AYA Syrah

Wine Name: AYA Syrah 2011

Wine: AYA	Type: Syrah
Country: Argentina	Region: San Juan
Rating: Good	Price: $17
Recommendation:  Recommended

This week we prepared one of my favorite dishes, the Spanish Paella, I’m not sure if the recipe I used is truly a traditional Spanish one, but the result was pleasing for my first effort at cooking Paella. For the wine, I went to my expert contact, Matt at the Specs on the corner of Williams Trace Blvd and Highway 6 in Sugar Land, and he recommended an Argentinian Syrah.

 

The wine is a deep dark crimson color, with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and a slightly smoky overture. The flavor is fruity, with some cherry coming through. It is also slightly spicy with hints of black pepper. The wine is smooth and easy drinking but would be best paired with medium to strong flavored foods, including red meats and tomato dishes.   

The wine comes from San Juan, in the mid north west of Argentina.  The San Juan region is several hours drive, almost due west from Buenos Aires towards the foot of the majestic Andes Mountains. The region has mild winters and warm to hot summers and is very dry, with the vineyards relying heavily on irrigation from the nearby San Jaun and Jáchal rivers.  The region is the second largest wine producer in Argentina behind the more famous Mendoza province.

One of the big quandaries with Paella is, should the accompanying wine be a red or a white? The dish includes seafood and chicken as well as prosciutto ham and Chorizo sausage. The good news is that either red or white will work just as well, and it all really depends on your personal preferences. I will be interested in hearing your feedback.

Cooking the meal is not overly complex however, there are many steps so I would recommend going through and preparing all the ingredients, including chopping etc, prior to starting the cooking so you can concentrate on the cooking process.

I really enjoy preparing meals using as much in the way of fresh ingredients as possible and I love the way the various colors and aromas come together as the meal progresses. Paella is a great example of the fusion of different colors as you will see from the photo’s.

 

Herb Blend:

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

1 cup water

1 teaspoon saffron threads

3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound) 

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half 

2 links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 

1 (4-ounce) slice prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups finely chopped onion 

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice

1 cup frozen green peas

8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Herb blend

Combine the first 4 ingredients, set aside.

Paella

 

Combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.

Add sausage and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas.

Bring to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add mussels to pan, nestling them into rice mixture.

Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells.

Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice.

Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Rating: Good

Recommendation: Recommended

Availability: Available from Specs in Houston.

Two hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2011

Wine:  Two Hands Gnarly Dudes	Type: Shiraz
Country: Australia	Region: Barossa Valley
Rating: Very Good	Price: $33
Recommendation: Highly Recommended

We were planning a BBQ spare rib meal recently and so I was looking for a wine that was strong enough to go with the robust flavors of the meal. Then, I remembered a bottle of Two Hands Gnarly Dudes 2011 Barossa Valley Shiraz that I had purchased some time ago, but had not had a chance to try. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

The wine comes from the Two Hands winery in the Barossa Valley, in South Australia, arguably Australia’s premier wine growing region. The Barossa Valley is about 1.5 hours drive North East of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The climate is generally warm to hot in the summer months and cool in the winter. The higher altitude locations in the surrounding hills tend to be a little cooler during the summer. Generally irrigation is used for wine growing with exceptions again being in some higher altitude areas in the hills.  The region is probably most famous for it’s Shiraz, but other varieties including Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvedere are also produced.

Wine has been made in the Barossa Valley since the 1940’s and was originally focused around Riesling due to the German influence of immigrants. The hot climate however, led to mixed results and a period where much of the production was fortified wines such as Brandy. The introduction of red grape varieties such as Shiraz and Grenache occurred early, however it was not until the mid 20^th century that wine production moved away from fortified wines. Initially the Barossa was regarded as an inferior wine region when compared to other cooler climate regions. Partly this was due to the perception of wines like Cabernet Sauvignon being a premier red wine throughout the world. Towards the end of the 20^th century the Barossa began to achieve an international reputation for producing premium Shiraz with it’s own distinct style of full bodied wines, led by the flagship Shiraz.

The Two Hands Winery was started in 1999, with the goal to produce “the best possible Shiraz-based wines from prized Shiraz growing regions throughout Australia”.  Other notable goals include, ”allowing the fruit to be the primary feature of the wines”. They started producing relatively small batches of wine and have grown to export their wines to 24 countries. Grapes are sourced from “six of Australia's premium Shiraz growing regions”. According to their web site they place a big focus on quality, and if the Gnarly Dudes wine is an indication, it appears to be more than just marketing hype.  Another interesting point made on the website is that “Two Hands was named in the Wine Spectator's annual Top 100 for the 10th consecutive year, an achievement that has never been equaled by any other winery the world over”.

Initially, I purchased the Two Hands Gnarly Dudes 2011 Shiraz based on the reputation of other wines from the Two Hands Winery. I had never tried any of their wines because the ones I was interested in were above my price range, but I noticed the cheaper Gnarly Dudes variety and decided to give it a try and I am really glad I did. This is a big, bold, in your face wine, it has a deep dark crimson color, an earthy bouquet with a hint of wood. The taste includes berries, cherry and plumb and despite the big bold taste it also has subtle tannins, some slight acidity and hints of Oak. This is an impressive wine that would be excellent with most dark meats particularly beef and other strong flavored dishes.

 

The curious name comes from the gnarled old grape vines in the Barossa Valley that produce the grapes for this wine and are featured on the bottle label. Let’s hope these Gnarly old dues continue to produce quality grapes and the Two Hands winery continues to craft them into quality wines for many years to come.  

The rib recipe is very simple and quick, yet provides a surprisingly good result.

BBQ Spareribs

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup

1 cup hoisin sauce

1 rack of spare ribs (roughly 2 lbs), we used boneless ribs

Black pepper

Steamed white rice

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 F

Mix the ketchup and hoisin sauces in a bowl

Season the ribs with the sauce and black pepper according to your taste

Place the ribs in a baking tray

Pour sauce over the ribs

Cover the tray with aluminum foil

Cook for one hour

Remove foil

Continue cooking until tender, the meat pulls apart easily and is beginning to char, usually around 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with rice and your choice of sides.

 

Rating: Very Good

Recommendation: Highly Recommended

 

Winery Web Site: http://www.twohandswines.com/

Stags Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay & Basil Pesto Salmon

Wine: Stags Leap Chardonnay 2012	Type: Chardonnay
Country: USA	Region: Napa Valley, California
Rating: Good	Price: $23
Recommendation: Recommended

For this week’s installment, we were having Salmon with Basil Pesto Sauce and wanted to find a wine that would not be overpowered by the Salmon and conversely would not overpower the Salmon. We chose a 2012 Stags Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay and I believe we achieved the objective.

The reason I chose Stags Leap as the winery is based on the strength of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a wine I have enjoyed in the past. Stags Leap winery produces medium priced wines of good quality. The winery is apparently difficult to find, being on a private road and not being well signposted. It is surrounded by rolling hills small mountains. The winery itself looks like a very attractive and relaxing place with a beautiful old nineteenth century stone manor house surrounded by herb gardens and an assortment of trees, greenery and plenty of shade. The building includes a beautiful wraparound stone porch used for tastings and other gatherings. Grapes have been gown here dating back to the 1880’s.

The wine is an attractive light color, slightly lighter than many popular Chardonnays’ on the market today.  If you are after a big bold Chardonnay with strong Oak, this is not the wine for you, but if you are after a more subtle wine then this would be a good choice. The bouquet has a slight hint of oak and apple.  The taste is smooth and subtle and the fruit flavors are difficult to distinguish with some apple and pear coming through.  The label mentions minerality, and there is a distinct earthiness about the flavor.  There are hints of oak, which are in no way overwhelming, resulting in a refreshing finish. It is easy drinking and did not overpower the Salmon, instead it was a nice compliment. The wine is good without being great and compared to the Cabernet that I am familiar with, is slightly disappointing. The wine works well with foods without overpowering them, which is a good attribute to look for in a Chardonnay.

Salmon with Basil Pesto Butter

 

Ingredients

Fresh Salmon

Fresh dill

Pesto Sauce

Basil Pesto Butter

  

Fresh basil leaves - 2 cups

Garlic – 2 cloves

Pine Nuts - 1/4 cup

Extra Virgin olive oil – 1/2 cup

Sea salt and ground black pepper according to taste

Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup freshly grated

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400 F.

Coarsely chop basil, garlic, and pine nuts (Can use a food processor).

Combine oil until smooth.

Add salt and pepper.

Mix in the cheese.

Let butter reach room temperature and mix in pesto to taste. Make a ball using tablespoon.

Place dill on the Salmon and a ball of Pesto butter.

Cook around 30 minutes depending on the size of the Salmon

Rating: Good

Winery Web Site

http://stagsleap.com/

Cassegrain Stone Circle Premium Late Pick Verdelho 2014

Wine: Cassegrain	Type: Verdelho
Country: Australia	Region: Hastings River
Rating:  Very Good	Price:
Recommendation: Highly recommended

Thank you to all those who are reading my blog and thank you for your comments, I really appreciate it. Please feel free to provide suggestions for wines that you like and would like others to try, or wines that you would like to try but have not had the opportunity. Also please feel free to suggest recipes you think might be interesting to others. While I can’t promise that we can do all of them due to availability and other constraints, I would like to try to reflect as many suggestions as possible.

 

This week, I am bringing you the last of the wines from my recent trip to Australia from the Cassegrain Winery in the Hastings River area of New South Wales (NSW). The food is chicken with a Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce, with steamed Jasmine rice and a summer salad.

Let me start by saying that this is a great wine and has become one of my favorites. We have done a blog on a Cassegrain Verdelho in the past and the difference in this case is that the grapes are picked  late in the growing season, which makes them sweeter and the result is excellent. The wine is golden in color and has retained subtle fruity characteristics, including hints of honey dew melon and even white grapes. It is definitely sweeter than typical Verdelhos but that does not detract from the wine, instead it enhances it. To try to describe the results, I would say the wine is somewhere between a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. It would go well with many seafoods, chicken and light tomato based pasta meals, chicken and salads. It would be   

particularly good with spicy dishes which was why we chose the chicken with a mild habanero sauce.

The winery, region, and the wine type have been covered in more detail in previous blogs but the following is quick summary. The winey is a small, attractive, privately owned winery in the Hastings River region of NSW situated between Sydney and Brisbane close to the coastal town of Port Macquarie. The climate is warm to hot with some summer cooling caused by breezes from the Pacific Ocean. Some grapes are grown at the winery and others are sourced from several regions in NSW, including the Hunter Valley. The wines are generally of high quality and I have tasted some great wines from this winery and highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.

Pineapple Habanero Sauce

Ingredients:
4 cups sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp cornstarch (mixed with a bit of water to create slurry)
1 medium to large pineapple, roasted, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 mango, finely chopped 
5-6 habanero peppers, roasted, finely chopped

Create a syrup by whisking the sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice and lemon juice in a pot over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil for around 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let sit while you prep the remaining ingredients. Roast the pineapple and habaneros on your grill or using a grill pan on your cook-top.  Slice the pineapple in rings and grill until the sugars begin to caramelize and creates grill marks on both sides. 

Lightly char the skins of the habanero peppers over an open flame or on a searing hot grill pan.  Do not grill your red and yellow bell peppers in order to maintain some crunch and texture in the sauce.

Stir the remaining ingredients into the simple syrup you prepared earlier.  Stir in the cornstarch (mixing with a few tablespoons of water first to create a slurry).  Bring the mixture to a boil and the turn down the heat to simmer for 5-10 minutes.  The consistency should be syrupy and chunky.

Pour the sauce on the chicken and bake at 350 F for approximately 30 to 40 minutes until cooked through. Serve with your selected sides. We chose steamed Jasmine rice and a summer salad.

Another quick and easy alternative for those in the USA is to purchase the Roberts Rosthchild or Roberts Reserve Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Suace or dip. They can normally be found at HEB and possibly other stores in the USA. Other similar products may also be available in other parts of the world.

http://www.robertrothschild.com/product/product-details.aspx?prodid=561

Cassegrain Stone Circle Premium Late Pick Verdelho

Rating: Very Good

Highly Recommended

Unfortunately the Cassegrain wines are not generally available in the United States at the moment.

Winery Web Site

http://www.cassegrainwines.com.au/

Wild Horse Pinot Noir & Lamb With Lemon Pepper Potatoes

Wine: Wild Horse	Type: Pinot Noir
Country: USA	Region: California
Rating: Good	Price: $18
Recommendation: Recommended

Recently, I saw a recipe on TV for Lamb with Lemon Pepper potatoes and it looked so good I thought I’d give it a try and I am really glad I did, it was sensational. We chose a Californian Pinot Noir called White horse, which complemented it nicely.

The wine comes from the Central Coast of California from the Wild Horse winery. The grapes appear to be grown on their property and sourced from several other areas in the central coast such as; Santa Barbara, Monterey Bay, Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande, and the Santa Lucia highland regions. The name Wild Horse emanates from the wild mustangs that were once common in the hills nearby.  The web site for the winery includes some interesting stories about their approach to sustainability which I encourage you to read.

The wine itself, is pleasant and easy drinking. The fragrance is slightly earthy and has a medium cherry coloring, the taste is smooth and has hints of berries including, strawberries and cherry.

The food was a great success; this is how it was done.

Ingredients:

Lamb (The recipe called for a leg weighing approximately 6 pounds, we substituted lamb chops)

1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes (We omitted)

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 Garlic Cloves; minced

1/4 cup Fresh Rosemary

1/4 cup Fresh Oregano

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 tablespoons Coriander Seeds; toasted

4 pounds medium sized Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 large Lemon; sliced

1 head of Garlic; split in half

4 small Sprigs Rosemary

 

The day before cooking combine following and crush in a mortar and pestle: 

Minced Garlic

Rosemary

Oregano

Sugar

Coriander

Red Pepper Flakes

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and crush in a mortar and pestle.

Add olive oil and season the leg of lamb on all sides, wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

 Cooking

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Remove the Lamb from the refrigerator, rinse and let the chill come off of it, about 1 hour (We didn’t rinse)

Place the potatoes in a large cast iron pan or sheet tray; add the lemon slices over the top along with the Garlic and Rosemary Sprigs. Season aggressively with Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper and

give it a “drizzle” of Olive Oil. Place the pan in the oven on the bottom rack.

Season the Lamb with Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper and place it on a wire rack (shelf). Place the rack directly on the oven rack, above the Potatoes. Roast for 1 ½ - 2 hours, letting the juices from the meat drip down on to the potatoes, until cooked. Remove the Lamb from the oven, (if doing a leg, tent it with foil and rest it for at least 20 minutes). 

Remove them from the oven when done.

For an extra tangy treat you can eat the lemons.

Rating: Good wine and good value for money.

Winery Web Site

http://www.wildhorsewinery.com/