With spring in the air our hosts felt it was a perfect time to celebrate Hawaiian style. We were expecting a lot of pineapple and we got it and so much more; great food, great wine and great pairings.
We started our Hawaiian Luau with a little bubbly and a fruit salsa with strawberries, apples and a whole lot of flavor. The sparkling wine was a Methode Champenoise Brut Rose from Gruett winery in New Mexico. Interestingly the founder of this winery began his wine making career in France. The story is very cool.
Gruett Winery
The wine, called "the juice of love", is made from 100% Pinot Noir 
It has strawberry and floral notes with a zesty acidity and delicate finish, making it a great pairing with the fruit salsa.
The salad course was paired with CottonWood Creek white wine made with organic grapes.
Mixed salad greens were topped with pineapple, sesame seeds and pine nuts all tossed with a light sesame oil dressing. 
The wine paired well with the salad bringing in fresh fruit with hints of pineapple and peaches with a slightly sweet finish.
Next was warm brie with crasins, served with apples and pears. There were crackers too but the pears and apples were delicious with the warm brie. Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley was served to complete the ensemble.
A Hawaiian party wouldn't be complete without Huli Huli Grilled Chicken,
boasting with flavors of pineapple juice, brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce.
Huli Huli Chicken
This dish was paired with Caymus Vineyard Conundrum, a mysterious white wine. The winemaker will never tell his secret about what's in there except to say there are 5 varietals that make up the recipe. The style was crafted as a "full flavored fruit, but also complex and balanced" in a blend designed specifically to pair with the creative dishes being offered by a new generation of chefs. The chicken and Conundrum made a good pairing.
Pulled pork took center stage with two wines.
It was up to us to decide which was best. The pork had a spicy kick to it and was served with a mango salsa that created a different flavor profile for the pairing.
I went out on a limb and introduced a third wine the Conundrum, that ended up being my favorite wine with the dish.
The last dish before the grand finale was an amazing smoked pork loin stuffed with pineapple.
The flavor was perfect and the wine, a French Bordeaux complimented the pork and pineapple perfectly.
The grand finale- an elaborate apple stack cake was spectacular. The presentation was beautiful and the flavors were delicious. The pictures speak for themselves.
