Wine and Country

Ok, not your traditional Thanksgiving I know…but a wonderful one it was.  My family and I went to Savannah (our favorite place to be as a family) and had a low-country boil (southern speak for seafood) for Thanksgiving.  Succulent Alaskan Crab, Cajun shrimp, spiced corn on a cob….this was just the appetizer!  The main meal consisted of char-grilled oysters, prime rib and of course southern fried chicken, all accompanied with an assortment of southern style vegetables…..sweet potatoes included.  There was an assortment of decadent desserts….apple and pumpkin tarts, both of which I had too many of or I should say both of which I need to work off.  Did I mention the setting?  We ate our fare outside on a large covered dock, the setting looking out at a bay of water (the weather was sunny, beautiful and 80 degrees).   Inside the covered dock was a large screen TV, so we were able to watch the NFL games as we stuffed ourselves (Dallas lost by the way(: ).  It was all perfect….my family, the food, the setting…the perfect Thanksgiving…each moment filled with gratitude!  So what wine did I choose to go with this fare?  Kabinett German Riesling……it went perfectly with everything. 

P.S .  place of origin for dinner…..Uncle Bubbas.

 

enjoy

Bucking Tradition

I am a peanut butter fan.  In fact I'm one of those fans who passionately eats peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon as a mid-afternoon snack (organic is the best).  A few months ago my family and I had lunch at one of the best hamburger dives in Georgia and in addition to their stellar burger menu listed was what they called their famous "peanut butter pie".  Just the words peanut butter made my mouth water, and adding pie on the end of those words sealed the deal, and besides I have a son who shares the same passion.   We took it home....the brownish-beige round mass had a mountain of homemade whipped cream on the top which made cutting the perfect slice of pie challenging.  I muddled through and managed to plate two slices, one for me and one for my son.  We started eating and I can tell you for certain that I was lifted to a heavenly place.  I looked at my son to see if he was having the same experience and he appeared to be glowing (I think it had more to do with his teeth peering though his smile).  Yes, heaven is achievable on earth.  My son and I single-handedly ate the entire pie, not in one sitting, but in intervals throughout the evening.  Now, this experience was months ago and we have not been back to get that pie again, but we've talked about the pie a lot, so much so that my husband offered to make a peanut butter pie for us.  His thought was if they can do, he could do it.....and did it he did! Interwoven layers of sticky, gooey peanut butter and whipped cream all folded to pie perfection.  I paired this delightful mass with Barefoot California Moscato.  I know that traditionally pumpkin pie and apple pie adore the American Thanksgiving dessert table and I'm all for that.  I'm also in favor of bucking tradition by adding new ones and this peanut butter pie paired with Moscato would be a good one to add.  It has all of the ingredients that creates a lasting food and wine memory...and isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about.....lasting memories.  Have a wonderful and safe holiday.  Peanut Butter Pie recipe

enjoy

Swiss Wines

I had the privilege of tasting wines from Switzerland last week.  Little is known about the wines from this region because they are, for the most part, not exported from their region.  In fact only about 1% makes it out of their borders and that 1 percent almost never sees the shores of the US (the Swiss want their wines all to themselves), or do they?  Could be that part of the problem is the expense of getting their wines here along with the red tape involved.  Whatever the reason it would be a wonderful thing to add Swiss wines to our repertoire of everyday drinking wines.  Switzerland is a tiny region surrounded by four major wine producing countries; France, Germany, Italy, and Austria, which makes for an interesting mix of wine styles.  The wines I tasted were from the French side (located in western Switzerland) which includes the appellations of Valais and Vaud.  The predominant grape varieties from here are Chasselas (white), Gamay (red), and Pinto Noir (red).  All of the wines I had showed wonderful, subdued elegant fruitiness, no fruit bombs here (subdued is what you would expect from a cold climate region like Switzerland).  The Chasselas had floral and citrus fruit aromas, very light in body with a fruity mixture that enveloped the palate.  The Gamay and Pinot Noir were both earthy, first evidenced on the nose then on the palate.  Both had subdued, elegant red berry flavors….raspberries, cherries, with Gamay’s fruitiness being more prevalent when compared to Pinot Noir.   I’m not writing about these wines to tease you, I’m writing about them so that there can be an awareness that they exist, and also bring awareness to a world of wine you may not have experiences yet and want to seek out, kind of like visiting that place you’ve always wanted to experience before time slips by.  I admit that there is nothing complex about these wines.  I take that back, true they are not Bordeaux, but they do have a complexing elegance worth seeking out.  Upon first sip they will create a lasting memory, not because of the wine industry’s definition of complexity, but because of their uniqueness and trueness of terroir…..an experience you’ll always remember. 

enjoy

Everyday Wine meets a Culinary Fare

If I had one word to describe the 6 course dinner prepared at the Woodfire Grill by the renown  Chef Kevin Gillespi, (formerly of the reality show Top Chef, who by the way is just as eloquent in person as he was on Top Chef) who paired the dishes with the famed wines from Mirassou winery (David Missouri the 6th generation wine expert was also in attendance), it would be “ingenious”.    Ingenious because Mirassou wines are fresh (whites), not overly oaked (both reds and whites), everyday drinking wines that you would never think to pair with such and extravagant fare. How presumptuous of me! My experience with such a fare has been this type of gourmet excellence paired with the fine wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Here was the menu…warning: please try this at home:

First Course

crisp fried laughing bird shrimp with confited shrimp salad, ginger, chile and  meyer lemon vinaigrette paired with 2008 Mirassou California Sauvignon Blanc ~ grapefruit, pear, grassy, and light

Second Course

pan roasted day boat scallop, sweet potatoes, winter squash, black lentils, pear and cashew salad, green chile jus paired with 2009 Mirassou Calfornia Pinot Grigio ~ peach, pear and citrusy and light

Third Course

border springs lamb crepinette, cured olive tapenade, lemon cream, mint paired with 2008 Mirassou California Pinot Noir ~ cherries and strawberries abound

Fourth Course

wood grilled local bob white quail and smoked pork belly, roasted local okra, hakurei turnips, lacinato kale, chicken jus paired with 2008 Mirassou California Merlot ~ black cherries, black berries and a hint of oak

Fifth Course

wood grilled border springs lamb leg, roasted local pac choi, mixed young beets, parsnip puree, cardamom lamb jus paired with 2008 Mirassou California Cabernet Sauvignon ~ black cherry, black currants and a hint of vanilla

Dessert

peach streusel cake, almond mascarpone mousse, peach puree, peach ice cream, feulletine crumble paired with 2009 Mirasssou California Riesling ~ peach, apricot, and spice throughout

I’m being graphic here because I want you to get a sense of the cuisine paired with these simple wines.  These wines paired beautifully and to give further acclaim would pair quite nicely with pot roast also (try this recipe with Mirassou California Merlot)…..by the way this classic pot roast recipe is from 1963.

You know this  dinner had all of the elements you want in an evening with food and wine….perfect meal, paired with great wines, stimulating wine conversation and best of all new friendships…..warning:  please try this at home.

enjoy

 

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