Pairing Mushrooms with Food and Wine

Mushrooms are like sponges and easy to pair with just about any wine if you use that wine in the sauce. I developed this wine & mushroom pairing guide to feature our “Bounty in Your Own Backyard” partner Monterey Mushroom.

Oyster
These delicate mushrooms are best cooked sautéed with butter and onion. Oyster Mushrooms are good in chicken, veal, pork and seafood dishes.
Best wines: Riesling, White Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Blush

Enoki
This mushroom has a mild flavor with a light crunch. Enokis can be served raw in salads, layered in sandwiches and used for garnish for dishes. Trim the roots of these delicate mushrooms at the base of the cluster and separate the stems before serving. Best wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Beau, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Grigio

White (Button)
Most common of the mushrooms. Serve whole or sliced raw white mushrooms in hors d’oeuvres, salads and veggie trays or even roast or sauté with minced garlic and thyme as a side dish.
Best wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Beau, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Grigio

Crimini
Criminis have an earthy flavor and firm texture. They pair well with beef, wild game and vegetable dishes. Serve criminis raw or cooked, such as sautéed in butter, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
Best wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Beau, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio

Shittake
These meaty mushrooms are delicious in a variety of dishes: stir-fry, pasta dishes, soups and entrées. Shittakes are suitable for almost any cooking method such as sautéing, baking and broiling.
Best wines: Paulo, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir

Portobello
This mushroom can be stuffed and served whole – grilled, baked or deep-fried or even sliced and added to stir-fry and sauces.
Best wine: Paulo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tex-Zin, Cabernet Franc

Paulo’s Salad
When Paul’s grandfather came to America from Sicily; he brought his recipe his recipe for a salad that became famous as a wedding proposal salad.

3 anchovies
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon Messina Hof Port
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg
12 whole romaine leaves
¼ cup croutons
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
Basil Prosciutto Crostini

At tableside, combine the anchovies, garlic, wine, soy sauce, mustard, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and egg in a bowl; mix well. Rinse romaine in water and shake off excess. Submerge each leaf in the dressing, shaking off excess until the dressing appears as droplets. Fan romaine on salad plates; top with croutons and Romano cheese. Serve with crostini. Salad is intended to be eaten with fingers instead of a fork.

Come dine at the Vintage House Restaurant and experience the Paulo’s tableside salad.

To get the full Legend of Paul’s Salad, get your copy of “Vineyard Cuisine” by Merrill Bonarrigo at the Guest Center or online!