Brian and i had finally stocked up on all the ingredients for chili, which is the dish we cook most often. We'd been planning on cooking it for a while, and since we were both off today we had plenty of time make it. We do not follow a recipe, but i can tell you some of the ingredients: ground turkey, chili seasoning packets, chili beans (kidney), red beans (dark and light),diced tomatoes (zesty chili style), sweet golden kernel corn, chicken and/or beef broth, rotel, tomato paste, fresh jalepenos, fresh celery, and almost one whole large onion, lots of various spices, almost in abundance.
We combine all of the ingredients and simmer for a bit, then cook on low for another couple of hours (until both the celery and onions have lost most of their crunch).
Chili is not something i think of as wine-compatible, but i decided to do a little research before going to buy a strainer, thinking i may just pick up some wine to go with our bowls of yumminess. There were a few wines said to pair well with chili- i decided to buy one i had not tried before. I passed up the "sweet Shiraz", which i really wanted, and settled on Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz. It was reasonably priced and sounded questionable. If i plan on becoming a seasoned wine connoisseur- i can't keep buying only sweet wines. When i returned from my trip to Kroger and Beverage World, our roommate Rimmer was home from work. He was delighted because he'd planned on coming home and eating Ramen.
The chili was now simmering on the stove, and i couldn't wait two or so hours to try the wine. I opened it up and poured a glass. Rimmer, stating he would try a sip, poured just enough into his glass to cover the bottom. Brian took a sip of mine as Rimmer tried his. "Uh... this is awful!!" Brian exclaimed.
"Awful?" i asked. "It is bad," replied Rimmer. I, now fearing the worst, took a sip. It wasn't bad or awful, but it wasn't necessarily good, either.
I decided to keep drinking, because they say wine is an acquired taste. The wine wasn't so bitter i made a face, and it wasn't so dry i couldn't stand it. It actually, very slowly, gained it's own semi-sweetness in my mouth. The sips that tasted the sweetest were the ones i drank after taking bites of onion and celery from the pot to see if the chili was ready.
It finally was ready- and i had two bowls, both topped with sour cream, cheese, and oyster crackers. The first bowl i added Tabasco to, the second i added Tapatio. The Tapatio hot sauce goes very well with chili, in case you were wondering. The Shiraz, on the other hand, went with it okay. I personally would have preferred a nice cold Dr. Pepper. The sweetness i had tasted after trying the onions and celery had long gone, and in comparison to the great taste of chili, the wine was not up to par. I did, however experience new flavors when drinking the wine with the chili- pepper. The label of the Shiraz said something about plum and spices, which all sounds nice, but usually i cant taste all of those flavor and aromas- i either like the wine or i don't. But i guess the spices in the chili brought out a bite in the wine. I finished the glass of wine after my chili. I have to say- my last sip tasted a lot better than my first.
So i am not yet a pro at pairing - i would recommend beer or soda with chili- but i am slowly learning about different wines. My final decision on Shiraz is not so final. I do not plan on buying it soon, but i would not go so far as to say i will never drink it again. iI just have to remember wine is an "acquired taste."
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