We were invited, recently, to dinner at friend's home where the "main event" was a Louisiana Seafood Gumbo.  I love gumbos with their hearty medley of vegetables surrounding the key player whether it be seafood,chicken or sausage.  As I reviewed the ingredients (posted on the Recipe Book) of vegetables and shrimp, I began to narrow down some choices for wine.  Another guest shared with me that he was bringing a couple of Rieslings which, as it turned out, were just perfect. The Josef Rosch Rheingau 2007 Leiweiner Klostergarten, Riesling, Kabinett paired beautifully with the gumbo while the Erben von Beulwitz Rheingau 2007 Kaseler Nies’chen, Riesling, Spätlese, ‘Old Vines’, GoldCap melted with the fruit tart desert.

While I knew that Rieslings would work, I wanted some input from a chef with New Orleans cuisine experience. Fortunately, we're lucky to have chef and owner of Jonathan's Cork, Jonathan Landeen, in our backyard.  Jonathan had the privilege of training with renown New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. One of his personal favorites is a Prosecco, an Italian slightly fizzy and refreshing Sparkling Wine.  These will refresh the palate, especially if the gumbo is spiced up.  They tend to be a little less fruity and bubbly than their American counterparts such as the Schramsberg Mirabelle and tend to be very cost affordable, this one running in the mid teens (while I forget the producer, it's hard to go wrong here).  One tip.....don't let anyone convince you to spend more than $20 on a Prosecco.  Jonathan also enjoys a Riesling with just a touch of sweetness.  I opted for the Dr. Loosen "L" 2008.  There's a definte trend here and that's a wine with zippy acidity.  He also volunteered that if a red was called for, I could give a shot at a Zinfandel with its deep fruits and spice. I brought a 2007 Seghesio but we never got to it.  In the end, the dinner was a smashing success and wines did what they were supposed to do..............refresh the palate and keep us comin' back for more gumbo.  Check out the Recipe Book.  The recipe is a little elaborate but worth the effort.