Spanish Tomato Soup with Spanish Ham and Cheese Panini
I guess it’s just a domestic beer week! One of my favorite things is getting off work and going to the Blind Tiger Ale House on Bleecker Street in New York City. They have a simple but delicious grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup and it’s the perfect thing on a cold New York night. To pair with it, they have a huge selection of unique craft beers from around the world. Although I love trying new things, I always find myself going toward the style of a brown ale because it has the perfect combination of full-flavor and refreshment. One of my favorite brown ales right now is Sixpoint Brownstone. It comes in 16-ounce cans and is so good. It just goes to show you that beer from a can can be classy and taste great!

Beef and Beer Pot with Buttermilk Potatoes
To pair with Rachael's delicious Beef and Beer Pot, you’ve got to go with beer! A darker beer with deep malty flavors would be a nice complement, but my choice is something lighter and fresher, like the Victory Prima Pils. You're pairing the dish with a beer so you pick up those flavors in the food, but the refreshing Prima Pils is a lively, lighter beer that has enough flavor so it won't get lost in the dish, but with its effervescent and light hoppiness will keep you wanting more of the food.

Spaghetti with Brussels and Bacon
You can go one of two ways with this dish. A fruit-forward, juicy and herbaceous red, like the Broc Cellars Carignan or Olga Raffault Chinon, which will pair the green notes of the Brussels sprouts with the herbal character of the wine, plus bacon does go well with softer reds or an aromatic, yet weighty white. I prefer the latter but I'm not complaining either way. The cabbage and smoked meat is a classic of the French Alps or especially in the Alsace area, which makes beautiful, aromatic and full-bodied, dry white wines. Try the Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris 2009 (about $20) with this dish or your favorite dry Riesling.

Stuffed Eggplant
Something about ground meat always screams to me for that quintessential American red wine; Zinfandel. I love that it’s unique to the United States (though it does have distant relatives in Croatia and Southern Italy) and I also enjoy Zinfandel's vibrant, yet easygoing personality. It pairs well with flavorful foods and can even handle some spice since it’s so soft and juicy. Right now, I'm drinking the Antic Zinfandel "Sonoma County" 2009 (about $16) but when I can, I splurge for some Turley Zinfandel (the greatest producer of that grape) from any of their single vineyards.

Sliced Steak Sandwiches with Blue Cheese and Sherry Mushrooms
Anchor "Old Foghorn" Barleywine - Don't be fooled; Barley wine isn't actually a wine. It is a very strong beer made in an old-school style. It's called a barley wine because its alcoholic content can be as strong as a wine, but is made from barley grain instead of grapes. I love to drink barley wine after a meal with cheese instead of dessert and dessert wine. But it can also pair well with some food, albeit richer and more full-flavored food. I love the English versions, but the Anchor "Old Foghorn" was the first American barley wine and it’s one of my favorites. This is a unique pairing, and it won't be for everyone, but the richness of the beer, with the slight carbonation is the most delicious thing you can drink with Rachael's steak sandwiches.

Roast Lamb with Potatoes and Salsa Verde
Palacios Bierzo "Petalos" (Galicia, Spain) - Lamb is an earthy, gamey meat that is often paired with mint or in this case, Rachael's delicious Salsa Verde to offset and balance those flavors. For this I love to pair a riper, more fruit-forward yet also full-flavored wine, such as Alvaro Palacios' "Petalos." It is ripe and a little jammy, but offers a lot of flavor and complexity for under $20 per bottle. I also love that this wine is produced organically and comes from a little known grape called Mencia. It only grows in the hills of Northwestern Spain, so you’re getting a unique flavor experience and a perfect pairing.

Slow-Cooked Maple Pork, Slow-Baked Potatoes with Apples and Onions, Sweet and Savory Red Cabbage and Beets
This dish is screaming for an Alsatian White like the Trimbach Riesling to pair with its sweet and sour flavors. Alsatian Rieslings aren't as sweet as German ones and have a bit more body which will match the weight of this dish. Plus, they have all that great Riesling acidity that’ll keep your mouth watering and get you ready for your next bite!

Pork and Fennel Patties with Roasted Fennel, Onion & Potatoes
For these really yummy patties, I would pair a fruit-forward, yet tasty wine. Pinot Noir is a classic pairing here and I'd prefer one from Germany or Austria which has incredible value and have an added level of herbaceous to the beautiful Pinot Noir red berry fruit. One of my favorite German Pinot Noirs is the Becker from the Pfalz region. It is medium-bodied and ripe, but has a lot of earthiness. For something even lighter, I'd go with Stadlmann Pinot Noir from Thermenregion, Austria. Both are great values and couldn't be more delicious with Rachael's Pork and Fennel Patties.

Leftover Lover's Turkey Tetrazzini
You can go either way with this one, by pairing it with a fuller white or a lighter red wine. I love to do a red because of the nutmeg in the dish, which brings out all of these great warming spices. It’s similar to the flavors you might get from oak-aging in a red wine. A lighter red is a great call here because turkey isn't as flavorful as something like beef or even pork. My pick is from the north part of Italy, high up in the Foothills of the Alps, where they grow great Italian grapes, but also excel at Pinot Noir. This wine is so tasty that you definitely won't have any vino-leftovers!
Hofstatter Pinot Nero "Meczan" 2010 $18

Parsley-Stuffed Chicken with Honey-Butter Sauce and Boiled Potatoes
This dish would be ideal with an American chardonnay. Not the overly-oaky, highly alcoholic stuff that a lot of producers make. But a balanced, fresh and delicious American chardonnay, that has some creaminess to complement the butter, but is still fresh and herbaceous enough to bring out the parsley, would be great. My choice is Lioco Sonoma County Chardonnay ($18). It is fresh and delicious with rejuvenating acidity that will make you want to drink more and more.