jill hough

Expert Jill Hough’s Tips on the Best Wines for Spring

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Alison Ashton — No Comments ↓

Wine, like food, has a seasonal quality and now that it’s spring we asked Jill Silverman Hough, author of the new book 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with the Wines You Love (Wiley), to share her tips on what to sip these days. If you enjoyed her fabulous (and easy) Coppa-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah this winter, you’ll love her Fish “Burgers” with Minted Napa Cabbage Slaw with Pinot Grigio now!

Spring has sprung! Do you find that as the light changes, the days get longer and warmer, you want different wines than you’ve been sipping all winter?

Definitely. Just as I crave salads in the spring and summer and stews and pot roast in the winter, I also crave different wines depending on the season. Frankly, I’m not sure if the wines I’m craving changes or if, since the food cravings change, I crave different wines because they’ll go better with those foods. Probably a little of both.

In general, what makes a wine more “spring” vs. winter or fall?

Wine preferences, and likes and dislikes about food and wine pairing, are highly personal, so it’s always important to me to acknowledge that there is no “right” thing to eat or drink and there are no hard and fast rules–other than that you should eat and drink whatever makes you happy.

That said, spring is light and bright and sunny and refreshing, so the wines that go with spring, and typical spring foods, will have similar qualities.

What are the best wines to serve with spring fare?

Right now, I’m craving light, bright whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, crisp Chardonnay. I also recently had a Viognier that I’m still thinking about.

I always think of white wines or roses in spring and summer, but are there reds that also make great sippers with spring dishes?

I’m with you regarding whites and roses in spring and summer, but I also enjoy Pinot Noir and Grenache during warmer weather. Sometimes the mood just calls for a red, and those two hit the spot because they’re lighter reds.

What’s your personal favorite go-to wine for spring?

It changes, depending on what I’m eating (or not) and what the weather is like. Right now, it’s a crisp sunny day in Napa and I could really go for a glass of crisp, sunny glass of Chardonnay.

Halibut “Burgers” with Minted Napa Cabbage Slaw

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Alison Ashton — No Comments ↓

This halbut burger recipe, adapted from Jill Silverman Hough‘s book 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love (Wiley), is simple way to showcase halibut, which is in season in spring and summer. Wild-caught Alaskan halibut is the most sustainable choice. “Napa cabbate has a juiciness, a refreshing crunch that regular cabbage doesn’t–which helps the slaw nicely complement a similarly light and refreshing piece of fish,” says Hough. She recommends opening a bottle of Pinot Grigio to serve with this burger. It will also work well with Chardonnay, especially if you spread some mayonnaise on the buns or boost the amount of blue cheese in the slaw. “Oh both!” says Hough. This dish is great for warm-weather entertaining because you can do much of the prep work in advance and then it comes together in no time.

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What to Serve with the Thanksgiving Bird

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Lia Huber — 6 Comments ↓

When you live in wine country, there is no shortage of opinions on what wine to serve with the Thanksgiving bird. But I knew exactly who I wanted to turn to for advice: my friend and long-time colleague, encourager, and person you look forward to hanging out with at conferences, Jill Hough.

I remember standing in line with Jill at the airport four years ago talking about the projects we had brewing. When she told me about the book she had in the works, 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love, she said, “I just want people to be able to enjoy wine, not be intimidated by it.” I love that about her.

Here, Jill gives us down-to-earth, unintimidating advice on what to serve with the bird (and the sweet potatoes, and the green beans, and …).

LH: OK, let’s start with the biggie … white or red?

JH: It depends. (LH – Oh good, I was hoping you’d say that!). The main flavors in any dish are always more important than the main ingredient, and you want to pair for the main flavor. The other reason it depends is because turkey is one of those foods that is heavy for a white meat. It could really go with a heavy white or a light red.

The trickiest thing about Thanksgiving dinner is that there are often sweet things on the table, and sweet foods will always make a wine taste more sour. So if you tend towards the sweet—candied yams, sweet cranberry relish and such—you may want to go with a Gewürztraminer, which is heavy enough for the richness of the meal, but able to deal with the sweetness. If you lean more towards savory, then you could go two ways. One way is with a light red, like a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais (but not Nouveau). Or you could go Chardonnay, which is a “big” white in itself.

LH: You know how people tend to skip meals before Thanksgiving dinner, and then absolutely gorge? Any suggestions on preventing that?

JH: (laughs) I’d suggest some simple nibbles beforehand. Nuts are great, as are spreads and toasts. Cheese can run the gamut from light to heavy. I like to set out a couple of light cheeses, nuts, dried fruit and, bam, you’re done. It’s OK to put out a little bit, and then when it’s gone be done with it. It doesn’t make you a bad hostess if you don’t have food out constantly.

LH: How much wine should you plan on pouring?

JH: I would say plan at least a half bottle per person and if it’s an all day affair, another ¼ bottle per person.

LH: That can add up when you’ve got 12, 14, 18 people around your dining room table. Any tips on not busting the budget?

JH: I’d suggest asking people to bring a bottle. We often feel like we want to have complete control over the “Thanksgiving experience,” but if you let people bring things then they have a stake and feel more involved. Brining a bottle of wine is a great way to have people contribute.

Here’s my question for y’all: What are YOU drinking this Thanksgiving?