THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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TIP OF THE DAY: Wine With Oysters

August 10, 2011 at 7:58 am · Filed under Fish-Seafood-Caviar, Tip Of The Day, Wine


A great treat: oysters with a variety of
white wines. Photo by Nathan Maxfield | IST.		   We love oysters, so we hosted an extensive wine-and-oyster celebration last Friday, National Oyster Day (August 5th).

When we began eating oysters (way back in our college years), the de rigeur wine was a crisp Chablis from northern France—or Champagne, if you were a bon vivant.

But if you know what to look for, you can buy an oyster-friendly white wine for $10—and have more money to spend on oysters. We’ve asterisked * the more affordable wines we tried (of course, some wines in these categories are more than $10—ask your wine store clerk for help).

And here’s another budget-wise tip: Each participant was assigned one of these wines to bring to the party.

STILL WHITE WINES

  • Albariño.* A lighter style crisp white wine, a refreshing Albariño is a delightful oyster pairing in warm weather.
  • Chablis. The classic pairing, a French chablis is dry with notes of minerals.
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  • Chenin Blanc (Dry).* This is not our favorite white wine grape, but if you enjoy Chenin Blanc, try it with oysters.
  • Dry Riesling.* A sophisticated approach for palates that demand something different.
  • Chardonnay. We love Chardonnay but prefer something a bit lighter with oysters. If Chardonnay is your go-to wine, pick an unoaked style.
  • Muscadet. This bistro regular can be hard to find in the U.S. If your wine store carries it, here’s an opportunity to get to know Muscadet.
  • Pinot Gris. An Alsatian Pinot Gris is one of our favorite oyster pairings: rich with spicy tropical fruit notes.
  • Pinot Grigio.* Made in Italy from the same grape as Pinot Gris, this style is lighter, crisp and clean.
  • Sauvignon Blanc.* Depending on where it’s grown, this wine can be grassy or citrussy (we like both styles). It’s always good, clean and balanced.
  • Sherry (Dry). This combination is popular in Spain, although we find that the nutty flavors of the wine interfere with the delicate flavor of raw oysters. It goes better with cooked oyster dishes.

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    SPARKLING WINES

  • Champagne. Champagne and oysters: sexy and luxurious. Pop the cork for a special occasion.
  • Cremant d’Alsace. This bubbly, from the Loire region, has a more affordable price and just as much festivity.
  • Prosecco. This lighter-style sparkler from Italy is always popular for warm-weather drinking.

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    BEER WITH OYSTERS
    While we were comparing all of the wines, someone asked for a beer.

    We pulled out several different styles: an amber ale, IPA, Pilsner and stout. All were delicious, but the stout, a roasty style of beer (the term comes from the dark-roasted malts used to brew it) was deemed a perfect beer pairing.

    If you’re looking for a gourmet Labor Day activity, here’s your blueprint!

    See our Oyster Glossary for everything you wanted to know about oysters.

    Check out the different types of beer in our Beer Glossary.

      

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    GOURMET GIVEAWAY: Win A Heinz 57 Picnic Basket

    August 10, 2011 at 7:09 am · Filed under Contest

    We really need your opinion on the design of our new e-commerce website.

    Our friends at Heinz have donated two picnic baskets to entice you to complete the two-minute survey: a classic picnic basket filled with bottles of tangy Heinz 57 Sauce with a special 100th anniversary label, plus:

  • A checkered tablecloth to set the mood
  • Festive plates, flatware and glasses to brighten up the table
  • A citronella candle to keep bugs away
  • An American flag to celebrate the great American tradition of outdoor grilling
     
    The winner will be drawn in one week, on Friday, August 19th at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Click over now to enter.
    		•  
    WIN ME! Trade your opinion for a chance
    to win this picnic set.
     
    Even if you don’t care about winning prizes, please take the two-minute survey.
    We really value your feedback!

    And everybody wins with this $1.00 coupon for Heinz 57 sauce.

    Use Heinz 57 Sauce on steak and in dips, pasta sauce, meatloaf and hundreds of recipes. Click on the coupon link and then on the recipe tab to find hundreds of recipes.

      

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    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: The Best Coconut Water

    August 9, 2011 at 12:16 pm · Filed under Beverages, Top Pick Of The Week

    You can buy lychee-coconut water or take
    advantage of lychee season and enjoy
    fresh lychee. Photo by Deasy Setiawati
    Widjaja | Dreamstime.

    		  

    If you’ve seen the uber-trendy Rihanna posing in ads with a container of Vita Coco coconut water, you know that chilled juice from green coconuts is a hot drink.

    When Vita Coco was introduced in the U.S. in 2004, coconut water had minimal visibility and sales were confined to certain ethnic communities. A mere five years later, sales of coconut water were about $35 million. And two years after that—this year—U.S. coconut water sales will top $350 million.

    That’s impressive—and the reason why we set out to taste the different brands of coconut water to see how much they differ.

    We’ve looked at:

  • The different types of coconut water.
  • The different health benefit claims.
  • General nutrition.
  • How the nutrition and flavor vary in 14 different coconut water brands—and among different flavors in the brands.

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    Start at the beginning with the overview.

      

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