Vindulge

Open That Bottle Night, part II: Even special wines are meant to be opened

This past Saturday I did something I’ve been putting off for a long time.  Inspired by Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) I opened two bottles of wine that I never quite found the right occasion to do so.  They were not my most expensive, rare, or oldest wines. They were just wines that had a lot of meaning to me. 

Created in 1999 by Dorothy “Dottie” J. Gaiter and John Brecher, the former writers of the Wall Street Journal’s tastings column, OTBN encourages wine lovers from all over the globe to stop putting off opening up that special bottle of wine and just drink and enjoy it already!  When I heard about the dates for this year’s OTBN I knew exactly which two bottles I needed to open.  It was figuring out what to make for dinner that night that took contemplation.

The Wines:

2008 Domaine La Ferme Blanche Cassis (AOC)

The first bottle we opened was given to us by our former next-door neighbors in Portland just before we moved to Connecticut.  To back up just a little bit – I spent the better part of four years trying to get Stephanie, our neighbor, to drink white wine.  She, a self proclaimed "red wine only" drinker, hadn’t found a white wine she liked, so it became a mission of mine to change that.  Her husband, Dan, drank sparkling wine on occasion, but also didn’t really drink white wine (nor red for that matter, but that’s another story).  I had almost given up on both of them when it happened. Their white wine “a-ha” moment. 

Stephanie went to southern France this past summer on a work-study program for three weeks in Marseille (in Provence), and Dan joined her for a week.  Upon their return they gave us this bottle of wine. A white!  They both raved about the food and wine they experienced in Provence and how they fell in love with the white wines there.  They had their “a-ha” moment (finally)!  I couldn’t have been more happy for them and I couldn’t wait to try the bottle.
 
That’s what wine is all about for me. That moment; when the experience of being surrounded by the culture can change your perspective (and taste) about a wine.  I could only imagine the two of them sitting in an adorable French café, in the sun, overlooking the Mediterranean sea, eating the freshest seafood and drinking the local wine. 

I wanted so badly to share that bottle with them and hear stories of their trip to France.  But alas, time caught up to us and before we knew it we were packed up and rushing to Connecticut and never got to open the bottle together.  So I held onto it… and couldn't think of an appropriate occasion to drink the wine since…

2002 Anthem, Meritage, Sonoma Valley by St. Francis Winery

Our other bottle was chalk full of memories of when we lived in San Francisco (where we lived before moving to Oregon).  You see, St. Francis Winery was one of the first wineries we visited on our very first trip to Sonoma in 2001.  We joined the wine club right off and remained members until we moved to Oregon in 2006.  Most trips to Sonoma, whether it was just the two of us or with friends and family, involved a stop at St. Francis where we would enjoy their food and wine pairing experience. 

Then, one day, they released a new wine, “Anthem” they called it.  A “reverse Bordeaux blend” consisting of mostly Petit Verdot and Malbec with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot (as opposed to a traditional Bordeaux blend where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate the blend with Petit Verdot and Malbec playing minor roles).  The staff was very excited to showcase the wine but they didn’t have any open that day.  So we decided to buy a bottle, open it right there on their deck, and share it with the staff and anybody else who wanted a sip.  That’s what wine is all about anyways, sharing it!  It was an awesome afternoon.

Since that first release (which was their 1999 I believe), we always bought a couple bottles of the Anthem to have on hand.  Our last trip before we moved we bought a couple bottles of the 2002, and after moving to Oregon we dwindled down to one bottle very quickly.   For months anytime I asked to the hubby “what do you want to open tonight”. His response was always “the Anthem?”.  “No”, I would respond, “I want to wait until we can find a good meal to pair with it”, or “It’s not an ‘Anthem’ night”, or a simple “I’m just not feeling it”.  Months became years, and he still brought up that wine each and every time like clockwork.  It became almost comical.  At the time I didn’t really know what was holding me back, but now I do.  It was one of the last bottles we bought before starting our life in Oregon.  I think somehow it was my connection to our life in San Francisco.  It certainly wasn’t our oldest wine from our time in CA (vintage wise), and still isn’t, it was just the individual bottle that I had put off drinking the longest and had such good memories assiciated with it. 

When I thought about OTBN and what to drink, I knew immediately it had to be these two bottles.  To me, opening up both these wines somehow represented change and transition.  Something difficult to do, but important nonetheless. 

The food:

We paired the Cassis with an appetizer of seared scallops with shallots, butter, and wine in honor of the region the wine came from.  Fantastic!  The wine had a rich fruitiness, herbal, and mineral character to it that was the perfect compliment to the sweet and savory scallops.



For the Anthem, we made oven roasted rack of lamb with an herb and panko crust and a balsamic wine reduction drizzle.  Along side the lamb we roasted an assortment of vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips, and tomatoes).  We wanted to honor the wine with a delicious and solid pairing, and this certainly did the trick.  The wine was rich, but not too tannic, with a depth of flavors that was enhanced by the flavors of the lamb, the sweet sauce, and the roasted vegetables. 

We finished the night with homemade chocolate pots de crème, which is basically chocolaty rich custardy deliciousness!  I never seem to remember to take pictures of dessert as I must be too busy devouring it! 

It was an awesome meal, paired with delicious wines, shared with my favorite guy.  A great evening and an even better reminder that wine is meant to be opened and shared, not tucked away in storage… especially those special bottles that remind you of a particular person, place, or time in your life. 

Finally, drinking these wines was a delicious reminder of the good times we spent living in both San Francisco and Portland, and a toast to the many adventures to come.

I secretly think the best part of the night was that our twin boys (now three months old) were both sound asleep the entire time, allowing mommy and daddy to truly enjoy the evening together!  Thanks guys!

Do I regret opening the wines?  Not for one second. And I can still keep the memories alive by saving the empty bottles and putting them on display on my bookshelf with other memorable bottles I have collected over the years.

Now I have to know. Did you open up a special bottle of wine for OTBN?

If so I would LOVE to know what wine it was.

 

 

 

Last Minute Thanksgiving Wine Ideas

It's almost here. The holiday embraced by food and wine lovers all over the country. Thanksgiving!!! 

If you’re anything like me and do most of your grocery shopping last minute, don’t worry.  I have some great last minute wine ideas for your holiday dinner.  Now this post was written last year as my Thanksgiving wine pairing and buying guide, but in reality the recommendations stay the same, with some tweaks for specific wines and producers, year after year just as the traditional food for Thanksgiving stays pretty much the same each year.  Most importantly the day is about being with family, friends, and giving thanks for all the wonderful things in your life… and yes, good wine is definitely something to be thankful for. 

So please check out my Thanksgiving wine recommendations from 2009 post by clicking here.  I hope this guide can help you find some delicious wines to share with your loved ones this year.  Let me know if you would like any specific producer and/or vintage recommendations for this year, and have a fantastic holiday with your family and friends.

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Buying Guide (it never goes out of style)

Cheers!

I will leave you with a beauty shot of our turkeys from last Thanksgiving (yes we cooked two).  We smoked these babies and they were insanely delicious.  And yes, we most definitely plan to smoke our turkey again this year... only this year we're just doing one!  I promise to post the recipe sometime soon because they were probably the best flavored turkeys I've ever had and you must try them.  Believe me, it is worth the effort to smoke them!

Grilled Rack of Lamb and Pinot Noir: A food and wine pairing

A couple weeks back we had some friends over for dinner.  The plan, they bring the wine, we come up with food to pair with the wine.  They had a couple of nice Italian wines they wanted to drink so our challenge was to come up with something to pair with a '97 Brunelleo (made from a clone of the Sangiovese grape from Tuscany), a '00 Barbaresco, and an '03 Barbaresco.  Barbaresco’s  (made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Piedmont region) can tend to be very tannic when young, but with 10 and 7 years of age respectively, I knew they probably would have had some time to relax, but I still knew we needed something to balance the tannins that remain… meat.  We had already decided on a stuffed shell with a rich red sauce (for acidity) but still needed meat.  Thinking of something not too heavy, but rather light and earthy, we decided on lamb.  It would provide some meat fat to soften those remaining tannins, and also harmonize with the earthy flavors of the Northern Italian wines. 
  
Dinner turned out to be a great success, the wines were delicious (my favorite was the ’00 Barbaresco, hubby liked the Brunello) and the pairing worked out quite well! 

Since lamb is something we rarely cook these days (I have no idea why since this one was so delicious), we decided to recreate the meal this weekend, but this time for just the two of us… and no Italian wines. 

Instead, I was thinking Pinot Noir.  I had recently received two samples of Pinot Noir from two different wineries in two different states.  Wondering how they both would pair with the grilled lamb, I opened up the two and tasted them side-by-side then again paired with the lamb (recipe below). 

Lamb can be a great pairing for Pinot Noir when done right and with the right Pinot.  Assuming the Oregon one would be on the lighter side we went with a light herb season and grill, no topping or sauce, simply to taste the pure lamb flavors with no interaction from a heavy sauce.  Much like we did with the Italian wines. 

I tasted the wines first, before dinner, and then we had them side by side with the main dish, Grilled Rack of Lamb with Herbed Crust and (yes AGAIN) Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese (I told you, we can’t stop eating this salad.  Plus, I had a feeling the beets would pair well with the Pinot… and you know what, I was right). 

The wines:

Four Graces 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Four Graces is a family own winery located in the Red Hills of Dundee in the Willamette Valley.  Named after owner’s Steve and Paula Blacks four daughters, Four Graces wines are made with only grapes grown on their own two vineyards and with sustainable farming techniques with a focus on both organic and biodynamic practices. 

Their 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is their base level Pinot Noir and the initial smell is undeniably Oregon with its light earth and funk characteristics, with undertones of cherry, rose, and herbs.  The body was dry with more of that funk, along with spice (pepper), soft tannins, with a light yet elegant finish.  The only thing I was missing on this light bodied wine was more of a fruit balance to the earth, but that came out with the pairing.  For the price, this is a nice example of an everyday light bodied Oregon Pinot Noir.

Appellation:  Willamette Valley
Grapes:  Pinot Noir
Retail:  $29
Alcohol:  13.7%

The pairing:  The earthy flavors of the lamb met with the soft earthy flavors of the wine, but neither the meat nor wine really “improved” so to speak.  The beets, however, paired with the wine turned out to be a delicious pairing.  The rich and sweet roasted flavor of the beets really brought out the bright fruit that was hiding behind the earth of the wine and really freshened it up.  To me, that’s what a successful pairing does, it enhances both the experience of the wine and the food.  While the lamb slightly overwhelmed the wine with a little too much earth meets earth flavors, the beets provided a great fruit balance.  Thumbs up!


Consilience Winery 2006 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard
Consilience Winery, located in Los Olivos, California in Santa Barbara County was founded in 1997 by two couples wanting to produce great wine in Santa Barbara County.  Their focus seems to be mostly on typical Rhône varietals of Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, along with some additional non-Rhône varietals of Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.  The majority of the fruit they work with is sourced from growers throughout the county. 

I tasted their 2006 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir initially at a Pinot Noir twitter tasting at Storyteller Wine Company two weeks ago.  The wine was somewhat unfairly represented among over 15 Pinots from Oregon and stuck out like a sore thumb (in a bad way).  It was too big, dark and high alcohol for that crowd.  Since I received a bottle at home I decided to give the poor guy a second chance.  Sadly, even unsurrounded by the flavors of Oregon, the wine still seemed too big, hot, and unbalanced.  This wine is a BIG wine, something I’m not used to in my typical Pinot.
 
It had lots of dark berry, cola, leather, and concentrated candied cherry flavors throughout and the alcohol was screaming through on the nose.  Dark fruit followed this wine through the finish with spicy bold flavors I’m more used to seeing in a Syrah.  Is this really Pinot Noir I thought to myself?  The wine was just off balanced to me and hot. Very hot.  I couldn’t get past the high alcohol on this wine at over 16%.  But perhaps with food it will be different?

Appellation:  Santa Barbara County
Grapes:  Pinot Noir
Retail:  $36
Alcohol:  16.2%

The pairing:  The Lamb definitely calmed down and softened the wine bringing it down to a level more drinkable, but still had noticeable alcohol.  I still didn’t love the wine, but the food did definitely cover up some of the heavy characteristics of the wine.  The beets provided too much added sweetness and richness already in the wine that it ended up enhancing the already distracting rich flavors in the wine.  To me, it just wasn’t a successful pairing. Perhaps the wine needs something a little bolder to stand up to its big flavors, or perhaps the wine is just too big for me.

Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for… The recipe

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust

Serves 3 (multiply recipe for extra people)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of lamb racks
• 2 tablespoons each of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and sage) all finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions:
Snip a little fat off the lamb to prevent major flare-ups on the grill.  Salt and pepper the lamb and rub with olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle half the herbed dry rub on both sides and place in a container in the fridge for at least one hour to marinate.

Set grill to medium heat.  Grill both sides of the lamb until the internal temperature is 140 degrees (for medium to medium rare) approximately 6-8 minutes per side.  Remove from grill, then sprinkle the remaining herbs on the meat.  Let the lamb rest for 15 minutes.  Cut and serve along side with Roasted Beet Salad (recipe here) and a delicious Pinot Noir or older Barbaresco if you have it!

 

Cheers

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, a must try summer salad

I went berry picking with a friend the other day at Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island and after picking an abundance of raspberries we perused their market for additional goodies when I spotted a 10 lb bag of beets.  Mind you, I’ve never bought raw beets before, and have just recently grown fond of them.   It all started a few weeks ago.  Hubby and I were checking out restaurants in Hartford, Connecticut, last month and ate beet dishes three times during our four day trip there. Our favorite was the roasted beet salad with pistachio crusted goat cheese at Max’s Oyster Bar in West Hartford.  Delicious.  Ever since then I’ve wanted to recreate it, or at least come close.

So, when I saw this 10 lb bag I just thought, I have to have it. I don’t even really know what to do with that many beets, but I’ll surely figure something out.  And I did.

After deciding to roast a whole tray of them at the suggestion of my berry picking companion, I proceeded to make salads all week. Lots and lots of different types of beet salads.  And this one in particular was so delicious that even the hubby loved it.  I mean he really loved it!  So much so that the first time I made it for him, he opted to eat the entire thing and skimmed on the main dish, which was penne with my sausage marinara sauce, one of his favorites (recipe here, only I substituted the meatballs for chicken sausage).  I knew when he ate the whole salad before even touching the main dish, this salad was a keeper.  Now, he’s requesting this beet salad on a regular basis, and salad is rarely something he requests.  I have a feeling I’ll be back at Kruger's soon not only for more berries to satisfy my berry obsession this summer, but for another 10 lb bag of beets! 

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 2

Dressing:
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salad:
3-4 medium sized beets, roasted and quartered
About 3 cups fresh arugula
3 tablespoons dried cranberries (a small palm full), for sweetness
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, candied walnuts or pecans (a small palm full), for crunch
1 oz goat cheese (a small palm full), crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse the beets, then layout to dry.  Layer beets on a baking sheet, and toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Just enough to coat the beets.  Roast until knife tender (approx 45- 60 minutes).  Let cool, then remove the skins.  Warning! Make sure to wear an apron or clothes you don’t mind getting a little red.  And know that your fingers WILL get red. Very red.
This step can be done ahead of time.  I roasted a whole tray of beets this way, then, once cooled and skins removed, put in the fridge and used throughout the week.

In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. 

Add remainder of the salad ingredients, toss together, serve and enjoy.

Wine Recommendation:  Highly recommend to serve a dry rosé sparkling wine with this salad.  It will surely balance the acidity of the dressing and highlight the sweet roasted flavor of the beets.  Plus it’s the perfect summer drink in my opinion.   A great example would be  the Argyle Brut Rosé, available for $45.  If that's a little too spendy, then opt for another summer favorite, the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rosé, widely available for around $18-$20.

Cheers

WillaKenzie, Aquariva and a Great Food & Wine Pairing

Trying to explore as much Oregon as I can before moving to the Northeast, I accepted an invitation to a wine and food pairing lunch a couple weeks back hosted by WillaKenzie Estate Winery.  Lunch consisted of a five-course food and wine pairing prepared by Chef Andy Arndt of Aquariva that turned out to be very memorable experience.

The Winery
Located in the northern Willamette Valley in Yamhill County, WillaKenzie Estate sits on a beautiful 420-acre property overlooking the Chehalem Mountains with just over 100 acres of vines planted.  The focus of the vineyards is Pinot Noir, with over 10 different Pinot Noir clones planted, along with additional plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, and Gamay Noir. 

With the first plantings in 1992 the vineyards were planted with the belief of sustainable agriculture with the goal of producing high quality fruit with minimal use of any chemicals or fertilizers in order to protect the environment surrounding the estate.  The vineyards of Willakenzie are both L.I.V.E. (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe certified.   In addition to sustainable practices in the vineyard they also aim to extend that to their employees.  Winemaker Thibaud Mandet shared that over half of his vineyard staff have been with the winery for over ten years.   To me that’s an impressive fact.

WillaKenzie produces over ten different Pinot Noirs, most of them single vineyard, along with a representation of some of their other bottlings.  Throughout lunch we experienced a variety of their wines carefully paired with small plates created by Chef Arndt.

The Restaurant
Aquariva Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
Located just south of downtown Portland, next to the Avalon Hotel and Spa, Aquariva sits along the banks of the Willamette River with outdoor seating and fantastic river views.  They have a large and open indoor dining room, with a private event space upstairs that is well equipped for anything from business meetings to weddings. 

The restaurant boasts 40 wines by the glass.  That combined with outdoor riverfront seating on a warm summer evening, you don’t have to twist my arm to try out this restaurant.  Although I did not dine at the actual restaurant for this particular lunch, we did receive a brief tour before venturing to the winery for the five course pairing while snacking on popcorn with black truffle oil, sea salt, and toffee prepped by Chef Arndt.  Probably the most creatively delicious popcorn I’ve had in years.  The crunchy toffee combined with the salty and earthy flavors in the popcorn hit the spot!

The Pairings
What struck me most about the event was the attention to detail Chef Arndt put into the lunch to highlight both the wines and his own creative dishes.   When asked about his thought process in the pairings he described how he really hoped to enhance the flavors of the wine through his food pairings.  To me he succeeded.  I loved the 2007 Triple Black Slopes Pinot Noir (earthy, tobacco and spice meets spicy red and dark berry fruit) paired with Lamb Rillet Tortellini, Lamb Jus and Candied Black Pepper, with tender lamb that brought out the earthy nature of the wine.
 
The most impressive pairing for me, however, was the 2008 Pinot Meunier paired with a Braised Pork Belly, Turnip and Rhubarb Syrup (pictured right).  As if it wasn’t good enough that the pork melted in my mouth like butter, the delicate syrup paired magically with, while enhancing, the pretty fruit of the Pinot Meunier.  

Wine Highlight:  2008 Pinot Meunier
Pinot Meunier (pronounced mehr-n-yay) is one of the three varieties used in making traditional champagne (along with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), and is rarely seen alone as a still wine.  I was very intrigued even before tasting it.  The wine immediately struck me as a perfect summer red. It reminded me of a light, earthy, and yet fruity Pinot Noir.   It was light bodied and fresh with aromas of bright cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries.  The mouth followed with more cran-strawberry flavors with the addition of spice, toast, and very light tannins.   A nice alternative to a wine you don’t want to, or need to, lay down for ten years.  It is intended to and ready to drink now.  Served slightly chilled this wine would be the perfect accompaniment to a nice summer day if you’re craving something red. 
Appelation:  Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton District 
Retail:  $25
Alcohol:  14.2%
Screwcap closure

While it was my first time being at the WillaKenzie Estate and also tasting food from Aquariva Chef Andy Arndt I have decided that if the food at the actual restaurant is anything like the food Arndt prepared for this lunch then I’m certainly looking forward to a visit there. I think I’ve discovered another restaurant to add to my “Portland to do list”.  

As for the wines, if you’re into single vineyard Pinot Noirs then it would be worth a visit to check out their diverse selection along with beautiful views of the valley.  But make sure to also taste the Pinot Meunier while you are there.  You won’t likely find this variety as a stand alone still wine at most places you visit here in Oregon.  It is unique and most certainly tasty.

Cheers

Wine & Sushi Pairing Event at the new Wine Down East, April 15th

As many of you know I am leaving today to go to New Orleans for the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational to immerse myself in all things bubbly for the next few days.   But if I wasn’t I would be going to the first of many events at the new Wine Down East on NE 22nd and Alberta in Portland!

Why? 
Well because Stuart Herold, former owner of Wine Down on 28th, is opening up this great new wine bar in one of my favorite Portland neighborhoods and yours truly will be helping him to create awesome regular wine events.  The first is co-hosted by Uncorked and will be featuring sushi and wine pairings.  YES, sushi!  You thought you could only pair beer and saké with sushi? Think again!

I spent the afternoon yesterday with one of our wine reps and we tested out the menu that will be featured this Thursday at the event and I am very excited about the pairings we came up with.  I don’t want to give too much away, but there will be some great wine pairings, including a Chilean Pinot Noir paired with Salmon Nigiri, an unoaked Chardonnay with a California Roll topped with Tuna and Avocado, and of course there will be a bubbles pairing, and more. 

The details:  

Thursday April 15th
6:00 - 8:30 pm

Wine Down East
2236 NE Alberta
Portland, OR

Price:  $20

This is a private event and limited to first 100 people.

The theme, as announced on the Uncorked website is:

“Rebel Without A Cask – daring food and wine pairings that will not only astound your palette, but challenge your ways of thinking about food and wine. It comes down to three trifect ingredients:  Fine wine, sinful sushi, and divine conversation, all for only $20. Meet the owners of Wine Down East, Stuart & Ken, taste the great sushi and wine pairings we came up with, and have a great time!”

Visit the Uncorked website to reserve your spot!

If you can’t make it (shame on you) keep your eyes out for the grand opening of Wine Down East within the next couple weeks. I am very excited about things to come. 

Wine Down East's website is not yet up but you can find information about the restaurant on their Facebook fan page.

Pairing Wine with Food: The Basics

While preparing for a recent Intro to Wine and Food pairing class I polled a few friends and family members from outside the area to ask what would they want to learn about if they took a class on wine and food paring. Their responses were quite humbling to me. 

I was prepared for them to ask detailed and scientific questions regarding how to pair things. Instead, they just wanted to know the basics. Too much information seemed overwhelming to them, and they wanted simple answers: “What wine would work best with a simple roasted chicken, shrimp scampi, lasagna, mac and cheese” and “What should I pair with a California Chardonnay, etc”. 

You see, many of my friends and family are very busy, with lives, jobs, and children, all outside of the wine industry and enjoy wine simply for the fun and pleasure of it, and when it comes to pairing wine and food they just want to know… well, the basics. 

While I love to geek out beyond the fundamentals in some of my longer classes and delve into the subject, I decided to do something simple for the sake of those who may not be interested in the long version. So this post is dedicated to my friends and family who don’t have time to come to one of my lengthier classes where we geek out and dive in deeper on the fundamentals and science of food and wine pairing, and instead, I am presenting this information (below) as a basic starting point for any beginner. I have also included an easy to use, downloadable, wine and food pairing chart.  Simple, yet fundamental, suggestions as you get started on your wine and food pairing journey. 

The #1 rule for pairing wine with food: Drink what you like!

First and foremost, I believe wholeheartedly that you should drink what you like! Even if you are drinking Sauvignon Blanc with Steak. If that’s what you’re craving then by all means go for it. There are no right or wrong answers when your palate is craving something. But if you want to try to heighten your food and wine experience then here are some simple guidelines. 

THE BASICS:

A. Food and wine pairing is about synergy: the food should not overpower the wine, nor should the wine overpower the food. Key word - BALANCE
Two ways to achieve this synergy is to pair wines with foods that can either compliment or contrast each other:

• Compliment means understanding you want to pair like kind with like kind.  The taste of the wine should compliment the taste of the food in style, body, and weight, thus ultimately enhancing the flavors of each other. 
• Contrasting refers to pairing opposites.  An example of this would be pairing sweet wine with a salty dish, or sweet wine with spicy dish, thus toning down the dominating flavor (whether that flavor may be spicy or sweet).

B. Acidity Level: 

• Compliment: The acidity of the dish should be matched by the acidity in the wine, like pairing Sauvignon Blanc with ceviche.  
• Contrast: Pair high acid wines with fatty foods, like duck, pork, charcuterie, cheese, to cut through the fat and richness of the dish.

 C. Sweetness level (i.e. sugar):

• Compliment: The sweetness of a dish should be matched to the sweetness of the wine. Be careful because perceived sweetness in a dish may not match that of the wine. 
• Contrast: Sometimes sweet wine can go with spicy food creating the contrast and a cooling mechanism for the hot and spicy food. Or pairing sweet and salty (think chocolate covered pretzels… yum!). A favorite example to demonstrate this idea with wine is pairing a sweet dessert wine, like late harvest white wines or ice wines paired with blue cheese. 

D. Body/Weight: The weight of a dish should be matched by the weight of the wine.

• Full with full: Rich, heavy meat with full-bodied red wine 
• Light with light: Light white fish with unoaked, light-bodied white wine or rosé.   

E. Intensity: If a food is intense in flavor, then the wine should also be intense in flavor and vice versa. 

EASY TO USE WINE & FOOD PAIRING CHART 

(suggested pairings, a good place to start on your food and wine pairing journey) 

These are just the basics.  If you really want to geek out with me and learn the ins, outs, whys, and hows of wine and food pairing, please visit my website or visit my Facebook page for a list of upcoming classes.

If you have any specific questions on pairing wine with food I'd love to hear them!  Or, if you have a perfect pairing that you would like to share please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your ideas!

For a downloadable version of this chart please click on the link:  Download Wine & Food Pairing Chart

 

Spaghetti, Turkey Meatballs, Bacon Goodness, and a Delicious Sangiovese

I am a huge proponent of eating healthy (yet delicious) when I can, often altering recipes to make them healthier, and that almost always includes substituting ground turkey for beef when called for.  I have dozens of recipes for turkey burgers, turkey meatloaf, turkey chili, turkey tacos, and yes turkey meatballs. And just when I thought my spaghetti and turkey meatballs couldn’t get any better I discovered an ingredient that brought them to a whole new dimension.

The secret ingredient?  Bacon! 

No I am not, and have never been, a bacon freak that loves to discuss the subject on a daily basis, twittering about bacon, joining bacon fan clubs, etc.  Heck, I barely ate the stuff until very recently, but I have to say, I am quickly discovering the secret of bacon.

A recent edition of Bon Appétit magazine included a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs with a bacon tomato sauce; with bacon both inside the meatballs and in the sauce.  After reading the recipe I was struck with curiosity and decided to give it a try (of course substituting the suggested beef for turkey).  What sparked my interest is that I often run into a common dilemma when cooking poultry… drying out.  Turkey can easily dry out creating a product that is not as desirable for a carnivore to eat as its juicy beefy counterparts. But, when I tried the bacon paste (below) mixed into the ground turkey it added the missing component; fat, which added a much-needed moisture to the meatballs.  End result? The meatballs don’t taste bacon-y, just moist and delicious!  And the amount of bacon added is so minimal that you have nothing to worry about.  Believe me, it’s still a healthy meal!  Below is my usual recipe for my red sauce and meatballs; only I have now added the bacon to both, inspired by Bon Appétit.   I can’t wait to try the bacon paste in other turkey recipes, including my Gorgonzola stuffed turkey burgers!  Yum.

  
 

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs with Bacon Goodness 

This may seem like a lot of instructions, but don’t worry, it is very easy and your reward at the end will make it all worth it!  And if you don’t feel like making the meatballs, the sauce is a great, easy, red sauce for any type of pasta. 

Serves  4

Meatballs:

• 3 slices peppered bacon
• 1 package ground turkey (approx 1.25 lbs)
• 1 lg garlic clove, finely minced or pressed with garlic press
• 1/3 c. Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup panko or regular bread crumbs
• ¼ cup onion, finely diced (or grated as suggested in the Bon Appetit recipe)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Pepper

Sauce: 

• *3 strips of bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small-med sized red onion, diced
• 2 med garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• ½ cup red wine (Sangiovese works well for this recipe)
• 1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes (quickly blended to take out the chunks)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions for the whole shebang (meatballs and sauce together):

Starting with the meatballs:  Place the bacon in a food processor and pulse it until it turns into a paste.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add all other ingredients and gently combine together being careful to not overwork the meat.  Roll into golf ball sized balls and set aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat cook remaining bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon bits and set aside.  Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the bacon drippings.  Add meatballs and cook one side until brown, approx 4 minutes.  Be careful not to move or turn the meat prematurely.  Turn meatballs and brown other sides. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes total. Remove meatballs and set aside on a tray.

Using the same pot, with all the goods inside start on the rest of the sauce: 

* My normal sauce usually doesn’t start with the bacon, but I couldn’t resist, the addition is so good.  Typically, my sauce (without doing the meatballs) starts out by cooking up 2 spicy chicken sausages (removed from casings, and broken up into bits, and cooked until browned).  This time I substituted the bacon for the sausage, but the remainder of the sauce is made the same way.

Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook 1 minute. Add the celery and carrots and sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and wine and let reduce for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Add the meatballs to the sauce and allow them to reheat in the sauce and simmer for about 10-12 minutes.

Pasta:  Cook pasta according to box instructions.  I always use whole wheat pasta because I love the added benefits of the whole wheat and added protein.

Place a layer of pasta on your plate and top with a few meatballs and extra sauce.  Shave some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top, serve, and enjoy with a delicious glass of Sangiovese.  

Leftovers?  Use any remaining sauce and meatballs to make a delicious meatball sandwich the next day.  Add a slice of mozzarella cheese on top and place the sammy under the broiler to allow the cheese the melt and enjoy more meatball goodness for the second day in a row.

Wine Pairing:

For an acidic and somewhat heavy dish like red sauce I recommend a wine equal in acid and weight, and a typical sidekick for red pasta sauce is Sangiovese and I recently discovered a delicious new Sangiovese made by the owner of one of my go to wine shops.  

2007 VIOLA Sangiovese, Nicolas Cole Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, WA

Retail:  $24  
Where to purchase: cork • a bottle shop

This wine was made by Darryl Joannides, owner of cork • a bottle shop, with grapes from Walla Walla, Washington.

This Sangiovese had plenty of dark berry fruit with some roasted meat aromas along with spice and vanilla.  The mouth was rich and bold with some pretty spice characteristics with medium tannins and strong acidity.  

The pairing: Now let me tell you, this is precisely why the Italians know what they are doing.  Red pasta sauce with Sangiovese = happy marriage.  I can’t really think of a better pairing to demonstrate how acid in wine paired with equal acid in food work together to create a perfect harmony.  The acidity in both dishes complimented each other very well.  The pasta and meatballs brought out a smoky characteristic to the wine that wasn’t as distinct before.  The spice and richness of the sauce was right on balance with the weight of the wine.   Mmm mmm good.

Please try this for yourself.  And even if you don’t feel like making the recipe exactly, consider adding a bit of bacon paste to your next ground turkey recipe.  It’s pretty awesome and gives you the moisture often missing from lean meat like turkey!

Meeting Tom Mackey from St. Francis Winery...

... and a stroll down memory lane

Most wine lovers have quite a few bottles of wine that they would categorize as “most memorable” wines.  Some have many, others have one or two. I’d have to say I've had many great wines in my life, but few have left a mark on me that I will remember forever.  Among those was the 1997 St. Francis “Kings Ridge” Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine I was drinking when my husband proposed. (Okay, I know this sounds like it's going to be a cheesy sappy story, but it's not, so please read on if you’re not into sappy stuff). 

You see, St. Francis was one of the first wine clubs we joined after moving to San Francisco and becoming seriously interested in wine, and we remained members until a year after moving to Oregon (six years later).  It wasn’t just the wines we fell in love with, but the experience they provided when visiting.  They didn’t just have a tasting room that offered the average 4-6 wines in a flight, but also offered guests a whole food and wine pairing experience, lasting close to an hour, where they would pair 4 or 5 of their wines with appetizers created by their chef.  For me, it was the first time I started to understand the art and science behind a good food and wine pairing while falling in love with their wines.  We visited often and brought family and friends to experience this place that almost became synonymous with Sonoma to us.  

 So, it was fitting that my boyfriend (now husband) brought out that bottle the night he planned to pop the question.  And, cheesy as it sounds, I kept the label to that very bottle, had it professionally framed, and gave it to my hubby on our first wedding anniversary as the traditional first anniversary symbol of “paper" (Okay now THAT was cheesy!  But it was true nonetheless). 

St. Francis wines were also among the first that I tasted enough times to be able to identify a specific “winemaking style” to their wines.  That became more evident when I was studying for the CMS Certified Sommelier exam and had my husband blind taste me daily on new wines to prep me for the tasting portion of the exam.  Anytime he brought out a browned bagged St. Francis (whether it be a Cab, Merlot, or other), I would smell and immediately respond, “I’m not sure the exact varietal yet, let me taste a little more, but it smells like St. Francis”.  And 9 times out of 10 I was right.  I still don’t know what it is (anybody like to share?), the barrels, the vineyards the fruit is sourced from, a magic potion?  But whatever it is there is definitely a distinct style to most of their wines.  Some may call this Terroir, and I would just call it distinctly good. 

So, needless to say I was very excited to have been invited to meet Tom Mackey, who has been the winemaker at St. Francis since 1983, last week for lunch along with other local wine bloggers, Tamara Belgard from Sip With Me!, Jim Eastman of The Wine Cyclist and Bernie Gehret and Eva Schmole of PortlandOregonWine.com.   I’ve met many winemakers before, but there was something special and exciting about meeting Tom, since I had been enjoying his wines for years and had never met the man behind them.

Tom was warm and genuine and it felt like we were conversing with a friend rather than a stranger.  He spoke of the early days when he first joined the winery.  “Times were more simple then, yet the work was hard.  We had a small crew, about four people that did everything from working in the field, working all through harvest, doing the prep work, the cleaning, the bottling, etc.”  

He spoke of the changes he has witnessed in the Sonoma valley over the decades.  Times have changed, wineries have evolved and learned from their mistakes and experiments.  “We prune differently now… we space our vineyards differently… we pick our fruit later”.  He described that, in his early days, they used to pick fruit much earlier in the season.  Now he has learned that if you leave the fruit on the vines longer you get more developed and deeper flavors out of the wines. 

They have also learned how to be better stewards of the land, and now strive for green and sustainable practices, including installing a solar electrical system on the roof of the winery, a water conservation program, recycling programs, and more. 

In 2001 they opened up their visitors center on Highway 12, in Santa Rosa (about the time I started visiting), where they offer tastings, events, and my favorite, their wine and food pairing experience.

When I asked Tom about the Kings Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and their other reserve wines (ok, I had to, I got engaged over a bottle of that wine for goodness sake. Did I also mention we shared another bottle of the same wine and vintage at our actual wedding?), he shared that the 1997 was probably the best vintage of that wine, but that they are no longer making that specific wine anymore.  He went on to explain the evolution of the once “reserve wine” program to their now Wild Oak wines.  Tom described that he felt, over the years, wineries started using the term “reserve” too loosely, and that it had lost value and meaning (in the U.S. there is no legal designation for the term “reserve” on a bottle of wine), and that they decided to create a new label to distinguish the “best of the best” for their wines.  Their Wild Oak label represents just that, the best fruit from the best vineyards in each vintage. 

"So, Wild Oak represents the best of the best, but what is your favorite wine to make, each year? The one you get most excited about?" I asked.  "Our blends", Tom responded.  "Including our Sonoma Red, our Claret, and our Anthem".  The Anthem in particular is a unique "reverse Bordeaux-style blend", meaning instead of focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as the primary grapes, the focus is on Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.  I have had a few vintages of the Anthem and I have to say it is indeed a unique and special wine, not to mention delicious!    

The Wines

Tasting through the flight of wines was like going down memory lane for me.  That distinct “St. Francis flavor” was evident in each of the reds.  The one white we had was their outstanding 2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay, and I say outstanding because you can’t really find a better Chardonnay for the price point (retail between $10-$12/bottle). Oak, vanilla, toast, with balanced lemon, spice and acidity.  Seriously, for $10?  Yes please! 

Another one that blew me away because of the $10 price point was the 2006 Sonoma Red blend (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel).  It had bold black berry fruit, with chocolate, vanilla and spice throughout. 

My two favorite wines of the flight, however, were both Zinfandels.  First off was the 2007 “Old Vines” Zinfandel, which was a blend of fruit from fourteen vineyards throughout the valley.  Typical dark berry Zin aromas with oak spice, lushness, black cherries with a long finish without any distinguishable “hot” characteristics. 

The second Zin that won over my heart was the 2006 Wild Oak Zinfandel.  My notes for that wine simply said “Woah!” with a smiley face J.  You know, I’ll be the first to admit, sometimes you find a wine that you just want to savor and not be too analytical about, and this was one of those.  I loved it. 

 As I think back to the lunch, I feel honored to have been invited to sit down with such an intimate group (seven people total), with a winemaker whom I’ve respected since I started seriously learning about wine almost ten years ago.  And I am so glad to have meet Tom.  He was sincere and genuine, and as talented and experienced a winemaker he is, he was very unpretentious.  As we ended lunch, we just sat and chatted.  Not about wine, but about our lives, comparing San Francisco stories (Tom grew up there), and he talked about his passion for motorcycles and surfing, although he does much more motorcycling now and no more surfing.  He even got excited when I shared with him my first experience surfing last summer in Hawaii.  He asked if I would do it again… “of course” I answered.

I feel that meeting the man behind one of my most memorable bottles of wine makes the wine even more memorable now.  Almost making the story complete.  

You can read more about Tom Mackey and St. Francis wines on their website.  

Chef Mavro

... And one of my first major food epiphanies.

I’ve had a couple of food epiphanies in my life, but none more memorable than my first experience at Chef Mavro in Honolulu. 

A few years ago while visiting the island of Oahu I quickly grew tired of the many overpriced mediocre dining options on Waikiki Beach where we were staying.  So, desperate for a good experience I decided to do some research to find a nearby restaurant that wouldn’t disappoint.  What I found was Chef Mavro.  The restaurant looked very expensive, and I was nervous about splurging, but after reading reviews I quickly grew confident and paid them a visit.

George Mavrothalassitis, chef/proprietor of Chef Mavro, holds the prestigious James Beard Foundation award as the Best Chef in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.  He also holds numerous other awards and recognition including being the only restaurant in Hawaii named in the Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2008-2009. 

Born and raised in Marseilles, the capital of Provence in France, Mavrothalassitis received his training in contemporary French cuisine and owned two restaurants in Southern France, but after his first visit to Hawaii he decided to make it his new home, eventually opening up his own restaurant in Honolulu.
(France meets Hawaii, already a chef after my own heart, combining my two favorite places in the world into a restaurant concept)

What interested me even more in wanting to go to Chef Mavro was his concept around food and wine pairings.  You will not find a wine list at this restaurant and you have four dining options to chose from (but can also mix and match).  You can select from a three course, four course, six course, or the grand degustation of all of the dishes, all paired with specific wines. Mavrothalassitis is passionate about his guests truly understanding how food and wine compliment each other and enhance the dining experience, so four times a year he gathers his cooks, wait staff, and additional wine professionals to spend the day blind tasting wines with the recipes for the upcoming season. The winners are then selected to be on the menu, which changes with each season.  I’d die to get to be a part of that selection process day… even if I was just a fly on the wall observing. 

So on my first visit to Chef Mavro I was still in my pseudo-vegetarian state and hadn’t had a bite of anything that came from a cow or pig for over ten years, and was about to let my guard down for the first time in over a decade.  The attitude I had going into the restaurant was “this chef seems to know what he’s doing, and has been recognized by the finest critics on the world, and I trust him.” Besides, what was I going to say “no, please hold all meat products?”  I’d feel like that group in the movie “Last Holiday” (with Queen Latifah when the chef played by Gérard Depardieu got upset when everyone was asking for substitutions).  I didn’t want to be “that” person. 

My epiphany came on the third course; it was a side-by-side tasting of Kobe Beef and Braised Beef Short Ribs.  When the braised beef touched my tongue it was an experience I had never had with food before.  It melted just like butter and the flavors sang.  I’m not kidding, they really did.  I then, wide eyed, exclaimed to my husband, “If meat could taste like this everyday I’d be the worlds biggest carnivore!”

When our server came to check on us my husband decided to share with him what I had just said.  Minutes later out walked Chef Mavro himself, and he came directly to our table, sat down beside me, put his arm around me, smiled and said (in the cutest French accent), “So, you like my beef?”   I responded, “Yes, yes I do very much, it is delicious!”  He then said “Why thank you, I am honored.”

Honored!?  Chef Mavro, a James Beard Award Winning Chef honored because I liked his beef?  It is I who should be the one honored to get to experience this long awaited food epiphany. 

I can still remember that first experience like it was yesterday, and we’ve been going back at least once a year for the last three years and I look forward to it like a child looks forward to going to Disneyland for the first time. 

So, a couple weeks ago my husband and I were back on Oahu and, of course, spent an evening at my favorite restaurant in the world.  This time we decided to not get the same thing, so my hubby got the four course, and I the six, and shared so we could experience ten of Chef’s amazing creations.  Here are the highlights:

Winter Menu:  The Art of Pairing Food & Wine

the four course:

 ESCABECHE OF BIG ISLAND ABALONE (pictured left)
marinated with coriander shaved vegetables, manchego cheese croquette, serrano ham, sun dried tomato sauce

VOLLRADS, 2004 RIESLING, RHEINGAU

DAY BOAT CATCH PROVENÇALE   (pictured right)
crusted with black olive, cured lemon, big wave tomato, capers, fines herbes, braised fennel, lemon thyme emulsion

DOMAINE DE CHATENOY, 2006 MENETOU-SALON,LOIRE 
The wine had this lovely salty quality reminiscent of the ocean, which is why it paired so well with the fresh fish.

 

ROASTED KUROBUTA PORK LOIN   (left)
cured and crispy pork belly, fresh wasabi flavored green apple, purée of parsnips, sweet and sour pork jus

CESARI MARA, 2006 VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE, RIPASSO

LILIKOI MALASADAS  (right)
guava coulis, pineapple-coconut ice cream

BLANDY’S, MALMSEY MADEIRA, 5 YEAR 
This was my husbands wine, but it was hard to not drink it all myself.

 

and the six course:

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS AU TORCHON  (pictured left)
crunch of spiced marcona almonds, granny smith tomato marmalade-baby kai choy, caramelized fig vinegar, toasted portuguese sweet bread

FITZ-RITTER, 2007 GEWÜRZTRAMINER SPÄTLESE, PFALZ 
The kind of foie gras and wine pairing that makes your heart melt!

 

TAMARIND ROASTED SABLEFISH   (pictured right)
celery, cucumber and red radish marinated in yogurt-lemon-extra virgin olive oil, purée of garlic flavored with espelette

CHATEAU POUILLY, 2006 POUILLY-FUISSE, CUVEE 1551 
Probably my favorite pairing of the night!  I smiled throughout this entire course.

KEAHOLE LOBSTER PAELLA  (left)
roasted red bell peppers, green olives, fried cilantro, lobster chorizo jus, saffron puff rice

SAINT CLAIR, 2008 VICAR’S CHOICE PINOT NOIR, MARLBOROUGH 
Mmm mmm and more mmmmm

 

100% WAGYU BEEF  (right)
strip loin, burgundy braised short ribs, cream of swiss chard, panisse batons, frankie’s fresh green peppercorn and sansho sauce

PAUILLAC DE PICHON-BARON, 2006 PAUILLAC 
Braised beef short ribs.  The meal that turned me into a carnivore!  This, with the wine, was dee-licious.

 

BIG ISLAND GOAT CHEESE QUENELLE  (left)
lemon verbena-watermelon rind chutney, poppy seed biscuit, hirabara greens

MILLESIME, 2005 SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY, LOIRE

 

CHOCOLATE AND BANANA  (right)
chocolate banana crème caramel, chinese almond decadence, almond ice cream

WARRES, OTIMA, 10 YEAR TAWNY 
I was so full by this point I don’t know how I was able to continue… but I did, until I finished every last bite and every last sip of this delicious tawny port.

 

I know these pictures don’t truly capture the essence of the experience, considering the lighting was fairly dark and my camera is a dinky little purse camera, but the presentation was beautiful, the service impeccable, and the meal certainly one to remember for years to come. 

If you are a sommelier or a food and wine enthusiast this is definitely a restaurant to visit, even if just once in your life.  It is indeed pricey, but so worth every penny.   This is a place that truly understands the art of pairing food and wine in every single course and has continued to impress me with each visit.   It is an inspiration for those (like myself) who seek to both create and experience a perfect food and wine pairing.       

And thank you to Chef Mavro for giving me my first major food epiphany and turning me into an even bigger foodie, and yes, a carnivore! 

What was your food epiphany?  I’d love to hear about it.