THE HOLIDAY GUIDE TO THE PERFECT GIFT

May your loved ones’ holidays be merry and bright with the gifts you will give!

By Bianca Gallos

The holidays are just around the corner, which means that you should already start hunting for gifts in order to avoid the holiday rush and stress! Gift giving is no easy task which makes it an even harder thing to do when you have a dozen people on your list to shop for along with other responsibilities on top of your already busy schedule. One of the best and easiest things to give to the people you love (for those who are legal of course) is wine paired with equally good food! Nothing says love and joy, then a perfectly good meal with the perfect drink! Here are our 3 suggestions:

 

Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay with Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Risotto

This creamy white wine, which has hints of white roses, lemon zest pears, and dried apricots are perfect for pairing with something a little saltier like this pumpkin and blue cheese risotto to balance it out. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients:

  • 100g of parmesan, reggianito, or sardinian cheese
  • 21oz of vegetable broth soup
  • Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay
  • 100g of white onion
  • 200g of pumpkin
  • 100g of red bell pepper
  • 320g of rice
  • 100g of blue cheese
  • 50g of butter
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Olive oil

Steps:

  • Clean all the vegetables and finely chop them. Cut the pumpkin into cubes
  • Saute the onion and the pumpkin in the pan with olive oil
  • Add the rice to saute it with the pumpkin and the onion
  • Add the chardonnay and wait 2 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate
  • Add the hot vegetable broth into the pan and cook for 7 minutes over medium heat. Make sure that the broth doesn’t evaporate
  • Add more pumpkin and broth if necessary. Cook for at least 10 more minutes
  • Lastly, serve hot and garnish with black pepper and parsley!

 

Terrazas Reserva Malbec with stuffed peppers

If you’re going for something a little simpler as well as easier to prepare then stuffed peppers are for you! The Terrazas Reserva Malbec is a smooth and sweet wine and makes the perfect combination with anything tomato and pepper based. Her’s what you would need for this recipe:

Ingredients:

  • For the tomato sauce:
    • 1 tsp of tomato concentrate
    • 500g of cherry tomatoes
    • 2 tbsp of oliveoil
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • 1 yellow onion
    • 1 can of peeled and diced tomatoes
  • For the peppers:
    • 1 cup of white rice
    • 100g of chickpeas
    • 1 handful of your choice of herb mix (either mint, chives, parsley, cleaned or dried)
    • Half a cup of red quinoa
    • 75g of feta cheese
    • 2 tbsp of olive oil
    • 2 large red peppers (or any color of your choice)
    • 4 cherry tomatoes (washed, dried, sliced)
    • 1 large avocado (peeled or sliced)
    • Salt
    • Pepper

Steps:

  • Cook the rice and the quinoa, drain and set aside. Dice the onion and the cherry tomatoes
  • In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onion until golden brown. Add the cherry tomatoes, the tomato concentrate, and season to taste and mix well. Leave to cook for 5 to 7 minutes. After, add the peeled tomatoes and stir. Leave for 15 minutes then set aside.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit and cut the peppers and remove the seeds inside
  • In a bowl mix the rice and quinoa, the chickpeas and then add the tomato sauce. Mix well again
  • Place the peppers on a baking tray and fill them up with the tomato, rice, and quinoa mix
  • Season to taste, drizzle with oilive oil and place in the oven to cook for 40 minutes. The peppers should be slightly brown on the edges
  • Lastly, remove the peppers from the oven and top with tomato dices and avocado slices. sprinkle with fresh herbs and season to taste before serving.

 

Terrazas Reserva Malbec and Terrazas Chardonnay with cheese platter

If you can’t decide between the Malbec or the Chardonnay, why not go all out and get both? Getting both drinks for your loved ones will allow them to have more options as well as the opportunity to find more food pairings for themselves! But if you’re set on simplicity, this recipe will only require a few ingredients and a bit of sprucing for it to look a little more festive.

Ingredients:

  • 6 kinds of cheeses
    • Here are some examples: tartufo truffle gouda, fontina, brie, goat cheese, camembert, blue cheese, etc.
  • For the guacamole
    • 1 pinch of chili pepper
    • Lemon uice
    • 1 avoucado
    • ½ red onion
    • 1 tsp of salt
  • For the pastry sticks
    • 1 pre-bought puff pastry
    • 2 egg yolks
    • Driedg oregano
    • Grated Parmesan

Steps:

  • For the guacamole, mash the avocado with a fork and leave some small chunks. Add lemon juice, salt, onion, peppers, and chili peppers. Mix it well.
  • For the puff pastry sticks, cut the puff pastry in half and then in strips. Braid the pieces together into 3 strips and cut the edges. For a neat finishing with a brush or a spoon, brush the sticks with egg yolk and sprinkle with dried oregano.
  • Sprinkle the sticks with grated parmesan or cheese (optional). Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit and place the sticks on a baking tray covered with baking paper and leave to bake till they are golden brown
  • Start setting up your platter with the cheese and figure out where you could put your dip and sticks
  • Lastly, spruce them up with little touches like adding fruits or leaves to the side for a more aesthetic look

 

There may only be 3 things on the list but the possibilities of pairing the Terrazas Reserva Malbec and Terrazas Chardonnay are endless. Find out for yourself by ordering one and finding your perfect pairing!

Back to News / Articles