Waterbrook Sangiovese Rose & Mexican Salad with Spiced Chicken

by Lydia Marshall & Wine Steward Jeanette 

It's the weekend friends and it's time for some wine ideas for your dinner gatherings, parties or just for you to enjoy out on the patio while the summer sunshine continues for a few more weeks. The Waterbrook Sangiovese Rose´ is a summertime rose´ that is on the drier side, and one of our store favorites in this category of wine. It is fruity without being too sweet. It has delightful hints of strawberries and watermelon. It's a crisp and bright flavored rose´. We carry it for $5.99, and elsewhere it sells from $9.99 to up to even $19.99...so remember to SHOP US FIRST! 

Rose´wines have gotten a bad wrap as simply being the overly sweet White Zinfandel...well, not all of them are this sweet. Not that we're saying that White Zin is not a good wine, it is loved by many, but there is a whole other world of rose wines available.

Rose´ is made with the skin of the grape to give it it's beautiful color, and this is where the tannins come from also. The color can range from a pale golden pink color, to some with pale rusty orange, and then can range to deeper purplish pink tones. A good indicator of how sweet a rose´ will be is the depth of it's color. The deeper the color, the sweeter the wine. 

This Waterbrook Sangiovese Rose´ has gorgeous hues of golden orange and pale pink blended beautifully together. The fruity notes are beautifully balanced with it not being sweet, but not too dry either, making it a softer rose´. This employee favorite blends well with grilled fish or chicken, cheese, salads and slightly spicy food. The following recipe is a perfect pairing with this rose´as it's a crisp, fresh salad served with spiced chicken, salty cheese and roasted peppers.

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Mexican Salad with Spiced Chicken

(Serves 4)

Ingredients 

Salad

1 package of romaine hearts (usually comes with three)

1/2 of a red onion, sliced fine

12 tablespoons of roasted red peppers, roughly chopped

8 tablespoons of raw pepitas... aka pumpkin seeds

1/2 lb of Mexican Cotija Cheese, crumbled

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (six larger size pieces)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/8 teaspoon Mexican chili powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Dressing (Makes one cup)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 avocado

1/4 cup water

1/2 lime, squeezed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon Mexican chili powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar or agave

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

Preparation

1.)  Place pepitas into a large pan over med heat and toast, tossing frequently so you don't burn them.  When 3/4 of the nuts are golden brown, turn off heat and set aside.

2.)  Place vinegar, avocado, water and lime into a blender and puree until smooth.  Pour into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients for the dressing into the bowl and whisk until incorporated, set aside.

3.)  Season chicken thighs with cumin, garlic, chili powder, red chili flakes, salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over med high heat, add seasoned chicken and cook until golden brown and slightly crispy on each side.  When cooked, leave in pan and set aside to cool while you prepare the salad.

4.)  On a dinner plate, place two large handfuls of romaine, top with red onion slices, three tablespoons of roasted red peppers, two tablespoons of the toasted pepitas, two tablespoons of crumbled cotija cheese and 1 1/2 of the chicken thighs cut into slices.  Drizzle with a generous portion of the dressing and serve.

Tip:  You can use your favorite already prepared vinaigrette dressing for this salad.  Just give it a Mexican twist by adding pureed avocado, juice of half of a lime, one teaspoon of chopped cilantro and an 1/8 teaspoon of Mexican chili powder.  Whisk all of the ingredients together, taste for salt or pepper, and serve.