Potluck With Friends

Potluck day! I asked my friends to bring dishes from their own culture. I was so excited because everyone comes from exciting cultures with delicious and unique cuisines. As someone from China, I decided to make something I have been craving for a while now: Lamb Skewers (羊肉串儿). It seems like every culture has their own version of grilled food-on-a-stick. Mediterranean kebabs use cloves, all spice, and cardamon as a base while Asian versions use cumin and chili powder. I went to my local Asian grocery store and gathered what I needed. Here’s the recipe.

Lamb Skewers: Cut a boneless leg of lamb into pieces suitable for skewers. It is important to keep the size consistent so every piece is done at the same time. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tbsp peanut oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp corn starch, 2 tsp cumin powder, 0.5 tsp chili powder, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp peppercorn powder. Cover lamb in this mixture and let marinate with 1/2 sliced onion for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight. Run pieces of lamb through skewers (either bamboo or metal skewers work) and be careful not to cut yourself. Heat a grill on high heat. Turn constantly to get all sides charred and serve at least medium rare inside. Sprinkle more cumin powder and cumin seeds on one minute before you take the meat off the grill. Enjoy immediately.

I had a great time making this and it was a hit with my friends! I decided to open a bottle of Siegel Naranjo Orange wine to pair with this.

Name: Siegel Naranjo
Variety: Viognier
Region: Colchagua Valley
Country: Chile
Price: $30

Wine Critic: “Deep orange hue with a brown tinge. Really perfumed and expressive on the nose, with lots of peaches, dried lychee, honeysuckle, kumquat and gingerbread. A hint of caramel. Medium- to full-bodied and slightly grainy in texture, with plenty of flavors rounded by fine, silky tannins before a rich, sleek finish. Consistently a flavorful and outstanding skin-contact viognier. Drink now.” - James Suckling (February 2023), 93 pts

Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 368 that Viognier grapes are very rich and oily. It has a medium high alcohol content and medium low acidity. It is recommended this grape variety is paired with rich meats and fish. It is also noted that tangerine, peach, and mango are dominant aromas.

My Thoughts: Today I am drinking an orange wine from Chile. This bottles comes from the Colchagua Valley in the Peralillo area. The terroir is very interesting as it has volcanic soils. This orange wine has skin contact maceration and was fermented in stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks before aging in French oak barrels. The color is a beautiful orange hue. My bottle is from the 2019 vintage year and has a beautiful design on the bottle. First impressions: delicious. Even my friends who are not as experienced with wines agree that this wine is very enjoyable. It is full bodied with great flavors and a nice long finish. The tannins are very interesting and I enjoy it immensely. I smell lychee and peaches.

I decided to pair this with lamb skewers because the local wine shop recommended trying this with cumin lamb. The acidity of this bottle cuts through the heavy and spicy flavors of the skewers. It does not overpower the wine and the pairing goes well together. The contrast between savory-umami lamb balances out well with the warm spices of the wine. I learned a lot about orange wines and I will add this to my wine cellar for future pairings.

I give it an 85/100.

Our potluck!

Name: Fefiñanes Albariño de Fefiñanes
Variety: Albariño
Region: Rías Baixas, Galicia
Country: Spain
Price: $25

Wine Critic: “Style: taut, very fruit-driven, needs time;Colour: bright straw;Aroma: floral, fresh;Flavour: easy to drink, good acidity;” - G.A. (May, 2022)

Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 193 that Albariño grapes are very acidic. It is very dry. It is noted that this type of grape pairs well with fish and light meats. It is also noted that lemon zest and grapefruit are dominant aromas and contributes to the high acidity that comes from this wine.

My Thoughts: My friend brought chicken tikka masala to the potluck. I asked an employee at my local wine store and they recommended this wine. This is a white wine from Spain. This is my first time trying Albariño. This bottle is from the 2021 vintage year and has a very old school look to the bottle. First impressions: sour… very very sour. The employee was raving about this wine but this wine is very sour and tastes like vinegar. Perhaps it was improperly stored because this wine was undrinkable. I served it chilled as recommended. My friends who joined me in the potluck agreed with me that this wine was not good. Aromas of green apple and sea salt.

Perhaps this was a dud but I really disliked this wine.

I give it a 55/100.

Name: Albert Bichot Château de Varennes Beaujolais-Villages 2020
Variety: Gamay
Region: Beaujolais-Villages, Beaujolais
Country: France
Price: $14

Wine Critic: “This single-estate wine has a soft, generous character. Bright fruits are smoothed out and ripe, giving a gentle texture that is lifted by final acidity. Drink now. Roger Voss” - Wine Enthusiast (April, 2022)

Wine Folly: From "Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide" by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack, it is noted on page 273 that Gamay grapes are very fruity and floral. It is semi-dry with high acidity. It is noted that this type of grape pairs well with everything. It is also noted that pomegranate, blackberry bramble, and violet are dominant aromas.

My Thoughts: I decided to end the potluck night off with a red. My friend brought a spicy porkbelly jjiegae and I decided to get this bottle since the people at the local wine store recommended this bottle for any food pairing. This is a red wine from France. I have tried a few bottles of Gamay before so I am excited to compare those experiences with this one. This bottle is from the 2020 vintage year. First impressions: pleasant. This wine is very light and has minimal tannins. I smell red berries and lime. It has a refreshing and clean taste and a nice smooth finish. My friends who joined me in the potluck agreed with me that this wine was delicious and we had a great time eating and drinking at this potluck!

I give it a 79/100.

Overall, I had a great time at this potluck! The food was delicious and the wine was (for the most part) great. I am happy to say that this pairing was a success!