Wine Tasting and Pairing: A Provocative Experience

There's more than one way to seduce my heart. Of course, dark chocolate is the obvious one. But, throw in a tasting of wine and a warm saucy plate of Chicken Parmesan prepared by Chef Todd Macdonald and my taste buds delight in a sensual explosion. 

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com - Photo-Mix

The wine pairings, matched with the velvety tomato sauce and the lightly breaded chicken topped with cheesiness was pure foreplay to the heart and stomach. Ultimately, satisfaction was reached and a rosy glow followed. 

Wow! I bet Chef Macdonald didn't know all that happened. 

Or did he? 

I'll have to admit this was my first time at such an event where wine tasting was combined with a prepared dish, so the provocative sexiness of the whole experience was somewhat like losing one’s virginity. Will the next encounter be as passionate? I'd like to think this wouldn't be my last rendezvous. 

🍷 "If you can't be with the wine you love - love the wine you're with!"

I was fortunate to have been invited to attend this Twin Cities Wine Education event with a few lady friends for an afternoon of wine knowledge and cooking tips. Then, there's the eating and drinking that followed! 

Feeling the love yet my friends?

Jason Kallsen, founder of Twin Cities Wine Education provides wine classes and perfect food pairing events in the Twin Cities and Minnesota area. 

Today's Perfect Pairing class was at the Red Rabbit in Minneapolis where Chef Todd Macdonald prepared Chicken Parmesan for our small group of ten. At these events he discusses the history of the dish, the tips for preparing it at home and the techniques to make your own dish new and improved. 

Red Rabbit - Minneapolis, MN

Red Rabbit Bar - Minneapolis, MN

Red Rabbit Dining - Minneapolis, MN

While Chef Macdonald is off in the kitchen cooking, Jason pours into our glasses three separate wines from different regions of Italy. 

Each one pairs nicely with the dish being prepared and Jason explains the details behind these choices. As he gives a knowledgeable lesson on these wines, we were presented with a cheese and meat board to graze on while we sampled our wines. 

Soon after, the Chicken Parmesan arrives and Chef Macdonald returns to share his cooking tricks and the key ingredients that make the dish sing its romantic song. 

Are you catching my vibe here?

Matching the acidic levels of the wine with the red sauce and protein from the chicken is the key to bringing out the different flavor notes of each wine and how our taste buds react. Something I definitely noticed once I started comparing between sips of wine and each bite taken. 

I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I have attended a few wine tastings before and this idea of pairing the tastings with the perfect food brightened and enhanced my wine choice.

Hence the sensual taste bud explosion. 

Since our group was all part of the same wine and food orgy, we took a moment to discuss the good and bad; our favorites and thoughts. 

🍷 "Wine a little. Laugh a lot."

The climax came when the wine bottles were emptied and our plates were licked clean. 

Okay the licking didn't happen, but I won't lie, I was tempted!

All good things must come to an end, but the love story still pulls on my heart strings. 

If you're in the Minnesota area and interested in any of Jason's upcoming classes with Twin Cities Wine Education, you can find it here. 

I signed up for his newsletter, as I fully intend to stay informed for the next love connection. 

🍷 "You cannot live by wine alone. Add some chocolate."

*** For a little extra love, we were given a Chicken Parmesan recipe from Simply Recipes and that link is here.

Put your smile on and unwrap

   A Square of Chocolate,

Laurie O

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