Enjoy wines from Fly High Vineyard & Longsword Vineyard of Oregon this Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - August 31st, 2011 - Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a terrific opportunity for chefs to showcase the best of Cajun Cuisine. It is also an excuse for wine lovers to mix and match favorite wines with the hot and spicy flavors of the beloved Bayou region. Cajun cuisine is known for being rich, buttery, spicy and full of flavor. So when you are searching for wines to step up to the pairing challenge, you will want to bypass heavy duty reds that are high in tannins like a Cabernet Sauvignon, as they will taste more metallic and destroy the flavors of the dish. Instead, opt for wines that will be crisp, cool and will not compete with the intensity of the dish's flavors.

With a sizzling bowl of gumbo you'll need a lively Syrah. It will do its share to balance the heat of this classic Cajun soup. As for red wine selections, opt for a versatile Tempranillo or a snazzy Syrah, both are an easy-going palate presence that will sustain and complement a sizzling gumbo filled with shrimp, chicken or sausage. Try Fly High Vineyard Barnstormers Red Tempranillo which gets its name as it is grown next to the runway and has a more complex fruit character. This easy drinking, fruit driven Tempranillo offers the nose aromas of bold fruit flavors of cherry, plum, berries and vanilla in the background. It is a very interesting wine that seems to please a wide variety of palates and is a natural for pairing with flavorful foods, principally meat dishes or a good gumbo. Retail $19.00 Or there is Fly High Vineyard 2007 Pilot’s Reserve Syrah. This Syrah is known for it’s long life and robust flavor: spicy blackberry, plum and pepper. Retail $34.00.

Opting For Cajun Catfish, Shrimp Creole or a Crayfish Entree? If you are trying something seafood or shellfish-based, then stick with a white wine that offers both refreshment and maintains a brisk component in its structure. LongSword Vineyard’s Invitation will work nicely. This wine joins the ranks of the “Naked” Chardonnay, fermented and aged in stainless steel, no butter or oak mask the crisp, refreshing pear and melon flavors. If you’re hoping to make a brace of oysters sing or wash down a garlic-lemon shrimp, check out this one. Sip it either at the table or as an aperitif. Retail $18

A wine to partake of the King Cake with – look no further than a slightly sweet sparkling wine like Accolade. Originally slated as a one time celebratory wine for the wedding of the owner’s son, Accolade is all fun. A mouthful of fruit with a hint of sweetness and just enough effervescence to tickle your tongue. This fruity-driven, citrus-based makes a move towards apples and pineapples with a subtle touch of pear on the palate. Retail $20.00

So if you are celebrating Mardi Gras this March 8th, these Oregon wines will stand up best to the full flavors of the Bayou region.

Longsword Vineyard/Fly High Vineyard formed beneficial partnership to create award winning wine. While the grapes are kept separate, the vineyards now share a common logo. LongSword, a translation of Largaespada, and Fly High, honoring David King's flying days, are merged in the FHLV label, featuring the outline of pilot's wings with a biplane silhouette flying above an unsheathed sword.

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