Many of us casual wine drinkers know that white wine goes with chicken and fish and red wine pairs well with red meat.  But unless you’re really into wine, it’s hard to know exactly which types of wine to pair with what foods, including appetizers and desserts.  Do I serve a pinot grigio or chardonnay, pinot noir or merlot? At Silver Moon Winery in Lanark, Illinois, you’ll begin to learn the differences.

Silver Moon Winery is fairly new to the winery scene, having opened in 2010.  Silver Moon’s concept of wine tasting is new, too.  You won’t have to stand at a bar to taste the wines here with only a few oyster crackers to cleanse the pallet between tastings.  Rather, you’ll be seated at a table in the cozy tasting room, and for just a few dollars, the wines will be served to you paired with various foods.  Taste one wine with a cheese, then try another wine with the same cheese and taste the difference.  You’ll begin to understand the wine-food pairing concept.  Don’t be surprised if you’re brought more food to try.  Kathi Enzenbacher, who owns the Silver Moon Winery with her husband Ron, is constantly developing new recipes and likes to get customers’ opinions of which wines taste best with them.

Besides wine, Silver Moon Winery offers a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. You can taste any of them, and you can also pick up free recipes that use the oils and vinegars.  Try butter olive oil, great for stir-fries, or dark chocolate balsamic vinegar for a strawberry or raspberry fruit salad.

If you visit Silver Moon Winery

Silver Moon Winery, part of the northwest loop of the Northern Illinois Wine Trail, is located at 21305 Zier Road in Lanark, Illinois.  The tasting room is open weekends April through December.  Check their web site for times.

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