When it’s cold outside and you're looking for some comfort food, chicken soup is the answer. Of course, we have to find how to pair it with wine. Even something so simple as chicken soup can be made to pair with wine, so we doctored up a chicken soup recipe by using BBQ’d chicken and mushroom soup to give this soup a smoky and earthy component that pairs well with the fruit of Cabernet Franc. If you don’t want to spend the time BBQing chicken you could use hickory smoked bacon to add the smoky flavor to the soup. Either way, smoky, mushroom, chicken, bacon, Cabernet Franc, you can’t go wrong.

3 strips bacon
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
Chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of chicken and mushroom
1 cup favorite mixed veggies (corn, peas, green beans, etc)
To Taste:
   Sage
   Pepper
   Oregano
Tortellini (we used a four cheese blend)

Fry bacon in large stalk pot until cooked and crumble. Add in onion and sauté over medium heat until tender. Add in celery, carrots, and garlic, cook until warmed. Add chicken, chicken broth and condensed soup to pot and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil and add in mixed veggies. Season with sage, pepper, and oregano, to taste. Boil for at least half an hour then add in tortellini. Boil until tortellini are al dente, serve and enjoy with crusty bread and Cabernet Franc.