Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation

Barbera d'Serpente

Who'd a thunk it!?  A very drinkable wine from the spud state.  And a non-Merlot/Cabernet/Shiraz to boot.

Snake River Winery Barbera 2005 ($17) - This Italian-Idahoan offers echos of old school d'Asti or d'Alba with slightly taut tannins and red cherry flavors.  Its new world tell is the slightly hot, medicinal/Kirsch flavors on the finish.  In a world of blasé, new-school copy-catters, this is a breath of fresh air.  Try it with pan-roasted duck breast & truffled polenta + lingonberry sauce.

Dueling Asparagus

A bit of apocryphal history* for you: Cleopatra, of lethal-asp-clutching fame, is purported to have ended it all with a spear of asparagus rather than a venomous serpent. My reaction to asparagus isn’t quite as dramatic as the Nile Queen’s. However, few vegetables, when mismatched to wine, mete out palate punishment like the shoots of Asparagus officinalis. 

My oeno-advice to all brave souls attempting asparagus-wine harmony: Bring a duo to this duel. Allow me to explain. Asparagus commonly appears on your dinner plate in one of two roles. It may headline dinner as the main attraction – as it does with this goat cheese and asparagus pizza. More commonly, it plays the supporting role of vegetable, and leaves the spotlight to a main course, like steak. One wine won’t handle asparagus in both roles.

Chair Beats Wallaby

Before there were day-glo kangaroos on labels, there was The chair.  Prior to puny little penguins, there was The chair.  Ante- most any cuddley, crittery wine, The chair reigned supreme.

The chair is not cute. It is not pretentious.  The chair is simply drinkable, cheap wine.  It isn't terribly memorable.  Indeed, it is most memorable for what it lacks.  The chair lacks Hi-C phony flavor intensity.  It is void of misbehaved tannins.  It does not possess a sonic-inebriating alcohol content of 16, 15, or 14%.  In short, The chair is table wine in the most unobtrusive sense of the word.

The chair beats any schmalzily-marketed wine in the $5-$7 range.  Try out The chair.

The Skinny
Rene Barbier Mediterranean Red ($5-$7) NV, Catalunya Spain

• Imported by Freixenet; 12.5% alcohol; a blend of Tempranillo, Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) and Grenache.  Available at supermarkets everywhere.
• A simple, soft-structured red wine that is made to take an unobtrusive spot at the dinner table or party.  Flavors of ripe, red raspberry are prominent, but subdued.  The perfect wine to sip while you concentrate on preparing your first Chicago/Uno/Duo-style pizza.

PS - Pizza was a success, and oh-so-easy (recipe here)

Technorati Tags: pizza, spain, wine review

Food Words: Gratin

T/F: Gratin is a type of casserole, covered in cheese and baked/broiled.

F

If, like me, your childhood exposure to 'gratin' comes from Betty Crocker's potatoes au gratin, then you may have guessed that the above statement is true.  Actually, gratin simply refers to a covered casserole, which has been baked or broiled.  The covering doesn't have to be cheese.  It can be bread crumbs or a mixture of bread and cheese or butter/cream.

Two gratins to try:

Raspberry and fig gratin + try with an extra dry (off-dry) bubbly or a late harvest Muscat

Goat cheese gratin + try with a sahara-dry Spanish Cava or slightly funky Pinot Noir

Technorati Tags: gratin, recipe, wine, wine pairing

Better Than Warm Apple Pie

Warm apple pie and a scoop of ice cream sounds great right about now, doesn't it?  But the problem with a.pie is pairing it with wine.  I don't think there's any wine out there that makes for a perfect match.

So make an apple pizza.  Trust me.  It's excellent and you can enjoy a glass of wine with it.

Apple-Onion-Cheddar Pizza (modified from this recipe @ epicurious)

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4-oz package), thawed
2 tablespoons panko or dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion - thinly sliced into rings
1 1/2 lb fresh, u-pick apples (e.g. little McIntosh, Gala) (3 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup grated aged English white Cheddar (e.g. North Devon Cheddar)
parchment paper

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Allow pastry to thaw at room temperature for 30-40 minutes.  Roll out pastry sheet into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then prick pastry all over with a fork. Sprinkle panko over pastry.

Heat butter in a medium skillet over moderate heat, swirling pan, about 1 minute.  Add onions and sautee 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, add apples, sugar and salt and mix thoroughly. Spread apple-onion mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Fold in edges over apples, pressing down firmly on corners and sides. Bake until apples are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over apples and bake 5 minutes more until cheese is golden and bubbling.  Better than granny's apple pie!

Pair With:  Through dumb luck I discovered that Amontillado Sherry is a surprisingly good match with this pizza.  The funky-tart-sweet flavors pair well with this rich, salty-nutty style of Sherry.  Try Lustau 'Escuadrilla' Amontillado ($15).

Or:  Prosecco or Cava are, of course, ready to harmonize with this dish.

Technorati Tags: apple, pizza, cava, prosecco, sherry, wine, wine pairing

Got A.C.?

Have you ever seen/heard of the magazine Art Culinaire.  This may be one of the best food/cooking/spirits publications* you've never read.  AC is a seasonally (4x/year) published magazine full of food porn (literally - large, glossy pics of the sexiest food you've ever laid eyes on.  This magazine is actually hard-bound and looks as good as any celeb-chef cookbook you're bound to drop $40 on.  When I paper-cut that space between my 1st and 2nd fingers with the subsription card (and yelled, "#$%%^!@") I noticed that one year of AC goes for $59.  For 4 issues of any old average food magazine, I would skoff, and say, "yeah right.  I'll pay for that."  However, I'll gladly fork over some dough for 4 beautifully bound recipe books containing such treats as:

• Lobster and Potato Salad Rolls (by Robert McGrath of Roaring Fork) - try it with Mark West's Corsican Pinot
• Seared Ono with Warm Mango-Coconut Bubble Tea & Avocado (by Kevin Binkley of Mary Elaine's @ the Phoenician) - How 'bout a nice glass of Erbaluce eccentricity by B. Doon?
• Black Olive-Marinated Lamb Steak with Sunchokes & Lemon Chutney (by Don Pintabona) - sip some Lively Liveli Negroamaro

*Full disclosure: Several months ago, I was interviewed for an article about funk (Gotta Have The Funk) for the Summer issue.  I promptly forgot about the interview until a copy of Art  Culinaire was sent to me by the interviewer.  I was honestly amazed by the quality and creativity of the publication - in spite of my lame-o quotes.

Technorati Tags: art culinaire, food magazine

The Few, The Proud, The Combiners

Great movements don't always begin with a bang.  For example, take Combinations.  The July installment only had a few participants.  Yet, I'll take quality over quantity any day of the week.  The theme for July Combos was 'go green.'  I challenged all d.i.y. Sommeliers and chefs to create a menu based on fresh herbs out of their own gardens, from a farmers market, or green grocery.  My Combinations menu was an Italian-influenced exercise in Iron Chef-ing.

The herbal building blocks for this menu all came from my humble herb & tomato garden.  I selected rosemary, basil, sage (two varieties: 'common' and yellow-leaf) and sweet grape tomatoes.  Out of this green (& red) bounty, I created the following:

Fried Sage Leaves - If you've never fried up a little sage, you are missing out on a highly addictive appetizer & garnish.  Many of the fried sage recipes I found call for veggie oil as the frying liquid.  Instead, I decided to 'shallow' fry these tasty leaves in butter.  Make sure you fry the leaves until crisp.  Soggy leaves are just sad.  Fatty and high calorie?  Oh yes - deliciously so.

Linguine with Pancetta, Sauteed Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Basil - I based this pasta dish on a familiar epicurious recipe.  Seeing as how my grape tomatoes are considerably sweeter than your average cherry tomato, I opted to up the crushed red pepper and basil content of this easy-as-pie pasta entree.

Pan-Fried Boneless Pork Chop - Nothing terribly creative here.  However, before adding the pork to the hot, shimmering olive oil, I infused the oil with fresh rosemary.  This had the effect of adding just a hint of rosemary flavor to the finished chop.  I also discovered that a fried sage leaf is the perfect garnish for pork chops.  The two pair quite nicely together.

Continue reading for the wine combos..

Dos Combos

The Combinations are starting to trickle in...ahead of schedule (deadline: July 30).  Yesterday, I received two entries:

Uno -
Ann, my favorite poultry-laden granny cart pusher, takes us to the prairie where 'dem buffs roam.  Dig her grass-fed (grass counts as an herb!) bison hangar steak with gilded glazed carrots (including lavender blossoms & squash blossoms) + slightly chilled Languedoc red (Domaine Rimbert Les Travers de Marceau 2004).  Salut! Mme Ann.

Dos -
Edward, the Wino sapien, gets minty and spicy with his Combos entry.  Behold the squid, rocket, mint, coriander and basil salad.  I was very curious to see how our Aussie wino would match wine to this minty-spicy-bitte-sour flavor combination.  E didn't disappoint with his selection of a split personality Italian white: Tamellini Soave 2004.  Edward, good on ya, mate!

Hey, shouldn't you be out in the garden picking some green stuff for your Combinations entry?

Go on now.  Shoo!

Technorati Tags: combinations, french wine, soave, recipe, red wine, white wine, wine, wine and food

Remember to Combine Your Greens

Don't forget that the deadline for submissions to July's episode of Combinations is coming up on July 30.  This month, I'm asking you to combine your greens:

Your mission is to wear both an Iron Chef hat and Sommelier tastevin.  Create a dinner menu/plate using any 3 of the following fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, chives, basil...or any other fresh green herb.

Now, whatever else you add to the dish is up to you.  However, extra bonus points are awarded for purchasing all ingredients from a green market (or your own personal garden).  Once, you've created the entree, task #2 is to select a complimentary wine.

Katie P. stimulated the creative side of Combos by suggesting a Kaffir Lime Leaf-based dish + white Bordeaux.

Andrew of Spittoon gets the gold star for early submission with his Prawns & fresh herb dip + Gavi (Italian white wine).

A great combo, no?  Now go pick some herbs and start combining!

Technorati Tags: combinations, gavi, italian wine, prawns, recipe, wine, wine and food

Very Simply Sherry

Sherry is one of the wine world's most undervalued creations.  Sherry's history alone could fill up a War and Peace-sized volume.  Additionally, the production of Sherry, and its numerous styles, is complex enough to add a second volume to Sherry's tome.  When confronted by Sherry & its vocabulary, many modern wine drinkers become dazed & confused by terms like flor, fino, olorosa, criadera and solera. It's easier to walk on by.  However, a little time investment in understanding Sherry, will open up an entirely new world of wine scents and flavors.  Allow me to present Sherry in a user friendly, 3-part format.  Who knows, you may experience the sudden urge to grab a bottle and whip up a few tapas.  It could happen.

Part 1: Make Sherry, Not War

Part 2: Waiter!  There's a 100 Year Old Wine in My Sherry.

Part 3: Sherry Comes to Dinner

Technorati Tags: sherry, spanish wine, wine

A Basic Juice Combo

Posted by Guest Author Katie Pizzuto

As Beau mentioned a couple of days ago, July's "Combinations" (offering up a recipe and pairing it with a wine) is taking place here, and we're celebrating summer's fresh herbs. I've decided to include a recipe of my own to get you all started....with one difference: it uses one herb Beau didn't mention (Kaffir Lime Leaves). But it's an incredibly aromatic component in the recipe, and my friends love having this in the summertime when they come by for dinner, not just because it's light and fresh, but because it's a quick-fix!

As for the Wine Combo: This recipe goes really well with a white Bordeaux, particularly a Graves, because they tend to be blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon. I think that fits the dish better than a straight-forward sauvignon blanc because although it's a light "tasting" meal, it is a bit rich with the butter and cheese, so the semillon helps give the sauvignon blanc a little more body and weight.

Enjoy!

Summer Herb Lemon/Pepper Fettuccine
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion, finely diced
1 1/2 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Juice of 3 Lemons
1/4 C. Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1/4 C. Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
8 Kaffir Lime Leaves, julienned (if not available, use fresh grated zest of 1 lemon or lime)
8 Tbsp. (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
Salt/Pepper
1 1/4 Lbs. Fettuccine
1/2 C. Fresh Grated Pecorino Romano

Bring pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Cook pasta until al dente. In large skillet, heat olive oil. Add the onion and pepper flakes, and saute until translucent (8-10 min). Add the fresh herbs and saute 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. When pasta is ready, drain and add to lemon mixture in skillet. Add the grated cheese and toss well. When served, you can add an additional bit of crushed red pepper flakes to desired heat.

Very Simply Sherry III: Sherry Comes to Dinner

Cross-posted at the Scotch Blog - an excellent resource for Whisky imbibers.

Future Sherry lovers of planet earth!  You have been fortified with the knowledge of Sherry's history, how its produced and the grape varieties involved.  Perhaps more importantly, you now understand the major styles of Sherry (read part II for a Sherry style refresher).  Still, the question remains:  "When do we eat?"  Prepare yourself.  Sherry is coming to dinner.

Part 3: Sherry Comes to Dinner

If you've ever sipped Sherry in a restaurant, chances are it was a sweet, dark, sticky Oloroso such as Cream Sherry.  However, Fino, Manzanilla and Amontillado Sherrys are serious food wines. - They can serve either as an accompaniment to appetizers, or as the table wine for a sit-down dinner.  Prepare yourself for a bevy of Sherry-friendly recipe ideas.

Ain't Nothin' But a (Dinner) Party, Ya'll

Finos (from Jerez) and Manzanillas (from Sanlucar) are the lightest, most delicate Sherrys.  Even though these wines are fortified (up to 15% alcohol), they taste surprisingly fresh and light.  These styles of Sherry are often described as possessing a salty/tangy flavor.  Indeed, Fino & Manzanilla Sherrys are the embodiment of the oft-overused wine adjective, "bone-dry."  The number one food caution when it comes to these wines is this:  Avoid clobbering light Sherry with heavy sauces and aggressive spices.  Focus on fresh flavors and subtle spices.  My favorite food matches with Fino & Manzanilla are appetizers/tapas - perfect for a casual get-together.  A few Fino (and Manzanilla)-friendly foods:

Combos Goes Green

Surely you're aware of the monthly wine blogging extravaganza that is WineBloggingWednesday.  However, you may be unaware of a little something called Combinations. It goes at the question of wine from a foodie perspective.  The idea is to take a selected recipe each month and pair a wine to it.  Andrew of Spittoon has hosted the first three editions of Combos.  July's Combinations is taking place right 'ere, so you best start practicing your wine & food pairing...

This month I urge you to head to the green market/farmers' market and dive into fresh food.  For this edition of Combinations, your mission is to wear both an Iron Chef hat and Sommelier tastevin.  Create a dinner menu/plate using any 3 of the following fresh herbs

• parsley
• cilantro
• thyme
• rosemary
• tarragon
• chives
• basil

Now, whatever else you add to the dish is up to you.  However, extra bonus points are awarded for purchasing all ingredients from a green market (or your own personal garden).  Once, you've created the entree, task #2 is to select a complimentary wine.

Submit your entries by July 30.  The tastiest/most original food-wine combination will be awarded a super special Basic Juice prize.  Don't delay, start your Combo today!

Surely you're aware of the monthly wine blogging extravaganza that is WineBloggingWednesday.  However, you may be unaware of a little something called Combinations. It goes at the question of wine from a foodie perspective.  The idea is to take a selected recipe each month and pair a wine to it.  Andrew of Spittoon has hosted the first three editions of Combos.  July's Combinations is taking place right 'ere, so you best start practicing your wine & food pairing...

This month I urge you to head to the green market/farmers' market and dive into fresh food.  For this edition of Combinations, your mission is to wear both an Iron Chef hat and Sommelier tastevin.  Create a dinner menu/plate using any 3 of the following fresh herbs

• parsley
• cilantro
• thyme
• rosemary
• tarragon
• chives
• basil

Now, whatever else you add to the dish is up to you.  However, extra bonus points are awarded for purchasing all ingredients from a green market (or your own personal garden).  Once, you've created the entree, task #2 is to select a complimentary wine.

Submit your entries by July 30.  The tastiest/most original food-wine combination will be awarded a super special Basic Juice prize.  Don't delay, start your Combo today!

WBW23: All 'Bout the Salt

WineBloggingWednesday has become an institution.  Of course, it's always about the wine.  However, with this month's theme of, "BBQ Wines," it was salt, not wine, which stole the show.  I discovered something called, "Danish Viking-Smoked Salt."  If you are a serious BBQer, I can promise you that this salt is for you.  It is essentially sea salt, which has been evaporated over a fire stoked with oak, cherry, elm, beech and juniper.  I can only describe the resulting product as, "crystalized, smoky goodness."

I took my BBQ-inspiration from a recipe on the Salt Traders Website and made barbecued pork shoulder. It is incredibly easy. Simply rub the smoked salt into the pork, place it in a roasting pan, add about 1/3" water and cover tightly. Place the pork in a preheated 300F oven and roast for 2-2.5 hours. Once the pork is tender and smoky, fire up your grill (high for 10 minutes and then lower heat to medium) and baste the pork with basic/simple barbecue sauce (like this, or, *gasp* from a bottle). Grill and continually baste until pork shoulder is sporting definite grill marks. Voila!...simple, easy, smoky, delicious BBQ.

The Big Blogcast: Stephencooks

Hi there & welcome to the Big Blogcast.  This is a new feature here at Basic Juice.  Each week I'll be chatting with the personalities behind my favorite blogs.  Today my guest is "Stephen" of Stephencooks.com.  According to his site, Stephen is a 'recovering architect,' maker of photo-based art and amateur cook living in Maine.  Stephen's wife, a bestselling author, is his kitchen partner (which is a nice way of saying she cleans up after

Download the interview (mp3; to download: right-click on link and select "save link/target as")
Part 1 - Stephen reveals he's cooking on an electric stove (gasp!)
Part 2 - Stephen discovers Chef-Boy-ardee Pizza Mix - and the rest is history
Part 3 - Quinoa doesn't do much for Stephen

Three of my favorite Stephencooks recipes

• Potato, Leek, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pizza

• Herby Macaroni & 3 Cheeses

• Absorption Pasta with Garlic Scapes and Wild Mushrooms

And a seriously, savagely good dessert:

• Fiery, Dark, Dangerous Chocolate Souffle

Stay tuned for next week's Big Blogcast..

Technorati Tags: blogcast, food blogs, podcast

Za'atar + Pic

Surely you're aware of the monthly wine blogging extravaganza that is WineBloggingWednesday.  However, you may be unaware of a little something called Combinations.  It goes at the question of wine from a foodie perspective.  The idea is to take a selected recipe each month and pair a wine to it.  Andrew of Spittoon has hosted the first three editions of Combos.  July's Combinations will take place right 'ere, so you best start practicing your wine & food pairing (announcement coming July 5). 

This recipe for June's Combos was selected by Eating Leeds.  It's a middle-eastern themed dish - Flatbreads with Spiced Chicken, Pistachios & Roasted Peppers.  The recipe includes a few tough-to-locate ingredients such as za'atar (a blend of sesame & sea salt & other herbs, depending on who you ask), sumac (!?) and Aleppo pepper (!!??).

My take on this recipe was shaped by time (I realized on the day of the deadline that I had promised Andrew I would participate) and ingredient substitution (I sub'd Cayenne for Aleppo, neglected the sumac and mixed the creation with rice rather than slathering it over flatbread.  But other than that, I followed the recipe exactly..).

Rather than getting all Sommelier-y, I simply grabbed two open wines from the fridge (time constraints, you know); one a Chardonnay from Long Island (Wolffer "La Ferme Martin" 2004), the other a red blend from France's Languedoc (Chateau La Roque Pic Saint Loup "Cupa Numismae" 2001).

Cinco Bebidas? [updated]

Reader Greg is in a bit of a wine pickle for Cinco de Mayo:

"The wife and I are in a cooking class this Friday for some Cinco de Mayo celebration.

This is what we’ll be cooking…

• Tequila -Lime Shrimp with Black Bean and Jicama Salsa
• Pulled Chicken on Ground Corn Cakes with Guacamole
• Cuban Beef Spring Rolls with Mango Barbeque Dipping Sauce
• Banana And White Chocolate Empinadas

It’s BYOW which we’re pretty excited about, but we’re not sure what to bring.

I wouldn’t want to spend more than 20 bucks."

My first inclination is to recommend cerveza.  However, lets see if we can't all put our collective palates together and come up with some under-$20 wine ideas for Señor Greg.

I'm going to noodle this around the rest of the day.  If you've got the perfect wine or wines, drop a comment.  Gracias!

[update]
Reader Katie P. suggests a big ol pitcher of Sangria.  Thanks to her, we now have a great Sangria recipe for 5dM:

Sangria

4 bottles of light red wine, like beaujolais

1 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur)

2 oz. brandy

1 1/4 c. orange juice

1 c. lemon-flavored seltzer or soda

juice of 1 lemon

2 cinnamon sticks

1/3 c. sugar

3 oranges, sliced

2 lemons, sliced

4 peaches, diced (and skinned if you prefer)

1 pt. strawberries, diced

* Tastes best if it is covered and refrigerated overnight.

Technorati Tags: cinco de mayo, sangria

BJI: Good/Bad Combo Edition

Basic Juice Intelligencer
4 Mayl 2006
Good/Bad Combo Edition

Good Combo
Andrew of Spittoon has created a new Web-wide wine & food pairing event called, "combinations."  In the spirit of the Live Austrian Wine Adventure, he has selected a traditional dish from the Land am Berge: Griesknödel mit Grünen Paradeisern (Semolina dumplings with green tomato Compôte).  Check out the recipe and start devising your wine pairing strategy.  Entries for Combinations are due by 24 May.

Bad Combo
Wine labels + less reliable information = bad idea. It seems the consumer-hostile folks from the Wine Institute of California came up with this great idea: "Hey; how about we make wine labels less reliable?"  It's all about the vintage.  Up until now, wine labeled with a vintage, had to contain, by law, a minimum of 95% of said vintage.  Now, thanks to the industry friendly US Treasury department, vintage wine need only contain 85% of juice from the lableled vintage.  Think about it.  Your '05 California Merlot could have up to 15% of 1992 Colombard (varietal labels need only be 75% correct) from a fermenting tank someone forgot about.  Granted, this new law only affects non-AVA wine (i.e. your Napa Cab still must contain 95% of wine from the declared vintage), but it sure does make things more difficult for consumers.  Thanks Wine Institute!

Technorati Tags: austrian food, wine

Basic Juice Intelligencer
4 Mayl 2006
Good/Bad Combo Edition

Good Combo
Andrew of Spittoon has created a new Web-wide wine & food pairing event called, "combinations."  In the spirit of the Live Austrian Wine Adventure, he has selected a traditional dish from the Land am Berge: Griesknödel mit Grünen Paradeisern (Semolina dumplings with green tomato Compôte).  Check out the recipe and start devising your wine pairing strategy.  Entries for Combinations are due by 24 May.

Bad Combo
Wine labels + less reliable information = bad idea. It seems the consumer-hostile folks from the Wine Institute of California came up with this great idea: "Hey; how about we make wine labels less reliable?"  It's all about the vintage.  Up until now, wine labeled with a vintage, had to contain, by law, a minimum of 95% of said vintage.  Now, thanks to the industry friendly US Treasury department, vintage wine need only contain 85% of juice from the lableled vintage.  Think about it.  Your '05 California Merlot could have up to 15% of 1992 Colombard (varietal labels need only be 75% correct) from a fermenting tank someone forgot about.  Granted, this new law only affects non-AVA wine (i.e. your Napa Cab still must contain 95% of wine from the declared vintage), but it sure does make things more difficult for consumers.  Thanks Wine Institute!

Good Combo
Andrew of Spittoon has created a new Web-wide wine & food pairing event called, "combinations."  In the spirit of the Live Austrian Wine Adventure, he has selected a traditional dish from the Land am Berge: Griesknödel mit Grünen Paradeisern (Semolina dumplings with green tomato Compôte).  Check out the recipe and start devising your wine pairing strategy.  Entries for Combinations are due by 24 May.

Bad Combo
Wine labels + less reliable information = bad idea. It seems the consumer-hostile folks from the Wine Institute of California came up with this great idea: "Hey; how about we make wine labels less reliable?"  It's all about the vintage.  Up until now, wine labeled with a vintage, had to contain, by law, a minimum of 95% of said vintage.  Now, thanks to the industry friendly US Treasury department, vintage wine need only contain 85% of juice from the lableled vintage.  Think about it.  Your '05 California Merlot could have up to 15% of 1992 Colombard (varietal labels need only be 75% correct) from a fermenting tank someone forgot about.  Granted, this new law only affects non-AVA wine (i.e. your Napa Cab still must contain 95% of wine from the declared vintage), but it sure does make things more difficult for consumers.  Thanks Wine Institute!

Erbaluce & SMG: Marriage Counselors

My significant other and I have a problem.  Our palates are incompatible.

I like crisp, delicate white wines.  She likes reds.

I appreciate nuanced red wines.  She likes big reds.

I'm wowed by unique wines with uncommon characteristics.  She likes really big reds.

Can this marriage be saved?

Thanks to the 1-2, Friday-Saturday punch of Orsolani's (imported by Bonny Doon) Erbaluce and Guardian Peak SMG, I am happy to report that our palates have kissed and made out up.  Marital bliss has returned.  For now.

My palate's turn
It all began Friday evening.  I crouched down and peered into the wine fridge, longing for a white with zing and minerality.  I couldn't grab the object of my desire - a bottle of Il Circo "La Funambola" Erbaluce di Caluso (2004, $18).  I knew that if the missus caught me selecting a wimpy white wine for our Friday happy hour, she would veto the decision immediately.  So I got smart and created a diversion:  "Hey, Honey.  Isn't that a stray bottle of Staglin Cabernet over there under the coffee table?"  In 0.02 seconds, I had popped the cork and poured two glasses of La Funambola.  She returned to the kitchen and frowned upon seeing a glass of white wine waiting for her.  Again, I went for distraction: "You know, this is a pretty interesting wine.  It's an obscure white grape from Italy's Piedmont."  The frown was now joined by a piercing glare.  "Oooh.  Look at the label.  It's pretty cool - isn't it."  At this point, I realized she was having none of it.  We compromised.  We would go with Erbaluce on Friday and a wine of her choosing on Saturday.  My palate quaked in fear at the impending assault by a big fat red.

To my surprise, she enjoyed (or at least faked very well) the Erbaluce. La Funambola offers scents of lemon zest, white pear, along with intriguing herbal notes.  And, of course, it possesses minerality of the 'mineral water' variety.  In the mouth, this wine is fresh and crisp.  Yet this youthful Erbaluce also drapes the tongue in rich flavors of Golden Delicious apple and Bartlett Pear.  This was what appealed to m'lady's palate.  My only regret is that I don't have a second bottle stashed away, taking a three-year snooze.  I'm quite curious to see how Erbaluce would evolve over a few years.

Her palate's turn 

Long Distance Sommelier: International Edition

Gather round wine-cats & -kitties.  It's time for yet another installment of Long Distance Sommelier, or, LDS for those in the know.  Normally, I scour the foodblogosphere in search of delectable delights and then suggest a wine pairing for each recipe that causes my mouth to water.  However, today let's do things a bit differently.  I've selected a few tasty dishes, and I ask you, yes you, to put forth a wine suggestion.  Today, anyone can be a sommelier*

*Tastevin not included

Now, put on your wine thinking cap and tell me what to drink with these dishes.

From fiordizucca: pan fried scallops with traditional balsamic vinegar
(lightly fried w/butter and dusted with something called five spice powder)
[Update: click here to find out how to make your very own 5-spice powda']

From Sailu's Food: aloo tamatar subzi [curried potatoes in tomato sauce]
(beautiful home-made Indian food.  This site is my new Indian recipe one-stop)

From Özlemin's Kitchen: Sis Kebap [shiskebab]
(You'll need to speak Turkish to get this recipe right.  But it just looks so damn good)

To start, I'll prime the pump.  With the Sis Kebap (any Turkish speakers want to translate the recipe?), I would go with a more delicate, yet-still-spicy Aussie Shiraz like Annie's Lane:  Annie's Lane Clare Valley Shiraz 2002/03 ($13).  This little number would no doubt work perfectly with shishkebab.  It's not overboard with the fruit and offers a nifty black pepper-smoky note combo of flavors.

One down; two to go.  Help me pair something with the scallops and aloo tamatar subzi, please!

Tagged with: wine  + wine pairing + recipes

Gather round wine-cats & -kitties.  It's time for yet another installment of Long Distance Sommelier, or, LDS for those in the know.  Normally, I scour the foodblogosphere in search of delectable delights and then suggest a wine pairing for each recipe that causes my mouth to water.  However, today let's do things a bit differently.  I've selected a few tasty dishes, and I ask you, yes you, to put forth a wine suggestion.  Today, anyone can be a sommelier*

*Tastevin not included

Now, put on your wine thinking cap and tell me what to drink with these dishes.

From fiordizucca: pan fried scallops with traditional balsamic vinegar
(lightly fried w/butter and dusted with something called five spice powder)
[Update: click here to find out how to make your very own 5-spice powda']

From Sailu's Food: aloo tamatar subzi [curried potatoes in tomato sauce]
(beautiful home-made Indian food.  This site is my new Indian recipe one-stop)

From Özlemin's Kitchen: Sis Kebap [shiskebab]
(You'll need to speak Turkish to get this recipe right.  But it just looks so damn good)

To start, I'll prime the pump.  With the Sis Kebap (any Turkish speakers want to translate the recipe?), I would go with a more delicate, yet-still-spicy Aussie Shiraz like Annie's Lane:  Annie's Lane Clare Valley Shiraz 2002/03 ($13).  This little number would no doubt work perfectly with shishkebab.  It's not overboard with the fruit and offers a nifty black pepper-smoky note combo of flavors.

One down; two to go.  Help me pair something with the scallops and aloo tamatar subzi, please!

Tagged with: wine  + wine pairing + recipes

Mmm Canada!

(sung to the tune of O Canada)

Mmm Canada!
My friendly foodies, north!
Tasty food & wine you somehow sally-forth.

With wat'ring mouth, I raise my glass,
Wine of high quali-ty!

Such style and class,
I cheer on your Syrah - tis a beauty.

Lex, keep on posting recipes!
Eating these dishes is my life's duty

Mm Canada, I eat and drink with glee.

Dedicated to the magical pairing of pistachio-crusted beef with wasabi mashed potatoes (from Canadian foodie, Lex Culinaria) and Peninsula Ridge Syrah 2004 (from the shores of Lake Ontario).

The Skinny
Peninsula Ridge Syrah 2004 (~$20) [sadly this wine may be difficult to find]

• 100% Syrah from the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, Canada
• Indigo in color with a light purple rim
• Fresh raspberry and blueberry scents mated to black pepper and subtle tar notes
• This is an impressively balanced wine.  It strikes a near-perfect balance of full flavor and delicate complexity.  There are light leathery tannins, crisp acidity and fresh fruit flavors.  At 12.5% alcohol, Peninsula Ridge's Syrah is no new world blockbuster - yet it is sure to satisfy even the most ardent fruitbomb lovers.  My only regret is that I didn't purchase a second bottle to age 3-4 more years.  I'm positive such patience would have been rewarded

As a table mate to Lex C's Pistachio-crusted creation, this wine was fabulous.  It didn't overwhelm any of the complexities in the recipe, yet it also possessed enough chutzpah to stand up to the acidity and spiciness of this Asian-influenced entree.  Dine-o-mite.

Tags: red wine, wine, canadian wine

Txacoli, Chacoli

On a recent trip to Seattle, I nabbed two bottles of Basque wine - a red from France and a white from Spain.  The red overwhelmed me with its Tannat-ness.  The white lit a curiosity fuse for Basque wine.

Txacoli (Chacoli in Spanish) is the Basque version of Vinho Verde or Muscadet.  There are three Chacoli denominations (AKA appellations) along the relatively rainy (58 in/yr) Biscay coast:  Chacoli- de Alava (50 hectares of vines), de Bizkaia (120 ha) and de Guetaria (140 ha). These low-alcohol white wines are typically crisp and possesses a charming prickle of petillance, which seems to say, "I'm fresh & zesty."  In fact, this slightly sparkling character is prized by Basque folk.  Traditionally, Txacoli is poured sparingly - an inch or less at a time into small tumblers to preserve the baby bubbles throughout a meal.  Unsurprisingly, this wine is tailor made for all manner of seafood.

Most Txakoli is made from two native grape varieties:  Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza.  H. Zuri is a white grape, which typically dominates the blend.  H. Beltza is a red grape, which serves as the 'secret spice' seasoning in Txakokli wines.  Modern versions of this wine are commonly fermented in stainless steel, and on the lees (i.e. sur lie).  I have only one Txakoli under my belt, and I am already a true believer.

The Skinny
Ameztoi Txakolina 2004 ($~15)

• 11% alcohol.  Made from 90% Hondarribi Zuri and 10% Hondarribi Beltza
• From the Getariako Txakolina D.O.  on Spain's northern coast
• Light straw yellow in color with noticeable petillance
• At first sniff, this wine exudes heavy duty 'mineral water' minerality.  As it warms, scents of green apple, fresh pear  and citrus evolve
• In the mouth, this wine is light-bodied and crisp.  It offers simple flavors paired to a surprisingly complex mouthfeel.  Ameztoi begins as a bracing, dry wine, but finishes with a rich, creamy texture.  Both tasty and interesting

The easy food match with this wine is seafood.  Yet, in my Txacoli ignorance, I stumbled upon an interesting pairing with homemade chicken curry.  The wine's acidity served as a handy palate reset button throughout the meal - It prevented curry fatigue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wine for its style, history and food-amigo-ness.  If you see a Txakolina, snatch it up, chill it, pour it in a tumbler and enjoy.

Tags: spanish wine, white wine, basque wine, wine

Dueling Asparagus

A bit of apocryphal history* for you: Cleopatra, of lethal-asp-clutching fame, is purported to have ended it all with a spear of asparagus rather than the oft-reported venomous serpent. My reaction to asparagus isn’t quite as dramatic as the Nile Queen’s. However, few vegetables, when mismatched to wine, mete out palate punishment like the shoots of Asparagus officinalis.

Continue reading the rest @ W.Sed.

Austrian Grapes: Seriously St. Laurent*

*Or: "I can't believe it's not Burgundy"

I am loathe to compare one wine to a classic (e.g. "This New Zealand Pinot Noir is positively Burgundian."). It's trite; and it isn't fair to either the wine in question or the original.  Yet, when I poured myself a glass of Braunstein 2003 St. Laurent, It was as if I I had suddenly become Buck Rogers' Twiki: "a-b, a-b, a-b, Burgundy."

Now how would this grape, which I thought was more akin to a spicy-fruity Rhône grape, play the part of classic Pinot Noir?  I must have been wrong.  I took another sip.  Yup, Burgundy-like, indeed.  I detected earthy/mushroom notes coupled to lightly peppered strawberry jam.  The in-mouth experience with this wine is outside the realm of flavor.  Rather, it's all about feelings (whoa, oh, oh).  Braunstein's St. L feels broad and dense in the mouth.  It's a three-dimensional wine, framed by soft, barrel-mellowed tannins.  I dug it.  But would it hold up to lamb chops?

I took it out for a spin with this chop recipe: Rosemary lamb chops with Swiss chard and balsamic syrup.  Luckily I didn't drizzle the balsamic syrup over the chops, as its scent seemed to dominate the kitchen.  This serious St. Laurent was the perfect compliment to the broiled chops.  It did everything a good food wine should do - the wine enhanced the dish, but didn't steal the show.  Big props to winemaker Birgit Braunstein.

The Skinny
Braunstein Goldberg St.Laurent 2003 ($22)

• 100% St. Laurent from Austria's Neusiedlersee appellation
• Aged 9 months in oak
• Black cherry in color with a broad rootbeer-colored rim
• Notes of earth and mushroom, along with pepper and strawberry jam scents
• A 'wide' mouthfeel - rich flavor, soft tannins and a long, pleasant finish.  Very appealing
• This wine seems to have aged quickly, but beautifully

Tags: austrian wine, burgenland, red wine, wine

That's Italian!

The perfect wine & food pairing covers up all kinds of talent shortcomings in the culinary arena (i.e. I'm not the best chef in the world).  My current favorite Italian match is the Dolcetto grape paired to radicchio, white beans and pork chops.  The dish is absurdly simple to make.  So really, all you need to do is concern yourself with picking the perfecto Dolcetto.

Dolcetto hails from northern Italy's Piedmont.  It is often overlooked in favor of its brawnier brethren - Barbera and Nebbiolo.  Granted, most Dolcetto is easy on the nose and tongue (i.e. it doesn't have much in terms of tannin toughness or acid activity as do Nebbiolo and Barbera).  However, soft and fruity doesn't always result in silly.  Dolcetto d'Alba is the most well known of the Dolcetto d'family.  Other Dolcettos d's include d'Acqui, Diano d'Alba, Ovada and Dogliani.  I've recently discovered Pecchenino's Dolcetto di Dogliani, and it has earned a spot in the wine rotation of la casa B.Juice.  It is indeed soft and fruity (the Dolcetto calling card), but it also possesses depth and balance.  this wine is the perfect foil to the succulence of pork, bitterness of radicchio and earthiness of beans.  Molto bene!

The dish: Pork chop with radicchio, white beans and rosemary (this recipe calls for a veal chop, but I sub'd in the other white meat).

The wine:  Pecchenino 'Siri D'Jermu' Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC 2003 (~$20)

The result:  Mmm. Urp. Ahh. Zzz.

tags italian wine, red wine, wine, dolcetto

Austrian Grapes: Zweigelt

The Zweigelt grape is thoroughly Austrian. It was created by Dr. Fritz Zweigelt (Austrian) via a crossing of St. Laurent (also Austrian) and Blaufränkisch (AKA Lemberger).  Young Zweigelt-based wines are full of cheery cherry scents coupled to spicy notes.  This grape (pronounced: Ts-vye-gelt) can best be described as:

"Blackcherrycinnamonpeppersilkysmooth"

Zweigelt is a fine match with sweetly spiced Italian sausage and salty, starchy potatoes.  Try it with:

Potato, Leek, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pizza (recipe at Stephencooks)

Zweigelt Mini Dégustation

Zantho Zweigelt 2003 ($13) - From the Neusiedlersee region of Austria

Braunstein Mitterjoch Zweigelt 2003 ($13) - "fresh notes of wild cherry and is fat and charming on the palate"

Weingut Hillinger Zweigelt 2003 ($15) - "Spicy aromas and flavors of cinnamon and cardamom give this wine added dimension"

Tags: austrian wine, wine, live austrian wine adventure, zweigelt, travel, austria

And the Winner is..

And the winner in our winner takes all, steel cage flavor death match is....strong like a bull.  In fact, it's from a place called Toro.  It takes chipotle spice and tames it with the crack of a concentrated flavor whip.  What's that?  You're concerned the asparagus might throw a wrench in the whole thing and pollute the plate with metallic flavors or odd, green weediness?  Not to worry, Tinta de Toro is on the case.  This wine's vibrant acidity, round tannins and savory spice notes, put Asparagus the Menace in the corner and make it behave like a good little vegetable.  Now, we're home-free, save for Gorgonzola toasts.  And there's nothing better than intense bleu paired to heavy-duty red wine.  It's easy as pie....ooo, who wants pie?

The Skinny
Bodega y Viñedos Garanza 'Cyan' Crianza 2001 ($20)

• 100% Tinta de Toro (AKA Tempranillo) from the Toro denomination in Castile y Leon (Northwest Spain)
• Aged 14 months in 4-year old French and American oak barrels prior to bottling.
• Deep, dark cherry in color with a distinct garnet rim.
• Intense scents of black berries, dried cherry and pepper.
• Full-bodied with 'chewy' tannins and bold flavor.  Intensely flavored food is a preqrequisite to handle this big, modern Spanish wine.

Tags: spanish wine, wine

My Food. Your Wine Skillz.

I need a wine pairing, what do rocks..baby.

The Spread:

Chipotle-rubbed steaks with Gorgonzola toasts and grilled asparagus

This plate will be crammed with loud flava.  The steak is rubbed with a spice mixture containing bay leaf, sweet paprika, crushed chipotle pepper and cumin.  Flavor elements here include the succulence of marbled meat, smokey-sweet-spicy punch of paprika and chipotle, and subtle piquant characters of bay and cumin.  Moving across the plate, we discover Gorgonzola toasts - a completely different, if not competing, set of flavors, containing cream, salt and grandmaster funk.  But wait, the food-plot thickens.  That primeval/primordial quasi-veggie, we call asparagus, will also be added.  And just so we don't forget it's there, the asparagus flavor volume will be set to '11' by the addition of a fresh lemon juice squirt.

I'm going to need one helluva wine to deal with this episode of flavors gone wild.

So whatcha got up your proverbial sommelier-sleeve?  Hit me with your best wine shot.

[update]
Oh you crafty wine-cats and -kitties.  You all make me proud.  Martinis, Prosecco, Jurancon, Austrian Riesling!  Get outta here.  Now that's what I call experimentation.  Ms. Ali gets points for emphasizing the need for high octane vino - as does Sir Rick.  However, I must confess, I've never understood the whole martini with dinner thing.  But then, I'm willing to give it a whirl with a dish like this.  And my li'l WG - you had me at, "Spanish descent."  Mithrandir wins the 'most ballsy wine recommendation award' for suggesting Prosecco.  I have no idea what this combination would be like.  I fear this ultra acidic bubbly might awaken the chipotle's heat and asparagus's weedyness.  But then, I've never tried Prosecco in a situation like this - I could be completely wrong. 

The next two recommendations illustrate two very different, very valid approaches to solving this funky food conundrum:  Wineguy recommends heavy duty red in order to brow beat all the crazy flavors into submission, while Jameson suggests subduing the dish with kindness a la rich Chenin Blanc or white Bordeaux.  I love it.

My British friend, Andrew (who, by the way, should know potentially bad food when he spots it.  After all he is from the UK! *zing*) appears to be in shock that I've got Gorgonzola and Asparagus on the same plate.  Aside from the understandable recommendation of Shiraz, he gets all cutting edge with a suggestion of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc or off-dry Jurancon.  I dunno - I'd try the Jurancon, but my fear is the NZ SB's gooseberryness would tear a hole in the space-time-flavor continuum.

The Winedetective joins the white wine crowd with an Austrian Riesling recommendation.  I agree; it could work with the asparagus and steak.  However, I'm a bit frightened to try it with Gorgonzola...could be scary.  Finally, we get a two-word suggestion from Erwin Drink: "Alicante Bouschet."  To which I say, "Why not?"

Let's allow this post to dangle for the rest of the day and see what other wine recommendations we receive.  I'll then provide you with photographic evidence that I A) actually prepared