Welcome back to Wine Down Wednesday where I review a vegan dish paired with two different wines.
To pair wines with a meatless dish we must look at the spices and main flavors of the recipe.
For an ideal pairing we look for wines that that compliment Sweet Potato and Tahini Burgers Citrus, Mango and Avocado Salsa we look at the tahini, sweet potato, citrus and mango.
The Wines selected to taste are Warwick ‘First Lady’ Cabernet Sauvignon and Barboursville Viognier.
Sweet Potato and Tahini Burgers
with Citrus, Mango and Avocado Salsa
These sweet-spicy burgers are super easy to put together – only six ingredients. They can be baked, grilled or pan seared. The mango salsa a spur of the moment inspiration that compliments the burgers so well it is a match made in heaven. Mangos are on sale for a dollar and avocado is super cheap right now, too. I had a jalapeno on hand to add a kick and some fresh Florida oranges and limes to add a nice tang. For a side, I a added some nice steamed edamame with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
Time Saving Tip: To save time for the salsa, simply buy a quality store bought mango or citrus salsa in the refrigerated produce section of your grocery!
From 1791 through 1902 Warwick Wine Estate in South Africa was originally known as ‘De Goede Sukses’, the Good Success farm. It was later renamed Warwick after being purchased by Colonel Alexander Gordon of the Warwickshire regiment. In the 60′s the winery traded hands again when it was purchased by Norma Ratcliffe and her husband Stan. After initially selling the grapes wholesale to other wineries, Norma studied the art of winemaking and began producing her own wine in 1984. She was the first female wine maker in South Africa, thus the ‘First Lady’ Cabernet Sauvignon is named as a tribute to Norma.
The winemaker’s notes, “The wine has a deep and intense ruby red colour. The nose reveals lots of red berries and sweet black cherries, complemented by sweet vanilla and chocolate oak background. The smooth ripe, round tannins make this wine easy to drink while still retaining a full body. The balanced acid creates a firm finish that is complemented by a lingering sweetness.”
Barboursville vineyards reside along side the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, owned by Gianni Zonin of Gamnbellara Italy who is a 7th generation winemaker. This Viognier Reserve is grown by the general manager-winemaker Luca Paschina who has a degree in oenology; the study of all aspects of wine.
It looks like I have found my calling – I must go back to school for an oenology degree. I wonder if this is an offering at FSU. If not, I will simply have to attend the the Instituto Umberto in Alba Italy as Luca Paschina did.
Gregg from Broadbent Selections sent me some additional information on the vineyard that I thought was interesting, “this second-generation estate house at Barboursville plantation was designed by Thomas Jefferson, one of only 3 residences he designed for his friends. The Barbour family continued to occupy this residence until it was destroyed by accidental fire at Christmas, 1884, and returned to the elegant Georgian villa next door for several generations, now The 1804 Inn”
The Viognier, pronounced Vee-‘O’-nyaaay, is fermented in steel with tropical and floral tones. It does well with aging of 4 to 5 years. The photos of the vineyard are gorgeous-I would love to visit and take some of the cooking classes offered at their restaurant.
Categories
Category #1 – How well my dish turned out.
Category #2 – How well I like the wine.
Category #3 – Pairing notes – How well this wine pairs with the dish.
Rating Scale
Bleck -This wine is pretty bad.
Ho Hum- I could drink it if I was at a football game and there was nothing else in the cooler.
Nice -Good table wine. I would keep this in the wine cooler if it was a good value.
Yum – This is good, I would pay a fair bit more and have it for a special occasion.
Damn that’s Good – Self explanatory.
** We will use the same terminology for how the dish turned out and how well it paired.
Category #1 The Dish
Rating of Nice. I would definitely make these burgers again as long as I could make the salsa with them. I think that is what really made the dish. It had all the elements I love - sweet from the mangos and sweet potato, aromatics from the cilantro and a spicy kick from the Cajun seasoning and jalapeno peppers. The tahini wasn’t a prominent flavor, it just added enough to give it a nutty hint in the background. These were awesome with a bit of Arizona Gunslinger hot sauce on the side.
Category #2 The Wine
Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 gets a rating of Damn That’s Good. I’ve started a little wine journal now so I can sit down and write the first things that come to mind. I’m still amazed when I go and look at reviews afterwards and the reviews actually coincide with my perception. For this Cabernet the first thing I wrote down was chocolate/cocoa and no aftertaste. After sitting and swirling a bit I added perfect balance of dry and sweet, not too heavy. Smoky mesquite. Great with grilled foods. My husband happened to be cooking on the grill at the time which may have had some influence there.
Virginia Voignier Reserve, 2010 also gets a rating of DAMN THAT’S GOOD. I had to write that one in caps for emphasis. On first taste I wrote honey, mango and tad sweeter than Chardonnays, higher percentage of residual sugar ? I loved the honey-lemon color. I also wrote down grass reminiscent of summer fresh cut grass which is interesting because in a review of the wine I read “herbal frame” – I wonder if my interpretation was the grassiness.
Category #3 The Pairing
Both get a rating of Yum. Each brought the dish up to another level in it’s own way. If I had rated the dish higher, the wines would have elevated the pairings to a DTG.
The smoky-cocoa cabernet brings out the spicy elements of the dish and has a light enough body to not overpower the sweet potato burgers.
The Viognier complimented the sweetness of the mango and sweet potato; the wine acquired an added layer of a lemony-citrus flavor when paired with the dish-refreshing and smooth.
Where to buy
All the wines will be for sale locally at the Grotto in San Marco. Please call first to ensure they are in stock. You can contact Mitch Woodlief, grottomitch@aol.com with questions and pricing. Anyone outside the Greater Jacksonville area can contact E-MAIL: info@broadbent.com PHONE: US +1 415-931-1725.
Sweet Potato Tahini Burgers
with Citrus, Mango and Avocado Salsa
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
Burgers
1 can of sweet potato
2 cans cannellini or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 heaping Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp maple or agave syrup
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/3 cup oats, pulsed in magic bullet, blender or food processor to grind it a bit
Salsa
1 mango, seeded and chopped
2 oranges, peeled and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
1/4 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lime
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add all burger ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times, so just mixed. Form into patties and place on a baking tray rubbed with oil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Turn on broiler to high at the end to crisp outside – about 1 to 2 minutes or until browned.
2. Meanwhile mix the salsa ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Top each burger with a generous heaping of salsa and serve with Barboursville Viognier or Warwick First Lady Cabernet.
Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 381.5
Total Fat 8.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 113.4 mg
Potassium 1,199.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 67.5 g
Dietary Fiber 14.4 g
Sugars 8.3 g
Protein 15.8 g
Vitamin A 185.7 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 20.7 %
Vitamin C 65.9 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 5.8 %
Calcium 18.3 %
Copper 35.7 %
Folate 42.5 %
Iron 36.5 %
Magnesium 31.7 %
Manganese 78.9 %
Niacin 8.5 %
Pantothenic Acid 12.9 %
Phosphorus 27.3 %
Riboflavin 14.1 %
Selenium 5.2 %
Thiamin 25.9 %
Zinc 19.1 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Please note that as an ammendment to the Black Bean Soup post I would like to change my rating of the Pares Balta to a Damn thats Good. I’ll definitely be ordering more of because of it’s summer drinkability factor as well as the new information provided that this wine is produced with absolutely now animal products so it’s perfect for a plant based diet.
….I want to show some love to an amazing lady I met through my 
