Pairings, Tasting Rooms, and a Special Treat...

This week has certainly been an "are we there, yet?" week.  With a perfect beach weekend on tap, I imagine I'm not the only one clamoring for the end of the work week. So entertain yourself today with these two tidbits from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, or their "UnReserved" on-line bits of juicy ramblings about this, that and the other of the wine world. Then be sure to pop back for info on a cool Greater Boston event that will make your weekend feel like a long one; it's sure to be the icing on your (Monday) cake! The value of food/wine combination experimentation: BBQ and... Riesling!

From the wine trail: summer get-a-ways for sipping and !@#$!?? Tasting Room Fun?

And last but certainly not least....

If you're looking for an incredible way to prolong your weekend (at least mentally), add a "Summer Highlight" to your list and enjoy the freshest of fresh seasonal, local goodies around town, head over to Gibbet Hill on Monday night.... Check it out!

What tales from the wine trail do you have to tell this summer? Or do you have any intriguing wine pairings you care to share?

Episode 3: the love affair between food and wine

Happy 4th of July! Ok... so we still have a few days of anticipation left this week - or a few more days to get our marinades going and our wine shopping underway. This week we resume our food/wine pairing conversation with episode # 3 in our Supper Swap Series: gett'n giggy (jerky?) with chicken and Zinfandel! It doesn't get more American than Zinfandel. Yes, it's widely thought Zin's roots lie in Puglia, Italy where it is known as Primitivo. But the truth is this particular grape's origins are still somewhat of a mystery. All we know for sure is it is America's grape. It really doesn't grow well outside of California. And so Zin has become our baby.

What's even better about this grape is.... it is terrific when Jamaican Jerk Chicken is on the menu! My buddy John is The Man when it comes to marinades. Actually, he's really the guy who got me on the bandwagon. Since I first met him he never missed an opportunity to bring by his  bags of meats. I've learned several things under his tutelage:

1. Ziplock is the key. The bag allows the marinade to coat every centimeter of meat and lock in the desired flavors. It also travels well and takes up no room in the fridge either when your own is full, or when landing at a BBQ and fridge-space is scarce.

2. It is a quick method to employ. I like to spend time in the kitchen preparing my dishes - but I usually have more than one thing going at a time. Marinades allow me to get the meat going first, and then spend the rest of my time preparing my sides. All the while my protein is getting some TLC in the fridge.

3. It isn't messy and clean up is a snap! I love that you can just dump all of the ingredients into one bag and then mush it around. Once your meat is on the grill, the bag can be efficiently discarded without having to clean another bowl.

John did not let us down when we last swapped a few weeks ago, either.  Looking at the recipe later, I would have thought it would have packed more flame-throwing heat. But this particular marinade brings a different kind of heat as all of the flavors blended together and mellowed perfectly as the chicken was essentially slow-cooked on the grill; (we were pacing ourselves what with all of our culinary delights to enjoy throughout the evening).

We didn't have any Zin on hand by the time the chicken rolled out, but it would be a terrific pairing. Zinfandel is perhaps best known for it's juicy, red berry, fruit-forward character; this profile is a great match for any dish that packs a bit of a punch. But even the other style of Zin, the more tannic/structured style with a kick of spice on the finish, would be a good match for this particular recipe. The protein in the tannin would soften and sweeten once in contact with the chicken/meat protein (on your tongue) - and this dynamic marinade, with subtle flavors and nuances, would be enhanced by the slight kick of pepper on the wine's finish.

(NOTE:  I would, however, caution anyone making a truly spicy dish and picking up a truly tannic wine - danger danger! That could cause a bit of a fire-y explosion in your mouth! You'd be better served by a wine with a little bit of residual sugar to put out the flames.)

Suffice to say, as you get your Marinade On this Fourth of July, feel free to grab a bottle of America's beloved Zin to accompany your dish! Be mindful of your spice quotient and simply ask your local wine guru which style/bottle of the juice is your best bet.

Which CA Zinfandel do you enjoy most?

Episode 2: the love affair between food and wine

We started to revisit the topic of food and wine as a match made in heaven a few weeks ago... My family wine taste-off of sorts interrupted us for a week last week, but with the fourth of July grill fest soon to come, it seems prudent to re-tune the station to another of our Supper Swap success stories! So without further ado, here we have Episode #2 of our Supper Swap series: Black bean sliders! The first time I tried my "Summer is Coming" black bean sliders recipe out on my fellow Swappers I discovered "it needed a little... tweaking", in the words of Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail. Not to worry. I excel at taking a base recipe and fine-tuning it for future endeavors. I discovered Sandra Lee's recipe lacked a bit of bite, sweetness and texture. The food processor process I employed the first time out of the gates ground everything to a paste;  the flavors of each individual component couldn't possibly show through once "grilled". (I also learned the grill is not the cooking tool of choice....) Here's what I came up with as an alternative to this fast summer savior:

Ingredients - black beans (30 oz), 1/2 sweet onion, 1/2 cup of whole beets, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg (white)

Directions - Pulse the beans LIGHTLY and in batches in your food processor. Place in bowl. Then pulse 1/2 cup of beets in your processor. (This adds additional flare, color and sweetness to the burgers without being over the top for those who may shy away from beets.) Dice sweet onion into small pieces by hand. Combine, adding black pepper and salt to taste. Then combine with egg and crumbs. Form patties.

Use a skillet to cook each side (about 4 or 5 min/side), til done.

Makes 5 Servings for a large burger, or about 7 sliders.

Serve on a large English muffin and - the key - use Greek yogurt as the topping. Add mango salsa for additional panache!

So, what wine works?

I had a bottle of the Nuevo Mundo Cabernet/Malbec on hand the first time I tasted these re-vamped burgers - and have lived to tell the tale again and again (just ask my poor colleague...)!  But I've also given them a whirl with a Syrah-based Cote du Rhone as well as the Crios Syrah/Bonarda and been oh-so-satisfied. Basically, you want a lush and mouth-filling, deep, dark fruited red wine with a touch of herbaceousness and spice. Other blends that would work happily are the SNAFU (CA) and the Portteus Rattlesnake Red (WA). Or try a good old-fashioned, dark toned, (with chocolate subtones) Malbec!

The point is, these burgers aren't shy, but also offer a touch of spice and sweetness. A wine with dark but lush and sweet fruit or undertones (e.g. the chocolate thing) makes for a great pairing.

What other wines would you pair with such an easy-to-make, satisfying, hearty meal?

What to do with leftover bubbly

Graduation season is in full swing throughout the country. No doubt corks are flying as years of hard work are celebrated and new adventures anticipated. But what to do with left over bubbly? We often think of sparkling wine as a special commodity not for everyday buying. So when purchasing a bottle (whether actual Champagne, a domestic effort or some other country's fine offering) we are remiss to waste it. But we all know sparkling doesn't hold up so well overnight. The wine simply cannot deliver the same experience on Day 2. Or can it?

Pop over to Wicked Local today to learn all about what to do with your leftovers this celebratory season. You certainly don't want to miss what Rachel Nason from Brookline-based D'Lish Intimate Catering has up her sleeve!

Then, chime in here with your own ideas!

a could-be conundrum: cooking with wine

I realized it was time to get back in the Entertaining Saddle as soon as the Red Sox lost the ALCS. Football is great, don't get me wrong, but we're only talking about 2 days of Go Time each week. And with my favorite cooking magazine, Eating Well,  bursting with fall/harvest/pre-holiday recipes for easy entertaining, the only thing left for me to do was call up some friends. Saturday night I laid out a feast. My guests were delighted with the Aged Mahon cheese (drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with thyme), sliced, marinated salami and mixed olives I set out to wet their appetites; they were equally intrigued by and happy with the Lambrusco I paired accordingly (sweet and salty are always a safe bet!). Meanwhile, I was putting the final touches on the main course in the kitchen - pork loin with roasted grape sauce. I'm not one of those entertainer types who has to know a recipe before I introduce it to my guests. I just give it a shot and see how it goes, pairing the wine I think best. Fortunately my friends are of a similar mind and so happy 'guinea pigs'.

But when it comes to cooking with wine, sometimes recipes can be difficult to discern. The recipe for the grape sauce called for either Madeira or dry, white wine. Madeira is a fortified wine, with varying levels of sweetness and nutty characteristics. Dry, white wine is the exact opposite. Since I wasn't exactly sure what the grape sauce would turn out like - a lighter but flavorful sauce or a rich gravy - making the decision was that much harder. I consulted with my fellow wine buyer. And he made a brilliant recommendation: use an old, dry white wine. Because old white wines develop a kind of richer, nuttier almost dessert-like quality due to excessive oxidation, I would essentially split the difference of the wine recommendations in the recipe. I unearthed a bottle of 2002 Sauvignon Blanc from a case of wine that had gotten lost in the bowels of the shop. And it was perfect!

While I extrapolated from the recipe to find a good answer, I still stand by the most important rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with wine. ONLY cook with wine you would be happy to drink, too. (In fact, I have a fabulous Birthday card on my fridge that reiterates the point perfectly. It says "I love cooking with wine...sometimes I even put it in the food!". ) Did I taste the wine before I poured it into my sauce? Absolutely. Old wine won't hurt you. And in the case of white wine, it just tastes sweet as it ages. Could I have had a glass? Sure! It was reminiscent of creme brulee, in fact. But we had my homemade apple crumble pie on hand for dessert so I passed this time....

What wine cooking conundrums have you encountered? How have you solved them?