Pinot Noir Balsamic Salad Dressing
Perfect wine pairing: 2015 Pinot noir Cuvée.
This recipe was inspired by hot summer evenings when you just can’t. bring. yourself. to cook. Now, I totally understand… making a homemade salad dressing is the first thing you scratch from the to-do list on a busy weeknight. But, I promise you, throwing this dressing together is so quick and simple. The result of just a few minutes of whisking results in a satisfying meal that pairs perfectly with a bottle of Oregon Pinot.
The ingredients in this Pinot noir balsamic dressing are all about simplicity. Start with a high-quality olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Add a dash of whichever Pinot you have open, then a sprinkle of Jacobsen Salt Co. Pinot noir-infused sea salt (if you need to get your hands on some, give us a call at the tasting room!).
The perfect salad to complement a Pinot noir includes hazelnuts, dried figs, and goat cheese; specifically, a chèvre or fresh, semi-soft goat’s milk cheese.
Pairing Pinot noir with chèvre brings forward the pleasant, earthy qualities of both the cheese and the wine. Chèvre has undertones of nutty, earthy flavors similar to the qualities of a Pinot like those produced here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Combining the chèvre with chopped dried figs and toasted Oregon hazelnuts rounds out a salad that achieves exactly what you work towards with a food & wine pairing: both taste better when enjoyed together.
Pinot Noir Balsamic Salad Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup Olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 Tbsp. Pinot noir
- 2 tsp. Jacobsen Salt Co. Pinot noir Infused sea salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients together and dress the salad just before serving. To round out this meal, serve the alongside mushrooms pan-seared in butter and herbs, and a filet of fresh-caught Steelhead or Chinook salmon. Enjoy!
