Our top ideas for answering the age old question, "What's for dinner?" and now "What should we have to drink with it?"

Welcome to the new Wine & Food Pairing section of Gates Circle Wine & Liquor. Every month I (Dave Z.) will be selecting two different wines and Chef Scott Donhauser of Windows on the Green restaurant will be creating food pairings to complement the wines.  We will both be taking into consideration the season when we make our choices.

Chef Donhauser has over twenty five years of professional cooking experience and has appeared on numerous local and national television programs. Windows on the Green is located in the Westwood Country Club at North Forest and Sheridan in Williamsville. The restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner as well as private parties. For more information on the restaurant visit their website www.windowsonthegreen.org.

March Wine and Food Pairing
 
The main holiday people think of in March is St. Patrick’s Day, but that is hardly a wine drinking event. Instead Chef Donhauser and I have focused on a different Saint, St. Joseph’s Day. St. Joseph’s Day Feasts are an Italian celebration featuring meatless meals that also include bread crumbs representing sawdust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. The wines I have selected are Tenuta Rapitala Piano Maltese a white blend from Sicily made from Grillo and Catarratto. It has a full, fruity bouquet with fresh Mediterranean scents with a savory and elegant taste with a touch of almond. With this Chef Donhauser has paired a baked shrimp and grits with an orange and fennel salad.
The red wine is a blend from the Veneto region of Italy, Le Ragose Valpolocella Ripasso. It has a bouquet of delicate red fruits, currants, strawberry and black cherry. Medium body but a surprisingly intense, mature berry flavor withs hints of dried fig and mocha with a long finish.  With this Chef Donhauser has paired an anchovy crusted salmon with and Italian style Mac and Cheese.