Serenu Vermentino di Gallura

Wine: Italian White
Country: Italy	Region: Sardinia
Rating: Good	Price: $16.00
Recommendation: Recommended, particularly with seafood, represents reasonable value for the price.

This week we had limited time for preparation and are late in publishing the blog. Luckily for us, there were some end of summer specials at our local supermarket that allowed us to grab some good seafood at very reasonable prices and did not require much preparation on our part. We also paired it with another Italian wine, from the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia.

Sardinia is an autonomously governed region of italy. It is a large island in the Mediterranean that is closer to the French island of Corsica than any other land mass. It appears from the maps to be equidistant to Italy in the west, Africa in the south and the French region of Provence in the north. The island is hot and dry in summer, with the majority of rain falling in the winter. Heavy showers can be encountered in the spring and the mountainous regions even receive snowfall.

The wine came recommended to enjoy with seafood and it is a very good accompaniment. It is a medium golden color, similar in appearance to a light Chardonnay. The bouquet has traces of tropical fruit, berries and a slight hint of oak. The taste is fresh, slightly dry, and follows the bouquet. The first taste appears a little bland but further tasting settles into a slightly fruity light dry wine that is pleasant to drink and goes well with seafood and possibly chicken meals. The wine is well worth trying and represents a pleasant deviation from the more famous regional and varietal wines that we have become more accustomed to.  

The food we had with this wine is listed below and due to the “end of summer” special we were able to obtain the lobster and the crab for around four dollars each.

Lobster

Snow crab legs

Prosciutto ham

Serrano ham

Salami

Olives

Artichoke hearts

Feta cheese

Sun dried tomatoes

Freshly baked French bread

Mixed salad

The meal was excellent and a very reasonable price. The wine complimented the food well and is a good warm weather wine with seafood and lighter fare.

Rating: Good, reasonable value for money. Good match with seafood.

Winery\Importer Web Site

http://www.gourmetsardinia.com/

Santa Cristina White 2012

Wine Name: Santa Cristina White 2012

Country: Italy	Region: Umbria, Tuscany
Rating: Very Good	Price: $14
Recommendation: Strongly Recommended

This is another wine I discovered at the Wine Warehouse Arizona. (http://www.winewarehousearizona.com/). It originates from Italy and we are having it with a classic Italian meal, Risotto.

The winery is located in the Tuscany region, near a town called Cortona and has been creating wines since 1946.

Where do I start with Tuscany? Situated in the northeast of Italy, it is famous for rolling hills studded with abundant grape vines, olive groves, medieval architecture, fabulous food, dramatic seascapes, history, art and fashion. Tuscany has it all, which could be why it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

The Tuscan country landscape brings to mind a laid back lifestyle of small farms producing fabulous food, set amongst rolling green hills blanketed by vineyards and olive groves. The historical farmhouses are often set atop the rolling hills, and the contrasts in colors from the Cypress trees and forests, to the lighter green of the pastures, and the food they produce, all contribute to the idyllic atmosphere. To add dramatic effect, the landscape is dissected by several large mountain ranges including; the Appenine Mountains and the Apuan Alps. The seascapes are located in the east on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and include; long sandy beaches, spectacular cliffs, and rocky headlands. Cities include the Capital Florence, ranked by Forbes “as one of the most beautiful cities in the world”. It is a world heritage site, world fashion and art leader, known as the birthplace of Renaissance art, home of the Uffizi Gallery, the Palazzo Pitti, the Leonardo Da Vinci museum,  and Michelangelo’s David. Not to be overshadowed, other cities include Siena, Lucca and Pisa, and the veritable Leaning tower.

Due to the vast range of geography, the climate in the region can vary greatly. The coastal areas tend to be milder, and the interior regions harsher. The interior tends to fluctuate between hot in the summer, and cold and wet in the winter.

Cortona was made famous in recent years by the book, and movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun”. Perched on top of a hill with an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet, enclosed by stone walls, this medieval town has sweeping views over the valley, and Lake Trasimeno.

The Santa Cristina winery shares the views of the valley overlooking the Valdichiana. The terroir consists of sandstone, shale, marl, clay, scree, some chalky lime, and is balanced with silt and fine sand. The winery web site has some fantastic food recipes to complement their wines, including some excellent pictures. I strongly recommend visiting their site, some of their work is true artistry.

Their winemaking process is to soft press the grapes and chill to a temperature of 50° Fahrenheit (10° centigrade), to settle impurities. Fermentation is then achieved in stainless steel tanks at a maximum temperature of 62 ° Fahrenheit (17° centigrade).  Lastly, the wine is aged and bottled in small batches with the goal of producing a good quality wine.

The wine is a light golden color, has a pleasant floral bouquet, with some tropical fruit, and citrus. It is slightly dry, very clean, and easy drinking. It is drinkable with, or without, food however, pairing with the right food will definitely enhance the experience. There are some subtleties to this wine, and it is a great warm weather wine. It would accompany seafood especially well and would enhance many lighter fare meals such as salads, chicken and even pork. To provide a readily identifiable reference, the flavor is somewhere between a Pinot Grigio and a Sauvignon Blanc.

By pure coincidence we enjoyed this wine with a well-known Italian meal, Risotto, which made a fine accompaniment. Risotto dates back to the fifteenth century, and originated in the north of Italy.  It is very easy to make but needs to be continually watched and stirred whilst cooking. It can be cooked in multiple ways. The version we cooked was a vegetarian dish, but it can also be made Vegan by using only vegetable stock and leaving out the parmesan. Additionally it can be made into a carnivore version by adding diced chicken and using chicken stock.

Ingredients

Arborio Rice

4 Cups of vegetable or chicken stock

Onion diced

One glove of garlic pressed

Cup of Bella mushrooms sliced

Cup of White mushrooms sliced

Two cups of spinach

½ cup of Parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

½ cup of white wine (optional)

Directions

In a large 4 quart pot sauté onion in olive oil until softened. Add garlic and stir for a minute.

Add one cup of Arborio rice and stir until grains are coated. If you decide to use wine, add wine and continually stir until wine disappears.

Add one cup of stock (preferably warmed in the microwave) stir until stock is absorbed. Add another cup of stock and stir until absorbed.

Add mushrooms and stir into rice mixture.

Add another cup of stock to mixture continually stirring. Add spinach to pot and stir.

Add last cup of stock to mixture and stir continually also adding parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Stir continually until rice is cooked.

Serve warm.

Rating: Very Good. Good value for money. Strongly recommended.

Generally available from larger supermarkets and liquor stores in Houston. Other brands by this winery are available at Specs but they do not appear to stock the white.

Winery Web Site

http://santacristina1946.it/en

Argyle Riesling

Wine Name: Argyle Riesling

Wine: Argyle	Type: Riesling
Country: USA	Region: Oregon
Rating: Good	Price: $13
Recommendation:  Recommended

I was on a business trip in the Phoenix area recently and discovered a great little wine store in the Scottsdale area, called the Wine Warehouse. It is a really attractive place with a laid back atmosphere and a great selection of wines. They have complimentary wine tastings every Tuesday and Friday between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

As well as having an extensive wine selection for you to choose, they are a licensed bar and can sell wine by the glass or the bottle, and don’t charge corkage. I've tried some wines by the glass at the bar, and I have been to their wine tastings discovering that I particularly like one and will review in this blog. The others I will save for a later date. For the beer lovers, they also offer an extensive beer selection. If you live in the Phoenix area, or are visiting, I highly recommend making a trip to the Wine Warehouse.

(http://www.winewarehousearizona.com/)

The wine I would like to bring to your attention this week is Argyle Riesling from Oregon. We wanted to have it with a somewhat spicy dish so, paired it with a Thai meal. Due to time constraints this week we are not cooking the dish ourselves, we are buying a “to go” order (take away).

The winery is a relatively small operation located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and although it has produced primarily sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they have also made room to produce some excellent Riesling as well. Named “Oregon’s Premier Winery” by Wine Spectator magazine in 2000, the winery hand harvests all their grapes and chill them overnight to 35 F, to preserve the fruit characteristics and limit oxidation. They are then crushed the next day.  From the results that I have seen, they appear to produce quality wines.

The wine is a nice light color with a strong scent of Oak. The taste is fruity, with some melon, apple and possibly even peach coming through with a distinct and overriding Oak flavor. It is sweet without being overly so, cutting through the spicy food nicely. Normally, I am not a big fan of big strong oak flavors but I do like it in this wine. Argyle achieves a fine balance of strong oak flavor without overdoing it. If you like strong oak flavored wines, this is well worth a try and good value at around $13.

Food:

 

Thai Fish Cakes

Pad See Ew

Red Curry

Steamed Rice

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

Many Argyle wines are available from Specs in Houston, although this Riesling does not appear to be. It is available from the Wine Warehouse in Scottsdale, Arizona in limited quantities due to strong demand. The Argyle winey ships to many states, the details are included in their Website.

Wine Warehouse

17025 N Scottsdale Rd #140, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 284-8840

http://www.winewarehousearizona.com/

Rating: Good

Recommendation: Recommended with Spicy food, especially if you like strong Oak flavor.

Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay

Wine Name: Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay

Wine: Yalumba	Type: Unwooded Chardonnay
Country: Australia	Region: Barossa Valley?
Rating: OK	Price: $10
Recommendation: Recommended, especially for the price

Last week’s blog included a somewhat involved recipe, this week we were after simplicity, so we created a straightforward meal from scratch rather than following a recipe. We also attempted to select an unassuming wine that would not overshadow the meal. The result was Chicken Burgers with pineapple, mango and avocado on Ciabatta bread with an unwooded Chardonnay.

The wine comes from the Yalumba winery located in Angaston in the Barossa Ranges, in the heart of the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Angaston is one of South Australia’s oldest towns. Today it is apparently a vibrant town with many food and wine tasting experiences including; café’s, coffee shops, light meals, or an award winning meal experience. There are also reportedly plenty of fresh local produce options such as cheeses, coffee, meats, fruits and of course wines. Tourist accommodation seems to be plentiful with B&B’s, lodges, cottages, homesteads, motels, and hotels

The Yalumba Winery, being around 160 years old, is Australia’s oldest family owned winery. The word Yalumba is Australian Aboriginal for “all the land around”, Yalumba is a large wine producer with a large range of diverse products. The Yalumba winery has developed its own vine nursery for their own research and development and also to supply vines to wineries throughout the country. In addition to producing wines and vines, Yalumba is the only winery in Australia, and one of a select few in the world, with their own Cooperage for making the Oak barrels so essential for many winemaking processes.

The wine is a light color for a Chardonnay, and has citrus fragrances, predominantly lemon. The flavor is subtle and also includes; citrus, green melon, and apple. It is slightly buttery and has some acidity. If your preference in a Chardonnay is strong Oak flavors, then this is not the wine for you. If however, you are looking for a more subtle flavored Chardonnay experience then this is well worth trying. It would be a good accompaniment with seafood, chicken, salads and white meats.

Chicken Burger with Pineapple, Mango, Avocado on Ciabatta bread.

Ingredients:

Skinless chicken breasts

Pineapple sliced into rings

Mango sliced

Avocado sliced

Onion sliced

Tomato sliced

Ciabatta bread, cut into burger sized pieces

Optional items:

Green Onions

Cilantro

Low sodium Soy Sauce

Teriyaki sauce

Sweet Thai chili sauce

Bacon

Cheese

Preparation:

Baste or marinate the chicken breasts in any of the above sauces.

Cooking Instructions:

Cook the ingredients on the grill in roughly the following order, cooking time dependent on your judgment and taste preferences. Chicken can be basted with any sauces while cooking if desired.

Start cooking the onions on the grill first, or in a pan and Sautee if desired.

Start cooking the chicken breasts next. Cook whole or cut in half and cook the halves, depending on your preference.

Pineapple slices

Mango slices

Tomato slices

Avocado slices

Combine between Ciabatta bread slices, either uncooked or lightly grilled according to taste.

Enjoy!

We purchased bacon and Jarlsberg cheese but got carried away with the cooking and forgot to add them, but they can easily be added to the above.

Rating: OK, very good value for money

Recommendation: Recommended, especially for the price.

Winery Web Site

www.yalumba.com

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/