Yard Dog Proprietary White Blend 2006 and One Fierce Shrimp Quesadilla

Being a health and fitness nut is not incompatible with a love for eating. Summer is the season for fresh produce, so this evening I went out and picked some tomatoes, peppers and herbs. My plan: to do some simple culinary blending that will illustrate the beauty of Yard Dog White 2006, a creative blend that's selling very well here in Nashville.

The garden is just starting to provide a yield. But I was able to pick a bunch of sweet banana peppers, and a "Holy Mole" pepper, as well as several small heirloom tomatoes, called Lime Green Salad and Black Cherry. I also gathered up a bunch of onion chives, flat leaf parsley, and sweet basil. Now, it's time to make a Shrimp Quesadilla.

I google shrimp quesadilla and find a number of similar approaches. Now I'm ready to improvise. Nobody mentioned garden fresh peppers, but I'm going to incorporate them. To make one fierce shrimp quesadilla, here's what I put together:

Shrimp: 1/2 pound thawed, USA wild caught, 30 per pound, de-veined. I look for USA wild caught, because they are not on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of seafood to "Avoid", unlike imported farm raised and wild caught shrimp, which are. These shrimp, I marinate 20 minutes in Stirrings Margarita Mix, plus copious chopped chives and parsley, as well as a shake or two of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Old Bay seasoning. I set these aside in the refrigerator.

I chop:

• 1/4 to 1/2 sweet Vidalia onion, depending on size
• 1/2 good sized fresh "Holy Mole" pepper, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 sweet banana pepper, seeds removed
• 1/5 sweet red pepper, seeds removed
• These peppers and onions are sweated in olive oil for 5-10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Meanwhile, I begin heating and browning 2 whole wheat soft tortillas.

Once the onions and peppers are transparent, I add the shrimp and marinade and reduce the mixture as the shrimp poach. This only takes 5 or 6 minutes. Now, it's assembly time.

Leave one browning tortilla in its non-stick pan, and put a little handful of "Mexican Cheese" (I used 2% milk variety) on the bottom tortilla. Now add half the peppers and onions. Next add all the shrimp (except the ones you ate already). Add the other half of the peppers and onions. Add another small handful of "Mexican Cheese". Finally, add the top tortilla. The skillet is on medium heat. Once the whole quesadilla has melted together, turn it and brown it on the other side.

Serve with a side of chopped heirloom salad tomatoes (I used the Lime Green and Black Cherry ones from the garden), mixed with fresh sweet basil. You might also serve with some rice, seasoned how you like. Finally, drizzle the quesadilla with a sour cream concoction that is thinned out with the Stirrings Margarita Mix that I mentioned earlier. Lastly, top with chopped flat leaf parsley and onion chives.

Yard Dog proprietary white blend is a summer wine, ideal for creative fusion dishes, because it's a perfect blend of white wine flavors and textures. A little of this and a little of that comes together resulting in a very successful bottle of wine that will disappear quickly as it keeps you guessing what all is in it.

What's in it is Chardonnay (55%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%), Riesling (15%), Semillon (10%) and Viognier (5%). The color is bright lemon straw. It's not sweet! It's crisp and dry, yet refreshing. On the nose you will pick up a citrus medley, plus some cold blossoms and a slightly peachy keen-ness. On the tongue the citrus dominates, playing out as lemon, lime and grapefruit, plus you might get some nectarine and green apple. The whole thing stays together, creating a flavor that's charismatic. And it's sure to be the perfect thing to wash down a shrimp quesadilla, or even potato salad on the way to a hot dog off the grill.

Red Head Wine Studios, out of the McLaren Vale area in Australia, did a great job with keeping the price down on this fun white. Their Yard Dog proprietary red blend is equally impressive. 5,500 cases of the 2006 white blend were produced. Both of these wines are selling extremely well in Nashville this year.

Price: $9 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13.7%.

Yard Dog is imported by Vine Street Imports out of Philadelphia. Winewaves has reviewed several of their wines recently. We are in no way affiliated with Vine Street. They are obviously on a hot streak right now, which is why we have featured several of their wines.