The Perfect Bite

Ringing in 2010

We’ve never been big on going out for New Year’s Eve.  We usually spend it one of three ways: 

1. enjoy an early dinner out with friends and ring in the new year in the comfort and safety of our own home;

2. go to a party at a friend’s house; or

3. invite friends over for a delicious home-cooked meal and splurge on great champagne. 

With the current state of the economy, the majority of our friends opted for choice # 3 – buying great quality foods and vintages and eating at home figuring they’d spend, at most, half what they would at a restaurant. 

We chose to go the dinner out with friends route.  We brought our college daughters, got dressed up and descended on the new kid in town – Venegas Prime Filet.  The name says it all…a steakhouse serving prime cuts of meat and more.

The space previously was also a steakhouse with a big tree in the middle of the room – needless to say, the décor back then left a lot to be desired.  Now, it’s glossy and romantic, reminiscent of Old World décor combined with New World luxuries. 

We are mesmerized by the ambience, addicted to the meats, crazy for the wine and swooning over the chocolates.

 

We consumed so much food during a 3-hour dining soirée that we couldn’t possibly tell you about every dish.  Suffice it to say that the appetizers were delicious: a lovely crabcake, crispy calamari, full-flavored tacos de pescado, and a well-rounded global cheese plate.

 

 

The salads are truly tasty with crisp, fresh ingredients and true foodie accompaniments like applewood smoked lardons, fire roasted tomatoes, dried figs, candied walnut dust, parmigiano crisp.

The Chef’s Compositions are well varied with several selections of fish and poultry.  The court bouillion-poached lobster with tarragon drawn butter is a standout.  As is the Colorado lamb with the chef’s special sauce.

 

 

But the steaks steal the show!  They are true prime cuts with great marbling cooked to perfection.  Our table boasted a selection of Filet Mignon, NY Strip, and the Big Boy – 30 oz. Australian Wagyu steak for 2.  Though the steaks were ambrosial we each chose different sauces and butters to complement them (there are 12 choices). 

  

 We topped the meal off with delicious artisan chocolates by Norman Love.  We enjoyed the single cocoa bean varieties from the 5 cocoa regions of the world:  Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela & Madagascar.  The flavor profiles were rich and indulgent pairing wonderfully with our wine selection – Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (velvety with dense flavors of black fruits and a long finish).

 

It wasn’t our first time at Venegas.  From past experience we knew this novel powerhouse would fit our foodie cravings on a special night…and they delivered!  It was a great way to start off our new year…one with many more Venegas reservations.

We wish all our dear readers a happy, healthy, successful and safe 2010 filled with lots of fun, belly laughing, love & endless Perfect Bites!

 

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Snowmageddon

If you don’t live in the Mid-Atlantic region and haven’t been watching the news, then you are probably quite unaware that Snowmageddon is upon us…and isn’t done yet!  Where we are, between DC & Baltimore, we have over 3 feet of snow with another 10-20 inches forecasted for tomorrow night.  The snowbanks in our neighborhood are already over 5 feet tall…we don’t have anyplace left to put the stuff!  We can’t possibly get more!

 

 

 But more than Mother Nature’s plan for an area that is really unequipped to deal with such storms as they are few and far between, we are perplexed by the residents of the area.  This storm had been forecasted for a week – everyone knew it was coming and emptied out the grocery stores.  Yet, on Sunday, the 1^st day people could safely leave their homes, they ran to the grocery stores.  Our friends Becky and Kerry (who, incidentally are leaving for the Atlantis tomorrow and will miss the next onslaught of Mother Nature) ventured out on Sunday and reported that there was a major traffic jam at our grocery store.  What?  The shelves were empty on Friday, people, did you only buy enough food for 3 days? 

 

We were prepared.  We had done a complete week’s worth of shopping on Thursday, but did go back to the grocery store on Friday when we were informed that our teenage son was having a few buddies over for the weekend.  We knew one week’s worth of food wouldn’t be enough for even 1 night when growing teenage boys were involved.  On Friday morning the vegetable bins were bare, the store was a mess and out of many items. 

 

So here’s the real question:  Why did shoppers think the grocery store shelves were suddenly stocked when the highways were closed and there was no way for the food to actually get here?  He-llo!!!!

 

As we said, we were fine.  We shoveled, we cooked, we ate, we drank.  We enjoyed lots of wine especially our beloved Black Chicken and Le Bijou!  Plus, we enjoyed lots and lots of hot chocolate.  We love it spicy!  Our friend Terri was recently in the Big Apple and ventured to the 35^th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  She enjoyed the house specialty – spicy white hot chocolate – while enjoying an aerial view of Central Park.  She raved about this sweet, piquant concoction and was ready to order another, but alas, she was kicked out because the Black-Eyed Peas were coming in and the bar would be closed to the public.  Fergie, hope your spicy white hot chocolate was Fergalicious!

 

 

 Perfect Sip – Quick Spiced Hot Chocolate

Make an 8-oz. cup of hot chocolate however you choose, homemade or instant

Add 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp chili powder.

Add a large marshmallow and you’re set to enjoy!

 

One Branzino, Two Branzini, Three Branzini, Yum!

This post may be a little long today as we have much to tell you!

Branzino (a European sea bass) is one of Darlene’s most favorite fish.  We first had it in Italy back in ’88.  After that we were on a quest to find it in the States.  We searched high and low and finally found it at a Greek fish restaurant in the Fell’s Point section of Baltimore at a little place called The Black Olive.  It’s small, warm, inviting and the owners are just adorable!  Actually, they come from a long line of Greek restaurateurs.  One cousin is the brains behind the famed Estiatorio Milos  in NY, Montréal & Athens.  (If you go, be sure to get the Milos special appetizer, the tomato salad, and any fish you desire – you won’t be disappointed!).

 

Fast forward to our purchase of Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home. 

 

 

For those of you who don’t know who Thomas Keller is – he is considered to be the true Top American Chef.  His restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley is widely thought to be the #1 restaurant in the country.  The kitchen sounds in the movie Ratatouille are authentic sounds made in the kitchen of The French Laundry.  We have eaten there once and, yes, it was an incredibly decadent meal in addition to being the most expensive meal we have ever had – but worth every cent!

 

 

Ad Hoc is Keller’s family-style restaurant, also in Napa Valley.  The corresponding cookbook features meals prepared at the restaurant and meals Keller prepares at home and boasts a section on How to Become a Better Cook.  It’s a great read, the pictures make you want to grab the food right off the book and eat, and the recipes are straightforward, though some can be time-consuming.  After our first perusal of the book, we immediately decided we’d be making the salt-crusted striped bass. This method of cooking fish is common in Italy and produces a really moist fish that’s perfectly seasoned (and it doesn’t stink up the house!).

 

So we headed over to Whole Foods where they only had small Branzini that day.  We bought 3 one-pounders, had the fishmonger clean them up for us and headed home to become Keller’s Mini-me’s. 

 

 

Aren’t they beautiful?  Don’t they look succulent and tasty?  Don’t you wish you could have some right now?  The fish was every bit as delicious as in any restaurant and the recipe was straightforward and simple even if we did have to adjust it a bit since we had 3 one-pound fish rather than 1 four-pound fish.

 

 

In any event, we hope you garner enough courage to try this recipe.  We served it alongside his broccolini salad with burrata cheese.  Add a crisp white wine like Santa Maria La Palma’s Aragosta Vermentino di Sardegna - light-bodied white, aromas of lemon and lime, goes perfectly with seafood; or Chahalem’s Inox Chardonnay (stainless steel tank fermented) – rich & full of light fruits, with a crisp, zesty finish.  We enjoy this wine all year long. Cheers!

 

 

 

Salt-Crusted Striped Bass

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 3 one-pound branzini – gutted, scaled, fins cut off

4 cups kosher salt

8 large egg whites

½ bunch flat-least parsley

fronds from 1 fennel bulb

1 lemon, sliced thin

1 small orange, sliced thin

evoo

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Stir together the salt & egg whites in a large bowl.  Make a layer of the salt mixture just over ¼ inch thick on a baking sheet.

 

Stuff the fish cavity with parsley, fennel fronds, and fruit slices.  Lay the fish on top of the salt mixture on the baking sheet.  Take the remaining salt mixture and cover the top of the fish entirely, making sure the fish are completely covered in salt.  Use a paper towel to pat the crust to remove excess moisture.

 

Roast fish for 30-40 minutes (turn the pan 180° halfway through cooking).  Insert instant read thermometer into thickest part of middle fish – when it reads 125°F remove the fish from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

 

To serve:  Using either 2 large spoons or a fish fork and large spoon crack the crust breaking it into large pieces and remove from the top and sides of the fish.  Remove the skin by gently rolling it off the meat.  The top fillet is now exposed and can be lifted right off the bone.  Next, lift the tail of the fish pulling toward the head to remove the skeleton. Lift the bottom fillet off the baking sheet.  A pastry brush can be used to gently brush away any salt that remains.  Drizzle with some evoo and enjoy.

 

Broccolini Salad with Burrata cheese

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 2 lb. broccolini, thick part of stalks removed

2 large Portobello mushroom caps, sliced thin

1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings

1 cup black Cerignola olives (or other cured olives) sliced

½ cup vinaigrette (your own choice, Keller used Sherry vinegar)

salt & pepper to taste

2 large rounds of burrata cheese (like fresh mozzarella, but loose & creamy inside)

evoo

sea salt (we used Sicilian)

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath (large bowl of water and ice).

 

Blanch the broccolini in the bling water until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  Drain on paper towels.

 

Gently toss the broccolini with 2/3 of the vinaigrette then place on a platter all lined up.  Gently toss the mushrooms with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle over the broccolini.  Sprinkle the onion and olives on top.

 

Place the burrata in a shallow bowl.  Cut away the top nub of the burrata and using a pair scissors cut an X into the top until you reach the creamy center.  Open the top slightly and drizzle evoo inside.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and serve alongside the broccolini.

 

Goin’ to Tuscany in my Mind

 
 

The snow has been coming and going for 2 months now.  Every time we think it’s gone Mother Nature tricks us and adds another pile on the ground.  If we can’t beat it we may as well just accept it and do what the cold weather people do: read by the fire, drink spicy, delicious, full-bodied red wine to help take the chill out of our bones, and put on the crock pot filled to brimming with a rib-sticking, hearty recipe to offer pure comfort.

 

Our choice of winter comfort food often leans toward Italian – namely ragu - a wonderful meat sauce typically paired with short pasta like penne or rigatoni. We did have penne in the pantry for the boys, but the only gluten free pasta we had on hand for Darlene was fusilli (not a good pasta shape for Ragu, but works in a pinch). 

 

We first learned to make this recipe 20 years ago when Darlene’s college roommate married an authentic Italian.  And, like all Italians, Pino could cook!  Through the years he’s taught us many dishes, but the ragu is still our fave! 

 
 

We usually make it in a large stockpot and cook it down for several hours on the stove.  Sometimes we take the lazy way out and put our crock pot to good use.  It doesn’t matter how you make it, it just matters that you do make it.  Ragu is a family favorite in our house – Grandpa can eat it every day.   So get your stove going, add a bottle of Barbera D’Alba (we recommend Elio Altare: fruit forward, soft tannins, long finish), freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano, a vibrant salad with a crisp, clean vinaigrette and you’ve got all the makings for your next perfect bite.  Cheers!

 
 

 

Ragu

½ cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

4 large cloves garlic

2 lb. chuck roast

4 good size country style pork spare ribs

2 small cans tomato paste

6  28-oz cans San Marzano tomatoes, crush whole tomatoes with your hands

2 large bay leaves

2 tbl Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano &  basil)

salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Sauté onion, celery & carrots with salt & pepper until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.  Do not let garlic get too dark or it will impart a bitter taste.  Using slotted spoon remove vegetable mixture from pan and put in blender or food processor.  Pulse until mixture becomes a paste.

 

Add chuck roast and spare ribs to pan and brown on all sides…don’t be shy.  Once browned, remove meat and set aside.

 

Add the tomato paste and stir into the hot oil, in essence you are sautéing the tomato paste.  (At this point, all ingredients can go into crock pot.  If you are cooking over the stovetop, continue with the next step.)

 

Add the San Marzano tomatoes, bay leaves and Italian seasoning, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

 

Once simmering, add the vegetable paste and meat back to the pan.  Reduce heat to low and cover with lid slightly askew.  Cook for 2 – 4 hours until the liquid is reduced by half (or to your own desired consistency).  Be sure to stir about every 15 minutes…you don’t want it to stick otherwise it will be bitter.

 

Remove meat and shred with forks, removing any large chunks of fat.

 

This meal can be served 2 ways:

We add the meat back to the sauce and serve over pasta as a main dish.

True Italian style is to serve the sauce over the pasta as a small first course, then serve the meat as a second course alongside a vegetable like a sautéed rapini with garlic, then serve salad as the third course.

 

The recipe yields a lot, but we always freeze the remainder for another 1 or 2 meals.

McLaren Vale South Australia “Where the vines meet the Sea”

By Sharon Kneebone

 

In 1999 we returned to South Australia to visit my husband’s family and ring in the new Millennium.   For those fans of big, bold Australian red wines you most likely know that South Australia is home to the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale.  My in-laws live about 20 minutes from the beautiful Barossa and about 40 minutes north of the McLaren Vale.   We had been to the Barossa a couple of times and wanted to visit a different wine region.  We left the kids with Nana and Papa and headed south for a couple days away. 

  Sharon & Scott Kneebone

 

We stayed at the Inn at the McLarens, just down the street from the McLaren Vale Visitor Center. The Inn was the quintessential Aussie motel complete with inexpensive spacious rooms and a tin roof.  It was a great staging area to visit the vale’s cellar doors.  We spent the day sampling wines of the vale with a stop at Chapel Hill Cellar Door, a lovely sampling room set in a converted Australian chapel.

 

The Inn at the McLarens

 

One of our favorite wineries is Tintara, part of the Hardys family.  We purchased the Hardys world class Whiskers Blake Port there and have shared it judiciously with our close friends.  One of our favorite Shiraz wines is Tintara.  It is a full-bodied bold Aussie wine that is characteristic of the McLaren Vale region.  By far, our favorite wine maker from the McLaren Vale is Molly Dooker.  It is now widely available in the States and we’ve introduced it to all of our friends.

 

After a full day of touring the vale we had a wonderful dinner at the Barn Bistro.  One of the specials that evening was Kangaroo Steak cooked to perfection.  The Barn is a historic building housing a fine Australian Restaurant in the McLaren Vale. Far and away, my favorite site was cresting a hill with sloping vines to my left, a kangaroo bounding between the rows, and the sight of the ocean in the distance.

 

My favorite view – the ocean is off to the right.

 

The trek to the McLaren Vale is well worth the time, expense and effort.  Some of the world’s greatest Shiraz wines come from the area with an abundance of fresh Australian food.

 

"It is an ideal spot, and the ideal liquid inspiration, to try to figure out a way to live near this tiny piece of paradise between the voluptuous hills of wine
and the aquamarine sea."                                --The Wine Roads of Australia by Susan Gough Henly

Sharon and Scott Kneebone live in Baltimore, Maryland with their 2 children.  Besides Shiraz, they like lacrosse, musical theatre, and entertaining friends.

Soul Satisfying Seafood Stew

Can you say “blizzard”?  The Mid-Atlantic was crushed by a storm yesterday.  Now, for you folks living in very snowy sections of the world, our storm was probably pretty tame and laughable to you.  But for Maryland, this much snow makes everything come to a standstill.

 

 

Eric was out shoveling and snowblowing for several hours with our son while Darlene stayed inside and cooked with our daughter.  Yes, we know our roles were sexist yesterday, but that’s not always how it works out.  We are trying to teach our son to be more responsible and our daughter is in culinary school so the jobs just worked out that way.

 

We opted for a soul-warming bowl of seafood stew that was quite simple to prepare.  We used our handy-dandy crockpot - Darlene’s most fave kitchen electronic.  Last Christmas she got this one:

 

This is the “Gucci” of crockpots.  We do all of our sautéing, searing, etc. in the insert which is safe for the stovetop unlike the typical ceramic insert.  It really is one pot cooking!

 

Whipping up a stew in a crockpot requires a couple of quick steps.  Then put the lid on and go watch a movie, read a book, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate by the fire, check your email…you get the idea.

 

 

 

Soul Satisfying Seafood Stew

 

1 lg onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup evoo

½ cup dry white wine

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup fish fumet

3 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped + 1 tbl minced for garnish

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 lb. dry packed scallops

1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 lb. firm-fleshed white fish (such as halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish), cut into 2-inch chunks

1 quart oysters & their juice

salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat the evoo in a pan and sauté the onions about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. 

 

Add the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Put all items into crockpot and add tomatoes, fish fumet, vegetable stock & crushed red pepper.  Stir to combine.  Cover and cook on high for 2.5 hours or low for 5 hours.

 

Turn crockpot to high and add seafood and season with salt & pepper.  Cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the seafood is cooked. 

 

Sup on this elegant soup while sipping on the wine of your choice.  Ours - Ramblin' Red Cuvee One Second Ascent - a Merlot, Petit Syrah, Zin blend that's fruity, spicy and a little earthy.  The second glass is enjoyed by the fire...cheers!

The Passing of a Napa Patriarch

This weekend the wine world said goodbye to a Napa patriarch - 80-year-old Aldo Biale of Robert Biale Vineyards.  The Biale family has been growing Zinfandel grapes in Napa since the 1930’s.  If you’re a zin-ophile like us you’ll recognize the Biale name – they produce two of the Zin market’s most highly acclaimed and recognizable Zins – Aldo’s Vineyard and Black Chicken.

Prized Zinfandel grapes growing at the Biale vineyard.

 

We had the distinct pleasure of visiting Robert Biale Vineyards.  When we first arrived on the property we were greeted by the vineyard mascots Gus & Buddy. We proceeded to the tasting room where we met Kandice who introduced us to the complete line of Biale wines – more than just Zins.   When Kandice took us out back to show us the crushing facilities we met up with Steve Hall the winemaker…and did we have a lot to talk to Steve about – not just wine, but the Baltimore area as his mom lives there.

Winemaker Steve Hall with our friend Paul and Eric.

Steve was a gracious host and exceptional teacher allowing us to try juices from several pressings that had been fermenting for 10-14 days.  He could tell by tasting the sweet nectar how good the vintage would be with aging. 

The juicy goodness of Biale Zin.

 

 

Our favorite Biale story is from the 1940’s when Aldo was running an Italian farm in the heart of Napa.  Customers would call on the phone (a party line back in those days) to place their order for eggs, produce, and a “black chicken” – code for a jug of bootleg wine.  Even Aldo’s wife Clemintina didn’t understand why the customers wanted “black chickens” because the white chickens were better.

The Biale mascots: Gus & Buddy.

 

We recommend you try Biale wines and if you become a fellow Biale Zin-ophile we further recommend you become a member of the Black Chicken Society.  Visit Biale on the web to find out more and, by all means, if you can visit the vineyard it’s a trip not to be missed.  We’re considering becoming official Biale Zinterns for next year’s crush!

 

 Zin vines at Biale.

 

 

 

 

December’s 1st Snow

In big broadcast markets like Baltimore and Washington, DC the TV weather personalities typically make 6 figures.  Who wouldn’t love that job!  When it comes to forecasting bad weather they are wrong somewhere between 50-65% of the time yet still make that money. 

 

The reason we are even discussing this is because yesterday’s forecast in the Baltimore-DC area initially called for light snow showers late in the day and during the evening with no accumulation.  Instead, the snow began around 9:30 am and didn’t end for most of the day – a veritable winter wonderland with a 3-4 inch accumulation.

 
Our deck railing last night

 

Our favorite thing to do during a snowstorm is hunker down at home with the fireplace roaring and a gorgeous smelling dinner permeating the house.  Yesterday’s choice:  3-bean chili and mâche salad with a creamy red wine vinaigrette and 2007 Altovinum Evodia Garnacha from Calatayud,Spain – just the way we like it…berries and spice and very little tannin and at a very inexpensive price.  We recommend you check it out.

Our 3-bean chili

 

Mâche salad with cucumber, tomato & feta cheese with our Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette

We love to vary our chili – sometimes we use 6 beans, sometimes we use turkey, or pork, or even the famous meatloaf combo (1/3 beef, 1/3 veal, 1/3 pork).  Sometimes we top it with sour cream, sometimes grated cheddar.  It all depends on our mood.  Eric and the kids are experts at cooking chili in a big cast iron dutch oven in the fire while camping.  It’s a cold weather fave in our house.

Sunday’s choice:  Cornish hens with gluten free cornbread stuffing, Becky's potatoes au gratin (recipe from our friend) and garlicky green beans & tomatoes accompanied by 2007 Villa Sparina Gavi from Piedmonte, Italy (we were in the mood for white).  It’s a fruit forward crisp, clean wine with a hint of honey.  Another affordable wine you should check out.

 

Cornish hen with cornbread stuffing on a bed of onions

 

 

Becky’s Potatoes Au Gratin are scrumptiously cheesy

 

Dinner’s eaten, kitchen’s cleaned up, time for that 2^nd glass of wine while we sit in front of the fire and plan out our upcoming week.  Cheers!

 
 
  

Viva La Señora

  

We entered Miami’s trendy Design District with oohs and aahs, glimpsing the high-end stores and high design window fronts.  We pulled up to a small building with umbrella-covered tables out front.  As we exited the car the aroma hit us full in the nose!  It was an aroma filled with promise that made us salivate.

 

Welcome to Sra. Martinez, the tapas restaurant owned by Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez.  Walking inside the 1920’s building (it was originally a post office) we felt like we had left Miami and had entered a small neighborhood restaurant in Spain.   Original wood floors, gigantic black plantation shutters, funky tile walls, marble bartops, cozy booths – all designed by Michelle’s sister.

We were seated at the charcuterie bar where Michelle was busily doing her thing.  As we sat down she hit us with a smile that lit up the entire room.  Let us just say that in person Michelle Bernstein is a stunningly gorgeous woman – TV and photos don’t do her true justice.

 

Okay…onto the food.  Like the ambiance, the food is hip and unpretentious.  Spanish wines comprise 95% of the wine list so we enlisted the Sommelier to help us choose.  She recommended Luna Beberide 2007 Finca La Cuestra (ruby red color, spice & tons of fruit) and we weren’t disappointed.  It was a great recommendation for the dishes we would try.

 

Quesos, Embutidos y Bocas (clockwise from top left) Cana de Cabre – semi-soft goat cheese; Valdeon Blue – combo cow, sheep & goat; Chorizo Cantimpalo; Marcona Almonds; Manchego – Spain’s version of Reggiano Parmigiano.

Of course we had to begin with a charcuterie and cheese platter.  We moved on to mussels and seared scallops.  As our culinary student daughter was eating the scallops she said, “I like how my knife just glides through the scallops.  It makes me so happy.”  From there we moved on to Korean-style short ribs and Butifarra – gigante white beans with foie gras duck sausage.  Darlene said, “I could eat Michelle’s version of franks and beans everyday.”  Dessert was a plate of homemade churros with chocolate sauce.  What’s not to like?

 
Mussels Al Ajillo  

Seared Scallops

Galbi Pinchos (Korean-style short ribs)

Butifarra (gigante beans with foie gras duck sausage)

 
Churros 

  

We cannot begin to tell you have much we enjoyed our meal.  We recommend you put Sra. Martinez on your foodie dance card.  We’ll be back!

 

Le Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé

 

This is the phrase universally plastered on every wine store this week.  It means The New Beaujolais Has Arrived.  We first noticed Beaujolais Nouveau in the 80’s when Georges Deboeuf was the winner of the race to be the first producer to get his bottles on US shelves every year.  This year, America has imported about 147,000 cases of Deboeuf.

 
 

Basically, Beaujolais Nouveau represents a time to celebrate the harvest.  Some of these gamay grapes (about 1/3 of the harvest) are bottled within 6 weeks; the rest is aged in barrels to become more complex wines.

 
 

Fun Facts about Beaujolais Nouveau:

It doesn’t break the bank – you most likely have the cash in your wallet right now as the going price is under $20.

It’s very easy on the palate – light, fruity (think berries), but not sweet.

It’s a great introductory wine for your friends who are staunch white wine drinkers.

 

It’s meant to be consumed right away – within 6 months at most (in most cases).

There are many different producers so we recommend trying a few – at these prices you can certainly afford it.

This wine doesn’t take itself too seriously and the fun, colorful labels reflect that.

Serve lightly chilled – about 55-60 degrees (about ½ hour in your fridge).

Pairs with lots of different foods – gamay grape goes great with charcuterie, pâté, ham, chicken, cheese and, of course, turkey.

 
 

We raise our glasses to toast this year’s harvest.  Cheers!