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