This recipe was chosen for Walter Buchegger Holzgasse because it's a light and easy wine that needs something light and easy to match. You can throw everything together rather quickly and the ingredients are readily available. And as an added bonus, I made three tasty topping variations. Flammkuchen is not inherently a heavy dish, so it pairs great with this light and happy Grüner Veltliner. 

Art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography.”
 Federico Fellini It’s one of those gray days in January. Cold. Dark. Rainy. Depressing. There is something lovely about that first sentence, though. The word January. Do you see it? It’s the letter “r.” A month with the letter “r” in the spelling means one thing: Oysters are in season!

This combination was inspired by a meal that I had at a restaurant, in Spain. On the way back from the Spanish wine trade show, Fenavin, the people that I was traveling with decided to stop for dinner at El Molís des Avis. Now, this was not your ordinary restaurant. And this was not your ordinary meal, either.   The people that I was traveling with were also very special. I was with my exporter friend, Mara Calvo from Glop’s Vinateria. Father and son Cava producers, Joan Manel Vendrell Ferret and Joan Vendrell Olivella were also sitting at the table along with wine maker, and very fast Audi, driver, Josep Serra. I felt like I was sitting with Indie Spanish wine royalty.

Yum! Yum! Mussels! Mussels are usually at their best from September through April, or in months containing the letter “r.” Mussels are great because they aren't difficult to make, and they can be prepared rather quickly. I paired this mussel dish with a mouthwatering Cava because I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit from the traditional Mussel and white wine pairing…. And if you decide to serve a side of crispy French fries and the bubbles in the Cava are an excellent texture combination.

I have this great book called Traditional Spanish Cooking, by Janet Mendel. In it, she writes, “Paella is always eaten at midday, never for supper. It’s said to be too ‘heavy” to eat at night.” This whole time I’ve been eating it wrong? I’ve even eaten leftover Paella for breakfast… on more than one occasion. Wrong, again!! Wrong, but it tastes sooo good!   Something else the tastes good with Paella? Cava! I made a seafood Paella and paired it with a Rimarts Brut Nature Reserva. There are some pleasant citrusy notes in this beauty that make a perfect match to the seafood in the Paella. What’s more? The higher acidity in this Cava complements the richness of this Valencian seafood dish.

So, when I was thinking of what to pair with this fabulous cava one thing came to mind: Scallops! I love them, but they aren't always easy to find and they are not cheap! So if you can't find any, or you don't want to fork out the extra €€, you could easily substitute shrimp or monkfish. Traditionally romesco is a nut and red pepper-based sauce originated from Tarragona, Catalonia, in Northeastern Spain which is the same region that this cava is produced. Both the cava and the romesco sauce pair perfectly with fish, so why not bring them together in a recipe?

Like the Tuna Tartare recipe paired with Aucalà Blanca, this recipe is also inspired by the evening that I shared at the resteraunt Molí dels Avis in Taragonna, Spain. I was with my exporter friend, Mara Calvo from Glop’s Vinateria, along with father and son Cava producers, Joan Manel Vendrell Ferret and Joan Vendrell Olivella, and Aucalà wine maker (and very fast Audi, driver) Josep Serra. One should be so lucky to be driving through Spain with this group of indie Spanish wine royalty, let alone dining with them.  I was so mesmerized by the flavors of each dish, especially the Tuna sashimi, that I wanted to create another pairing with raw fish for the Vendrell Olivella Brut Cava which we were sipping with each course. This time I chose Salmon.  I like this type of recipe because it is uncomplicated and sophisticated. Just like the Vendrell Olivella Brut Cava.