Pinot Gris Wine & Spicy Corn Stew

Tomorrow is a big BBQ day for us. Therefore, here are a couple of suggestions that you can pair with whatever you are grilling outdoors tomorrow. Whether you are in Key West or Oxford, Ohio these two items seem to be a hit with us.

First I will start with the most important feature of your picnic, The Wine! On opening this lively, crisp summer wine the other night, I thought - WoW, this will be great on the 4th of July nicely iced down in the cooler. I am speaking of the 2006 Cheateau Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris from Washington State. I tell you, I think Ste. Michelle has a wine to go with anything and I have never steered myself wrong with any of their selections. Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris has loads of ripe melon, lime and kiwi fruit that blooms the minute you open the bottle. These nice fresh flavors follow thru to the palate with enough acid to make it nice, crisp and refreshing. This wine is comprised of 94% Pinot Gris and 6% Viognier grapes. The little bit of Viognier adds a nice floral note to the wine, but not a heavy one. A small portion of the juice is fermented in old French oak barrels which tends to lend a little softness to the wine. I paired this wine with a grilled white fish and the following Spicy Corn Stew. Yumptious!

I located this recipe in a 1998 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. They call it a stew, but to me it is a nice mix of veggies. Not like a stew that I would fix in the winter on a cold day. Anyhow, see for yourself.

Spicy Corn Stew

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion coarsely chopped

One 3 oz. piece of slab bacon

1/2 cup of white wine, preferably Riesling (I used the Pinot Gris)

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 large jalapeno minced

2 cups chicken stock or low sodium broth

6 ears of fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut from the cobs, reserve the cobs

1/2 cup diced peeled tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper

In a large deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook stirring until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the wine and boil, stirring until reduced by half. Add the garlic and jalapeno, stir and cook for about a minute. Add the chicken stock and corn cobs and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Take out the cobs. Add the corn to the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the bacon. Swirl (my favorite word) the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter into the cooked corn. Add the tomato, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir till heated through and serve. You must do this with fresh corn because the cobs really add so much flavor and juice. Yum-yum! Great summer dish to go with your 4th of July BBQ!

Cheers and "Happy 4th Of July" Everyone!