tannic structure and a savory fruit profile, it's similar to sour beers that I love! I decided to pour this with our Valentines' Day dinner. Here are some of the things I served...
Musubi Hearts
Click for recipe.
A Kimbap-Sushi Hybrid
Click for recipe.
Inarizushi
Click for recipe.
In addition to these, I picked up other banchan dishes at a local Korean market - lotus roots, seaweed salad, pickled daikon and carrots, and bean sprout salads.