This past weekend found searching for something we have not had in sometime.  After searching the recesses of our minds for a dish that we liked in the past, we went with vegetarian chili from Mollie Katzen original vegetarian cookbook, which is getting harder and harder to find.  We went with some honey, pepper, and lemon roasted chicken that we placed over a bed of frozen green beans and roasted for an hour.  The chicken was extra moist and really nice and lemony, without it being too acidic, quite nice.  If the chicken was good, the chili was crazy yummy.  We started with the cookbook’s recipe, and modified it with sautéing some Crimini mushrooms, wine, and some extra canned tomatoes.  The mushrooms added some lovely texture to the complex dish, and the tomatoes and wine added a depth of flavor that topped this dish off quite nicely.

As a wine to pair against these foods, I chose a white wine that I had not yet tried.  It was a left over from the previous Mevushal Wine tasting, and it is an OK bottle for the price.  The wine is the Weinstock White by W 2007.  The bottle does not describe the fruit that as used to make the wine.  After drinking it I was sure that it was a mixture of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc (because of the sweetness and lychee/grapefruit/acidic core).  However, after searching a bit on the web, I found it is a blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.  The wine is a nice fruity, citrusy, and acidic wine, with its nose being one of its highlights.  The mouth is nice but simple, with a bit too much acidity that throws the wine’s balance way off.  This wine would be nice with sushi or a cold pasta salad.

Weinstock Cellars “White by W” 2007 – Score: B
The nose on this light straw colored wine is the wine’s true highlight, it starts with an attack of grapefruit, peach, lychee, citrus, and floral notes.  The mouth on this over acidic and light bodied wine is sweet with a heavy acidic core, lychee, and lemon.  The lemon and acidity carry till a medium long finish of more citrus and acidity.  The acidity is mouth puckering and a flaw that makes the wine almost impossible to drink on its own.