I think the combination of sparkling wine with anything crunchy or crispy is a sensory experience that your mouth will appreciate. In this pairing, the crispy, salty skin of the turkey dances with the wonderful cold bubbles of Mas Goma’s Cava Brut Nature and is such a pleasant experience on the palate. The recipe isn’t hard to make, but you need a couple of days ahead of time for some light preparation… And some room in your refrigerator. If you have a small refrigerator and no room to spare, making this in the cold winter months is better because you can store the turkey outside (be sure the temperature is under 38°F/ 3°C but not so you end up with a freezing your magnificent turkey). 

A friend of mine, who just happens to be French, told me that he never drinks red German wine. He says it is too sweet and lacks character. So, since I love a good challenge, I decided to see if I could change his mind. The next time he came by I placed a bottle of 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend by Thörle before him, but I removed the label. I think you can pretty much guess what happened next. He loved it, and I loved telling him it was German. So this next pairing is a straight forward recipe for a pan seared duck breast with red cabbage. I like making sauces but here I decided not to make one. I love the sweet and sour red cabbage so much that I just sort of eat it together with the duck…. Like if the cabbage were a delicious chutney. And then there is the marvelous wine, to wash it all down of course. So for me, no sauce necessary. Don’t tell the French!

Empanadas are awesome! I like them because you can pretty much fill them with whatever you like. For this particular pairing I chose chicken, raisins, and olives because I like the way the salty olives and the fruity raisins play off of each other. The flakey dough also complements the tiny bubbles of this particular cava.