We’re in wine country, kids! Who says my college diet can’t be improved by some quality 12 percent beverages that don’t come from a blue Keystone can?Ah, Ithaca. The cows are grazing, the freshman are studying, the rest of us are… not. If you’re anything like me, making dinner that’s not from the freezer or the takeout menu is a feat in itself. And what I’m drinking with dinner is an afterthought at best. But this shouldn’t be. We’re in wine country, kids! Who says my college diet can’t be improved by some quality 12 percent beverages that don’t come from a blue Keystone can?
Apollo’s Pork Buns Takeout paired with Bloomer Creek 2008 Chardonnay, $14.00 Really, you can’t go wrong with this Chardonnay paired with any Chinese takeout dish. But with Appollo’s pork buns, you’ve got heaven in a Styrofoam takeout container. This Chard came about when the vintner was experimenting with bubbly and over-fermented the juice. As an experiment, he decided to leave it resting on its lees — residual yeast leftover from wine production… yum! — resulting in a wine that is both yeasty and crisp. With the pork buns, the Chardonnay’s sharp bite will cut through the meaty filling. But because this wine is so yeasty, it carries enough punch to complement the bun’s dense, bready exterior.
Shin Ramyun paired with Chateau Lafayette Renau 2010 Dry Riesling, $14.99 Yeah, the Finger Lakes region does Riesling and lots of it. Now, I’m not going to say I’ve drank it all, but I’ve had a good sampling and this bad boy takes the cake. It’s almost too good to pair with Ramen, but unless you are making the homemade Thanksgiving dinner this great wine deserves, Shin Ramyun will do. Chateau Lafayette Renau has given us wine that is so crisp and acidic that it almost fizzes on your tongue. Perfect for Shin Ramyun, noodles so spicy it’s almost — but only almost — too painful to finish all the broth. But with this cool, refreshing wine, you won’t have any problems licking your bowl clean.
Pad Thai paired with Heart and Hands Polarity 2009, $25.99 Sometimes you’ve got to up the ante. Maybe you’ve got a hot date; maybe your mother is coming to visit and she’s the only hot date you’ve had in four years. Whatever. If you’re trying to impress, my friend, you have found the meal to do it. This white wine made from Pinot grapes that have been crushed, separated from their skins, and left on their lees after fermentation, gently stirred every couple of days. Throw in some fresh Shrimp Summer Rolls and a nice dessert of freshly cut mango and you will have a beautiful meal. Just be sure to take the Pad Thai out of the takeout container and tell your mom you’ve enrolled in Hotelie cooking. She will never know the difference.
Original Author: Cristina Stiller