Vindulge

To Join a Wine Club, or Not to Join a Wine Club?

I remember the very first winery my hubby and I ever visited, on our very first trip to Sonoma, because we joined their wine club.  It happened again the very next day at another winery, we joined another wine club.  Within the first year of living in San Francisco and frequent visits to Sonoma and Napa, we became members of at least three wine clubs, and rotated yearly after that, averaging about three wine clubs at a time.  It became an addiction of sorts.  Really, it was more of an excuse to make more regular trips to wine country to "pick up our wine shipments”. 

Now that I don’t live so close to a major wine region (as in close I mean a comfortable driving distance for a day trip), I’m left wondering what the value is in joining wine clubs for folks, like myself, who don’t get to reap many of the benefits of joining a winery's club (I’ll get to those later).  And it seems lately that not just wineries have clubs anymore.  Everybody seems to have a wine club, from publications like Sunset Magazine, Food and Wine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, to independent wine club companies.  Basically there are an unlimited amount of opportunities to sign up and receive regular shipments of wine from multiple sources…. So how do you chose which type is right for you?
 
Recently I was sent a sample of a typical wine club shipment from a non-winery wine club to review, the International Wine of the Month Club, and it got me thinking about many of the differences between various types of clubs and their features.  Let’s break them down.

Winery Wine Clubs:
Winery wine clubs typically work like this.  You visit a winery’s tasting room, fall in love with their wines, and are offered membership into their club.  Membership is typically free and comes with little commitment.  Basically you commit to receiving at least a few regular shipments of their wines (this differs from winery to winery, it can be monthly, quarterly, or even twice a year) and then you may cancel at any time with no penalties.  By joining the club you may receive the following types of benefits:

• Discounts on wine (on average anywhere from 10%-20% off retail price)
• Waived tasting fee whenever you visit the tasting room (often for yourself and up to 4 guests)
• Discounts to special events
• Invitations to club only events
• First crack at new releases
• Wine club only wines (meaning special bottlings only sent out to wine club members)
• And more...

In my experience this type of wine club is most beneficial if you live near said winery so that you can take advantage of special events, dinners, etc.  You also are invited to pick up your wines at the winery instead of having them shipped, thus saving any shipping and handling fees.  I always loved visiting the winery to pick up my wine club wines because it gave me a good excuse to taste the new releases in their tasting room, at no cost.  The kicker was that I always left buying more than just my wine club wines (that’s how they get you!). 

The other type of person this works for is if you do not live near the winery but love their wines and cannot get them where you live.  It is important to note that even if you see a bottle or two of XYZ Winery’s wines at your local wine store in your home state of Arizona it is likely that they do not carry their entire lineup of wines.  Many wineries make a variety of small production wines that rarely see the outside of their state let alone the winery, so by joining their wine club you are more likely to receive shipments of these rare and smaller production wines. 

The Other Kind of Wine Club:  Non-Winery Wine Clubs
These types of wine clubs are pretty straightforward.  You sign up at their stated price and receive shipments of wine on a regular basis (monthly, 6x/year, etc).  Each company has their specialty (rare and hard to find wines, wines from only CA, NW wines, etc.), and work to find different variety to send to their members on a regular basis.  After receiving your shipment you may be offered the opportunity to purchase more of the wines you were sent at a discount for that month. 

I was a member of a similar type club for a few years (Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions) and had no complaints, but honestly found it more exciting to be a part of a winery’s club, mostly for the added benefits.  Plus, for someone like myself, I LOVE visiting wine shops on my own to discover new gems.  But I know many people who are intimidated of shopping for new wines this way, so for them wine clubs may be a great way to get introduced to new wine styles.

Why to join this type of wine club? 

• If you like exploring different types and styles of wines and are looking for variety for your home wine cellar. 
• You find a trusted source and really like the wines they select.
• If you want to give a gift to a wine loving friend (most wine lovers won’t turn their nose up at the gift that keeps on giving…. wine).

Word of warning, just do your research first to find out if this club really provides wines that are worth it.  Or just email me and I’ll check them out for you.

Example of this type of wine club:   The International Wine of the Month Club
According to their website:

“Each month, members of The International Wine of the Month Club receive internationally selected wines from two separate award-winning boutique vineyards, accompanied by our informative and entertaining wine club newsletter. Choose to receive either two reds, two whites, or one red and one white. We offer three different membership types, The Premier Series, Masters Series and Collectors Series.”

I was recently asked to review the September shipment of their most popular club, the Premier Series, red and white wine.  I must admit I was quite impressed with the wines and presentation.  I have been weary of clubs like this in the past, wondering about the legitimacy of the quality of wines they feature, but from my initial observation of this club, they are doing something right.  And the fact that they have been around since 1994 with 98% customer satisfaction speaks for itself! 

They have multiple levels of membership, basically you can chose what type and price range works for you, and start receiving shipments of their selected wines, accompanied by their newsletter.  I was also pretty impressed with the content of their newsletter. Not only did it provide some good background information on the wineries, winemakers, and the wines sent, but also background on the varietals (in my shipment this was Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon), and useful tasting notes, recipes, and information on how to order more of the wine if you so chose.

Not only can you find this information on the newsletter, but their website is pretty thorough and you can find the same info on all past shipments of their wines going back to 1999.  Rarely do you even find this type of information on even a winery’s website.   Looking at some of their past featured wines, I found that they really do try to specialize in some smaller production wines that you are not very likely to see at your local wine retailer.

What about the wines?
I really enjoyed both wines I received as a part of their September shipment for the price point (which would have been $29.95 for the two bottles). 

Domaine Talmard Macon-Chardonnay 2009   

Chardonnay is made all over the globe, but for me some of the best quality Chardonnays come from the Burgundy region of France, where it is unlike any other region.  This particular wine comes from the Macon, in the southern region of Burgundy where you can find some great values on crisp minerally Chardonnays. 

The wine is clean and crisp, with minerals, floral notes, and fresh lemon and lemon zest filling the nose.  In the mouth the wine remains fresh and crisp with more lemon and fresh green apple.   Overall I kept thinking how “fresh” this wine was, reminding me of springtime with flowers and bright lemon scents.  For all you folks out there skeptical about Chardonnay, I always say “drink white Burgundy then call me in the morning”, and this would be a nice representation of that style for a great price point.

Food pairing:  Would be good with a light salad topped with chopped roasted chicken and a lemon vinaigrette.  Stick with the fresh springtime theme (even though it's fall, I won’t tell). 

Cannonball California Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

The Cannonball Cab hails from California.  According to their website, a cannonball “is the perfect symbol of freedom. Legs tucked beneath you, soaring through the air - that uninhibited spirit is the soul of Cannonball wines.”  In addition, their mission is to consistently deliver the best  Cabernet Sauvignon for under $20.

Dark bold black berry fruit on the nose with black cherries, pepper and sweet spice (cinnamon? allspice?).  Initially the mouth had some powerful acid and tannins with tight dark fruit, and a little rough around the edges.   However, after noticing this I realized it just needed to breathe a bit, so I pulled out my Vinturi Aerator… if you don’t have one of these, and you notice a similar taste to your wines (especially a younger, bold red like a Cab), just decant it first, or open it a couple hours before you intend to drink it to allow it to breathe.  Believe me it will make a huge difference. 

After aerating the wine, it definitely changed.  It became a little fresher, more open, with more variety of berry notes.  The mouth became softer, more round, and the tannins were still there but had definitely mellowed out and became more smooth.  My favorite thing about this wine was that it makes you crave more wine (as opposed to craving a glass of water which often happens when I drink a young bold red).  There was just something about the wine, a savoriness, that made you want to go back for another drink, then another. 

Grapes: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 3% Merlot
Appellation: California (63% Sonoma,19% Mendocino, 15% Napa, 3% other)
Alcohol: 13.9% 
Food pairing:  If drinking now, this wine would be best with a good cut of meat to soften those tannins.  Anything off the grill would do, or even paired with a hearty winter stew.

Overall I am pretty happy with both of these wines for their price points.  This club shipment would have been $29.95 (plus shipping and handling).   I would have definitely been pleased if I paid that to receive these two wines and I wouldn’t hesitate to check out more of their offerings.  I mean, hey, the holidays are coming up after all! The season of giving!

Now my question to you?
Have you been a part of a wine club before?  What did you like/not like about it?
What do you see as the biggest benefits of wine clubs?

Winter Solstice & Celebration Worthy Wines

This month, for Wine Blogging Wednesday #64, wine bloggers were asked by Jeff "El Jefe" Stai of Twisted Oak Winery to write about the following theme:

"Pick any winter holiday or observance EXCEPT Hanukkah, Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, or New Years Day or Eve, and choose a wine to celebrate it! For purposes of this WBW, the holiday date chosen must be between December 7, 2009 and January 7, 2010. You may also pair a food with your chosen holiday and wine, but that is optional." 

Although those who know me know that I think about few days during this time period besides Christmas, I could indeed think of another wonderful day to write about.  Winter Solstice.   You see, as you may know, I am in no way shape or form a fan of winter.  It is cold, it rains a lot, and it is dark. What is there to like? And it just keeps getting darker and more gloomy until this magical day in the middle of December.

Winter Solstice occurs each year around December 21^st or 22^nd (in most years) and is the day where the sun’s daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest.  It is considered the shortest day with the longest night.  To some it represents a celebration of rebirth giving a reason to gather and celebrate a new beginning.  For after that day, the sunlight starts to reappear for longer and longer periods each day. I live in the Pacific Northwest, which means it is darker here than many other locations in the US because we are so far north.  This is why I chose to celebrate Winter Solstice this year.  Because I want my sunshine back!!!

So I invited a good friend over who shares my dislike for rain, cold, and darkness and we had a winter feast involving some amazing wine, food, and a couple holiday movies.  

We started out with a super easy and delicious appetizer: 

Goat cheese topped with caramelized shallots.

Basically, all you do is thinly slice a shallot, put it in a small pan with about a ½ tablespoon of butter and a drip of olive oil over medium heat and let them cook for about 12-15 minutes (or browned/caramelized).  Then add a pinch of brown sugar and salt and let them incorporate with the shallots.  Then serve over a log of goat cheese with crackers or toasted baguette slices.  Deeeelish.

 

The Wines

 

 

We nibbled on the goat cheese with shallots while sipping on a celebratory bottle of 1998 Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Brut which was tasting delicious!  Argyle is one of my favorite bubbles producers in Oregon and for good reason.  Their bubbly is consistent and delicious year after year.  The Knudsen Vineyard Brut, which is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, has been one of my favorite wines of theirs since I moved to Oregon and started drinking Argyle.  For being over 10 years since its vintage, this wine was toasty with a beautiful body and texture, with crisp yet delicate bubbles.  If you haven’t had any of Argyles bubbles before, please seek them out. They are reasonably priced and can stand up to some of the best sparkling wines in the world. 

As we continued to nibble on our appetizer, we moved onto a 2005 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, from Burgundy France.   In the celebratory mood, I wanted to open something that reminded me of my trip to France a couple of years ago.  Burgundy was a truly amazing region to visit and gave me an intensely deeper understanding of why that small wine region is one of the most important in the world.  This white wine is made of Chardonnay grapes and was beautiful, floral, with green apple and lemon, along with mineral notes on the palate with a long balanced finish.  I had this same wine about a year ago and this time it seemed much more balanced and had mellowed out a bit. 

Not quite ready for dinner yet we moved onto a most delicious bottle of 2007 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling.  On my what a beauty!  This is what Riesling should taste like.  Bright and perfumed with honeysuckle, dried apricot, and honey on the nose moving into a very well balanced and refreshing mouth with more honey, and a very teeny tiny touch of sweetness.  This was a fresh and refreshing Riesling and I want more… now!  You may know of Chateau Montelana for their mesmerizing Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignon but you should really seek out this beauty.  I bought it last summer for about $20 when visiting the winery for the first time and am now kicking myself for not buying more.

After our refreshing treat it was finally time for dinner.  My friend, who is also an amazing cook, made the Lasagna with Mushrooms and Lamb Sausage, featured in the current Food & Wine Magazine, and paired it with a wine she brought, the 2005 Domaine Serene "Two Barns" Pinot Noir, from the Dundee Hills in the Willamette Valley.  The wine had toast, spice, rich cherry, dark berries, lush, and a touch of vanilla. At one point I announced, “wow, it smells like everything that’s yummy about a good Pinot Noir”, and the body matched the nose.  Rich and beautiful and amazing with the sausage and mushrooms in the lasagna.  

As we finished up our evening we ended with another recipe featured in this months Food & Wine Magazine, Chocolate Pots de Crème with Maple Caramel and Salt.   WWWOOOWWW!  All I have to say is rich and delicious.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, there are really few culinary things better in this world than salt and caramel together.  It is an amazing match!  I am just sad we forgot to take a picture of it.  We were too busy devouring each bite.  

All in all I’d have to say it was a nice way to celebrate the end of the nights getting darker and the beginning of the return of sunlight for us here in the Pacific Northwest, and the rest of the northern hemisphere for that matter.   It was also a fun excuse to break out some lovely wines that have been hiding away in the basement. 

 Cheers

Who's Your Julia?

I woke up yesterday in a pretty crappy mood.  After moping around the house for a while feeling sad, for no apparent reason, I decided I needed to cheer myself up so I treated myself to a movie, Julie & Julia, all by myself.  It was “that” kind of day. 

I’ve been waiting for months to see this movie and knew it get me out of my funk… and it did indeed.  The movie was an inspiring story of the lives of acclaimed chef Julia Child and blogger Julie Powell, based on two books Julie & Julia, by Powell, and My Life in France, by Child and Alex Prud’homme.  The two stories share the fundamental theme of searching for inspiration and passion in life, for them it was through food, writing, and following their dreams.

Now I will honestly (and sadly) admit that I do not own a single Julia Child cookbook nor do I know more than the average American about her legacy (bad me!).  I will also admit that I was never too into cooking until I was in my mid-twenties living in San Francisco.  It was right about the time that I finished Graduate School and spent the summer unemployed, bitter (because I was unemployed with a Master’s Degree), and tired of spending hours and hours everyday day just looking for jobs.  My brain was also in need of stimulation since I was no longer in school immersed in Grad projects.   I decided I needed a hobby.  Something to fulfill the mental stimulation that I was lacking ever since school had ended. And that hobby became cooking.  Plus, I had cable for the first time since high school and had recently become addicted to The Food Network.  I found myself watching shows on the Food Network all morning (sometimes all day) while refreshing Craigslist every 5 minutes to see if anything new had popped up.  I would just watch cooking shows until something inspired me, then I would write down the recipe, go to the grocery store and get any ingredients, and cook up dinner each night.  And man, my husband really enjoyed that summer... and so did I!  

During that time I tested out recipes from many of the celebrity chefs featured on The Food Network but the one that I grew to love the most was Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa).   Ina has this genuine spirit about her that is so hard not to love, plus she makes cooking look fun and easy.  But it wasn’t until I started actually testing out her recipes that I knew I was hooked.  I have tried so many of her recipes that I can't count, own most of her cookbooks, and I can honestly say she has never has she let me down! 

After watching the movie yesterday, I started thinking about how, like Julia Child inspired Julie Powell to cook and follow her passion as a writer, Ina Garten has awakened a passion for cooking and entertaining in me.  Interestingly, Ina too, has some similarities to Julia Child.  They both did government work before they were motivated by their passions.  They both lived in Paris and were inspired by French cooking.  They both have adorable and super supportive husbands who stood by them as they fulfilled their dreams.  And they both have wonderful personalities and encourage their audiences to be unafraid of cooking.

For me Ina has taught me that entertaining should be fun, not daunting.  To never try to cook individual omelets for a group of people for brunch, but to make a frittata instead. To always use “good” ingredients.  To use homemade stock when possible.  How to make the perfect scones.  And she taught me how to make my first Coq au Vin (it was amazing).  So today I am making my first Braised Beef Short Ribs!  Yes, the former wannabe vegetarian is making Beef… on her own!

If you have read any of my food posts before then you may know I have spent the last 10 years as a “wannabe vegetarian” (whereby I would sometimes eat poultry and fish, but never red meat, pork, or anything I found to be “exotic”).  But through my own culinary excursions and experiments I am not so afraid anymore and have spent the last couple of years reintroducing it into my diet. On the occasions when I have consumed meat, however, I have not cooked it on my own. It usually comes from a restaurant, or if at home it is my husbands duty to prepare the meat portion.  I usually steer clear of it.  But, as a Sommelier, I know I would be missing out on the true magic and joy of the perfect food and wine pairings if I didn’t start experimenting myself.  If I describe bacon fat in a wine….should I not know what it smells and tastes like?  (Well at least smells like)

Today I was once again reminded of the summer I started learning about cooking.  I woke up, started watching The Barefoot Contessa and she was making Braised Beef Short Ribs.  It reminded me of the many scenes from Julie & Julia where they made Boeuf Bourguignonne.  I actually looked up an Ina recipe for for Boeuf Bourguignonne in her cookbook Barefoot in Paris and became inspired to cook.  The two dishes seemed somewhat similar, and both delicious, so I decided to give the Braised Beef one a shot since I TiVo'ed it and could easily watch it for reference if I should get stuck on anything.  Ina has a way of making everything look so easy.  So I went out, bought the ingredients, and cooked her recipe.  And I must say it was indeed pretty easy!

Now I will not post her recipe on this post, since I’m pretty sure it’s illegal, but here is the link to this dish.

Many Americans first started cooking French food through Julia Child’s Mastering the art of French Cooking.  For me I started cooking French food through Ina Gartens Barefoot in Paris. 

I also share a love for all things French so thought it would be fitting to pair this dish with a wine I found on my trip to France last year.

Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion - Nuits-St-Georges - 1er Cru - Aux Murgers 2002
Only when I opened it with dinner I immediately realized it was corked!  So, so, so sad since this particular bottle, along with many others, traveled all the way back from Burgundy with me in the two week saga of my bag getting lost (a whole other blog post).

But hey, they can’t all be winners.  So instead we just ate our food without focusing on any particular wine pairing and it was delicious! We eventually found another bottle of French wine to drink instead (since I was in an “all things France” mood):
Jean-Luc Colombo 2006 Les Bartavelles Chateauneuf du Pape.  Nothing with fond memories attached to it, nor did I actually purchase this on my trip to France, but it was still fitting for the purpose of this meal. 

“The good news is”, as Ina would optimistically say, the food came out rich and fantastic, and ditto for the company (my hubby), so all in all it was still a successful meal!

I guess there’s something about France that inspires us all.  For me, I can’t begin to write about all of the things that I love about France.  But I will say one thing for sure; it is the food and wine from France that would be first on my long list!  I have always had a fascination with France, and French wine remains one of my focuses as I continue with my Sommelier studies… but it is Ina Garten who inspired me to actually start cooking French food.  And, much like Julia Child, she is not French either… but she definitely gets it! 

Bon appetit to Julia Child, Ina Garten, and whomever may be your inspiration!

Flight of 8 Burgundies in SE Portland ... YUM!

This past weekend I attended a Cote des Nuits tasting lead by David Speer, personal sommelier and owner of Portland based company Wine & Chocolate, Inc.
I try to attend as many classes as I can these days… partly because I want as much experience as I can get before taking my own sommelier exam, and partly because I want to eventually teach others about wine and therefore take advantage of every opportunity to learn not only new things about wine, but new teaching styles, techniques, ideas.  Lately I have been disappointed by some of the tasting events I have gone to... Either because of the instructors lack of knowledge or enthusiasm of the wines on the flight… or downright lack of instruction at all. Just  a good ol’ fashioned “here’s your wine… have fun”.  Really? Am I really paying $20 for someone to simply pour me 4 wines I’ve never heard of and not even tell me anything about the producers, the grapes, or the region?  But sadly it happens time and time again.
But when I got notice that David was hosting a Burgundy tasting I had to try it.  First of all I had never gone to one of his classes before, and face it…  “You just had me at Burgundy” David! 

David’s set up was very nice and intimate. A long table seating 12 with tasting glasses for 2 flights of 4 wines, along with a sheet for folks to keep their tasting notes on.  
He started with a brief introduction of the way he had structured the class and a quick scan to see where everyone was with their Burgundy knowledge.   Seemed most people knew a small bit, so he tried to adapt the class to our knowledge level… again something instructors in the past have been blind to.

Now the fun part. 
In order of tasting

FLIGHT NUMERO UNO

Dom. Taupenot-Merme Gevrey Chambertin 2006 $50
Started out smoky with lots of tobacco notes with the addition of some pretty vanilla and cherry on the nose.  The wine was very dry on the mouth with more smoke and dark cherry and finished dry.  Probably my second favorite of the first flight.

Dom. Lignier-Michelot Morey Saint Denis En La Rue de Vergy 2004  $45
Super chalky, smoky, and tobacco on the nose.  Reminded me of camping in the woods… and would probably be my wine of choice on a rustic camping trip, but not for every other night of the week. Some pretty cranberry fruit came out on the mouth, but was still my least favorite of this particular flight whereas most of my fellow co-tasters favored this wine.  I guess my feminine taste got outvoted by the rustic manly Pinot taste.  

Dom. Lignier-Michelot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2004 $45
Yes please!  This wine had a softer yet predominate nose with some pretty pepper notes followed by some ripe cherry floral notes.  The mouth was soft with a slight tinge of spice and more cherry… very elegant I kept thinking to myself.
And although it was the same producer as my least favorite (the one above), this one was #1 for me, well for this flight!   Great opportunity to see how the same producer makes such different wines and styles… the only difference - the place/vineyards.

Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanee 2004 $60
Lots of red fruit on the nose, including cherry, raspberry, and a bit of tart cranberry, the mouth was very fruity and fun with a slight bit of smoke and tobacco.  A little more rustic then the other three.  Rounding in at #3 for me.

FLIGHT 2… MORE COTE DE NUITS… YESSSSSS   
Starting back up north…

Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2006 $75
Had a waxy and earthy smell to begin with… one with many refer to “band aid” smell.
Later opened up to more cherry, raspberry moving into some pepper and spice finishing dry.  A pretty wine, but my least favorite of this flight.

Dom. Taupenot-Merme Chambolle Musigny La Combe d’Orveau 1 er 2006 $80
Intriguing smoke with a tinge of sweet vanilla.  Smells fatty… don’t ask, it was just in my notes… maybe I was daydreaming about pork?  Although I liked the deep vanilla, black cherry on the nose this was one that reminded me more of a Willamette Valley style, probably because of the predominate sweet vanilla wood tones, and yet this one was a bit one dimensional.  I’d still drink it any day of the week… came in at this flight as #3… only because the next two were so much more complex.

Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1 er 2006  $125
Tight at first, this wine opened up beautifully.  Red fruit, earth, leather, smoke with nice structured tannins.  This is the kind of wine that keeps giving you more each time you go back for more.  It was very intriguing.  At $125/bottle, I don’t think I’ll be going back too much in my immediate future but was still a fun one to try!  To me, this one and the last were my favorites strictly due to the complexities on both of them.

Dom. Taupenot-Merme Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2000 $150
Shy at first, this wine wasn’t ready for you to really understand it until you went back for more, and more, oh and then some more.  Had a bit of a rustic animal smell at first mixed with some tobacco and earth tones.  It later opened up into some rhubarb, cinnamon spice, leather, and cracked pepper on the finish.   It had a bit of it all, earth, spice, fruit… the works.  The tannins were structured and balanced.  Nice job.

...........

All in all, based on the overall experience including the ambiance, the quality and focus of the wines chosen, the educational component, and the company, it ended up being a great tasting experience and I look forward to more of David’s classes. 

Coq au Vin and fond memories of France

Last night I had a walk down memory lane. A friend cooked dinner for my husband and I, and when she told me what she was serving a huge smile came across my face, Coq au Vin (music to my ears and stomach).

Ever since dinner I’ve been daydreaming about my recent trip to France and all of the amazing food and wine that I was able to taste.  In particular, I remember one night in Beaune, in the region of Burgundy, looking for a place to eat dinner and we stumbled upon this tiny corner restaurant near our hotel.  I don’t remember the name of this restaurant.  All I remember is that they were only serving one dish that night, Coq au Vin, and the only wine available was the “local house wine” served in a carafe.   It was my first taste of a real “French” Coq au Vin and it was absolutely delicious. Local food, cooked in local wine.   

This is the wine we drank that night! Local Burgundian wine. Yum. Yum!  I still remember how much I enjoyed every single taste and every bite of the coq au vin!  That meal will always be one of my favorite memories of my trip to France. Since I’ve returned I have tried many recipes to try to duplicate that meal.  I’ve come pretty close.

Last night I was not in a cute family run Burgundian restaurant (close, it was a cute family owned home in Vancouver, WA), but I was surrounded by good people, a delicious meal, and to feel a little more Burgundian we brought over a bottle of  2000 Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin Clos Napoleon 1er Cru.  It was tasting beautiful.  Nice velvety tannins, good cherry, plum and a bit of cinnamon. And yes, it went very well with the Coq au Vin. Yum. 

So since I am feeling so nostalgic today I wanted to share my favorite Coq au Vin recipe.
The original recipe came from my hero, Ina Garten, but I have tweaked it a bit from the original. But thanks Ina for giving me the confidence to first try this recipe!
Don’t let the fancy French name fool you (all it translates into is Chicken in Wine), this recipe is easy to make, and tastes amazing… what could be better than food cooked in wine? Believe me, it is worth the cooking time!  Besides it’s still cold outside, what else are you gonna do?

Coq au Vin
4-6 servings, 1.5 hrs to prepare

Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil
3 slices of bacon (or pancetta), chopped into large chunks
1 small chicken (about 4lbs) cut into 8 parts
1/4 cup of flour
1 medium onion
8 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms
½ lb carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bag a (about 10 oz) frozen pearl onions
¾ bottle (1 glass for you to sip on while you cook, then the rest goes in the pot) of a good Pinot Noir (the kind you would want to drink!)
1 cup of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
8-10 springs of thyme
A little salt, pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the bacon and cook until crisp.
Remove from pot with slotted spoon.

Shake the chicken pieces with the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag.
Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side in the large pot (or dutch oven).  Remove and set aside with the bacon.

Sauté the mushrooms, carrots, garlic and onions for 5 minutes in the same pot until they begin to brown.  Add the chicken, bacon, back into the pot.  Add the wine, chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme, and bring the mixture to simmer.  Cover the pot with a tight lid and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  Remove and place back on the stovetop.  Add the frozen onions, simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and thyme and serve.

Serve your favorite Pinot Noir.  You may not have the 2000 Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin Clos Napoleon 1er Cru available, but whatever you wish to drink will do!

Cheers!

 *Cooking with the wine that you will eventually pair with the food heightens the flavors of both!

Please try out this recipe, and let me know what you think!
It’s the perfect winter (or early spring) meal.
And for me, it’s the perfect reminder of my trip to France!

Cheers