What is a good appetizer to have with a bottle of shiraz?

Question

im going to a wine party and i need to bring an appatizer but idk what to bring thats easy...

Answer 1

Cheese....

Answer 2

Cheese is the worst choice for any wine (not just Shiraz), as the protein (and lactic acid) in it covers the palate, which would make even yellow tail shiraz taste good.  Just say "no" to cheese when tasting wine...unless you are buying cheap and want the wine to taste unrealistically better...

BTW, working in the wine profession, I have been to literally hundreds of tastings put on by distributors that wanted to sell me their product.  Guess what they always served at the tastings?  Yep, cheese.  If you really want to know what a wine can do, pair it with meat protein, not milk protein.

Due to the plum and white pepper aspects of s good shiraz, I would recommend a light BBQ dish (maybe smoked ribs) or a moderately-spiced dish (the meatball recipie above sounds very good indeed), such as steak tartare or a black olive tapenade.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Strawberries and a fruit dip

Answer 4

Depending on your type of shiraz, majority of shiraz wines are spicy with a hint of pepper and rather fruity. It is best paired with some nice red meats or anything grilled or barbecued. If your Shiraz is light, it could be paired for some grilled seafood.

I would suggest you try some minced lamb meatballs courtesy of Nigella Lawson.. I make these for my parties all the time and everyone always loves them.. I also serve them with a side dip of salsa and some chips, so people can hve a choice..

450 grams of minced lamb

1/4 cups of finely chopped scallions

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp salt

3 tbs semolina/bread crumbs

1 egg (beaten)

Vegetable oil for frying

Mix the lamb in a bowl with the scallions, spices, salt and semolina/breadcrumbs and then add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and scoop out a scant teaspoon of the mixture. Roll into balls with fingers and place on lined baking sheet. Have a bowl of cold water beside you if the meat sticks to your fingers.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan, fry meatballs till golden brown, about a minute on each side. Serve immediately with a toothpick in each meatball and enjoy!

Answer 5

Cheese. I like Camambert (the soft smelly one!) with Shiraz