Sunday Supper: Wine and Food Pairing of the Week

Turkey Chili with Syrah

Chilly days call for chili dinners.

Sorry we just had to.

This turkey chili recipe is one of our cold weather favourites: hearty, healthy, spicy and totally loaded with flavour, it’s stick to your ribs goodness, that won’t stick to your hips. Of course, like any chili recipe you can add a pinch more of this or take away that, and make a one pot wonder that reflects your family’s preferences, but this is how we like it – and paired with an earthy, spicy cool climate Syrah makes it all the better.

Turkey chili

Makes a huge pot – probably serves 10

What You Need

1 large onion, chopped
3 small parsnips (or carrots) chopped
3 celery stalks sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb ground turkey thigh
1.5 lb ground turkey breast
1 litre ground tomatoes
1 cup red wine
Splash apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp cumin
1.5 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
3 Tbsp chile
1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil
1-2 jalepeno peppers, sliced (optional)
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp chipotle sauce

How You Do It

Sauté onions in oil over medium heat until soft and transparent
Add celery and parsnips and cook until soft, about 4 minutes
Add garlic add cook until fragrant, 40 seconds
Add spices and stir to coat vegetables
Add turkey stirring to coat and breaking up large pieces with the side of a spoon
Cook until pink disappears
Add tomato purée and wine and stir
Bring to a boil cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes
Add a splash of apple cider vinegar
Add jalepeno and bell pepper
Add mushroom and cook until soft, about five minutes
Add corn and beans cook another 5-10 minutes
Add Worcestershire sauce and chipotle sauce
Adjust for salt and pepper
Ladle into bowls and top with any combination of green onion, fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream and grated cheese

The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing

We knew with the spiciness of the dish, we would want a wine with an equal amount of spice. We opted for a cool climate Syrah, for its peppery, earthy notes.

Jackson Triggs Delaine Syrah, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2012
$32.95 Vintages 86553
The warm 2012 vintage helped produce this rich and dense red that’s full of blackberry, peppercorn, and fresh earth aromas. The palate is mid-weight and juicy with velvety tannins and flavours of red and black fruit, spice, black licorice and smoke. Great backbone of acidity offers freshness. A well made wine of substance and class.

How Did the Pairing Work?

Really well.
The spiciness in the chile brought out a mocha sweetness in the wine, and emphasized the plush texture. And the deep flavours in the chile brightened the syrah.
Great match. Yum.