Those of you who like to start Christmas shopping in August and planning your holiday suppers in September (you know who you are), listen up!  I have just the wines to pair with your holiday menus and they are all from Twin Pomegranates.  With a Sparkling, Pom/Chard Blend & 100% Pomegranate Red to chose from, you are sure to find a palate pleaser to suit your tastes.

With that said; one of my favorite things about the Women’s Wine Council with Linda Kissam is that I get to sample new wines that I would never think to try on my own.  The tart and tangy line up from Twin Pomegranates fits that category perfectly.  

Each of the Twin Pomegranate Wines features distinct sweet/tart flavors of the super fruit, but subtle differences will help you decide what your favorite will be.  All the wines are priced under $15 and can be purchased online, at Whole Foods and several other grocery stores throughout the country.  For fans, Twin Pomegranates offers the aptly named “Tree House” Wine Club.  This young, fun company invites you to come play!

Our first taste was of the 100% Pomegranate Sparkling wine.  Spoiler Alert!  This sassy sparkler was my favorite and received top marks from the rest of our group as well.  With pomegranate and a hint of toasted nuttiness on the nose, the Pom Sparkling immediately opens up to full pomegranate flavor on the palate with a touch of honey to sweeten the tartness.  With just the right amount of carbonation to make the crisp, bright fruit flavors pop, this celebration wine would be a perfect match for salty, sweet, savory or spicy flavors.  We loved it paired with stilton and blueberries as well as Judee’s Cranberry Chicken.  For those of you clinging on to the final days of summer, serve this wine with spicy barbecue chicken or strawberry dessert.  It truly is that versatile!

On to the Pomegranate Chardonnay Blend.  With a beautiful sherry color and a hint of apricot on the nose and palate, this white is a lovely choice for those who prefer sweeter wines.  I detected a bit of pomegranate and orange zest on the finish which kept it from being excessively sweet.  Again, Judee’s Cranberry Chicken was a perfect partner for the Pom/Chard Blend.  Hmmmm . . . that certainly explains my thoughts of holiday suppers.

Carmen Micheli Samples 100% Pomegranate Wine

Our final taste was of the 100% Pomegranate Table Wine.  With roughly 8 pomegranates per bottle, the flavor profile is exactly what you would expect: bright, tart pomegranate.  Served slightly chilled, this flagship wine is very refreshing and juicy without being sweet.  I was not sure what to expect, but this fresh, tangy wine paired nicely with a variety of flavors: meatballs with jalapeno jelly, melon with prosciutto, stilton with blueberries and, of course, Cranberry Chicken.

Women's Wine Council - Judee Jachim Smith, Linda Kissam, Corie Maue, Carmen Micheli, Debbie Israel Wiens (absent)

 

As alway, the Women’s Wine Council was an adventure.  Thank you Linda Kissam and Twin Pomegranates for inviting us to come play!

Cranberry Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts

1 small bottle of Catalina salad dressing

1 can whole cranberries

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

¼ cup white wine (perhaps try the Pom/Chard Blend)

 

Place chicken in a lightly greased 9” x 13” pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.