Can Wine Be Romantic?

Each time I buy a bottle of wine I imagine what I’m going to feel after taking that first sniff from the glass. The imagery of feeling really, really good dances in my head. And why not? That first sniff sets you up and gets your senses going and hopefully your excited with anticipation of that first sip. Yes, this is the scenario I have with each bottle of wine I buy. I’m a romantic when it comes to wine. I expect my senses to be awakened and to get from each bottle its purpose for living. High hopes yes, and if you know where your bottle of wine comes from; ie the region, you can pretty much guess the experience you’re going to get because each region has it own wine style.

I picked a wine from the Chablis region of Burgundy, France (the land of chardonnay) to go with our baked cod. I knew, given its northern cool location, it would have the acidity and lightness of body I wanted to go with our fish. What I wasn’t expecting was to open the bottle and be stopped cold after the first sniff. The aromatics flowing from the glass was so beautiful it stopped me cold…powerful floral grassy citrus oozing romance. I couldn’t go any further. I felt like I was in a romance novel and had just walked by the most beautiful man in the world while strolling along the walkway along the River Seine. I gave it a swirl and took a bigger sniff which put a smile on my face because the intensity of the aroma filled my face with such happiness I just had to smile. Finally after swirling and sniffing, swirling and sniffing and imagining creating a perfume out of it, I sipped it and it was just as powerfully flavored as it was aromatic. It showed it purpose for living.

I have to let you in on a little secret…the Chablis region of France is well-known for its racy, completely food friendly, chardonnay wines. This particular bottle is from an area around Chablis called Saint Bris which only produces wines using a blending of two Sauvignon white grape varieties, Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon Gris, not chardonnay. These grapes are aromatic anywhere they are grown from the Loire, France to New Zealand. Aromatic on all fronts, but romantic? I think Saint Bris has them all beat.

à bientôt (see you soon)

The most beautiful wine I’ve tasted this week

Chablis is one of the most underappreciated wine regions in the world.  Located at the top of Burgundy, France. It produces the most racy, energetic, romantically lovely, wines from the Chardonnay grape.  Chardonnay like you’ve never had it…clean, fruity and vibrant.  I have so many colorful words I could use for this particular wine like; green tinged (color), with green apple laced with minerals (taste) surrounded by a hint of sunshine.  All of this to say the taste and the experience of this particular wine made me feel good.  Each sip got better and better showing a new layer of Chablis-ness.  And shouldn’t all wine make you feel that way?

winefully yours….Jacqueline

Simply Breakfast with Prosecco Mimosa Gelee

We meet a lot of great people when we sample our products in various store locations.  Nothing gets us more excited than hearing  our customers tell us how much they are enjoying our gelee.  One customer told us that they especially loved our Prosecco Mimosa gelee on French Toast.  We couldn’t agree more.  So, in honor of that, here’s a recipe for Classic French Toast my family just loves……  (it’s from Martha Stewart).

Ingredients

• • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 slices (1-inch-thick) bread, preferably day old
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Prosecco Mimosa Wine Gelee for spreading

Directions

1. Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Place bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold bread slices in a single layer. Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn slices over; soak until soaked through, about 10 minutes more.
3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry half the bread slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack; place in oven while cooking remaining bread. Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread. Keep in oven until ready to serve. Serve warm with a dollop of Prosecco Mimosa Gelee.

You can order our gelees from our new market store http://squareup.com/market/the-european-wine-table

Simple Little Cheese Cakes

I  blew off the leaves on the deck and patio this week-end to make way for a picture perfect summer entertaining  season.   Last summer season wasn’t so picture perfect with all of the rain.  This year, hope springs eternal for plenty of sunshine.  

This season also I will be sharing with you recipes we make with our gourmet wine gelée.   We will also be sharing some recipes from local artisans.  Recipes from cheese makers, spice makers, and flavored olive oil makers, to name a few.   Should be fun and informative.  And of course I won’t forget to share  my wine picks which will hopefully come in handy for you .   So let’s begin….

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
• 7 whole graham crackers
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• Pinch of salt
• 10 1/2 oz CalyRoad Creamery fresh chèvre, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (5 ounces)
• The European Wine Table Wine Gelée, any flavor

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut out four 3-inch rounds of shirt cardboard.   Brush the insides of four 3-inch-round and 2 1/2-inch-deep ring molds with butter (found at Target stores). In a food processor, grind the crackers with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.   Set the molds on the baking sheet and line the bottoms with the cardboard rounds, trimming to fit.   Pack the crumbs into the molds; press to compact. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg, egg yolk, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.   Add the fresh chèvre and beat until smooth.   Fold in the crème fraîche.   Spoon the mixture into the molds and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheesecakes are just set but not browned.   Let the cheesecakes cool, then refrigerate them until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Heat a sharp, thin-bladed knife under hot water; dry the knife.   Carefully run the blade around the edge of each cheesecake.   Pressing up on the cardboard, ease the cheesecakes out of the molds; return to the baking sheet.   Cut four 11-by-2 1/2-inch strips of parchment paper.   Wrap the paper around the perimeter of each cheesecake to form a collar that extends 1 inch above the surface; secure with tape.

Spread wine gelée over each cheesecake and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 20 minutes.

Remove the parchment-paper collar from each cheesecake. Carefully remove the cardboard bottoms and serve.

*the original recipe is from Food & Wine magazine enhanced by Mary of Cheeses & Mary

enjoy,

Simply Jacqueline