Step aside, Bloody Mary. Mosey on, mimosa. We’re pairing our exclusive Traveling Vineyard wines with brunch-themed small bites that are PERFECT for spring wine tastings and celebrations. From sweet to savory—and everything in between—we’ve got a wine to please your pastry-lovin’ palette and help you realize your bacon dreams.
Petite Parfaits
Kick off your brunch with petite breakfast parfaits in handheld cups (or champagne glasses!). Start with a layer of yogurt and then top with honeyed granola and seasonal fresh berries—lookin’ at you, strawberry—paired with Smirk, Moscatel, Western Cape, South Africa. Smirk is a great wine to open with at your tasting. It smells like spring sunshine, and is a lovely complement to fresh fruit. This pairing is light and not overpowering, allowing your taste buds to welcome all the deliciousness to come!
Spoonful Shrimp & Grits
We’re fresh back from Charlotte, North Carolina, where our mid-Atlantic area Wine Guides gathered for a regional meeting that was oozing with Southern charm like a busted can of biscuits. So, OF COURSE, we still have that divine Southern fare on our minds. Long story short, SHRIMP and GRITS. It’s a tasty, but filling favorite so we were excited to find a recipe for deconstructed shrimp and grits on Pinterest created by LemonThyme.com. Everything awesome all in one bite, with a hint of lemon and a splash of hot sauce. Pair this spoonful of magic with our frisky and flavorful Screaming Goat Gewürztraminer, or our light and crisp Ibrido, Manzoni Bianco Veneto IGT.
Photo + Recipe: LemonyThyme.com
Breakfast Casserole Bites
The best thing about breakfast casserole bites is that you choose the combination of cheeses, meats, and veggies—and bake them all together on a bed of hash browns nestled in individual muffin tins. Yum. Here is a recipe we loved from the Home.Made.Interest blog that swaps hash browns for tater tots (yes, please). If your breakfast bites feature a spicy sausage, you will delight guests with Tanglerose Backyard Red. Pair a bacon-filled or cheesy breakfast bite with fan-favorite Ignia Portuguese Red—because bacon and cheese. Opting for veggie or ham? Choose Calamity Sue Riesling or our fresh and enveloping Spruzzi Grillo—both pair well with quiche-like dishes.
Photo + Recipe: www.HomeMadeInterest.com
Smoked-Salmon Topped Toasts
A crusty bread is sturdy enough to hold just about any topping, even when sliced very thin. Ciabatta is perfect for topped toasts! We love Jamie Oliver’s version featuring smoked salmon, cress, and creamed horseradish. With a fancy fingerfood like this one, you’ll want to pair it with Luxx Cabernet Sauvignon. Luxx cuts the spice of the horseradish for a nice flavor balance.
Photo + Recipe: jamieoliver.com
Sweet Endings
Nothing is more satisfying than a sweet ending to a brunch tasting! We found a quick and easy recipe for miniature chocolate croissants from the Sally’s Baking Addiction blog that will deliver the perfect balance of melty chocolate and buttery pastry. Add some effervescence to your sweet finish with Fissata, our beloved dessert wine; or, for those who can’t get enough of a fine red, enhance the chocolate flavors with our Small Hours Zinfandel. Small Hours is a BIG fan favorite!
Photo + Recipe: SallysBakingAddiction.com
Hungry, yet? Then you definitely won’t want to go to the Traveling Vineyard Pinterest page for more delicious, mouth-watering brunch bites that will make you want to lick the screen. Thirsty, yet? Your favorite Wine Guide can pair the brunch recipes you love most with five free bottles of Traveling Vineyard wine for a brunch tasting that will wow. Find your guide today!