What should one pair with an easy drinking Grüner Veltliner? How about a delicious gooey French toast with Gruyère cheese and a fat slice of tomato? So yummy it will take you to a higher level of comfort food heaven. Baked golden brown…. I get food coma just thinking about it!

Did you know that the cornichon in the picture is completely jealous of the potato that gets to wear the melted cheese version of a fur coat? She was complaining to the pearl onion about it for most of the food photo shoot. But we all know that the real talent in this dish is the cheese. Raclette is a fabulous cheese and a tradtional meal that originated in Switzerland. Technicaly one only needs five ingredients to eat Racclette as a meal: Raclette, cornichons, pickled pearl onions, boiled potatoes, and fresh ground black pepper. No wait! I forgot the wine! Okay, six ingredients. Personally, I like my racclette with a nice Savoie, like Domaine De la Chancelière Chignin Savoie. Why? It has a nice zippy acidity that cuts through the richness of the cheese and a fruitiness that is also complimentary. For me, this is a perfect meal (best enjoyed while wearing pajama pants). 

I tried this wine for the first time when I visited Altùn last spring. Alberto and Iker are the two brothers and wine makers, for whom the wine is named, served this lovely wine with careta.  Careta is the face of a pig. Perfectly grilled, the careta had a crispy texture with a wonderful “porky” flavor and it was delicious. However, as I don't have any experience with pig face, I paired this lovely wine with a different tapas that has ingredients that are readily available.  This tapas can be made any time of year and it doesn't have a million ingredients. The Altùn Albiker matches well with the Manchego and Roncol cheeses used in this simple dish. Add some crusty bread and chorizo and you have turned your tapas into a nice little meal. And if you should ever find yourself in Spain, try the Careta.