Wine, Food & Vehicle Pairing of the Week!

There's less than a week left until the Burlington Wine and Food Festival, which we're so excited about! If anything has prepared us for a Saturday full of wine and food tasting, it's been constantly writing and learning about wine and the food that goes with it. If you haven't entered our Facebook contest yet, be sure to do it today! We're only taking entries through tomorrow, and this is an event you don't want to miss!

For today's wine, food and vehicle pairing, we're going to be pairing a versatile treat with both a versatile wine and vehicle. Here is a recipe for spiced herb nuts, which look delicious and are perfect for an evening treat or for when you have guests over.

Ingredients (recipe courtesy of epicurious):

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (about 2 cups) raw unsalted mixed nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In medium saucepan over moderately low heat, combine all ingredients except nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter and sugar melt completely, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add nuts and toss well to combine.

Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring after 7 minutes, until golden and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. (Nuts can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature in airtight container.)

For this recipe, both a bubbly Prosecco or dry Riesling would pair nicely, with the acidity standing up well to the spice of the nuts. We found a wine that has both the bubby and Riesling; Bonny Doon Vineyard's DEWN Riesling to Live, which is a dry Riesling made à la méthode champenoise, making it a sparkling wine. We chose this wine not only for its excellent pairing ability with our recipe, but because Bonny Doon Vineyard will be one of the vineyards showcased at the Burlington Wine and Food Festival this weekend.


So what vehicle have we chosen for this round? The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Hybrid vehicles are getting more and more popular as gas prices rise and people become more conscious about their personal footprint on the environment. The Sonata Hybrid has shaken and "spiced" up the Hyundai model line, letting Hyundai fans and loyal customers stick with the brand, yet branch towards a more environmentally-conscious vehicle.

If you're interested in the Sonata, we do have a few in stock! I personally enjoy the Venetian Red Pearl Mica color that we have in stock; it goes perfectly with this wine, food and vehicle pairing - but that's not your only option! Check out the rest of our brand-new Sonata Hybrid inventory here.

Enjoy this spiced-up combination of food, wine and a vehicle, just don't mix the last two together! And start getting excited for the Burlington Wine and Food Festival, this Saturday June 23 at the Burlington Waterfront Park.

Image 1 via southerncomfort.com
Image 2 via dutchuncle.co.uk