January ‘26 Drink Better Wine Club Food Pairing Recipes
For every wine club selection, we love to offer food pairings that allow you to experience the wine at its fullest potential: alongside a great meal. These recipes were created, by Sally, to complement the unique character of each wine and to bring a restaurant-quality experience right into your home.
What we enjoy most each week is sitting down to a well-prepared meal with a wine we’ve hand-selected not only for its quality and value, but for its place at our own table—whether it’s a relaxed weeknight dinner or a weekend celebration. The true pleasure of what we do is sharing that same experience with you: food, wine, company, and the simple luxury of a well-balanced and thoughtful meal.
Plus, I never seem to run out of dinner ideas, and if this makes your life any easier with a few new dinner inspirations, then hell yeah! I worked in restaurants for many years and I love sharing that meal inspiration with our community.
My intention when making the recipes is to create relatively approachable, seasonal and unique dishes that are not too complicated but super tasty!
January ‘26 Drink Better Wine Club Recipes
Chicken thighs over lemon-herb couscous with toasted pine nuts, dried sour cherries, Castelvetrano olives, and caper-butter pan sauce.
Recipe: (Serves 4)
Ingredients
Chicken + sauce
• 6–8 chicken thighs (any type works)
• Kosher salt, black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and lightly smashed
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lemon (zest half, juice half)
• Big handful parsley, chopped
Couscous
• 1 1/2 cups couscous (Moroccan/instant)
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water or chicken stock
• 1/3 cup dried sour cherries
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper
Steps
1. Heat the oven. Preheat to 425°F. Pat thighs dry and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Sear. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Add olive oil. Sear thighs skin-side down (or smooth-side down if skinless) until deeply golden, 6–8 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Roast. Scatter shallots, garlic, and thyme around the chicken. Transfer to oven and roast 18–25 minutes (boneless/skinless closer to 12–15).
4. Toast pine nuts. While chicken roasts, toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat 2–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Set aside.
5. Make couscous + plump cherries. Put couscous in a bowl. Add dried cherries, a pinch of salt, and olive oil. Pour in boiling water/stock, cover tightly 5 minutes, then fluff. Fold in toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, and a small squeeze of lemon. Season to taste.
6. Make the pan sauce (capers + butter). Transfer chicken to rest. Put skillet on medium heat, add wine/stock, and scrape up browned bits. Add olives + capers; simmer 2–3 minutes.
7. Butter finish. Turn heat low and swirl in cold butter until glossy. Add lemon juice to brighten. Stir in chopped parsley.
8. Serve. Spoon couscous onto plates, top with chicken, and drizzle generously with the caper-butter olive sauce. Finish with extra parsley and lemon zest.
Pan-Roasted Halibut with Root Vegetable Purée, Lemon Beurre Blanc & Garlicky Spinach (Serves 2)
Pork Tenderloin with Romesco and White Beans (Serves 2)
Ingredients
Ingredients
Pork
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4–1 lb)
• Kosher salt, black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Optional: 1 tsp chopped rosemary or thyme
Romesco beans
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped (or 1/4 onion)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 roasted red pepper (jarred is fine), drained
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds (or hazelnuts)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (or water), more as needed
• Salt, pepper
• Optional: squeeze of lemon
To finish
• Chopped parsley
Steps
1. Oven. Preheat to 400°F.
2. Season pork. Pat pork dry. Rub with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic, vinegar, and herbs (if using). Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Sear. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Sear pork, turning every 1–2 minutes, until browned all over, 6–8 minutes.
4. Roast (same skillet). Slide skillet into the oven and roast 6–10 minutes until the thickest part hits 145°F. Move pork to a plate and rest 8 minutes.
5. Make romesco base. While pork rests, blend roasted pepper, almonds, tomato paste, vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper with a splash of stock until it’s a thick, spoonable sauce.
6. Warm beans in the same skillet. Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving a little behind. Set over medium heat, add shallot and cook 2 minutes. Add garlic 30 seconds.
7. Combine. Add beans, romesco base, and remaining stock. Simmer 3–5 minutes, stirring, until glossy and saucy. Add more stock if you want it looser. Taste and adjust salt/vinegar (and a tiny squeeze of lemon if you want extra lift).
8. Serve. Spoon romesco beans onto plates, top with sliced pork, finish with parsley or whatever herb you like.
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