Weeknight Dinners: There Is a Wine for That

It’s official. Life has begun life-ing again. All the big holidays have come and gone. The Super Bowl Party wreckage is all cleaned up. Those January resets are all but forgotten. School is back in session. Work is back to a normal routine, our social lives are back to their normal pace, and now we wait for summer vacation. For some of us, the weather is starting to heat up. Others are still stuck in the snow. But one thing we all have in common is a need to get dinner on the table. 

Here at JP Bourgeois, one of our core missions is to bring truly excellent wines to our customers at great prices. Wines that overdeliver, if you will. We are just as excited to see the wines we offer on the table on an average Tuesday night as we are to see them gracing a holiday table. In true French style, JP believes there is never a wrong time for wine, and everyone on the team agrees!

To help make our case and help everyone level up their weeknight dinners, we have paired six wines from some of our favorite producers with some easy weeknight dinner ideas. We even have a recipe in there for you, courtesy of Marketing Director and Texas native, Tracy Pell. Without further ado, let’s dig in and see what the week has in store!

Monday
A Texas Style Chili with Elicio Rouge, IGP Méditerranée

We are very sure that Alexis Valette, winemaker at Elicio, never envisioned anyone eating chili with his wine, but we think he would approve! The juicy fruit-filled spice in this wine is a great match for the heat and spice in this “bowl of red”. Just like the chili, this wine is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family. Easy to share and easy to love!

We suggest making the Chili on Sunday (with a glass of wine in your hand, of course) to enjoy on Monday. Nothing could be easier when Monday is doing its Monday thing.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups white onions, diced (about 2 medium)
  • 4 tsp garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 2 tbsp high-quality chili powder (or make your own!)
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1-14.5 oz can fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth (or Beef Better Than Bouillon)
  • 1 cup water
  • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
  • Add the onions and cook until translucent but not brown.
  • Add the garlic to the pot and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic.
  • Add the ground beef and allow it to brown on the bottom, then break it up into smaller pieces, stirring often until there is no pink remaining
  • Add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt, and stir until all the seasonings are well incorporated into the meat
  • Move all the meat to the sides of the pan, add a small dollop of oil in the center, add the tomato paste, and after a few seconds, spread it thinner and let it fry a bit longer. You want the paste to get a few shades darker. Then add the tomatoes and all the liquid, beef broth, and water.
  • Stir to combine and bring to a boil
  • Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for at least two hours.

Ingredients

  • 2 ancho chilies
  • 3 guajillo chilies
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • Pinch of ground cloves

Instructions

  • Stem and deseed your chiles.
  • Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and lay your chilis in the pan to toast, flipping intermittently until they turn a darker shade of red (don’t let them burn!)
  • Add the chiles to a spice grinder or blender and process into a powder.
  • Stir in the cumin, garlic powder, oregano, allspice, and cloves.

Tuesday
Snacks for Dinner with Gönc Winery 60’s Kerner

Peter Gönc’s Kerner is aromatic, bright, and refreshing with enough texture to handle salty, snacky, slightly chaotic plates. 

Our personal fave is a Snack Board. Think olives, Marcona almonds, prosciutto, chèvre, sliced apple, good crackers, maybe some tinned fish. Kerner’s acidity slices through the fat of the prosciutto. Its citrus and floral notes lift the salt of olives. The fruit notes in the wine play well with apple. If you add a drizzle of honey onto the chèvre, even better. That sweet-salt-acid combo makes the wine feel electric. 

Bonus points! 

Add a Tinned Fish Moment. We like sardines in olive oil with lemon, Smoked trout, and mussels with herbs. Add crusty bread and maybe some French butter. The wine’s freshness cuts through the richness of the fish, and the hint of salinity in the Kerner is giving coastal. 

Wednesday
Smash Burgers with Mas des Étoiles Cahors Petite Étoile

This Malbec from Cahors is structured and fruity. Think black plum, blackberry, a little graphite, maybe a savory herbal edge. The moderate-to-firm tannins bind to protein and fat, while acidity cuts through richness. Which screams pair me with a smash burger (to us at least!! Add sharp cheddar and/or caramelized onions (or onion jam!) if you have a little extra time. All the brown bits that smash burgers are known for are really amplified by the wine’s depth.

Thursday
Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken, a Simple Salad, and the Moonflower Red Blend

This Oregon Pinot Noir has a lovely bright acidity with notes of red cherry and cranberry. It has a light to medium body, gentle tannins, and a little earth and herb.

So here is what you do. Tear chicken, drizzle with olive oil and lemon. Toss a big bowl of arugula with shaved Parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper, and more lemon. Maybe warm bread with a smear of really nice butter (maybe a great French one!) Pinot’s acidity handles lemon better than most reds. The herbal quality in arugula plays nicely with the wine. You will feel fancy and save yourself from kitchen duty.

Friday
Salmon Rice Bowl and Véloré Ventoux Blanc

Salmon is a rich, fatty fish whose natural oils and texture call for a wine with bright acidity and mineral lift that can cut through the fat and refresh the palate without overwhelming the food. 

Salmon Rice Bowl with Ginger Scallion Rice and sliced Cucumber (Inspired by Samin Nosrat)
We really love what happens to salmon when you slow-roast it. If you’ve never tried it, now is the time!

Ingredients

  • 1–2 lb fillet of wild king or sockeye salmon (pin bones removed)
  • ½ bundle of parsley
  • ½ bundle of cilantro
  • Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt

Method

  • Pre-heat your oven to 225°F
  • On a ½ sheet pan, lay down the bed of herbs.
  • Sprinkle both sides of the salmon generously with salt.
  • Lay skin side down on the bed of herbs and drizzle the fish with olive oil.
  • Use your hands to coat the fish evenly with olive oil.
  • Put the sheet pan in the oven to roast for 45 minutes. You want the thickest part of the fish to flake when you test it.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked and still warm
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely sliced
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • Neutral oil, like avocado oil or grapeseed oil

Method

Add your ginger and scallions to a heat-safe bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Pour the hot oil over the scallion and ginger, lit will bubble like crazy. Let it settle, then pour it over the rice and mix it in.

Thinly slice one English cucumber. Add the slices to a bowl, then add soy sauce, chili crisp, rice wine vinegar, honey, and a dash of fish sauce. Stir and let the cucumbers sit in the sauce until you are ready to assemble your bowl.

  • Add the rice, salmon, and cucumbers to the bowl.
  • Top with a dollop of chili crisp and a squeeze of kewpie mayo.
  • Enjoy!

Saturday
Chinese takeout and Grape Abduction Orange

Look, you don’t need us to tell you what to order from your local takeout. You know what you like! BUT if you want a great match to this juicy, refreshing orange wine from Slovenia, we think you should go for something spicy. Think a spicy General Tso’s, Lip-tingling Mapo Tofu, or Kung Pao chicken. You won’t regret it.

Wines Featured in This Story

Elicio Rouge, IGP Méditerranée

Blend: 39% Merlot, 39% Syrah, 22% Grenache Noir
Aging: Bottled young to preserve freshness

Vibrant, generous, and fruit-driven, Elicio Rouge embodies the friendly, approachable spirit of southern France. Crafted by winemaker Alexis Valette with the assistance of oenologist Pascal Duconget, this blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Grenache Noir combines Mediterranean warmth with the balance and finesse that define Maison Cascavel’s collection. Supple and aromatic, it’s a wine that is as easy to love as it is to share..

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Gönc Winery 60’s Kerner

Varietals: 100% Kerner
Aging: 6 months in stainless steel

60’s is a very aromatic and crisp yet full-bodied white wine. It offers aromas of white flowers, green apple, citrus, and sea air. The palate is round and creamy with aromas carried over from the nose and a distinctive saline minerality. A delightful low sulfite wine perfect for all your seafood and warm nights.

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Mas des Étoiles Petite Étoile

Blend: 100% Malbec
Aging:  18 months in stainless steel tanks, on its lees

Intense nose of ripe, juicy red and dark fruits, and a touch of freshly dug earth. The round, very fruity palate has a solid structure but very soft, well-integrated tannins from a year and a half’s worth of aging.

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Moonflower Pinot Noir

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Aging:  5 months in used oak

Classic Oregon Pinot Noir character shines through: red cherry and blood orange are layered with hints of herbs, rose petals, forest floor, and crushed spice. The palate is energetic and complex, with brambly tannins, bright acidity, and a graceful balance between fruit purity and earthy complexity. The finish lingers with savory depth and a mineral backbone.

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Véloré Ventoux Blanc

Blend: 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Rolle, 20% Clairette,10% Roussanne, 10% Viognier

Bright citrus, white flower, and crisp pear glide across the palate, balanced by lively acidity and subtle minerality.

Like a sunlit ride up Mont Ventoux, a legendary cycling destination, Véloré is an energetic, vibrant, fresh wine. Inspired by the community of cyclists that regularly scale the Giant of Provence, this Véloré blends “vélo” (bicycle) and “ore” (gold). It reflects both the cycling culture and the warmth of the region.

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Grape Abduction Company Orange

Blend: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling
Aging: 5 months in stainless steel

A light amber color with an aromatically rich nose of ripe golden apple, quince, sweet brown spice, and hints of honey. On the palate, the wine is round with flavors from the nose and a good minerality. The finish is smooth and lingering with highlighted notes of sweet brown spices.

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