Site Meter Wine Outlook » Blog Archive » Start a party with crisp white wine and salty food

Start a party with crisp white wine and salty food

by Farley

This post is for Gillian, over at Food Past. She asked about a pairing for Pinot Grigio (so called in Italy) or Pinot Gris (France and other places), as it has a Medieval history. Well, Gillian, get out your books, cause I have a yummy treat to go with your glass of wine.

Of course there are exceptions, but many PG’s tend to be dry and light with citrus undertones. Some made in France can be a bit richer, almost fleshy, and nuttier. Either way it goes, I think you will find a friendly match with the following recipe…
tastes much better than my camera allows it to look

My mom threw this dip together years ago. I remember how much I loved when we had company because it would magically appear on the table, and it was always so tasty. I’ve since taken it and run as if it were my own, and it’s a great hit at parties.

Debbe’s Delicious Olive Dip
Take a stick of cream cheese at room temperature and put into a mixing bowl. Squeeze in half a lemon. Add a teaspoon (up to a tablespoon) of mayo. Cut up green olives, maybe half a cup to start, but you may want more later. ( I like to make sure there are a couple olives at least in every bite).
Now, here’s where I come in. My mom always used garlic powder, and I did too, for a while. Now I use fresh, one clove of garlic, minced . Mix it all together and put into a pretty bowl. Serve with your favorite crackers, though I think Ritz are best.

If it’s a light Pinot Grigio, then the citrus will be enhanced by the lemon and cut through the saltiness. If it’s a fuller Pinot Gris, it will stand up to the cheese and the meatiness of the olives.

Enjoy! You may want to double the serving depending on the size of the gathering, as people tend to hover over the bowl, and I sadly never have any leftovers.

, ,

Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Wine Outlook. It's Free!

5 Responses to “Start a party with crisp white wine and salty food”

  1. Gillian Says:

    I will make this for end-of-year gatherings, when we’re sure to be served Pinot Gris. It’s perfect for the Australian summer. Thank you!

    Give me a few days and I will return the favour (or flavour :).

  2. Gillian Says:

    I can’t remember where I put the poem I was talking about. I’ll find it one day, and blog it for you. Until that day arrives, will this do? http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/omarkhayyam-wine.html

  3. Farley Says:

    I like it. Wine (well,alcohol really) makes you think you know more than you do, and often that you love more than you do. hehe

  4. Wine Outlook » Blog Archive » Wine Fest, part 2 Says:

    [...] The first victim was Champagne—a ’98 Duval Leroy Blanc de Chardonnay. Delightfully dry and crisp, it went beautifully with my olive dip and went into the champagne vinaigrette I was making for the salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, and goat cheese. [...]

  5. Wedding Tactics » Blog Archive » Romantic Cocktails Says:

    [...] you are also going to serve wine with dinner, visit Wine Outlook for some important details about chosing the right wine for your [...]

Leave a Reply


About Wine Outlook

This site is your go-to for answers about wine, courtesy of someone in the business. Firsthand knowledge and hours of research logged each week provide informed and impassioned suggestions for what wine to serve with meals (sometimes with recipes), places to go for education or fun, and what to buy or not buy. Wine Outlook is where you go when you’ve had too much to drink or not enough.

Wine Outlook Author(s)
    » Farley

Blogging Flair

Add to Technorati Favorites Top Food & Drink blogs Food & Drink Blogs - Blog Top Sites As Seen on Delightfulblogs.com

Food, Cooking & Wine Channel Posts

  • This Week's Wine Menu is All About Fleet Week
    This week’s theme: history and tidbits Complimentary Tasting 2006 Roussanne, Fess Parker Vineyard, Santa Barbara $25 Picture yourself in San Diego in 1935, for the very first Fleet [...]
  • Cocktails – tasting notes and final list
    The cocktails for the Banquet were: Gernsbackian Dream - a copacetic martini style drink, the cat's pyjamas Southern Nights Julep– Mint, champagne and fruit, iced to perfection, a julep [...]
  • Fall foods
    I know that we're well into October and the weather has been on the chilly side. But I've still been in denial about it being fall. This CSA share is proof that it's summer no more. Two heads [...]
  • Last of the Conflux food (but not the summer wine?)
    This is another dish we didn't use but which the testers loved. Leg of lamb, Boulangère. Season a leg of lamb with salt and pepper, and rub with garlic and butter. Put in roasting pan with a [...]
  • Happy Conflux recipes
    The sherbet or sorbet was another dish that the chef used his background for. He had done a Titanic menu previously and is perfectly familiar with the palate cleansing sorbet of the period, so [...]
  • Peel it, Juice it and Eat it....the Pomegranate
    The pomegranate has a brilliant colored red juice and the seeds, that are colored the same amazing red, can stain a lot of clothing and even your favorite apron. The tiny little sack that hold a [...]
  • Be an Artist of Wine
    Next Wednesday--one week from tonight--will be the last wine seminar of the year at Rosenblum Cellars, hosted by yours truly. The Art of Blending will take place from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the winery [...]
  • More recipes!
    Canapes – there were so many delicious canapé recipes to choose from and they all tested well. I chose simple ones that met everyone's dietary requirements. BLACK OLIVES Pit black olives, [...]
  • Limited Edition Snickers Dark Mix
    I am always up to giving something labeled dark chocolate a try even though so many times I end up disappointed with it tasting too much like milk chocolate. Usually just a look at the [...]
  • Cooking with Beef
    • Beef, Vegetable and Noodle Skillet Serves: 6 1 pkg. shells and cheese dinner 1 lb. extra lean ground beef 1/2 cup Italian dressing 1 bag frozen veggie blend, thawed 1 tsp. dried basil [...]

Hot Off The Press