Affordable, Yet Decadent Wine & Appetizer Picks From Two Pros

One of the best parts of ringing in the New Year is enjoying savory seasonal dishes paired with the perfect bubbly or wine. Chef Rachelle Boucher, Standards of Excellence's Chef, and Ziggy Eschliman, better known as 'Ziggy the Wine Gal,' have teamed up to offer a few ideas to make your holiday gatherings tasty and memorable, yet still affordable with pairings that are decadent but do not break the bank!

"One of the most important aspects of enjoying wine is the proper chilling for both red and white," said Chef Rachelle. "You don't want to store your red wine at room temperature or just throw your white wine in the refrigerator, every degree makes a difference in revealing the nuances in wine. It's important to use a wine refrigerator that chills each type of wine at exactly the right temperature so it's served to perfection. These include the ULine Wine Captain, the KitchenAid? Wine Storage Unit or a SubZero Wine Cooler."

Here are two of their top suggestions for great wines with sumptuous appetizers that stretch the luxury ingredients for maximum impact on a budget:

Double Happiness Shrimp & Scallion Pancakes Paired with '10 Mirassou, Pinot Gris, CA for only $12-
- I created this appetizer after eating Green Onion Pancakes in a famous SF Chinese restaurant. I wanted a light, non-greasy version. You will LOVE this!
Shrimp Pancakes
- 10 oz. cooked, peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons of finely minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely slivered scallions (green onions) , plus more for garnish
- Vegetable oil for frying (apx 1/2 cup)
Makes about 45 appetizer size pancakes

Aioli
- 1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice*
- 1 tablespoon premium dark soy sauce**
- Black pepper to taste
* For fresh ginger juice, grate a 3" piece of ginger and squeeze juice from the pulp
** Try to find "thick" style soy sauce, available at Asian markets, for best results

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs and water together and add chopped shrimp, garlic and scallions and stir to combine. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, do not over mix or your pancakes will become tough! Cover, refrigerate and let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a non-stick frying pan or griddle, heat 3 tablespoons of oil on medium-high. Gently stir batter once and drop scant tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook for about two to three minutes, turning once, and continue cooking for about two minutes or until pancakes are golden brown on each side and cooked through. Adjust heat as needed to allow the cakes to cook through. Place on paper towels to absorb oil. Continue cooking remaining pancakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Remove to serving platter, garnish with slivered scallions and serve warm with a drizzle of aioli or a dipping bowl of Chinese black vinegar and soy sauce.

For aioli:
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ginger juice, soy sauce and black pepper. Refrigerate aioli until needed.

Note: Pancake batter and aioli can be made up to one day in advance, covered and refrigerated until ready to use. Pancakes can be cooked ahead of time and reheated in a 400?F oven (375?F convection).

Warm Crab & Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl Paired with

'04 Gloria Ferrer, Royal Cuvee, Brut $32-
This is my way of capturing the taste of San Francisco. The flavor and texture of the artichokes extend the flavor of the crab and you get to tear into the bread bowl at the end!

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Tab