March 9, 2016

SPRINGTIME WINE PARTY

Springtime is near and what better way to celebrate then gathering your girlfriends for a fun night of drinks and festive food. Today I’m sharing an elegant way to entertain your friends with easy appetizer ideas and the perfect wine pairings.

My go-to wine at the moment has to be Gloria Ferrer who is owned and founded by the Ferrer family of Spain. Named for Jose Ferrer’s wife Gloria, the winery opened in 1986 in the breezy, now-famous region in southernmost Sonoma County. They are not only the first sparkling wine house in Sonoma Carneros, but also the first to bring back clones from France to plant in their vineyards.

Two of my current favorites include their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Gloria Ferrer’s Chardonnay is aged for nine months on French Oak Barrels to increase complexity. The wine has aromas of peach + pear with a hint of pineapple {which is perfect for springtime}. If you are more into red wine, Gloria Ferrer’s Pinot Noir is a great choice. It emits aromas of black cherry, cedar, and spice with a smooth mouthfeel and long finish.

When entertaining, it’s important to keep it simple and elegant. The whole point is to catch up with your friends over good food + wine. For this party I was able to create easy springtime themed appetizers to pair with the fruity flavors of Gloria Ferrer wines.

For my menu I created quick + easy antipasto skewers, a fresh berry bruschetta, and a delicious spinach + artichoke dip that can be served with pita chips or chopped veggies. These all can be made ahead of time and platted right before serving for easy entertaining. springtime wine party 6springtime wine party 11springtime wine party 15

Easy Antipasto Skewers

Print
  • 8 prosciutto slices
  • 16 1-inch mozzarella balls {Ciliegine}
  • 16 sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • 16 basil leaves
  1. Cut prosciutto slices in half.
  2. Assemble each skewer by first folding up the prosciutto and placing 1 sun dried tomato, 1 basil leaf, and 1 mozzarella ball on top.
  3. Stick a toothpick centered through all pieces
  4. Repeat 15 more times to create a total of 16 pieces

springtime wine party 14springtime wine party 4springtime wine party 19

Fresh Berry Bruschetta

Print
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 8-ounce carton of plain whipped cream cheese spread
  • 1 baguette of French bread {cut diagonally into 12 slices}
  • 2 tablespoons of butter {melted}
  • 1 cup of fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup of fresh blueberries
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush each one lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly on each slice of bread.
  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
  5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and while bread slices are still warm, spread the whipped cream cheese mixture over each piece.
  6. Combine the strawberries and blueberries together in a bowl and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher.
  7. Divide the berries evenly among each bread slice and serve.

springtime wine party 12springtime wine party 7springtime wine party 13springtime wine party 8springtime wine party 5springtime wine party 10springtime wine party 17

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Print
  • 1 1/2 cups of light shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
  • 12 ounces of frozen artichoke hearts {roughly chopped}
  • 8 ounces of light cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • salt & pepper
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Lightly grease a medium sized baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
  3. In a pan saute the chopped artichoke hearts and spinach over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated {about 5 minutes}.
  4. In a bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can use a food processor to get a better blend.
  5. Mix in the artichoke heart and spinach mixture and pour into your prepared baking dish.
  6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and bubbly.
  8. Serve warm with pita chips, tortilla chips, toasted bread, or chopped veggies.

springtime wine party 18springtime wine party 9springtime wine party 1springtime wine party 16springtime wine party 2

*I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

You May Also Like

23 thoughts on “SPRINGTIME WINE PARTY”

  1. Caroline @ Windy City Chic

    I don’t drink white wine so that Pinot sounds good to me! Love all of your party food too, looks delicious!! I’ll have to save these, especially that spinach and artichoke dip. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  10. Elizabeth Daisy

    Oh my days, my mouth was watering scrolling through your post – I want to attend one of your parties, you’ve some yummy ideas and they all look lush, plus love the presentation!

    Elizabeth xo | Elizabeth-Daisy.com

    1. Gold Coast Girl

      I got a lot of them at a store in Chicago called Material Possessions. The serving platters are all a brand called Annieglass. They sell them at Bloomingdales too! Hope this helps :-).

  21. Pingback: 5 TIPS FOR HOSTING AN EASY SUMMER SOIRÉE - GOLD COAST GIRL

Comments are closed.