wow, i can’t believe it’s already 2019. did anyone else think that 2018 flew right on by? there were some incredible things that happened last year…from running my first (probably only) marathon to seeing hamilton, and of course my favorite, getting engaged! it seriously was a whirlwind of a year, and i know this year my goal is to make sure that i “take time to smell the roses.”
now in true tradition (5 years running), we were able to spend new years eve with some of our best friends. and this year, i was so excited because i was able to make a delicious meal that i just learned how to make from my grandma – chicken paprikash! now, if you don’t know what chicken paprikash is…it’s a delicious european chicken and dumplings dish (but also sometimes typically served with noodles). and let me tell you, i was so nervous to make this dish since it was going to be the first time that i made it solo. thankfully, it went off without a hitch. it tasted just like when my grandma makes it – success!
and naturally, no dish is complete (especially for new years) without wine! and thankfully, we had an assortment of wines to choose from, thanks to our orders from verve wine! so what did we select? we ended up choosing a syrah from northern rhône called domaine faury, l’art zélé. this wine definitely showed some hints of pepper – and described to “show notes of dark berries, smoky cherries, and leather.” it was a perfect pair with our meal – especially with the hearty nature of the dish. while it paired well with our meal, it is also recommended to be paired with items like grilled lamb, beef stew and more.
and not only did we select a delicious red, but with it being new years we had to have a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. thankfully, we had one of those on hand as well – the laherte frères ‘ultradition’ brut champagne nv. while this brut is described to be a great aperitif, it was perfect after our savory chicken meal. i mean, can you really ever go wrong with bubbles, especially when counting down to the new year. this particular champagne was part of a special edition holiday collection from the grand tour by verve wine – which hosted an assortment of incredible wines from champagne to nebbiolo. and it was so fascinating to learn about this champagne, as i must admit, i don’t know a lot of details about how champagne is made in general. something i definitely want to learn more about in this coming year. this particular bottle was 60% of pinot meunier dominant blend, 30% chardonnay and then finished with 10% pinot noir – which really created a delicious taste. probably one of my favorites that i’ve had.
how did everyone else kick off the new year? i hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2019!
until next time
xoxo
kpmoments 