Meiomi Pinot Noir

Wine: Meiomi	Type: Pinot Noir
Country: USA	Region: California
Rating: Good	Price:
Recommendation: Recommended

This week, my family was was having Rack of Lamb as a treat and we decided that a nice Pinot Noir would be a good accompaniment. We don’t normally drink a lot of Pinot Noir, probably because we don’t know a lot about the wine and therefore don’t always make good choices. So we turned to a friend for a recommendation, his suggestion was the Meiomi Pinot Noir from California and it was a good choice.

The Meiomi wine label is made under the Belle Glos brand by the Wagner Family of Wine. Unlike other wines we have reviewed recently, there does not appear to be a flagship winery to highlight. The name Meiomi is derived from the native, Californian coastal dwelling Wappo and Yuki tribes of the region and means coast. Supporting the name, the grapes are sourced from from Monterrey County (35%), Santa Barbara county (34%), and Sonoma County (31%). The climates in the various regions range from cooler and foggier in the north, windy in the middle, to drier and warmer in the south. In addition to the climactic variations of the regions, the different soil types all make different contributions to the wine.

The wine is a plum color with a definitive purple tinge; we could identify scents and tastes of cherry and hints of Blackberry. Meiomi is a smooth drinking wine that can be enjoyed by people with a broad range of tastes. It would be suitable to drink on it’s own and would go well with many food types such as tomato based dishes or medium red meats. We were pleased with the wine and the paring with the lamb which was prepared beautifully by my wife.

Rack of lamb

Original recipe makes 4 Servings Change Servings

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) with oven rack in center position.
2. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside.
3. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.
4. Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the how well cooked you like it. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat after 10 to 12 minutes and remove the meat, or let it cook longer, to your taste. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.

Rating: Good

Available at H.E.B Supermarket in Houston

Winery Web Site

http://www.meiomiwines.com/

http://www.meiomiwines.com/techsheets/2012_BG_Meiomi_fact_sheet.pdf

Trimbach Riesling

Wine:  Trimbach	Type: Riesling
Country: France	Region: Alsace
Rating: Very Good	Price: $20
Recommendation: Recommended

For a long time I have considered Riesling to be an overly sweet wine that I didn't much care for, probably due to trying some very cheap examples a long time ago. My thoughts on Riesling started to change after a trip to Germany where I tried some excellent wines. The wine we are sampling this week was recommended to specifically go with the food and it turned out to be a very good recommendation. This wine is called Trimbach Riesling and it comes from the Alsace region of France, which is on the Eastern Border with Germany and Switzerland to the south.  Another surprise to me was that Rieslings also come from France, although the region is right on the border of Germany and has changed hands many times over the years.

The wines in the region are influenced heavily by two geographical features, the Vosges Mountains in the west and the Rhine River in the East.  Winds in the region tend to be Westerly and the mountains act as a shelter from rain. The result is a somewhat dry and sunny climate with cold winters and hot summers.

The wine itself is a somewhat dry white, without the typical sweetness that I have associated with Riesling in the past. Definitive fruit tastes with distinct apple and citrus even hints of lemon. It is an easy drinking wine, light in color and with some complex flavors. The recommendation was a very good one.

The winery dates back as far as 1626 and has been owned by the Trimbach family since that time, covering around 12 generations. Grape selection is predominantly from the Ribeauville region, the town by the same name is a quaint medieval town and the surrounding soils are primarily limestone based.

  

The food I selected this time is another of my favorites from South East Asia, shrimp Laksa. The origin of the dish is unclear, it apparently combines Chinese and Malay influences found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It is now common to find it in many South East Asian and Pacific Rim countries. There are several types and variations of Laksa which I will not go into now, we will focus on the “Curry Laksa” variety.  The Laksa we cooked is a noodle based coconut curry soup and we scaled back a little on the spices to make it more acceptable to the family. I would recommend using all the spices to give it the “full flavor”. I must admit I was a little disappointed in the recipe, and since I have discovered another recipe that I have used in the past so I may add this again sometime in the distant future.

Laksa Recipe

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp—shelled and deveined, shells reserved

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, sliced

3 large shallots, quartered

4 jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger

1/4 cup macadamia nuts

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup Asian fish sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

2 plump lemongrass stalks—bottom 8 inches only, outer layer removed, stalk cut into 2-inch lengths

One 14 1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 pound Thai flat rice noodles (pad thai), soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

Salt

Lime wedges, for serving

Combine the shrimp shells with the onion, carrot and 8 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Simmer over moderate heat until the stock is bright orange and reduced to 5 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock.

Puree the shallots, jalapeños, ginger, coriander and turmeric with 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of the canola oil.

Heat in a pot the 2 tablespoons of oil that remain, add seasoning paste, cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant.  Approximately 2 minutes. Add the lemongrass and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture darkens slightly and the oil separates, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the shrimp stock, coconut milk, brown sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Simmer over moderate heat until the soup is reduced to 6 cups, approximately 15 minutes.

Boil a large pot of water, cook the rice noodles just until pliable, approximately 1 minute. Drain, shake excess water. Transfer to soup bowls.

Add the shrimp to the soup and cook until pink and curled, about 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt and ladle it over the noodles. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Rating: Very Good

Available from Specs in Houston

Winery Web Site

http://www.trimbach.fr

http://www.trimbach.fr/domaine-trimbach/

Images for Ribeauville: https://www.google.com/search?q=Ribeauvill%C3%A9&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=37ecU9zDJ5S2yATepYFo&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=799

Delaforce Alvarinho

 Wine Name:  Delaforce Alvarinho

Wine:  Delaforce	Type: Alvarinho
Country: Portugal	Region:
Rating: Very Good	Price: $16
Recommendation: Recommended

For a long time I have had a nagging thought in the back of my mind that combining a very popular food in Texas (and some surrounding states) with one of my favorite South East Asian dishes would create an interesting result. To date I have not done anything about it but now, with the driving force of my blog, I decided it was time to give it a try and forgive my exuberance but I truly believe it was a great result!  Add to that a great wine discovery and I am really pleased with the outcome this week.

Let me start with the food, then move onto the wine because the wine was chosen with the food in mind. The food that I am talking about is the American freshwater crawfish, also called the Yabbie in Australia. The crawfish is a very popular dish, particularly in southern states such as Texas and Louisiana, but I find the taste a little bland. One of my favorite dishes from my home is Chili Mud Crab which emanates from Singapore and can be used with any kind of crab including blue crab or blue swimmer crab. The Chili crab recipe is a very spicy dish that includes lots of fresh Chilies which I have always thought would add something special to the crawfish. For many people in America the word Chili invokes an image of a dish made famous throughout Texas and synonymous with Rodeo time of year.  Many other countries would classify this as Chili Con Carne, the point I would like to illustrate here is that Chili crab is nothing like the delicious Chili enjoyed in Texas and other southern states.  For this week’s recipe we combined the Singapore crab recipe with freshwater Crawfish to create Chili Crawfish, I am really pleased with the results and so was my family.

For the wine, I consulted my contact at Specs in Houston and he put me onto a Portuguese white that went really well with the crawfish. The wine is called Alvarinho and is made by Delaforce from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal.  I have been to Portugal but unfortunately I have only been to Lisbon and some surrounding coastal areas.  From my limited exposure to Portugal, I was really impressed and would love to see more. I tasted several great foods, one of which I would like to add to the blog at a future date. I also sampled many great wines unfortunately; I have no idea what they were, so as far as Portuguese wines are concerned I am largely starting from scratch.

The Douro Valley looks like a spectacularly beautiful place, and like some previous blogs is more famous for other wines than the one we are bringing you but this white table wine demonstrates significant diversity for the region. The region is popularized by Ports; however the Delaforce Alvarinho is a great addition to their excellent history of largely fortified wine production. I have included several links at the end of the blog specifically about the region due to the natural beauty of the area.

The Alvarinho wine itself, is a medium to full bodied, yet subtle, white with significant overtures of fruit, the most dominant being lemon but with hints of passion fruit. It was recommended due to the existence of some acidity, which was perfect with the spices in the Chili crawfish. To compare this to the better known wine types, it is fuller bodied than a Sauvignon Blanc but not as bold as a big Chardonnay. It is an impressive wine and it went very well with the Chili Crawfish. 

         

Chili Crawfish Recipe

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         7 tablespoons peanut oil

·         2 to 3 shallots, minced

·         Ginger – Grated, about 2 tablespoons

·         6 medium garlic cloves, minced

·         4 Thai chilies, minced

·         2 pounds of Freshwater crawfish (could substitute just about any shellfish)

·         2 cups chicken broth (Low/No Sodium)

·         1/4 cup tomato paste

·         1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (hot)

·         1 large egg, beaten

·         1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (Spring Onions) (Scallion)

·         1 cup Cilantro leaves (Chinese parsley) (Coriander leaves)

·         Steamed Jasmine Rice

·         If crawfish are live purge before cooking.

·         I initially cooked the crawfish for around one minute in boiling water before adding to the following.

·         Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside.

·         Heat oil over medium heat in a large wok or fry pan, stir in shallots, ginger, garlic, and chilies. Cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Approximately one minute.

·         Add crawfish and broth. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cover loosely and gently boil, if necessary decreasing heat until crawfish has turned red and is nearly cooked through, approximately 6 minutes.

·         Remove cover and stir in tomato paste and chili sauce. Simmer for around one minute and season to taste with salt, sugar if desired, or chili sauce. Stir in cornstarch and bring to boil to thicken

·         Remove from heat and stir in egg. Stir in green onions.

Add to serving dishes and sprinkle with Cilantro and serve. 

Rating: Very Good

The wine is available from Specs in Houston.

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

Duoro Valley: http://www.visitportugal.com/en/destinos/porto-e-norte/73746?gclid=CjgKEAjwwuqcBRCSuoivmIPnkwQSJACpqj3k_byNxnZm7-niI78A1vaqZrppTNZUm8V3YGpNrA2mZ_D_BwE

http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/Wine-Travel-Destination-2013-Douro-Valley-Portugal/

CLOS du BOIS Merlot

Wine Name: CLOS du BOIS

Type: Merlot
Country: USA	Region: California North Coast
Rating: Good	Price: Around US$18
Recommendation: Recommended

This week we are featuring a wine from Northern California in the U.S.A, the winery is called CLOS du BOIS  and is located in Sonoma County. While I have never made it to the Sonoma region, I have been to San Francisco and the Bay Area and consider San Francisco to be among the most beautiful cities in the world.

Travelling north from the San Francisco airport it is almost impossible not to notice the stunning San Francisco Bay at some stage. Heading towards Sonoma, the drive will take you directly over the famous Golden Gate bridge. The routes from other airports in the region such as Oakland and San Jose may not directly take you over Golden Gate. San Francisco is flanked by the Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The ocean and the local currents contribute to several interesting  weather patterns such as fog and strong winds. The area is renowned for cool summer and mild winter climates. Leaving San Francisco behind and heading towards Sonoma, the city gives way to rolling hills, mountain vistas and valleys. Sonoma County has rugged coastlines and beaches to the west, rolling hills, rivers, redwood forests, plenty of grapes and of course wineries. Sonoma is the largest wine producing county in the “California wine region”, apparently producing larger quantities than the more famous Napa valley.

The CLOS du BOIS winery grows some of their own grapes and sources others from various locations in the region. The wine is a Merlot that has a deep ruby color and is a medium to heavy red. It is a smooth wine with hints of dark cherries and a resemblance of chocolate. The label says a hint of cinnamon and that could be chocolaty taste we identified. The wine is very low in acidity and has minimal oak to speak of. It is a very subtle, smooth and warming wine. It would go well with pastas, pizza, tomato based dishes and dark meats. If you want a decent strength, smooth, non-overbearing red, this is a good wine for you. Frankly I’m a fan of this wine. Available at most larger supermarkets like Target, H.E.B and also at Specs.

For the accompanying food, we went with another simple recipe, we cooked steaks on the grill (barbeque) marinated in Chimichurri Sauce. The sauce emanates from Argentina and can be used as a marinade or a sauce.  We prefer to use it as a marinade and typically add the steaks no less than one hour before cooking, although most recipes state around 3 hours. The marinade can apparently be used with other meats such as chicken, fish and I even read that it works with pasta. Go ahead, go crazy experimenting with it.

Chimichurri Sauce (Marinade)  

               

1 ½ Cups chopped Cilantro Sprigs            

2 Teaspoons dried thyme

1 Cup White vinegar (Some recipes use red wine vinegar)
2 Teaspoons black pepper

3/4 Cup chopped onion                                 

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoons ground cumin                          

6 Cloves garlic Chopped

2 Teaspoons dried oregano                         

3 Bay leaves

Open the wine to allow it breath, combine all marinade ingredients in a Zip Lock bag, add the meat, shake and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. If some wine happens to "fall" from the bottle into your glass while the meat is marinating, all the better.

Rating: Good.                  Winery Web Site: www.closdubois.com

Castillo Perlada 5 Fincas

 Wine Name: Castillo Perlada 5 Fincas

  Type: Varietal: Garnatxa (39%), Syrah (26%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%).

Country: Spain	Region: Empordà, Catalonia
Rating: Very Good	Price: Around $15 per bottle
Recommendation: Strongly recommended

  

Thank you to my brother for last week’s fine description of Provence and the delicious recipe. For our third blog we will be whisking you to the Empordà region in North East Spain. The region is an easy drive several hours north of Barcelona, close to the Mediterranean Sea at the bottom of the Pyrenees mountain range near the French Border. Unfortunately I have not been to the region and I don’t know anyone that has, but I will do my best anyway. The closest I have been is to Barcelona which I thoroughly enjoyed visiting.

The name of the wine, Castillo Perelada 5 Fincas, provides several intriguing story lines. The first part, Castillo Perelada, refers to the spectacular Castle which was built in the fourteenth century.  The castle is located in the town of Perelada which is a small village in the Empordà region of Catalonia. Finca, roughly translated means “Estate” in Spanish, and refers to the five different estates that produce the various grapes that make up this wine. Each different estate has its own soil type and characteristics, each contributing something unique to the wine.

For the food, this time we went with something simple. Being a Spanish wine, one of the first foods that first comes to mind is Paella, which I love. But that would be a little bit too stereotypical and this is a red wine after all. Although I suspect it would be just fine with Paella we went with Serrano ham and Manchego cheese for starters and Lamb and Chorizo skewers for the main course. We cooked them on the “grill” for the Americans or the “barby” for us Australians.

The wine itself is a dark red blend, with excellent flavor, drinkable without food it would also go well with all red meats. It has an excellent flavor with hints of cherry, cinnamon and oak. No single flavor dominates, so I would describe it as very balanced and very smooth. Overall a very drinkable wine at any time and I strongly recommend it.

We didn’t follow any specific recipe for the food, we pretty much made it up as we went along tonight but the following is the general idea:

Starters: - Mixture of Spanish cured meats and cheese.

Serrano ham – Spanish cured ham thinly sliced

Lomo  - Pork Tenderloin cured meat

Chorizo – Thin sliced cured pork sausage

Manchego – Sheep’s milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain

Main Course - Grilled Lamb and Chorizo sausage skewers on a bed of couscous.

Ingredients:

Lamb	Red onions	Red pepper (Capsicum)
Chorizo sausage	Zucchini (courgette)	Tomato
Asparagus

Soak the skewers for 24 hours in water.

Wipe the skewers with some light olive oil.

Add the Lamb, Chorizo, red onions and red pepper to the skewers, alternating each type as desired.

Brush the Zucchini, tomato and asparagus with light olive oil.

Cook the skewers and vegetables on the grill.

Cook the couscous about 5 minutes from completion of the skewers and vegetables.

Serve the skewers over a bed of couscous and the vegetables on the side.

I have purposely left off portion sizes as I will leave that for you to judge.

There were many excellent components in this meal such as the Lomo and Serrano ham which my children loved. The skewers went well with the meats but be careful not to overcook. The revelation for me however, was the grilled Chorizo, it was really good!!!

Rating:  Castillo Perlada 5 Fincas, Very Good and very good value for the price.

Winery Web Site:

http://www.castilloperelada.com/en/

Castle: 

http://www.castilloperelada.com/about-us/history/the-castle/an-emblem-of-the-emporda/

Chateau Roubine, Cru Classé

Wine: Chateau Roubine, Le Blanc	Type: Blend (Ugni-blanc, Sémillon, Rolle et Clairette)
Country: France	Region: Côtes De Provence
Rating: Excellent	Price: Around US$25 Per bottle
Recommendation: Highly recommended.

Welcome to my second ever blog, this time I have chosen a wine I had the pleasure to sample recently and I am excited to bring it to your attention. In doing so, I have reached out to my brother who lives in England to provide some descriptions of Provence and suggest some regional foods, as I have never been to Provence and he has travelled there extensively.

Apparently, to achieve Cru Classé status is a big thing, well if this wine is any example then I agree. Provence is one of only two regions in France that provide a classification for their wine estates rather than their region (the other being Bordeaux). In 1953, Chateau Roubine was awarded Cru Classé status and we are sampling their “Le Blanc” which is, as the name suggests, their white blend.

The wine is lightish in color, with a smooth taste that does not linger too long. It has an earthy straw type smell and tastes a little buttery and it has hints of oak without being overwhelming in any way. To describe this wine in a way that many of us would relate, it tastes a little like a subtle Chardonnay without the overwhelming taste and Oakiness often found in some Chardonnays. The interesting thing for me about this wine, is that it is not sweet but it does not leave any lingering dryness in your mouth either, it is really smooth. Each taste leaves you wanting more and would be excellent with seafood, white meat and even pork. It would also work well with many lighter cheeses and would be perfect on it’s own.

According to the winery’s web site the Chateau has a fascinating history. The name Roubine means Brook; it is one of the oldest wine estates in France,  dating back to the 14th century; it was once owned by the Knights Templar and it is apparently located “right in the middle of Provence” on the Roman road “Julienne”.

Provence itself is located in Southeast France and conjures up visions of lavender, sunflowers and olive trees. The food is typically full of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, aubergines (egg plant) and includes the famous bouillabaisse fish stews from the coast. This historic region sits along the Mediterranean coast of France, bordered by the Rhone River to the west, the majestic Alps to the north and the shimmering beaches and coastline of the Côte d’Azur to the east. Wine has been made here for over 2600 years, making Provence the oldest wine producing region of France. Provence is blessed with a warm Mediterranean climate. Driving south from the French capital Paris, you notice the change in climate and geography, gradually changing from the cool greens and lush grasses of the north to a more golden and sun baked landscape of the south. Once in Provence itself, you will notice groves of olive trees and fields of bright blue and purple lavender rippling gently in the shimmering sunlight. The region is bathed in sunshine and receives relatively little rain with warm days and cool evenings.

Interestingly, Provence is more famous for its reds, particularly Rosé but this is clearly an example that shows they can make excellent whites as well. It has been suggested that being a Provencal wine it would drink well with any number of the regional dishes, so we have included a few examples. Canapés of tapenade (A crushed olive puree with garlic) and anchoiade (A smooth anchovy, caper and garlic puree) spread on grilled crusty bread as an aperitif. Served with the renowned saffron infused fish and shellfish stew of the region, known as bouillabaisse, a dish fit for a king yet served for centuries to the fishermen dockside in the Provencal ports of the Mediterranean from Marseille to Nice and beyond. Again from the sea but on a more simple basis, alongside some simply grilled prawns (Shrimp) basted with really garlicky extra virgin olive oil, and a little sea salt and pepper.  For a lighter option, perfect for a languid summer afternoon, this wine would accompany one of the classic dishes of Provence exceptionally well, the Salad Niçoise - literally meaning "Nice-style salad". It is an elaborate, layered salad with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, boiled new potatoes and haricots verts (French green beans) dressed with vinaigrette, hard-boiled eggs, black Niçoise olives and seared tuna steak, it really is Provence on a plate.

We have included a bouillabaisse recipe which is featured in the photos and goes really well with this wine.

I give this wine, an excellent rating and in my opinion it is well worth the $25 price tag. The wine is available in Houston from Specs and I have also included a link to the Chateau Roubine web site.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we did preparing it.

http://www.chateauroubine.com/wine/intro-en.htm.

Rating: Excellent.

Bouillabaisse Recipe

Soup/Broth:	Seafood	Rouille:
2 tablespoons olive oil	Pinch of Saffron	1 red pepper, roasted and peeled (again use canned or bottled if you prefer, they will work just as well)
1 cup onion, chopped	1 cup leeks, julienned	2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup celery, chopped	3 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (use canned Italian tomatoes if you prefer, they work well and save on the effort of peeling and seeding)	1 piece of white bread torn into pieces
Salt and pepper	Juice and zest of one orange	1 egg yolk
3 cloves garlic	1 cup bulb fennel, julienned	1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1 bay leaf	2 tablespoons garlic, chopped	half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
8 peppercorns	2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped	juice of one lemon
2 sprigs thyme	Salt and pepper	salt and pepper
1 pound white fish bones	2 pounds assorted small whole fresh fish such as whiting, squid, sea bass, scorpion fish, eel,	1/2 cup of olive oil
Water to cover	angler fish, all cleaned and scaled - pretty much whatever you can get your hands on
1 cup white wine	1 ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
	¾ pound mussels
	1/2 pound clams
	Salt and pepper

Garnish:
12 slices of crusty French bread

Method:
Soup/Broth:
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme. Add the fish bones, water and wine. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain. You could prepare this a day in advance and keep in the fridge until needed.

For the Bouillabaisse:
Place the broth on the heat and bring to a simmer. Add the saffron, leeks, tomatoes, orange juice, orange zest, fennel, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish. Cook for about 8 minutes. Add the shrimp mussels and clams. Cook for further 6 minutes, or until the shells have opened. Discard any shells that do not open. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Rouille:
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except for the oil. Puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season the emulsion with salt and pepper.

To assemble:
Remove the seafood from the pan and place on a large platter or serving bowl. Pour the broth over the seafood. Serve the Rouille and crusty bread on the side of the Bouillabaisse.
For individual servings, arrange the seafood in a shallow dish. Ladle the stock over the seafood.
Drizzle the Rouille over the seafood and serve with the crusty bread.

Whitehaven, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

Wine: Whitehaven	Type: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: New Zealand	Region: Marlborough
Rating: Good	Price: Around US$15 Per bottle
Recommendation: Recommended, good value for the price.

Welcome to my first wine blog, for the first one I am going to start with an example of a Sauvignon Blanc.  This is a crisp, dry white wine, with strong fruit tastes sometimes including tropical fruit such as passion fruit. The wine goes well with seafood, white meat, light cheeses and fruit. It’s a great warm weather wine, although could be enjoyed any time of year with or without food. We enjoyed ours with a Singaporean Laksa and a Beef Rendang (Indonesian). The wine comes from the Marlborough region which is at the tip of the South Island of New Zealand. I can’t describe this area as I've never been there, the closest I've been is the Canterbury plains which are a little further south but are without doubt a beautiful area. The wine has a nice light lemony coloring and overall is a good wine and good value at around US$15 Per bottle.  For those in Houston this wine is available at Specs.
Included now is a link to the winery as well: http://whitehaven.co.nz/