While some might not think red wine and chicken go hand-in-hand, that is certainly not the case for a Pinot Noir! The light body and sharp acidity of a Pinot Noir are the perfect match for a savory and delicious chicken dish. For this Miso Chicken, our El Pico Pinot Noir's crisp fruit notes, balanced by its silky sweet oak tannins enhance the saltiness of the miso glaze, while the acidity cuts through the richer flavors. The shiitake mushrooms are perfectly complemented by the earthy elegance found in the wine, which also elevates the bright flavors from the watercress and snow peas. Pure umami heaven!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• ½ c. white miso paste
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 2-inch piece ginger (peeled and minced)
• 1 c. jasmine rice
• ½ c. shiitake mushrooms (caps thinly sliced, stems removed)
• 1 c. watercress
• ½ c. snow peas
• 1 c. sugar snap peas
• 4 tbsp cashews (chopped)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F
2. In a small bowl, combine miso paste, 1/3 of the garlic, 1/3 of the ginger & 2 tablespoons water; stir to thoroughly combine. Line a sheet pan with foil. Pat chicken breasts dry; season with salt & pepper. Place on the sheet pan and spread miso mixture on top. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
3. While chicken roasts, in a small pot, bring rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 ¼ c. water to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
4. Once the chicken has roasted for 10 minutes, in a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and ginger, cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute, until softened and fragrant.
5. Add watercress, snow peas and sugar snap peas to mushrooms; season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes, or until bright green.
6. Plate cooked rice, topping with vegetables & chicken breast. Garnish with cashews.

Pinot Noir and salmon are one of those delightfully surprising pairings. Normally, you think of white wine and fish (which, truth be told, works incredibly well too), but an earthy, light Pinot Noir with vibrant acidity helps to balance salmon’s natural richness and savory flavors. In this pairing, our Firepeak Pinot Noir’s expressive dark fruits and currants with light spice imparted from oak aging are the perfect match to enhance the warm spice notes in the maple syrup glaze while accentuating the salmon’s buttery-ness. It's a true match made in heaven!

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon (fresh or thawed)
• ½ lb baby potatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ½ lb asparagus spears
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes
• 1-2 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced into coins
• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and grease a baking sheet.
2. Add the halved baby potatoes to a large bowl. Add garlic and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Gently toss until coated and scatter evenly onto a greased baking sheet.
3. Bake potatoes in the oven until fork tender, 10-15 min. Remove from oven.
4. While the potatoes are baking, mix together the maple syrup, whole grain mustard, paprika, and a dash of salt & pepper.
5. In the same bowl used for potatoes, add the asparagus spears and cherry tomatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper until coated. Move potatoes to one side of the baking sheet and lay the asparagus and tomatoes on the other. Top both sides with lemon slices.
6. Place the salmon in the center of the baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Pour the maple glaze over the top of the salmon.
7. Place the pan back in the oven until the salmon is tender and flakes with a fork, 10-15 min. Turn the broiler on low for the last 2 minutes to caramelize the top of the maple glaze. Serve hot.