The best wines for women, by women

SPRING GARLIC SOUP with black trumpet mushrooms, crispy sunchokes, lemon oil

This is the perfect pairing for the simple Spring freshness of the combination. The wine is lemony and crisp and goes perfectly with the green, lemony soup. Garnishes of sunchoke and wild mushrooms complete the take on California with a nod to Italy.

GRILLED TOLANAS FARMS QUAILS with preserved lemon date couscous, arugula salad, harissa vinaigrette

This is the perfect match for the intense fruit that you get from the wine made from grapes that have dried a little, and the similar flavors of the preserved lemon and dates. For a younger wine that still has prominent tannins, the grilling helps manage the bitterness. Amarone is bold enough to handle the slight spiciness of the harissa - a piquant blend of peppers and tomatoes.

COWGIRL CREAMERY MT. TAM (cheese) with honeycomb, micro-greens and fresh flowers

This triple cream cheese from organic milk needs a racy wine like zinfandel to deal with its richness. Okay to use a little sweetness from the honey for a ripe wine such as this. Between the women artisan cheese makers and woman winemaker it's a story of "Local Girls Make Good."

Website: Chateau Leonard Wines

For recipes from Greystone Restaurant, click here

About the National Women's Wine Competition
Thirty-six of the most powerful women in wine awarded 1,038 medals to winners from 30 states and 10 foreign nations at the second annual National Women's Wine Competition. All 1,038 award-winning wines, including prices, are listed in the Wines Women Love! Shopping List™, which is available as a free download here. Read the press release here.

For more information about the National Women's Wine Competition, visit: www.nwwc.info

National Women's Wine Competition:
Date: October 2, 2008
Time: starts at 6:30
Location: National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.266.2815

About The Culinary Institute of America

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as certificate programs, in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 37,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Cat Cora, Harold Dieterle, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The college has campuses in New York (Hyde Park), California (The CIA at Greystone, St. Helena), and Texas (San Antonio), as well as a New York City location (The CIA at Astor Center, Manhattan). In addition to its degree programs, the CIA also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as wine education. For more information, visit the CIA online at www.ciachef.edu.