Handley Cellars Gewurztraminer 2005

Tom made Jamaican Curry Goat last night and I was a bit stumped as to what wine to serve with it. I browsed through our wine inventory and found the Handley Gewurtraminer. I'd had this wine before and absolutely loved it, so I knew it would be a good pairing. What an understatement. It was an awesome pairing! The wine smelled like a garden of roses and tasted of lychee and citrus. It had good acidity, bright and vibrant and it stood up very well to the spicy food.

Jamaica-style Curry Goat

1 1/2 pound fresh goat meat
1 cup red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2-4 Tbsp Jamaica Curry Powder
1 tsp thyme
12 allspice crushed
fresh-ground black pepper
sea salt
water
potatoes

Cut the goat into 1-2 inch chunks as bones allow. In a large skillet, sear the goat in goose fat over high heat until brown. Lower heat to medium and add 1 Tbsp curry powder, red pepper and onion. Saute until onion is clear but not brown then add garlic and stir for a minute or two. Raise heat and add wine and stir for a minute or two. Add a cup of water, the rest of the curry powder, the allspice, some black pepper and the thyme. Cover and simmer (low to med-low heat) until the goat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Check it often and add water if it looks dry. Turn the meat over occasionally, too. Cut up the potatoes and add them (and a little more water) for the last 30 minutes on medium heat.

When you add the potatoes, the sauce should be a bit watery and should cover the potatoes. When done, the sauce should be thick, so if it's still watery, simmer it uncovered until it's the right consistency. Add salt, black pepper and more curry powder (if needed) to taste.