Wine and asparagus: a match made for me!

Last night when my boyfriend and I sat down to dinner, he looked at his plate and laughed. "You just might have been an asparagus in a past life," he joked. 

It's true. I'm an asparagus addict (luckily my boyfriend likes it, too). Whether roasted with olive oil and garlic, par-boiled and drizzled with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, sauteed with bell peppers and soy sauce, or served with a runny egg on top, I could eat asparagus almost every day--and at any meal. It's a versatile vegetable that, contrary to what others may say, can be enjoyed with a wide array of wines.


For dinner last night, I cooked the asparagus on the stove top and dressed it with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. It was accompanied by pan-seared pork chops with pesto and whole baked sweet potatoes. Sweet and savory. Yum!

A white or red wine (specifically a fruit-forward Pinot Noir) would have paired nicely with this meal. I had a bottle of 2010 Lucinda and Millie Mendocino County Chardonnay (www.lucindaandmillie.com) open from the night before, and it paired perfectly.

This lighter style of Chardonnay is made from organic grapes and 10% is aged in French oak. It is crisp and clean, with notes of green apple, melon, and citrus. And it's the most affordable wine I have ever enjoyed ($9.99 at Whole Foods)!

In fact, this entire meal was less than $20 (and purchased entirely at Whole Foods); it took less than an hour to prepare.

I'm not drinking much Sauvignon Blanc these days, but the grassy Sauv Blanc from Honig or a minerally Chablis would also have complimented this meal nicely; a sparkler (particularly Domaine Carneros Brut or Mumm Blanc de Blancs) would have also been a good match. Depending on how you prepare the asparagus and what the other components of the meal are, the wine-pairing possibilities are endless!