Basil Pesto Spinach Ravioli

If you are anything like me, it is after work and the realization hits that you have no dinner plans. By the time you finish after work plans (aka yoga for me) and go to the grocery store, the last thing you want to do is cook a meal that will take an hour. Luckily this meal will take you fifteen minutes at the most. I happened to have fresh basil from my Basil and Cilantro herb plants.

This upgraded version of a simple pasta dish is full of flavor from the basil, garlic, spinach-ricotta stuffing and tomatoes. The pasta features Parmesan, Ricotta and Romano cheese flavors. I would recommend a light bodied, medium-to-high acidity, low tannin wine to complement the cheese and boldness of the pasta. For a red wine, I recommend a Pinot Noir. This red wine features subtle berry flavors of cherry and pomegranate. It has high acidity and low tannins. I recommend Little Black Dress 2015 Pinot Noir. For a white wine, I recommend an unoaked Chardonnay. Unoaked Chardonnays feature brisk citrus flavors like apple and peach. It has medium high acidity with low tannins. I recommend A to Z Wineworks Chardonnay.

Ingredients:

• 3-6 Leaves of Fresh Basil
• Pesto
• 1 or 2 bulbs of Garlic
• 10 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
• Fresh or Frozen Ravioli – I recommend Giovanni Rana’s Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli
• Prego Basil Pesto
• Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

1. Add water and ravioli to a pot and boil based on the bag’s instructions
2. Drain ravioli when finished and add back to the pot
3. Combine equal parts pesto and Prego Basil Pesto to enhance the pesto flavor with keeping the creamy Parmesan Romano flavor of the Prego sauce
4. Add the sauce to the ravioli
5. Chop the basil, garlic and tomatoes and add to the ravioli
6. Top with Parmesan cheese

Variations and Tips:

• Add chicken to the dish
• • Use leftover grilled chicken for a faster meal
• Freeze the ravioli to have the pasta at a moments notice

My Favorite Sources to Learn about Wine

Learning about wine can seem scary because of words like disgorging, malolactic fermentation, and riddling. Even though intimidating, have you wanted to buy a bottle confidently, understand what it takes to be a sommelier, or simply be able to comprehend tasting notes? The books and podcasts listed below helped me grasp the science and tasting of wine.

Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

Bosker journalizes her dedication to careers in wine for eighteen months. During the year, she seeks to understand “the big deal about wine”. She shadows New York City wine sommeliers to learn their craft in preparation for a sommelier exam. Not only do readers learn the life of sommeliers, they receive tips on how to better appreciate tastes, smells and wine. Bosker is informative as she is humorous. Readers feel as if they are on the journey with Bosker. The suggestions on tasting wine might convince you pick up a glass or two!

Drinking Local is…

More than likely, your local store has endless rows of foreign wine and a small section labeled Local. What makes the Local section special? Why should you purchase a bottle from a smaller named winery when you can buy a recognized brand like Kendall Jackson or Robert Mondavi?

As a novice wine connoisseur, it is intimidating to purchase a bottle from an unknown winery. My wine adventure began with a bottle of Velvet Red from St. James Winery. Through one glass, the wine transported me to St. James, Missouri where I could experience the history of the Hofherr family. One sip, that was it, I was hooked on drinking local.

Drinking local is story telling

At local wineries you learn the stories of not only who created the winery but why. Every bottle of wine allows you to listen and find inspiration from the vitner’s passion. It can teach you that Jim and Pat Hofherr of St. James Winery created their business to drink and share wines with their friends. Stories share the good times but also the struggles. The story of Stone Hill Winery, tells that Michael Poeschel turned to mushroom production in the historic cellars for 45 years during Prohibition. Through the local wineries, you have the chance to share your story. Every time you open a bottle, you reminisce on the first time you discovered the wine and the experiences gained visiting the winery.

Historic Lutheran Evangelical Church built by German Immigrants. Used at Pirtle Winery as a tasting room and indoor wine garden. Source: Pirtle Winery

A Little Taste of Missouri Wine

Last weekend, I took a detour on my road trip and stopped in Hermann, Missouri. Hermann is a beautiful valley town famous for a very popular agricultural product, wine. Wine has been around since approximately 4100 BC and was considered religious within Greeks, Jews, and Christians. Wine was brought to North America through Spanish Conquistadors to perform religious duties. Wine in North America is often associated with Argentina, California, and Chili regions and common grapes like Zinfandel and Malbec.

California is normally thought as a top wine producer in the United States. However, Missouri has been producing wine since entering statehood. Missouri has a strong German influence which explains how Missouri became prominent in the wine industry. In 1836, the German Settlement Society pursued new lands, traveling the Ohio and the Missouri Rivers to settle around St. Louis and Hermann. Missouri wine flourished because of its close proximity to the transcontinental railroad.

Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri

Before Prohibition, Missouri ranked 2nd in United States wine production behind California. Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri greatly influenced Missouri wine production. Michael Poeschel founded Stone Hill Winery 1847. Before prohibition, Stone Hill Winery was the 3rd largest winery in the world (2nd in the United States), produced over a million gallons of wine each year, and won medals for its wines at the world fairs.

In 2013, Missouri produced 1.25 million gallons of wine. The wine industry contributed over 1.3 trillion dollars. Wine production in Missouri from 2001 to 2009 grew by 156%! According to Statista.com, Missouri ranks 11th based on number of wineries in the United States with 139 wineries. However, Missouri is ranked 9th in the country based on wine acreage size and production.