50 Shots of America–Texas

Sips
Miss Independent

Miss Independent

It’s fitting that this week’s state is Texas as I was planning to be in the Lone Star State this weekend for the Dallas Webcomics Expo, but scheduling issues (and that little trip to Nebraska in June) put a kink in this month’s travel plans. Ah, well, such is life! But because of that, I want to dedicate this week’s cocktail to all the Independent artists and creators out there making their own way!

Miss Independent

1 oz Tequila
1 oz Tomato Juice
1/2 oz Pepper Vodka
dash Worcestershire Sauce
Celery Salt and Celery Stalk for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients over ice and shake like you’re facing the double loops of the Shock Wave coaster. Strain into a chilled cordial glass, sprinkle with celery salt and stir with the celery stalk.

Six Flags Over Texas is not just a theme park–it’s the number of flags that have flown in governance over the current state’s boundaries: Spanish, French, Mexican, the Republic of Texas, itself, the US and the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. In fact, the only reason they gave up their hard-won independence was their inability to defend against Mexico’s continued advances. Smart move, making an alliance and becoming a state via treaty (December 29.1845).

Oil and cereals don’t make for good cocktails, so we’re going with the Tex-Mex influence and making, essentially, a Tequila Mary. The pepper vodka adds kick, even at such a low amount, and a flavor almost as large as our second largest state. (And, yes, the name is both a reference to the former republic status of the state and the song by Texas native Kelly Clarkson.)

http://www.novusvinum.com/pairings/main.htmlWine & Appetizers/Snacks

ANTIPASTO
Pinot Gris, (Dry) Chenin Blanc
, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gamay Beaujolais, Barbera

ASPARAGUS
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, (Dry) Riesling, Vidal Blanc

CARPACCIO (BEEF)
Barbera, Cabernet Rosé, Rhône Blends

CARPACCIO (TUNA)
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Vin Gris

CAVIAR
Brut Sparkling Wine

CLAMS (RAW OR CASINO)
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine, (Dry) Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc

COLD MEATS
Vin Gris, Riesling, Gamay Beaujolais, Barbera, Seyval Blanc, (Dry) Vignoles, Chambourcin Rosé

CRUDITÉS
Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Beaujolais

FOIE GRAS
Brut Sparkling Wine, Late-Harvest Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Noir

NICOISE SALAD
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc

NUTS AND/OR OLIVES
Brut Sparkling Wine

OYSTERS (RAW)
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, (Dry) Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc

PASTA SALAD
Sémillon, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, (Dry) Chenin Blanc, (Dry) Riesling

PASTA WITH CREAM SAUCE
Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc

PASTA WITH SHELLFISH
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Chardonnay

PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE
Barbera, Sangiovese, Zinfandel Rhône Blends

PASTA WITH VEGETABLES
Pinot Blanc, Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Gamay Beaujolais, Barbera

PATÉS
Gewürztraminer, Seyval Blanc, Gamay Beaujolais, Riesling, Brut Sparkling Wine, Cabernet Franc, Vin Gris

PROSCIUTTO AND MELON
Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Late Harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer, Muscat

QUICHE
Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Gamay Beaujolais

SCALLOPS
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Chardonnay, Brut Sparkling Wine, Pinot Noir, Sémillon

SMOKED FISH (TROUT, HERRING)
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine

SOUPS
Usually none, or (Solera) Sherry

Wine Pairings: Seafood

Large scallops with cream sauce and parsley

Whether you’re at a restaurant
or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what to pair with seafood, from lobster to sushi.

CLAMS (RAW OR CASINO)
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut
Sparkling Wine, (Dry) Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc

CRAB
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine, Chardonnay, Sake, White Rhône Varietals (e.g. Roussanne, Marsanne)

LOBSTER
Brut Sparkling Wine, Chardonnay, Sake, White Rhône Varietals (e.g. Roussanne, Marsanne)

MUSSELS
Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc

OYSTERS (RAW)
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, (Dry) Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc

RED SNAPPER
Chardonnay, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc

SALMON
Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sémillon, Vin Gris

SALMON TARTARE
Brut Sparkling Wine, Pinot Gris, Sake

SASHIMI, SUSHI
Brut Sparkling Wine, Semi-Dry Riesling, Sake

SCALLOPS
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Chardonnay, Brut Sparkling Wine, Pinot Noir, Sémillon

SHRIMP
Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Chardonnay, Colombard, Vidal Blanc

STRIPED BASS
Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, (Dry) Vignoles

SWORDFISH
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Brut Sparkling Wine, Vin Gris, Pinot Noir

TUNA
Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Vin Gris, Chardonnay

OTHER WHITE FISH
Chardonnay, Viognier, Dry Riesling, Sémillon

Wine Pairings: Meat & Poultry
A juicy cut of steak

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what to pair with meat and poultry, from steak to duck.

CHICKEN
Chardonnay, Vin Gris, Riesling, Merlot, Gamay Beaujolais, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, (Lighter) Cabernet Sauvignon

CHICKEN SALAD
Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc

CHICKEN (SMOKED)
Vin Gris, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel

DUCK
Pinot Noir, Merlot, Rosé Sparkling Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel

FRANKFURTER
Riesling, (Chilled) Gamay Beaujolais

HAM
Vin Gris, Gamay Beaujolais, Merlot

HAMBURGER
Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Syrah, Chancellor, Barbera, Zinfandel, Rhône Blends

LAMB (GRILLED, BROILED)
Meritage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Chancellor, Zinfandel

PHEASANT
Pinot Noir, Syrah

QUAIL
Pinot Noir

RABBIT
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Merlot, Zinfandel

SAUSAGE
Riesling, Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine, Barbera, Gamay Beaujolais, Norton or Cynthiana, Syrah, Zinfandel

STEAK (GRILLED, BROILED)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rhône Blends, Zinfandel, Meritage, Norton or Cynthiana, Syrah, Brut Sparkling Wine

TURKEY
Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Gamay Beaujolais

VEAL
Chardonnay, Barbera, Merlot, Cynthiana

VENISON
Syrah, Rhône Blends, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Norton, Chancellor, Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Pairings: Other Main Courses
A freshly baked pizza with shaved truffles

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what to pair with other main courses, from pizza to couscous.

COUSCOUS
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Rosé Sparkling Wine, Syrah, Vin Gris

CURRY, FISH or CHICKEN
Riesling, (Chilled) Gamay Beaujolais, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Zinfandel

MOUSSAKA
Merlot, Sangiovese, Barbera, Zinfandel

PIZZA
Barbera, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine, Cabernet Rosé

SPICY CHINESE
Dry (and off-dry) Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine, Merlot

SPICY MEXICAN
Dry (and off-dry) Riesling, Vin Gris, Chenin Blanc, (Chilled) Gamay Beaujolais

THAI
Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine

Wine Pairings: Cheeses
A selection of hard and soft cheeses with grapes

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what to pair with soft, medium and hard cheese.

GOAT
SOFT: Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine, Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir
HARD: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

COW & SHEEP
MEDIUM: Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah
HARD: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Port Blue, Late-Harvest Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Zinfandel

Wine Pairings: Desserts
Chocolate ice cream cake with chocolate sauce and fruit

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food
and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what to pair with desserts, from apple pie to tiramisu.

APPLE PIE, TART & BAKED
Late-Harvest Riesling, Various Ice Wines, Muscat, Demi-sec Sparkling Wines, Blueberry Wine

BERRIES
Brut Sparkling Wines, Demi-sec Sparkling Wines, Late-Harvest Riesling, Muscat, Zinfandel

CHOCOLATE
Late-Harvest Riesling, Raspberry Wine, Black Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon

CAKES
Demi-sec Sparkling Wines, Late-Harvest Riesling, Muscat, Various Ice Wines

CREAMS, CUSTARDS, PUDDINGS
Demi-sec Sparkling Wines, Late-Harvest Riesling, Muscat, Various Ice Wines

FRESH FRUIT
Late-Harvest Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat

ICE CREAM, SORBETS
Usually none, perhaps fruit wine or fruit liqueurs

NUTS
Port, Brut Sparkling Wine, Angelica

TIRAMISU
Angelica

Wine Pairings: Red Wines
A glass of red wine in a California vineyard

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what foods to pair with red wines, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot.

BARBERA
Antipasto, carpaccio (beef), cold meats, pasta with tomato sauce, pasta with vegetables, pizza, hamburger, rabbit, sausage, veal, moussaka

CABERNET FRANC
Paté, Couscous

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Chicken, steak, duck, lamb, venison, hamburger, soft or hard goat cheese, hard cow and sheep cheese, chocolate, berries

CHANCELLOR
Lamb (grilled or broiled), venison, hamburger

CHIANTI
Pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, most Italian foods

GAMAY BEAUJOLAIS
Chicken, ham, turkey, sausage, antipasto, cold meats, crudité, pasta with vegetables, paté, quiche, hamburger, frankfurters, curry (chicken or fish), spicy Mexican foods

MERITAGE
Steak, lamb

MERLOT
Chicken, steak, turkey, tuna, duck, ham, lamb, rabbit, veal, couscous, moussaka, spicy Chinese foods, soft or hard goat cheese

NORTON
Steak, venison, sausage

PETITE SIRAH
Venison, couscous, medium and hard cow cheese, medium and hard sheep cheese

PINOT NOIR
Salmon, tuna, scallops, swordfish, chicken, duck, lamb, pheasant, quail, rabbit, venison, foie gras, soft or hard goat cheese, medium cow and sheep cheese

SANGIOVESE
Pizza, moussaka

SYRAH
Steak, sausage, venison, hamburger, pheasant, couscous, hard goat cheese

ZINFANDEL
Chicken, steak, turkey, duck, lamb, rabbit, hamburger, sausage, venison, curry (chicken or fish), moussaka, pizza, hard cow and sheep cheese

Wine Pairings: White Wines
A glass of white wine with a dinner roll

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what foods to pair with white wines, from Chardonnay to Riesling.

CHARDONNAY
Shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, red snapper, striped bass, other white fish, tuna, oysters (raw), pasta with shellfish, pasta with clam sauce, crudité, chicken, turkey, veal

CHENIN BLANC
Chicken, shrimp, oysters (raw), clams, mussels, antipasto, crudité, quiche, pasta salad, Thai foods, spicy Mexican foods, hard cow and sheep cheese

COLOMBARD
Shrimp

CYNTHIANA
Steak, sausage, veal

GEWÃœRZTRAMINER
Foie gras, paté, prosciutto, smoked fish (trout, herring), chicken salad, Thai foods, hard cow and sheep cheese, fresh fruit

MARSANNE
Crab, lobster

MUSCAT
Foie gras, prosciutto, hard cow and sheep cheese, berries, custards, puddings

PINOT BLANC
Shrimp, striped bass, mussels, smoked fish (trout, herring), clams, oysters (raw), antipasto, pasta with cream sauce, pasta with vegetables, crudité, prosciutto, chicken salad, spicy Chinese foods, Thai foods

PINOT GRIGIO / GRIS
Salmon, salmon tartare, oysters (raw), mussels, antipasto, spicy Chinese foods

RIESLING (DRY)
Chicken, white fish, smoked fish (trout, herring), oysters (raw), rabbit, sausage, pasta salad, pasta with vegetables, paté, prosciutto, quiche, frankfurters, curry (fish or chicken), spicy Chinese foods, spicy Mexican foods, Thai foods

RIESLING (SEMI-DRY)
Chicken, sausage, sushi, sashimi, smoked fish (trout, herring), quiche, asparagus, cold meats, paté, prosciutto, rabbit, chicken salad, curry (chicken or fish), spicy Chinese foods, spicy Mexican foods, Thai foods

ROUSSANNE
Crab, lobster

SAUVIGNON (FUMÉ) BLANC
Salmon, shrimp, swordfish, tuna, red snapper, mussels, crab, scallops, clams, oysters (raw), pasta with shellfish, pasta with vegetables, pasta salad, Nicoise salad, asparagus, antipasto, foie gras, curry (fish or chicken), soft goat cheese

SÉMILLON
Salmon, scallops, white fish, pasta salad

SEYVAL BLANC
Clams, cold meats, paté

VIDAL BLANC
Shrimp, asparagus

VIGNOLES
Cold meats, striped bass

VIN GRIS
Chicken, salmon, swordfish, tuna, ham, cold meats, paté, couscous, smoked chicken, spicy Mexican foods

VIOGNIER
White fish, quiche, pasta with vegetables

Wine Pairings: Other Wines
A glass of Rose

Whether you’re at a restaurant or hosting a dinner party, it can be difficult to select the perfect wine to sip with your meal. A good pairing will bring balance to the dish and enhance the flavors of both the food and the wine. Following are our expert suggestions on what foods to pair with Rosé, ice wine, sake and more.

BRUT SPARKLING WINE
Lobster, crab, scallops, caviar, oysters (raw), clams, swordfish, smoked fish (trout, herring), sushi, sashimi, salmon tartare, steak, sausage, pizza, foie gras, nuts, olives, paté, spicy Chinese foods, Thai foods, soft goat cheese

CABERNET ROSÉ
Pizza, carpaccio (beef)

ICE WINES
Pies, cakes, most desserts

RIESLING (LATE HARVEST)
Desserts in general, foie gras, prosciutto and melon, hard cow and sheep cheese

ROSÉ SPARKLING WINE
Duck, pizza, couscous, spicy Chinese foods, Thai foods, soft goat cheese

SAKE
Sushi, sashimi, crab, lobster, salmon tartare, Japanese foods