Glamorous Gourmet

Last Minute Valentine Libations

2012-02-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's eve and I thought I would post some last minute wine and beer suggestions to help you delight and indulge tomorrow or just anytime you want to treat your Sweetie!

First and foremost, when I think of romance, and celebration I think of Champagne and for me Ruinart is simply the best...

NV Ruinart, Rose, Champagne, France (55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay); starting with the luminous rose gold color to it's intoxicating bubbles and notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, roses and roasted herbs it makes my heart skip a beat! Heavenly with duck breast, seared ahi or even a rich lamb burger (SRP $60)

2011 Chateau Bonnet, Rose, Bordeaux, France (50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvingon); Rose is perfect for every season and this dry rose is sophisticated, fun and juicy and would be delightful with salmon or pork at a fantastic everyday price (SRP $13)

2010 George Dubouef, Fleurie, Beaujolais, France (100% Gammay); Fleurie (translates to "flowery") is known as the Queen of Beaujolais and this wine is elegant, velvety and floral with notes of violets, spice, raspberries and plums...pair with roast chicken or a rich chocolate cake with a raspberry coulis (SRP $16)

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, New York, US; Rich dark Belgian chocolate, dark malt with Perle hops that impart flavors of mint and spice..feeling frisky...why not pair this with some chocolate crepes (SRP $14)

Guinness, Stout, Dublin, Ireland; Smooth and creamy with hints of coffee and cocoa I have loved Guinness with everything from Oysters to a coffee rubbed filet (SRP $8)

Southern Tier, Choklat Imperial Stout, New York, US; This is probably the richest, most decadent beer I have ever tasted with the marriage of bittersweet dark Belgian chocolate, chocolate malt and Chinook and Willamette hops. Love chocolate covered strawberries? Have a glass of this in one hand and strawberries to feed your love in another... (SRP $10)

These are a few of my favorite things....

2012-02-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a fan of Valentine's Day or not I always look at it as a day to take the time to tell those closest to you how much you love and care for them; significant others, family and friends. And of course a day to look forward to wines, chocolates and good food!

With that in mind I thought I would pick a few of my favorite things that I think are unique and delightful treats for your sweet.

As far as I am concerned chocolate must be had and my absolute favorite chocolatier is Woodhouse Chocolates located in St. Helena in Napa Valley. As we eat with our eyes first, before you have entered their store you know you are in for a feast for your eyes as well as your taste buds. It appears as if you are stepping into a glorious jewel box with glass cases full of decadent truffles and chocolates. My favorite must haves from their jewel case are the Pistachio, and the Thai Ginger chocolates. Other musts I collect every time I visit (and are also available to order online) are the Dark Chocolate Caramels with Fleur de Sel and their Milk Chocolate with Golden Grahams Bar!

Now that your chocolates have been collected... onto the wine! Imagine you are in the Napa Valley as you sip on Swanson Vineyards' Instant Napa Cabernet Sauvingon that celebrates Swanson's 25th Anniversary. This wine is comprised of carefully selected fruit from small blocks of premium Cabernet Sauvingon, Merlot and Petite Verdot from all across the Valley. Silk cascades across your tongue as you experience cassis, black cherries and espresso finishing with a delightful tug of tannin. Prefer a white wine? I adore their Viognier with it's crisp acidity and no need for a bouquet of flowers if you have this wine (although it never hurts)! It's floral notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom are simply intoxicating! (food pairing hint...Viognier pairs heavenly with black truffle risotto!)

Chocolates and wine collected...now it's time to snuggle up with a good book. As it is Valentine's Day one of my new favorite finds is La Figa Visions of Food and Form . This book (available on Amazon) is a collection of 20 recipes and sensual photography by Matt Freeman where the models are wearing nothing but edible creations from the James Beard Award Winning Chef Tiberio Simone. Browse the beautiful pages of the vibrantly captured living art, divine recipes (Drunken Figs is my favorite!) and see where the night takes you!

"For me the sensuality of food closely resembles the pleasures of sex. From the first bite of a meal, the body is catapulted into rapture through the last climactic bite. A delicious morsel is as sweet as the first kiss" - Chef Tiberio Simone

Taittinger Takes Over Hollywood

2012-01-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

What am I passionate about in life? Well besides Champagne and traveling to wine countries, my first love was performance so I am a girl who adores Awards Season...and it is upon us and they add a delicious night of viewing beautiful dresses, tresses, awards and a chance to relax with a glass of Champagne!

For the 13^th year Champagne Taittinger is the official Champagne of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The 18^th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are Sunday, January 29^th and will feature Taittinger Brut la Francaise during the awards show, backstage in the green room and at the after parties.

Whether you have a coveted invite to a glitzy Hollywood affair or you’re inviting friends over for a fun Hollywood inspired viewing party, popping some popcorn tossed with black truffle salt and a bottle of Taittinger is the perfect way to start the night!

The Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet will be opened by an official toast, the Taittinger Moment, hosted by Vitalie Taittinger heiress to the Champagne house, who is coming from France to attend the event. The awards air live January 29^th on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. (ET), 5 p.m. (PT).

“Elegance, beauty, and passion define Champagne Taittinger and make the SAG Awards such a dazzling night. We are thrilled to toast to actors-as their gifted performances have the power to move and inspire, like Champagne,” says Vitalie Taittinger.

Adventures in Champagne & Paris with Ruinart Part 2

2012-01-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

And now we journey onto Paris...

"Bright and early we all arose and I took one last wander through L'Assiette's beautiful gardens with hopes of someday returning. After a quick train ride (less than an hour) we indeed arrived in Paris and we were giddily off to Laduree for a quick cafe and macaroons (various flavors....rose, violet, chocolate...of which I savored every morsel of!) and were also able to try Canneles, a pastry treat famous in Bordeaux before we were to visit Guerlain practically across the street on the Champs Elysee. Guerlain, which opened in 1914, is a historical fragrance house and we were led through the components that made up their flagship scents such as Shalimar and then elegantly guided through the completed fragrances, some with a seductive swish of black feather fans.

Next off to the George V Hotel to have lunch at Le Cinq. This was especially exciting for me as even before I could ever have dreamed to dine in such a location I have been a fan of world renowned floral artist Jeff Leatham's work and artistry it is indeed. From the moment one enters the hotel brilliant arrays of colorful bouquets are like candy to your eyes. Upon entering the restaurant, Le Cinq, we are warmly greeted and ushered to our table, what was to be our home for the next three hours full of divine wine and food pairings..all which was served to us blindly. Of course we began with Ruinart...1996 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and throughout the lunch we were also treated to 2007 Château Grillet and a magnum of 1977 Grahams Port among others. We were all in absolute awe and admiration for the finesse, precision and execution that was Le Cinq.

For dinner that evening we went more for a Parisian Bistro style at Bistrot de Paris, passing around dishes and sharing. Although Morgan will say his Pied de Couchon (Pig's foot) was the winner I think Nicole's selection of Steak Tartare was the favorite..so fresh and with a delicious bite of mustard. From there Friday evening we continued our exploration of Paris hopping to various wine bars. Saturday was a free day allowing more time to venture through the city and I was able to delve into a fantastic farmers market, the Louvre, and finally get to L'Atelier. None of which could have been possible without the generosity and hospitality that was displayed by our hosts.

Thank you many, many times to The Guild, Charlotte Duntze, Dorothy Bakker Lee, Frederic Panaiotis and Julie Murez for such an educational and pleasurable experience!

Adventures in Champagne & Paris with Ruinart Part 1

2012-01-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday I was packing and getting ready to embark on a trip of a lifetime, but alas, it has passed but I have my memories, great friends and pictures to remind me...and of course Ruinart Champagne will always be a love of mine! I wrote this essay after I came back from my trip ( I was awarded as the 2011 Chicago Ruinart Champagne Challenge winner) this summer for the Guild of Sommelier's but thought I should share on my blog (In 2 parts...Champagne and Paris) as well..especially so close to Valentine's Day....thought it might offer inspiration!

"There is not many moments in my life where I have been left breathless...this time spent in France however touring and tasting with Ruinart's Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis in Champagne and exploring the artistry and beauty of Paris was one of those moments.
Our journey began upon arrival to Paris' Charles de Gaul Airport as we were greeted by a jolly Frenchman named Jacque who escorted Nicole Burke from San Francisco and Morgan Harris from New York and myself to our hotel in Champagne. Upon arrival to L'Assiette Champenoise, the place where we would lay our heads for the next few nights, which I was absolutely enamoured with (so much that is was truly hard to leave it!) we checked into our rooms, met Dorothy Bakker Lee (Ambassador for Ruinart) and off we went to lunch at Cafe du Palais where we were to meet Fred (Frederic preferred to be called), and the other two Sommeliers Eric Hastings from Houston and Jeff Bencus from Las Vegas.

After lunch, which contained our first delightful taste of Ruinart's NV Brut (not available in the United States...yet!) we continued on our day and ventured to the illustrious Cathedral de Reims, home of over 20 coronations of French Kings. Up, and up we climbed towards the top of the Cathedral giving us a beautiful view of the town of Reims and beyond.

From the Cathedral we ventured to where we were all eagerly awaiting, to the Ruinart Estate and to explore the cellars. Ruinart is the first established Champagne House in 1729. In 1768 Ruinart acquired former Gallo-Roman chalk quarries for the purpose of storing their bottles and is classified as a historical monument. These crayères offer the triple benefit of constantly stable temperatures, absence of vibration and the perfect humidity level. This was indeed our lucky day because Fred also had Master of Wine Essi Avellan, the first Master of Wine from Finland visiting so there were quite a few special vintage wines in addition for us to sample and magnums at that. As the afternoon progressed into evening we were fortunate enough to try an array of Dom Ruinart magnums of both their Blanc de Blancs and Rose.The standouts for me were the 1969 and 1998 Blanc de Blancs and the 1985 Rose which floored me with its complexity and depth.

From there we relaxed outside on the veranda before dinner partaking in one of my favorite, simple, but classic pairings.... NV Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Gougères. Ruinart has a new event dining room and were were one of the first groups to dine there. Along with the divine meal we were able to chose from the Magnums we tasted earlier for each course. I absolutely agree with Nicole; " The Cheese Cart is a wondrous part of dining, but a Magnum Cart reached unparalleled heights!" After dinner it was time to catch up on sleep and prepare for a day filled with blind tasting and a visit to the CIVC.

Thursday we found ourselves back at Ruinart about to embark on a 6 round flight adventure exploring Blanc de Blancs from all across Champagne. The flights contained an extreme range of styles and vintages (including the oxidative styling of Jacques Selosse) and happily I discovered that even blind, Ruinart's NV Blanc de Blancs was one of my favorites. After a quick, but delightful lunch of NV Blanc de Blancs, Sushi and Macaroons we were off to the CIVC (Comite Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) where we were given a better understanding of their research, environmental efforts and the region in depth through a presentation in the conference building and then wandering through the glorious colors of the vineyards.... the vibrant shades of green....the crisp white from the chalky soils and the brilliant red of the poppies.

After a magical dinner at Le Jardin Brasserie in Reims the group decided we would grab one more drink at the bar back at L'Assiette Champenoise and what a good decision it was! The old saying "right time, right place" could never have been more true as Olivier Krug and the new President of Krug, Maggie Henriquez were just finishing a dinner for the press and we were fortunate enough to have a glass from a Jerobaum of Grand Cuvee disgorged in1995 courtesy of them. Then we were back to our rooms to pack and prepare for the next day's adventure into Paris..."

Glamorous New Years Eve Cocktail Ideas

2011-12-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve is upon us and Champagne and Sparklers are the first thing on everyone's mind. Because of this I thought I'd write about my favorite bubbly cocktails!

First and foremost when it comes to bubbles there is no need to spend a lot of money on a bottle of Champagne when you will be blending your bubbles with other accoutrements. California offers some fantastic sparkles and my favorite for cocktail making is Domaine Chandon.

Want to stay in France for your bubbles? There are so many fantastically priced Cremants (a Cremant is a french sparkling wine from designated wine growing regions following specific conditions) that can offer quality bubbles at a much lower price. My favorites are
Lucien Albrecht Blanc de Blancs Cremant d'Alsace and Blason de Bourgogne Cremant de Bourgogne (available at Trader Joe's).

My top three favorite cocktails are:

1. Cognac Clementine Cocktail:

Pour 1 tbsp of Cognace into your flute (I really enjoy Landy Cognac VS ....orange blossom, orange zest and blanched almonds)
Pour in your bubbles...a CA Brut bubbly would be fantastic!
With a vegetable peeler slice thinly a clementine, rim your glass and drop it into the glass
Squeeze in a little clementine juice. Cheers!

2. Parisian Peach Cocktail (courtesy of my dear cousin Kate)

Pour in 1 tsp St. Germain elderflower liqueur into your flute
Pour in 1/2 tsp peach schnapps
Now fill your glass with your bubbles...Cremant de Bourgogne is lovely
Garnish with a slice of white peach. Sante!

3. Spanish Rose

Pour in 1/4 tsp rose petal syrup (add more as you wish, but it is potent!)
Fill your glass with a Spanish Cava Rose...try Freixenet's Cordon Rosado Brut
Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper on top (the heat comes on as an after effect)
Garnish with a rose petal. Salud!

Enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Picking a Pinot

2011-11-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

It's about that time...less than two weeks until Thanksgiving and I have started planning my menu and deciding which bottles I'll select for my dinner. I do love to play with some unexpected varietals but I adore Pinot Noir and will always have at least one on the table.

This year I decided I would explore Pinot Noirs from various parts of the world and share my discoveries in hopes of helping others decide what kind of Pinot is perfect for your Thanksgiving!

My first contestant was a 2009 The Crossings , Pinot Noir from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough on the South Island of New Zealand. I have really warmed up to New Zealand Pinot Noirs and love the acidity they offer...great for pairing with food and would sing with Turkey and all it's accoutrements on Thanksgiving!

This wine is quite light in color and texture which I really enjoyed. It offers notes of cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, roasted herbs and bright acidity. I found myself going back again and again for more and with a retail price of about $18.99?! Fantastic!

The next wine takes me to Bio Bio (south of Santiago) in Chile for a 2009 Llai Llai Pinot Noir. Chilean wines are always the way to go for fantastic value and the Llai Llai is no exception at a retail price of about $12.99. On the nose there was almost a menthol aroma and it reminded me a little of cherry cough drops. This wine is pretty ripe and has quite a bit of baking spice and toast on the palate. Although this isn't my style Pinot Noir, a little too ripe for me, it's easy drinking and I can imagine it would be a crowd pleaser.

My final wine was from right here in California, a 2009 Sonoma Coast Vineyard, "Freestone Hills" Pinot Noir. They sourced the fruit from the 3 vineyards that have all brought their own personality to make a rich bold Pinot Noir. The color is deep ruby and the palate has a lot to offer with notes of pomegranates, raspberries, cherry cola, and an even Earl Grey tea. The finish is long with a velvet texture. This wine retails for about $39.99, which is quite fair for a quality Sonoma Pinot Noir.

SO, as much as I enjoyed my journey around the world in search for my Thanksgiving Pinot Noir I have decided that New Zealand's The Crossing is the winner..I think...maybe I should have a sip or 5 more to be sure....

*For more in depth information on any of these wines visit W.J.Deutsch & Sons, Ltd.*

Discovering Massachusetts Wines

2011-10-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

As it is Regional Wine Week 2012 and I am home visiting family in Massachusetts I thought I would take the opportunity to check out some of the local juice.

Currently there are over 20 wineries in the state of Massachusetts with most of them in the southern half of the state. For my exploration (and my love of bubbles) I began with Westport Rivers.

Westport Rivers has been open for 25 years and can be found in Westport, a fairly small town in the southern part of the state. Westport Rivers is most known for their sparkling wine so I poured myself a flute of what put them on the international wine map...

2005 Westport Rivers RJR Brut (65% Pinot Noir 35% Chardonnay). Immediately as the flute approaches my nose I am greeted with delightful aromas of toasted brioche, baked pears and hazelnuts. It tingles the tongue and it's crisp and bright with notes of brioche, baked pears, hazelnuts and hint of lemon zest of the finish. Offer a glass of this to guests at the start of a party, pair it with seafood such as oysters or lobster or even end the meal with it and a slice apple pie!

If you do have a chance to visit Westport Rivers do try their still wines and beers they offer and their art gallery as well! Their property is just too fantastic to miss!

The other local winery I explored was Furnace Brook Winery and Hilltop Orchards in the Berkshires (Western MA) where I grew up. They had quite a selection of white and reds but I decided to focus on their two Rieslings...

2008 Furnace Brook Dry Riesling (Big E Northeast Wine Competition Bronze, 2011) Dry and refreshing with notes of lime zest, white peach skin and chamomile tea with lovely acidity. I would love this wine paired with sushi, maybe a spicy tuna roll!

2008 Furnace Brook Riesling (Big E Northeast Wine Competition Bronze, 2011) Semi-dry and lush with notes of ripe yellow peach, pear, white flowers and lime. I really enjoy thinking of all the fun options that this wine offers...try it with a Pad Thai dish or if one is feeling decadent, perhaps some foie gras kissed with peach preserves!

One last treat that I try and get a bottle of every time I am home to visit (if it's not sold out!) is their Furnace Brook French Cidre (Big E Northeast Wine Competition Silver, 2011). It's a sparkling cider made with Golden Russet and other New England apple varieties. It's slowly fermented on the skins and then aged in French oak barrels. Elegant with notes of baking spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Try this with a sharp Vermont cheddar or for an absolute delight pair this with a roast chicken with apples and onions!

As well as wine and cider tasting at Furnace Brook and Hilltop Orchards give yourself the time to enjoy all the other activities; pick your own apples, embark on one of their full moon hiking and bon fires or just relax by the fire and try their heavenly cider donuts or pies. Visiting the area? Stay at their gorgeous Garden Gables Inn in Lenox (about 15 minutes away).

Having visited 2 wineries this trip I have been impressed with what I tasted and look forward to many more wine discoveries in Massachusetts!

American Institute of Wine & Food

2011-09-23T10:24:00.001-07:00

To quote Julia Child, “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

Speaking of the one and only Julia Child, there is an organization near and dear to my heart that she helped create that not everyone is aware of. This non-profit organization and public charity is the American Institute of Wine & Food (also known as AIWF), and it was started in 1981 by Julia, Robert Mondavi, Richard Graff and others with the goal of providing a forum for the study and enjoyment of gastronomy.

I have belonged to the San Diego Chapter now for the past three years and I am also a two time Scholarship recipient. The scholarships have given me the opportunities to attend classes with Master Tim Gaiser at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and to continue my WSET Diploma studies with Master Peter Neptune. Along with scholarships the AIWF has a fantastic program called "Days of Taste". "Days of Taste" provides a hands on experience for fourth and fifth graders with local chefs providing them with knowledge and appreciation of fresh food and local ingredients...from farm to table.

My favorite, not to be missed AIWF event each year in San Diego is part of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. It is the Celebrity Chef Luncheon and AIWF Big Bottle Auction (this year it is Sunday, November 20). It is a six course luncheon and wine pairing. This luncheon is not only a deliciously fantastic experience for attendees, but the auction proceeds benefit the scholarship program. This year as well as fifteen wineries, Master Joseph Spellman (from Justin Vineyard & Winery) and Chef Gale Gand (one of my favorite celebrity Chefs) of Tru in Chicago, will be in attendance.

Membership does indeed have its privileges...as well as year round discounts to local businesses, magazine subscriptions, and dinners one receives invitations to exclusive member only parties and events showcasing the best and brightest in the world of wine and food.

Today the organization has 24 Chapters (including San Diego, LA, Chicago, Boston...) with over 3,000 members all over the country. For membership information and chapter locations visit AIWF and enhance your gastronomic knowledge and experiences!

Country Glam in Virginia Wine Country

2011-08-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

As part of the Wine Bloggers Conference (being held in Charlottesville, VA), on a beautiful, but extremely warm Saturday this past July I was fortunate enough to visit Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards.

Upon arriving at the picturesque and eco-friendly property Dean Andrews (Principal of Pippin Hill) and Lynn Easton Andrews (Principal & President of Easton Events) greeted us graciously on their Veranda with glasses of thyme and citrus water drawn from their well on property. They were warm and welcoming and excited to share their passion for "great wine, fabulous cuisine and beautiful design" all of which we experienced. We were invited into their Tasting Room which was spacious and inviting with just the right mix of country charm and glamour. Placed before us were four of their wines (of which Michael Shaps is a consultant) and four bites to pair with them from their on premise organic vegetable and herb gardens.

The first if these offerings was their 2010 Chardonnay with a Seared Diver Scallop in Grapefruit Butter. The wine was nicely balanced, elegant and the grapefruit in the sauce really highlighted the citrus notes in the wine.

Second was their 2010 Viognier (and what I found really shines in Virginia). The wine was dry with lovely floral and apricot notes. It absolutely sang when paired with a Smoked Chicken and Apricot Salad Wrapped in a Brined Grape Leaf (straight off of their vines!).

Third we moved on to my favorite, the 2010 Summer Farm Rose made 100% from Cabernet Franc. The Rose was a beautifully dry wine with enticing notes of roasted coffee, dried herbs and ripe raspberries. This was paired with a Mini Croque Monsieur that they put their own spin on with a light spread of house made grape jelly. If only the Croque Monsieur wasn't a mini!!

Finally we finished our tasting with their dry Red Blend comprised of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin (a French/American hybrid grape that grows quite well in Virginia). The raspberry, roasted coffee and chocolate notes in the wine paired deliciously with their Mini Chocolate Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Chambourcin Drizzle.

As our time approached it's conclusion I was truly reluctant to leave and anxiously anticipate my next visit to Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and the Monticello Wine Trail.

Wine Bloggers Conference Live Blogging White Wines

2011-07-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

It is now Day 2 of the Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia and one of the main events is upon us. It's a live wine blogging event where we are seated at round tables and every five minutes a new wine is introduced to us by either the wine maker or a representative from the wineries. The idea is in those five minutes to furiously taste the wine and blog live about each one.

I did taste through all the wines but decided rather than to blog live, I would prefer to take the time to reflect upon my favorites and offer my notes and humble opinions now as the day has come to its conclusion.

2010 Keswick Vineyards, Verdejo, Monticello, VA ($18.95)
97% Verdejo, 3% Viognier
On the nose: candied green apple, lime and lime blossom.
On the palate: candied green apple, lime, white peach skins and brilliant minerality.
Only 219 cases produced!

2009 The Williamsburg Winery, Acte 12, Chardonnay VA ($17.99)
100% Chardonnay
On the nose: Baked apple, hazelnut and flinty minerality
On the palate: Baked apple, hazelnuts with skins on, and pain grille
Burgundian style at the fraction of the price!

2009 King Estate, Domaine Pinot Gris, OR ($13)
100% Pinot Gris
On the nose: Subtle peanut shells, peach and tangerine
On the palate: Peach, tangerine, green apple, and stony minerality
Craving some oysters!

2009 Emma Pearl, Chardonnay, Central Coast, CA ($17.99)
90% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier
On the nose: Fresh ginger, nutmeg, butter cream, apple, and pear
On the palate: Fresh ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, apple, meyer lemon and pear
A beautiful wine with structure and elegance and a website with style

Slainte!

Everything Is Coming up Rose

2011-07-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer has arrived, so has the heat and lighter fare. My go to wines are always roses...they vary and can be light and floral or hearty and fruity. Roses are beautiful as aperitifs or with cold refreshing salads and can be absolutely stunning with bbq. Check out some of my favorite go to summer roses from both the Old and New World!

2010 Swanson Rosato, Napa Valley, California
100% Sangiovese. This is my absolute favorite domestic rose. Swanson is so serious about this wine that they have dedicated a block of their Sangiovese strictly to its production! It offers notes of strawberry, watermelon and rose petals along with great acidity.
Pairs great with: Roast chicken or fried chicken and I adore it with some French Mimolette cheese!

2010 Domaine Tempier, Bandol, France
50% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 2% Carignan. Any lover of rose will have Domaine Tempier on the tip of their tongues. Domaine Tempier, as once claimed by Robert Parker, is believed to be the greatest rose in the world! It offers up notes strawberry, raspberry with notes of black mission figs and orange on the finish. Treat yourself to one, if you can find it!
Pairs great with: New England lobster rolls or salmon

2010 Mas Carlot, Vin de Pays d'oc, France
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. This is one of those roses that is always a fantastic value year after year. I have been known to purchase a case of this one as a everyday go to with notes of ripe red raspberries, cherries and watermelon rind. Juicy!
Pairs great with: BBQ...perhaps with a raspberry chipotle glaze?

2010 Grand Cassagne, Costieres De Nimes, France
45% Grenache 45% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. This pretty wine is another great go to rose. As well as ripe red fruit ; strawberries and cherries, this wine also has a fantastic underlying note of minerality.
Pairs great with: A refreshing summer salad with strawberries

2010 Chateau de Pampelone, Provence, France
40% Grenache, 30% Cinsault. 20% Syrah, 10% Tibouren (a French red grape that offers intense aromatics and a garrigue character) This is a classic and elegant example of Provencal rose...rose petals, strawberries, melon, dried herbs and brilliant minerality.
Pairs great with: Stuffed squash blossoms, ratatouille topped with a fried egg or just sip as you relax on a lazy summer afternoon

2010 Cune, Rosado, Rioja, Spain (pronounced "coo-nay")
100% Tempranillo. It's easy to look straight to France for rose but Spain offers a lot of luscious roses as well. Fruity and bursting with notes of watermelon, cherry and pomegranate.
Pairs great with: Spanish omelet, grilled chicken or turkey sausages

Cool off and enjoy a glass of rose this summer!

Slainte!

Springtime Rose Sparklers

2011-03-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

As much as I adore Autumn, Spring is another season I eagerly anticipate. Last weekend as I wandered through the Farmers Market it was apparent from the scents and sights that Spring had indeed arrived. Vibrant green English peas, mint, artichokes,asparagus and sweet strawberries all led my mind to thoughts of a lovely Spring inspired brunch...and every brunch needs its share of Rose Champagne and bubbly! SO...below I have come up with some of my favourite Springtime sparklers:
NV Pommery, Springtime Brut Rose, Champagne, France...the perfect Champagne for Spring with it's pale, tender pink color, and bursts of red berries, kiwis and bright acidity!
NV Lucien Albrecht, Cremant d'Alsace Rose, France Strawberries, cranberries and cherries with a tangy finish...an industry favourite!
NV Chapel Down, English Rose Sparkling, Kent, England Try a delightful sparkling from across the pond...Fresh and crisp with notes of red berries and vanilla cream
NV Domaine Carneros, Brut Rose Cuvee de la Pompadour, Carneros, California From the domestic house for Tatittinger Champagne and named after the great courtesan and mistress of Louis XV,Madame Pompadour... beautifully floral...red roses, wild strawberries and white peaches
NV Freixenet, Cordon Rosado Brut Cava, Penendes, Spain One of the best values available...Cherries, raspberries and a whisper of watermelon with a long finish.

So to plan your own quick and easy brunch...Collect some tulips for your table, quiches full of fresh Spring vegetables, strawberries with a heaping bowl of cream and any one of these sparkling rose beauties! A toast to Spring!

Autumnal Favorites

2010-10-26T10:50:00.001-07:00

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

As the weather becomes crisper and the leaves begin to fall I thought it the opportune time to reflect upon some of our new and unique wines perfect for Autumn!

All of these wines are available to you now...and better yet...all are under $20 at The WineSellar & Brasserie!

NV Capdevila Pujol, Cava, SpainTry Cava! It's a delicious alternative to Champagne. This limited production bubbly with notes of pears, baked apples and lingering minerality is truly a showstopper! Try with apple pie or an apple tart tatin!

2009 Crnko, Jarenincan, SloveniaA delightful blend of 40% Riesling, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Chardonnay from an area of Slovenia just south of the Austrian border that is thirst quenching and light with amazing aromatics. Serve this with a mustard seed encrusted pork loin!

2009 Mas Grand Plagniol, Rose, Costieres De Nimes, FranceA beautiful rose produced from Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault full of luscious red fruits and citrus. This rose with butternut squash or pumpkin soup would be an ideal Autumnal treat!

2009 Berger, Zweigelt, Austria Fun and funky, this wine comes in a 1L bottle with a crown cap just as it is served in Austrian cafes and bars! Zweigelt can best be described as having the body of a pinot noir with the spice of a zinfandel and it's 100% delicious! Put a twist on your turkey dinner with this one!

2005 Avante, Mencia, SpainNever heard of the grape varietal Mencia? Not many have, be one of the first stateside to try this phenomonal wine...notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, raspberries and dark cherries. Cutting edge and delicious with a cocoa rubbed flank steak!

R.L. Buller & Son, Muscat, Rutherglen, AustraliaFor starters this muscat just scored 96 pts from Robert Parker! It's similar to a tawny port...flavors of toffee, melted caramel, hazelnuts and maple syrup...perfectly pairs with coffee cake or gingerbread!

Tis The Season....

2010-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I adore anything pumpkin. I think it comes from growing up in New England. Fall has always been my favorite season; the weather starts getting crisp, the leaves begin to change color and pumpkin delights start appearing everywhere. Now that I am older my love for pumpkin has met my appreciation for beer and it has become my quest to find well made and delicious pumpkin beers. SO, I thought I would break down some of my recent favorites I have tried:

My absolute favorite...and of course the one I can't seem to get a hold of on the West Coast is Southern Tier's Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Pumking has the ability to embody all that is warm and comforting and displays flavors of a spicy pumpkin pie; cloves, allspice, cinnamon and fresh pumpkin, and a kick of hops all without being too sweet. It is extremely well balanced. Another charming fact about Pumking is it comes in 22oz bottles (and is 8.8%abv) so there is more to love if you are lucky enough to get your hands on some!
http://www.southerntierbrewing.com/beers.html

Coming in second for me is Dogfishhead's Punkin Ale (7%abv) I discovered Punkin on a recent trip to Bev-Mo as I was on the hunt to find as many pumpkin beers as I could. I did find a few others, but honestly they aren't worth mentioning as they were either too sweet, or oddly enough...just plain clumsy in their execution. Punkin however is a beautifully full bodied ale with hints of roasted pumpkin and brown sugar and almost a kiss of orange on the finish. Yes, Punkin is available on the West Coast but I still have come across difficulty acquiring it due to it's cult following. So I would advise to get at least 2-4 packs if you do find it, as it will only be available until around Thanksgiving.
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/punkin-ale.htm

My third and final pick was an absolute surprise to me as I walked past a cooler at Target just today and noticed a Samuel Adams Harvest Beer 12-pack (of course only available for a limited time!) that contained Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale (5.7%abv)! This is extremely exciting to this former Bostonian girl who loves Samuel Adams! What a wonderful treat! For Sam's Harvest Pumpkin it is brewed with over 11 pounds of pumpkin per barrel and has a roasted, and almost smokey quality to it due to the smoked malts and finishes with a subtle ginger note.
http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=fa331e9c-604f-4ccd-9a29-4dd64c9a993c

If you have found any of these fantastic brews and are wondering about some food pairings I'd suggest any of these for your Thanksgiving meal of roast turkey. How about Dogfishhead's Punkin with Duck a'la Orange!? Or...of course on their own to enjoy as a seasonal treat!

Slainte!

Franciacorta, Italy's Answer to Champagne

2010-07-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a girl who loves Champagne and all that sparkles and on a recent trip to Italy I discovered a new favorite, Franciacorta. Franciacorta is a sparkling wine with DOCG status (since 1995) from the territory of Franciacorta in the Lombardy region of north central Italy.

What sets this sparkling apart from other Italian sparklers is that it is made in the traditional Champagne method, or as known in Italian as metodo classico. Most other Italian sparklers; Prosecco, Spumante, etc. are made using the Charmat method, where secondary fermentation occurs in a tank, rather than the individual bottles like with the Champagne method. Permitted grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Noir), and Pinot Bianco (Blanc). I was so impressed with the complex, but subtle and elegant taste...and for the price, a vintage Franciacorta is a great alternative to a vintage Champagne.

My recent favorite Franciacorta finds are:

NV Ca' Del Bosco Cuvee Prestige (around $45): Yeasty, bready style, with a hint of nuttiness, minerality and great acidity

Bersi Serlini Brut Cuvee 4 Millesimo 2004 ($30) 100% Chardonnay, ripe fruit, sage, vanilla, toasted nuts and crisp acidity

Explore and enjoy!

Floral, Fruity, and Fabulous....

2010-04-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

...are all reasons why Viognier is my go to white wine of choice. Viognier's exact origin is unknown but it reigns in the Northern Rhone appellations of Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet and is also used to soften and perfume Syrah in Cote Rotie.

Viognier has also gained popularity in the US with most production occurring in California, Oregon, Washington and New York, although many other states are producing.

I adore Viognier because as it approaches your nose it offers these beautiful floral characteristics of honeysuckle, orange blossom, acacia, gardenia and jasmine. On the palate Viognier flavors are often of dried apricots, pineapple, tangerine, peach and lemon zest. Viognier's texture is also quite seductive, silky with a succulent mouthfeel.

And as far as for food pairings it's extremely versatile and works delightfully well with spicy foods like Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian cuisine, try with Sushi, shellfish, and especially scallops or lobster. For cheeses Viognier is quite pretty with a triple-creme, or try drizzling some wildflower honey over a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese! Although my all time favorite pairing is 2007 Yves Cuilleron, Condrieau Les Chaillets with black truffles and cream pasta. Decadent indeed but the pairing absolutely sang!

So, next time you are planning on ordering a glass of Chardonnay, give this ethereal wine a try!

Tis The Saison

2010-01-04T15:05:00.001-08:00

Recently while I was home for the Holidays I visited one of my Boston favorites; Boston Beer Works. I go to Beer Works for one of my favorite beers, their Blueberry Beer that is packed with fresh blueberries that dance in the glass. However, this trip I also tried something new, a seasonal beer they call Saison Nouveau. Saison Nouveau is an unfiltered Saison-style ale slightly orange in color with a mild spice. It was deliciously crisp with a light sweet citrus kick, spice and floral (chamomile) on the nose. Now, you may be asking what is a Saison-style ale?

"Saison" is the French word for season and these low alcohol ales were traditionally brewed in the Fall or Winter seasons and meant to refresh farmworkers. They were brewed in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium. Saisons have been described as an endangered style, though there has been a rise in interest of this style over the past few years which I hope continues.

Cheers to Beer Works for this ale and do yourself a favor if you're in the area and grab yourself a pint of Saison Nouveau!
http://www.beerworks.net/home/index.html

Wines for Talking Turkey

2009-11-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Amazingly enough it's already that time of the year again to start planning your Thanksgiving meal.
Turkey? Check!
Sides? Check!
Desserts? Check!
Now...for the wines? This can be one of the hardest parts of planning your Thanksgiving, especially if you're trying to please everyone! Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are often the most traditional options, however I've compiled a top ten list of a few other varietals that would shine with your meal as well (in no particular order):

1. Champagne/Sparkling Wine, especially a Blanc de Blanc: which means white of white and is 100% Chardonnay..and who doesn't like bubbly??
2. Viognier: with it's beautifully floral notes it will highlight that in your food and if you have any dishes with truffles in it...pure magic!
3. Riesling: Apples and pears, and a touch sweet with refreshing acidity..try one from Washington!
4. Muller Thurgau: currently Germany's most planted grape, a cross between a Riesling and a Sylvaner, slightly tropical on the nose, hint of sweet, great with sweet potatoes
5. Gewurztraminer: with a somewhat spicy palate this white will stand up to the turkey and gravy, would also work with your pumpkin pie
6. Rose: they always seem to do well in a crowd, try a dry one, think a Rose of Pinot Noir or Grenache
7. Grenache: Slightly candied on the nose, often elegant like a Pinot Noir...try a California Central Coast single varietal or even a Chateauneuf du Pape
8. Pinot Meunier: the third, somewhat un-celebrated grape varietal often in Champagne sings with cranberry dishes, rarely seen on it's own however, Domaine Chandon makes a delicious one (check out my early post all about this varietal)
9. Zinfandel: what many consider the quintessential California grape, for Thanksgiving I would go with a lighter, fruitier version
10.Syrah: with it's meaty and peppery notes will play well with the stuffing and especially your darker Turkey pieces

Other wines to think about for dessert? Also try a Moscato D'Asti or Tokjai Aszu with your pumpkin pie and other seasonal treats!

Blantyre Lunch, A Trip Back To The Gilded Age

2009-10-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

Having grown up in the Berkshires in Massachusetts one can not help but acquire an appreciation for all the natural beauty and history it beholds. Blanytre is one of the gems that has always intrigued me and I was fortunate enough to have lunch there with my husband and take a peek at their fantastic wine cellar recently.

We had barely approached the steps and the door was already graciously opened for us and we were gloriously greeted. We were shown around the Main House and then invited to tour their Wine Spectator Grand Award Winning Wine Cellar containing over 26,000 bottles after lunch!

I had already had a peek of their wine "bible" a day before so I knew I wanted to try a glass of
2007 Domaine Tempier, Rosé, Bandol. I adore Rosé and had heard so much about Domaine Tempier I was brimming with anticipation. It was just as beautiful as I had hoped; berries, peach, spice and a hint of fig! It was indeed my lucky day as their soup of the day was a velvety Butternut Squash which paired beautifully with the Rosé.

For my main course I ordered a glass of the
2006 DuMol, Viognier, Lia ,Russian River Valley (floral, peach with a touch of butter) which also was delicious with their special of the day; Cod Placed on a Bed of Roasted Red Pepper Ratatouille and Braised Endive.

Conrad ordered a glass of
2003 Ramey, Cabernet Sauvignon, Jericho Canyon,
Napa Valley (creme de casis, spice, oak, dark chocolate) which sung with their Grilled New York Sirloin Steak with Petite Ceasar Salad, French Fries (which were amazing and seemed never-ending!!) and herb butter.

At the end of our meal we were too full for dessert...well almost...not too full for a half bottle of 2007 Saracco, Moscato D'Asti, Castiglione Tinella, Piedmont
I love ending a meal with Moscato D'Asti because they are slightly sparkling, low alcohol content and just so vibrant, bursting with honeysuckle and peaches. The little town of Castiglione Tinella in Piedmont is somewhat off the beaten path but said to have some of the most profound Moscato.

At the conclusion of our decadent meal we ventured down to the cellar which is owner Ann Fitzpatrick Brown's pride and joy, cared for by Wine Director Christelle Cotar and Sommelier Luc Chavalier. There are deep verticals including 22 vintages of Chateau Lafite Rothschild dating back to 1945, 14 vintages of Ridge Monte Bello, 15 vintages of Sassicaia and 15 vintages of Penfolds Grange to name just a few of the treasures this cellar beholds.

If you ever find yourself in the Berkshires and love all that is extravagant and elegant from the Gilded Age, Blantyre is a place you must visit. As well as serving lunch their dinner is been said to be quite an experience as well as staying on property
Check out all their accolades on their site:
http://www.blantyre.com/

The world according to Julia....

2009-08-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients"
-Julia Child

After having watched Julie & Julia now for the second time I felt compelled to blog about the film, Julia and her recipes...all of which I adore!

Before my first viewing of the movie I found myself wondering; how would they weave Julia and Julie's stories together? How would Meryl perform as Julia? Would the film capture Julia's spirit? How would the food look?

My answers? The movie parallels the lives of these two leading ladies and their quest for happiness which leads them to the same place...cooking, wonderfully!

And Meryl?? As an actress myself I've grown up admiring her and once again she has absolutely blown me away with her performance. Although she has Julia's voice down what always impresses me the most are the little things...the sly glance, the sigh, or funny little gestures. Indeed Julia is alive in this film and captures her spirit!

Now...the food...warning!!! Do not, I repeat, do not go to this movie without immediate dinner plans afterward! Scene after scene is filled with heavenly dishes...chocolate mousse pie, butter, bruschetta, butter, duck, and did I mention...butter!? Not to mention you will be terribly parched from all the wine and martinis in every other scene! One of the main dishes the film focuses on is Julia's Boef Bourguignon. My humble suggestion is to plan a night of Julia...make the Boef the day before (it's always better after a day!) and plan to eat immediately, and with a glass of Burgundy after the film as I did. This is proof that simple, fresh ingredients can themselves make a masterpiece! I have yet to get the cookbook, shamefully. However, I did find the recipes from her book on her publisher's website:

(Be sure to follow the recipe for the mushrooms and onions as well!)

And in tribute to Julia...enjoy the film and "Bon Appetit!"

Pontificating Pinots...

2009-08-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love the most about working at the WineSellar & Brasserie is meeting other people just as passionate as me about wine; and discovering, enjoying and discussing the wines.

Case in point, recently I was fortunate enough to try two Pinot Noirs back to back, both from very small production wineries when a great customer, Steve Schoenfeld, was generous enough to share!

Kosta Browne began as a dream for Dan Kosta and Micheal Browne in the summer of 1997 as they worked at a restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA. They began saving their tip money and there their journey began. Today they produce small production single vineyard wines from two appelations; Russian River and Sonoma Coast.

2007 Kosta Browne, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

On the nose: raspberries, smoke and evolved to beach and sand
On the palate: ollalieberries, raspberry and baking spices

WesMar Winery is a very small production winery run by Denise Mary Selyem and her husband Kirk Wesley Hubbard. Denise's name sounds familiar? Her Dad is Ed Selyem of Williams & Selyem Winery. Denise and Kirk worked at Williams & Selyem Winery in the late 90's and in 2000 left to start WesMar.

2006 WesMar, Pinot Noir, Salzgerber Vineyard, Russian River
On the nose: cherries, chocolate, anise, wet forest floor
On the palate: black cherries, plums, pear and even a kiss of orange

I scream, you scream...we all scream for aebleskivers!

2009-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Aebleskivers? Yes aebleskivers!

I first discovered these delicious morsels on a trip to Solvang, California a few years ago. Solvang is the Danish Capital of America and just so cute and charming! Many places in town serve them but my favorite is the Solvang Restaurant, which was featured in the movie "Sideways". You can order them in the restaurant and they also have a to go window outside where you can grab and go!

I'm sure at this point many of you reading this blog have questions like...but what are they? Where did they come from?

According to lore when the Vikings were roaming up and down the coasts of Europe and the waters of the Atlantic, one band of these Vikings had been particularly hard hit in battle, so, when they got back on their ship with their horn helmets and shields all dented and banged up, they decided to have one of their favorite dishes to help them regain their strength, pancakes!! Years and years ago they did not have s frying pans, so, they greased their shields and poured the pancake batter on them over the fire and aebleskivers were born!

Now you must be wondering...but what do they taste like?? They are a tasty breakfast confection, like a pancake ball often served with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar. I love them because they also have a spicy taste to them of cardamon and mace. Besides for breakfast I think these would be fun to serve for a tea party or even a savory version could be made by adding herbs and cheese to the batter. The pan itself can be purchased in Solvang (where I grabbed mine) or Williams-Sonoma sells them also. My favorite batter mix is from the Solvang Restaurant but other recipes are on the web. The closest I've been to matching the Solvang recipe is below:

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
A pinch of ground cardamom
1/4 mace
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
About 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix flour with sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg to blend with milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened. Let mix sit for ten minutes

2. Place an aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat. When pan is hot enough to make a drop of water dance, brush pancake cups lightly with melted butter and fill each to slightly below the rim with batter.

3. In about 1 1/2 minutes, thin crusts will form on bottoms of balls (centers will still be wet); pierce the crust with a bamboo skewer and gently pull shell to rotate the pancake ball until about half the cooked portion is above the cup rim and uncooked batter flows down into cup. Cook until crust on bottom of ball is again firm enough to pierce, about another minute, then rotate ball with skewer until the ridge formed as the pancake first cooked is on top. Cook, turning occasionally with skewer, until balls are evenly browned and no longer moist in the center, another 10 to 12 minutes. Check by piercing center of last pancake ball added to pan with skewer--it should come out clean--or by breaking the ball open slightly; if balls start to get too brown, turn heat to low until they are cooked in the center. Lift cooked balls from pan and serve hot and with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar.

Also check out the Solvang Restaurant's site and be sure to visit them if you find yourself in Solvang!

A Goode Sauvignon Blanc

2009-06-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Following up my Summer Sippers post I thought I'd add another to the list! Murphy-Goode Winery is based out of Sonoma and I just had a chance to try their 2008 "The Fume" Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is great on it's own, as I had it, but would be extremely food friendly too.

On the nose I got quite a bit of citrus and pineapple. On the palate there is more of the tropical fruits, and even a hint of apricot for me. Although it was mostly fermented in stainless steel there is a roundness from a touch of oak barrels used too. Try this wine with seafood. Oysters would be delicous and forget the lemons...just leisurely sip this in between each one for that hit of acidty and enjoy!

For more about their wines and to vote for me for "A Really Goode Job":

http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=Gzkcp2dJg1M

http://www.murphygoodewinery.com

My Top Ten Summer Sippers

2009-06-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

So Summer is upon us...the weather is getting warmer and nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than a deliciously chilled glass of wine!
In honor of summer I have compiled my top ten Summer Sippers!

In general this summer, try something new! Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs are great for hot weather but for great value try a Torrontes from Argentina, or a Verdejo from Spain!. Viogniers are great too, they usually have a gorgeous floral, honeysuckle nose and apricot on the tongue!

Try one or all of them and have a great summer!
(wines are not listed in a particular order)

1. 2007 Etude Pinot Gris Carneros, CA ($20)
2. 2007 Slight of Hand, The Magician,
Gwurtztraminer Walla, Walla, Washington ($15-20)
3. 2008 Swanson Salon Syrah Rosato Oakville, CA
($21)
4. 2007 E. Guigal, Cotes Du Rhone Blanc Rhone,
France ($12.99)
5. 2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
Russian River Valley, CA ($30)
6. 2007 Don Rodolfo Torrontes
Cafayate Valley, Argentina ($10.99)
7. 2007 Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda, Spain ($15)
8. 2008 Miner Viognier Simpson Vineyard, CA ($15-20)
9. 2007 Hopler Gruner Veltliner Burgenland, Austria ($15)
10. NV Donna Clara Fiori Di Prosecco Valdobbiadene, Italy ($15-20)

"Tradition is meaningless without great quality..."

2009-05-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

....Francois Billecart

Recently I was fortunate enough to enjoy a glass of Billecart-Salmon's 1998 Nicholas Francois Billecart Brut. This beautiful champagne, also appreciated by Robert Parker, was rated a 94 and is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Although there is a higher percentage of Pinot Noir I took notice more of the fruit expressed by the Chardonnay. The nose was of chalky minerality, a touch of white flowers and crisp green apple. On the palate there is green apple but also a subtle nuttiness and absolutely elegant. In general, 1998 vintages from Champagne are said to be brilliant and this one does not disappoint!

Billecart-Salmon is based out of Mareuil-sur-Ay, Champagne and they are known for their timeless style and elegance. They were founded in 1818 from the marriage of Nicholas Francois Billecart to Elizabeth Salmon. It is one of the few Houses to still be family owned . The estate also takes their consistancy very seriously and one of the ways they ensure this is by blending the wines in steel tanks. From there they are placed in small burgandy casks and aged deep in their chalk caves dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Treat yourself to a beautiful piece of tradition and quality!

Food Pairing: Although gorgeous on it's own this would be perfect with a citrus roasted chicken.

Eating in Regal Style at The Orangery, Kensington Palace in London

2009-04-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

When one visits London The Orangery at Kensington Palace is a must! Upon entering The Orangery one can't help but gasp at it's beauty! This brick building was built in 1704 by Queen Anne for entertaining in the summer and sheltering fruit trees in the winter. Because it was once used essentially as a greenhouse it is all white, stunning floor to ceiling windows, lush Baroque style, and countless Corinthian columns.

Everything I had was delicious and so perfectly proper from the cucumber cream cheese and chive tea sandwiches, poached salmon and dill tea sandwiches, fruit scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam and my favorite...the Orangery Cake! The cake was a decadent (no diets allowed whist at The Orangery!) orange pound cake with rich orange butter cream frosting. I have done my best to replicate the recipe, try it for a festively spring tea party!

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup low fat sour cream, at room temperature

Frosting:
1 tsp orange zest
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 1/2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Serves 8 to 10.
Cake:
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a round cake pan and dust with flour.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until blended. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and orange and lemon zest on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until just blended. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and stir until both are just incorporated. Stir in the sour cream, then sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to even out and settle the ingredients. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes, or longer if using a metal pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and lift off the pan. Place the cake on one of its sides and continue cooling. Once cooled cut the cake in half, frost the middle, place the top on the cake, frost entirely (it may take two layers...one crumb layer and then a final of frosting)

Frosting:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, the 4 1/2 Tbs. orange juice, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. You want the texture to be creamy but still hold its peaks

Wine Pairing:
Although I had a cup of tea that afternoon this cake would be a perfect pairing with a flute of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve!

Amaranth, A fantastic Farmer's Market Find!

2009-04-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to head to the Hillcrest Farmer's Market. The Market is open every Sunday from 9am-2pm. Whenever I go I am sure to pick up all the usual produce one might get from the grocery store but much fresher and for much less! I also love the Farmer's Market for finding unusual fruits and vegetables that a store might not carry. This past weekend I found quite a treat! What I found was a beautiful bunch of Purple Amaranth.

Amaranth has approximately 60 different species with colors ranging from purple to red to gold! Although some may mistaken it for a weed, to others it is invalueable for it's use as a leaf vegetable, and even used ornamentally. It's flavor is very close to a spinich. The uses are many depending on the culture; in India it is added into preparation for certain dals, in China they use it in stir fry, in Vietnam and in the Caribbean it is used to make soup and in Greece it is boiled, served with olive oil, lemon and as a side to fried fish. These are all delicious ideas but I decided to make it a pesto! Check out my recipe below and serve this simple but beautiful (look at the color it turns your pasta!) dish as a change from your usual green basil pesto!

Ingredients:
1 bunch of purple amaranth
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup basil infused or regular extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 pieces turkey bacon chopped
2 cups ziti/pasta with ribs to catch the sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Remove all the amaranth leaves from their stems and blanch your leaves for only about 30-40 seconds in boiling water and have a ice bath ready to drop the leaves into. This process of blanching and shocking the amaranth will help lock in it's beautiful color, and it turns the water bright purple! Save some of that water (a tsp or 2) for adding to the pesto. Be sure to squeeze as much water out of the amaranth as you can (like with spinich!) and add it to a food processor with your parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, cumin, garlic clove and pulse for about 20 seconds, now continue processing while adding in the olive oil. If it still seems too solid now is the time to add the extra blanching water. Meanwhile boil the pasta and set aside and in a fairly large sautee pan on medium heat cook up your bacon pieces. Once the bacon has cooked, remove it from the pan for a minute and put in the pasta and pesto and toss lightly letting some of the bacon drippings flavor the pasta, add in the bacon again and grated parmesan. Add salt (remember bacon will add salt too!) and pepper to your liking and enjoy!

Wine pairing suggestion: Try a French Burgandy ! I liked 2007 Domaine Marius Delarche, Pernand-Vergelesses, Old Vine Reserve. The slight smoke and spice will be a great pairing with the bacon and cumin in the dish!

An Irish Girl and her Whiskey

2009-03-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

What kind of Irish girl would I be if I didn't post about my favorite whiskey, Jameson!? I was at the Distillery recently in Dublin and while taking the tour I was introduced to quite a few new Jameson Whiskey Cocktails. My favorites were the Jameson & Cranberry Juice and Jameson & Ginger. Not a beer drinker? Try one of these cocktails on St. Patrick's Day!

Jameson & Cranberry Juice
1 part Jameson Whiskey
2 parts Cranberry Juice
Serve on the rocks with a slice of lime

Jameson & Ginger
1 part Jameson Whiskey
2 parts Ginger ale/ Ginger Beer
Serve on the rocks with a slice of lemon

Slainte!

Guinness Cocktails

2009-03-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

The time for celebrating with Guinness is almost upon us...St.Patrick's Day! Now this year why not mix it up and try some Guinness cocktails! While I was recently in Dublin at the Shelbourne Hotel I tried a tasty little libation called a Black Velvet; Guinness and Champagne (shown in picture). I love Guinness because of it's roasted coffee and cocoa flavors and by adding the Champagne it tastes like a sparkling coffee..perfect!

Black Velvet:
I start with a Champagne glass
Fill it halfway with Guinness
Top with Champagne

One other great Guinness cocktail I love is called a Black Fog; Guinness and Chambord. It tastes like a chocolate raspberry truffle.
Black Fog:
1 pint of Guinness
1 shot of Chambord Liquor
Pour the Chambord into the Guinness and enjoy!

Whether you like these ideas or stick to the traditional tried and true, be sure to enjoy a pint of Guinness on St.Patrick's Day! Slainte!

Review: Artisan in Paso Robles

2009-02-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

For my husband Conrad's birthday this year we decided Paso Robles would be the place to celebrate. They have GREAT wines and are not quite as commercial or well known as other wine countries...yet.

When I was looking for places for dinner one restaurant kept appearing as a "must do" so I made a reservation (highly suggested) to Artisan and it was just that. According to the definition, an artisan imparts unique and individual qualities to artisanal products. That is the beauty of Artisan, every part of our dinner was made with quality products that were given just a unique twist and were executed flawlessly!

I chose their Monday Night Supper, they offer a three course meal for $34 and you have the option to add paired wines of the featured winery with it for an additional $15. I, of course opted.

My First Course was quite a lot;
Baby butter brioche with goat butter and mini quiche
Piccolo Fritto (italian for little fried one) rock shrimp, scallops, calamari, fennel, sage, and baby escarole
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek, Vermentino 2006
I could have just been happy with this course alone! The tang in the goat butter with the soft brioche, then the crunch and sweetness of the scallops all complimented by the lovely citrus in the Vermantino

Second Course
Roast organic chicken, lemon, rosemary, shallot jus
Bacon braised brussel sprouts, brown butter, thyme, field spinich
Pan fried crushed potatoes
Winter mushroom gratin, local sheeps milk cheese
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek Counoise 06
Chicken is one of the simplest things to cook, but can be the most satisfying when done properly and this was....the seasoning and the meat just fell apart, I usually don't like mushrooms (except for truffles!) yet, I would eat the gratin anyday! Counoise is a new varietal to me but I really liked it, it's slight fruitiness was very enjoyable with this course.

Third Course:
Windrose Farm apple desserts, peanut butter cookie, vanilla bean sherbet
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek, Grenache Blanc, Viognier,Roussane, Marsanne
"Vin de Paille 2006
Of course how can one go wrong with dessert including baked apples!? I am more a fruit dessert girl than chocolate so I loved this whole course. The Vin de Paille's caramel and honey flavors were spot on with dessert!

As one may assume, I can not speak highly enough about this restaurant! The atmosphere is elegant but not stuffy. The staff were extremly attentive and even wished Conrad a Happy Birthday as we were leaving. Any night would be great to come here for dinner but the value and quality you get for the Monday Night Supper is above and beyond...I'm off to dream of my next someday meal here....

"Yellow bag pasta" the best there is...

2009-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

....in my opinion, and that of many of my friends! When my husband and I first went to Italy to visit his Dad I was introduced to Martelli's heavenly pastas. What is so special about them you may ask...the only thing I can say is that this pasta is "meaty" (although not literally of course!) Maybe a better word would be "hearty"? This pasta really holds any sauce tossed with it. The Martelli family (only the family works in the factory!) sells their pasta out of a town named Lari right near Pisa and they only offer four types; Spaghetti , Spaghettini, Penne and Maccheroni di Toscan. Their intense process for making their pasta allows for it to be very porous and absorbs sauce extremely well.

The only thing is their pasta is very hard to find here in the US! I have yet to find it here in San Diego. The only place I have found it is at an amazing gourmet food and wine store in Great Barrington in MA called Lock-Stock and Barrel. May I only suggest if you ever do come across a yellow bag of this pasta....buy it! For more information on Martelli's pastas check out their website: www.martelli.info/

I have included the recipe I have come up with that is close to the way I first had the spaghetti in Italy.

Ingredients:
1 bag of Martelli spaghetti(or another brand if you can't find Martelli)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small can/freshly diced tomatoes
1 small diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp capers (drained)
3 or 4 leaves fresh basil hand torn
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan over medium (to low) heat add oil and saute diced onion until translucent (about 5 minutes depending on your stove), add garlic and saute for only about 30 seconds to a minute (it can burn quickly!). Now add the diced tomatoes and capers and simmer for about ten minutes. Once the spaghetti is cooked al dente pour it in with the sauce and cook for a minute or two. Toss in the fresh basil, parmigiano reggiano and salt and pepper to taste. (Remember parmigiano is salty so keep that in mind when adding more seasoning!)

Enjoy this simple and elegant dish with a glass of one of my favorites:
Swanson Sangiovese

Passionate for Paella!

2009-01-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

There is something to be said about the power of suggestion. The force was strong last night indeed! I was watching "Spain...On The Road Again" on PBS, a food and travel show with Claudia Bassols, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Gwyneth Paltrow. In the series the four travel all around Spain sampling the best wines and foods the country has to offer. In last night's episode Mario and Gwyneth traveled to Valencia to experience their infamous paella. They had it cooked for them on an outdoor grill over wood from orange trees. As Mario and Gwyneth articulated on the smoky flavor, texture of the dish and how delicious the crispy bits from the bottom of the pan (the best part!) were my mouth was watering and I knew I had to make it for dinner tonight! Enjoy my version of paella!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb large shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
2 hot turkey sausages removed from their casings
1 yellow onion finely chopped
4-5 chopped garlic cloves
1 jar of diced or whole pimentos (dice them if they come whole)
1/2 cup chopped fresh grape tomatoes
1 tsp smoked paprika (add more if you want more smoky flavor)
1 tsp saffron
1 tsp salt
1 cup homemade lobster stock (or store bought fish stock)
1/2-1 cup chicken stock
2 cups rice (white, or I used basmati)

Shrimp marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Add all the shrimp marinade ingredients together and let shrimp sit in it while you prepare the other ingredients (about ten minutes)
Put 2 tbsp oil in large pan/paella pan over medium high heat. Add marinated shrimp once pan is heated, cook shrimp 2-3 minutes per side, remove from pan and set aside for later. Add diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, add garlic and turkey sausage and brown sausage. Next add tomatoes and pimentos for about 3 minutes. Add salt, saffron, smoked paprika and cook for another 5 minutes. Next add the lobster/fish stock, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, add the rice and stir well to distibute it all evenly. Cook without stirring for 10 minutes. Reintroduce shrimp to the paella, stirring in, add more salt if so needed and more smoked paprika if you desire if you so desire (to replicate the outdoor grilled flavor) Add 1/2- 1 cup chicken stock now depending on how dry the paella is. Now cook again without stirring for 10-15 minutes more or until all the liquid is almost completely absorbed and you hear the pan make a crackling noise (it's a good thing!) Remove from heat and let it rest before serving.
Tip: When serving give everyone a few bits of the bottom of the pan goodness!

Wine Pairing Suggestion:
2003 Rincon del Baron Double Blanc
A Mexican wine that my friend Robin Mackenzie gave me, it's crisp with a hint of sweetness that was perfect with the heat from the paella spices

Pinot Meunier, The Unsung Hero in Champagne

2009-01-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

Pinot Meunier, a mutation of Pinot Noir, is to many an unknown grape varietal. However, for Champagne making it is almost essential. I say almost because as a general rule the grapes used in making Champagne are the white Chardonnay grape and the dark red Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are known as noble varieties and are often more emphasized than the Pinot Meunier in Champagne making. In Champagne Pinot Meunier contributes a certain body and richness, yet until recently many makers denied any of it in their blends. Some say it is because of it's lack of aging potential and others say it lacks the elegance of the other two grapes. Interestingly enough though it is the most widely planted grape in the esteemed Champagne region at 35-40%. Pinot Meunier grows better in the cold Northern climate of Champagne than Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

You will rarely see Pinot Meunier as a single varietal still red wine. I was fortunate however to discover Domaine Chandon (known for their sparkling wine) produces one. It has become one of my favorite wines. I like it because of it's smooth sophistication, flavors of cherries and rhubarb. My most recent food pairing with Pinot Meunier was with my Slow Cooker Maple PumpkinTurkey (see last post for recipe). It would also pair well with duck or pork.

I really do believe that this grape is misunderstood and hope it gets the respect it deserves some day.

Slow Cooker Maple Pumpkin Turkey Breast

2009-01-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Eve this year I wanted to do something special for dinner, but being that it was only Conrad and I it did not make sense to make an entire turkey. I wanted something fairly simple. I decided to get a turkey breast and try it in our slow cooker (crock pot). This freed up the oven so I could also be working on desserts and food for Christmas Day! Next decision was how would I season it? I decided on using one of my favorite flavors...pumpkin! It came out delicious and so juicy! The flavors were pleasantly complex with the onions, salt and pepper reining in the sweetness of the pumpkin and maple. Another great variation for fall would be to use apple butter instead of pumpkin and throw in some granny smith apples cut up and tossed with the sweet potatoes!

Slow Cooker Maple Pumpkin Turkey Breast:
Ingredients:
1.75-2lb boneless turkey breast
1 sweet onion sliced
1/4 cup pure real maple syrup
1/4 cup pumpkin butter
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into chunks
4-5 Fresh sage leaves

Directions:
Take sliced onions and sweet potato chunks and toss them together in the slow cooker. In a bowl mix the maple syrup, pumpkin butter, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp white pepper. Put the turkey breast on top of the sweet potatoes and onions. Pour the sauce all over the turkey. With your hands take some of the sauce and work it under the skin of your turkey as well as the fresh sage leaves (see sage in the turkey slices in picture!) Cover the slow cooker and set it for 4 hours on high. Over the course of the turkey's cooking time be sure to baste 3 or four times..mostly towards the end, over both the turkey and the sweet potatoes. Your bird will be done when it's internal temperature reads 165. Remove everything from the slow cooker onto a platter and cover to rest for 10-15 minutes, and then enjoy!

For the wine pairing I would suggest
Domaine Chandon's Pinot Menuier
(check my next post for more on this grape varietal, essential for most Champagne making)

Healthy Holiday Dip

2008-12-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are here in full effect and so are all the parties, but the big question is
"What should I bring??" I have found the perfect delicious and festive dip to wow your guests, or guests at any parties you will be attending. I found this recipe while attending a healthy cooking class at the University of California San Diego. I adjusted it a little and decreased the amount of heat, but if you like it hot, just add more jalapeno! It is a Cranberry Salsa Dip with non fat or low fat cream cheese. The colors are ideal for the season with the lovely red of the cranberries and the crisp green from the cilantro and jalapeno!

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted) cranberries
4 green onions minced
1/4 jalapeno minced with seeds removed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 8oz package of fat free/low fat cream cheese
*Reserve a few fresh cranberries and sprigs of cilantro for garnish

Place your cranberries in your food processor and pulse into finely chopped, but not mushy. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in your green onions, jalapenos, sugar, cilantro, ginger, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours to let the flavors mingle. (If you taste the dip immediately the flavor is too sharp..with time it mellows and sweetens!)
Although the salsa is delicious alone, to arrange it with the cream cheese place the block on a pretty plate and pour the salsa over the cheese. Add cranberries and cilantro sprigs for garnish and serve with whole wheat crackers or mini toasts.

Other serving ideas are to prepare the bites ahead of time for guests. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of cream cheese on each cracker and top with 1 teaspoon salsa. If you will be bringing this to a party get a holiday mini loaf dish (Michaels has them for $1!) , spread the cream cheese on the bottom and pour over the salsa and the mini loaf dish makes a festive hostess gift!

Paris Street Food

2008-11-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted but with good reason, I was busy getting married and on my honeymoon! Now that we are back I have many pictures and food and wine fairy tales from our travels to share!

Since I was a little girl my dream had always been to go to Paris so when we began planning our honeymoon and Paris was going to be in my future I was so ecstatic!! I dreamed of eating a crepe freshly made along the streets of Paris while strolling into all the beautifully decorated shops and markets! One of my favorite streets (pictured here with me enjoying my first Parisian crepe) was Rue Mouffetard. The crepe I got was heavenly! It was so simple too! It was a "crepe de framboise" ( raspberry crepe) made right on the street in front of me and filled with scoopfuls of Bonne Maman Raspberry Jam. This is my new favorite brand of jam that was everywhere in France. It was so fresh, tasting like the raspberries were just plucked and now melting into my warm crepe! In honor of this delicious street food snack I have come up with my own recipe that is pretty close posted below:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups skim milk
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 1/2 tbsp light oil
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Pour the milk into the flour, add oil, eggs, and sugar. Stir. Let the batter rest for 1 hour to help ensure best texture. The batter must be thin and fluid so you might need to add more milk. Oil a frying pan, pour in a small amount of batter and spread aruond the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for about 1 minute, flip, cook the other side. Once removed from pan fill with Bonne Maman Raspberry Jam, fold and close your eyes and imagine you are in Paris!

What's Sexy To Drink In The City?

2008-05-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

I went with girlfriends to see the opening night of the long awaited movie "Sex And The City". It was fabulous to see so many ladies dolled up for a night on the town! Of course, the evening's cocktail of choice was none other than the Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan can thank "Sex And The City" for it's rise to stardom, although it's birth is said to have occurred in the 1970's.

Here is my favorite Cosmopolitan recipe:

In your shaker mix:
2 parts vodka (L'Orange Grey Goose is my favorite..but any citrus vodka works),
1 part triple sec
1 part cranberry juice (Ocean Spray 100% juice is my favorite)
Juice of 1 key lime or a couple drops of bottled key lime juice (key lime is a little sweeter)
Shake with ice...pour into your chilled martini glass and if you can find them drop in some frozen cranberries...they work as a great garnish and they keep your Cosmo cold without watering it down!

Click here for the SATC Movie website that has trailers, quizzes...and more!

Cheers!