Wine & Food Pairing – Wine of the Month & HelloFresh

Pairing food with wine can be really fun! People get overwhelmed when they think about how complicated and complex it may seem to pair food and wine together. In reality though, it is quite simple and does not require too much effort!

I am a big believer that you can drink whatever wine you like best with any meal of your choice…who is to judge you? However, if you like to get a bit more creative and like to follow some very basic wine and food pairing rules, a fun way to do this is with a wine and meal kit delivery service.

You get to try out new wines and cook and eat super delicious fresh and unique meals that are both delivered right to your door. It will save you time and money compared to going to a restaurant. Plus, you can stay at home in your favorite lounge clothes and cook, eat, and drink away!

I decided to try HelloFresh and The Original Wine Of the Month Club for my food and wine pairing this week. Let’s see what I ate, drank, and paired my meals.

The Wines and The Meals

Wine – The Original Wine of the Month Club

• Kunza – 2017 Maule Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
• Grove Mill – 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
• Pietra Santa – 2013 Merlot (Cienega Valley, CA)

Meals – HelloFresh

• Figgy Balsamic Pork with Roasted Green Beans & Rosemary Potatoes
• Pineapple Poblano Beef Tacos with Lime Crema, Cilantro, & Warm Spices
• Bahn Mi Burgers with Vietnamese-Style Lemongrass Pork & Sriracha Mayo

How I Paired My Wines and Meals

I took the simplest approach to pairing my meals and my wines together. There are just a few pretty basic rules you can use when pairing wine with food and I generally take the most basic approach possible. You don’t want to stress yourself out too much. Reds go the best with beef, like steaks, ground beef, stews, etc., and white wines are best with cheeses, fruits, and white meats like chicken, pork, turkey, fish, etc.

In light of these basic pairing rules, I paired the Grove Mill with the Figgy Pork, the Kunza with the Bahn Mi burger, and the Pietra Santa with the beef tacos.

How Did it Taste Together?

Figgy Balsamic Pork and Grove Mill (Sauvignon Blanc)

This was a super yummy combination and I highly recommend it. I love New Zealand wines for their earthiness and grassiness, which I think pairs very well with pork and rosemary. The notes of citrus and passionfruit also compliment the sweetness of the fig sauce very well. You can also get a hint of grapefruit in the wine as well, and I love grapefruit and rosemary together…it is a classic pairing. Overall, the flavors of the wine and the meal went very well together and the quality of the wine was very good.

Figgy Balsamic Pork and Sauvignon Blanc

Grove Mill – 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

Banh Mi Burger with Kunza (Sauvignon Blanc)

The Kunza also paired wonderfully with the pork burgers. White meat and white wine is the most basic wine pairing rule and you can generally never go wrong. The wine has aromas and flavors of lime and grapefruit, which pair so well with the lime, lemongrass, and fresh mint in the burgers. You can also get a lot of floral notes from the wine, which also goes very well with the minty, herbaceous, and floral flavors of the fresh mint.

This wine is also bright and crisp and picks up the the crisp freshness of the cucumbers and the roasted carrot fries.

Banh Mi Burger with Kunza (Sauvignon Blanc)

Kunza – 2017 Maule Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)

Beef Tacos with Pietra Santa (Merlot)

Beef and red wine are a classic pairing and there is no exception with these tacos. With flavors of rich plum, blackberry, and cherry this wines goes so well with the richness and spice of the ground beef and poblano part of the taco. The pineapple salsa is slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and fresh and works well with notes of spice in the wine. This was a hearty wine and is very full bodied, so these heartier tacos and the rich wine can stand up to each other nicely. We actually decided to make a berry sangria out of this red wine to go with our tacos and it was so delicious and fun to do. You can get as creative as you want when pairing your food and wine/drinks!

Beef Tacos with Pietra Santa (Merlot)

Pietra Santa – 2013 Merlot (Cienega Valley, CA)

Would I Pair Wine and Meals from Subscriptions Boxes Again?

I would definitely pair food and wine from HelloFresh and Wine of the Month Club again. Both the food and the wine were all flavorful and delicious to eat and drink. I don’t think you could go wrong with enjoying your box from both companies.

• Product
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HelloFresh Classic Box

$59.94 $33.96 -43%

HelloFresh's Classic Box is packed with beautiful, fresh produce and all the fresh meats, fish and veggies you need to eat like a king. With this ...

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$20 Off First 4 Boxes!

HELLO2019

# of Meals/Week	3, 4, 5
Servings	2 Adults, 4 Adults
# of Menu Options	6
Cost Per Serving	2-People from: $9.90-$11.50, 4-People: $10.75

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Original Wine of the Month Club - Classic Series

$37.00

Each month your gift recipient will receive two vintages of wine (full 750ml bottles). The standard shipment includes a red wine and a white wine. Or ...

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Give a Wine Club!