The Fableist Chardonnay – Aesop Inspired
Paso Robles wine country is a wine region that has creative spirit and breaks from tradition – it’s innovative and diverse. The region not only creates rockstar single varietal Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian varietals and Rhône Blends but refreshing, complex whites thanks to the calcareous soils, big diurnal temperature shifts between super hot in the day and cool nights ( achieve the power and full ripeness of the grapes) as well as altitude (retains the high acidity levels). The Fableist is located in Paso Robles, California. Fableist is a collaboration between winemakers Curt Schalchlin and Andrew Jones. Each bottle is designed and inspired by Aesop’s fables, there is a moral to each story and every wine they create tells a story. The 2019 Chardonnay was inspired by The Honey Bee and Jupiter fable 163. “By Jupiter’s decree, we sacrifice these grapes to create a wine that’s bright as lightening and smooth like honey. Though tempting to keep this wine for yourself, seek out those with whom to share it with. For generosity can leave a taste far richer than greed”. After reading this fable all I want to do is share this bottle with all wine lovers 😊. The wine was aged in 25% new French Oak for 22 months. The wine is a pale lemon color with fresh aromas of lemon, orange zest, honeydew melon, peach, cantaloupe, blossom, vanilla, honey and crisp apple. The palate is a creamy yet energetic with flavors of cream, lemon curd, peach, crips apple, orange zest, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, blossom, graham cracker, vanilla and honey. It’s well balanced, not overly baked and lively. Paired with Grilled with Grilled Herb and Lemon Honey Chicken or an Arugula fennel salad. Available locally at Grapes & Gourmet for $20.
Marquês de Borba Colheita Tinto
Alentejo DOC of Portugal is one of 13 wine producing regions. It produces ripe, full bodied and fruit forward wines that are a product of the hot, inland region from the Aragonez, Castelao, and Trincadeira varietals. The winemakers are progressive and modern, making wines are often described as “New World” in style. .The region has similarities to California with low rolling hills, limestone and schist soils ideal for winemaking, hot temperatures and lots of sun creating rich, intensely fruity and structured wines. “My experience as winemaker has taught me that a wine reflects the nature of the earth from which it is born and of those who produce it. Skill, experience and technology enable us to improve, with a high level of precision, the different factors that influence the personality of a wine. ” quote from founder and winemaker João Portual Ramos. João Portual Ramos is one of Portugal’s rockstar winemakers and ambassador for Portuguese wines. In addition to his own wines, Ramos also consults for a number of other wineries. This wine is made in temperature controlled fermentation of fully de-stemmed bunches in stainless steel tanks, and a smaller part is fermented in marble lagares. Further again in French and American small oak barrels. Marquês de Borba Colheita Tinto 2017 is a blend of 30% Aragonez, 20% Trincadeira, 15% Petit Verdot, 15% Alicante Bouschet, and 10% Touriga National. It is a deep purple color. Very aromantic and intensely fruity with aromas of blackberry, cherry, tobacco, smoke, vanilla and leather. The palate is dry, medium+body, smooth medium tannins and acid; flavors of blackberry, cherry, tobacco, chocolate, smoke, vanilla, minerals, earth, leather, blueberry, cloves, medium + intensity and long finish. This is a phenomenal wine, great value at $14! Pair with roast beef, grilled lamb burgers, barbeque pork shoulder or sausages and soft cheeses.
Incredible Rioja
Happy International Tempranillo Day 🍷 I thought it would be fitting to take a picture of this amazing Spanish wine in front pictureI took in Girona, Spain 🇪🇸 Years ago I tasted my first Rioja wine on my birthday and it was a Muga Reserva. Instantly I fell in love with this big, dark, intensely complex wine. Tempranillo is indigenous to Northern Spain and grown across the north and central regions Spain. Tempranillo is generally blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo, Viura and Graciano. Tempranillo is also known in Portugal are Tinta Roriz and Aragonéz. When buying a Rioja it’s important to understand labeling laws for reds – the great thing is that they do all the aging for you before releasing the wines to the consumer: Joven: a young red wine with no aging requirements Crianza: Aged for 2 years with a minimum of 6 months oak barrel aging before release Reserva: Aged for 3 years with a minimum of 12 months oak barrel aging before release Gran Reserva: Aged for 5 years with a minimum of 18 months oak barrel aging before release Muga is a benchmark in Rioja. The grapes are sourced from the Rioja Alta, many of which are in higher elevation with long, slow aging in oak barrels. “Bodegas Muga uses oak throughout all the wine-making process (fermentation, ageing and storing). Bodegas Muga is one of the very few Spanish wineries that employ three coopers plus a “cubero” (who specializes in the big casks). They are in charge of working with the oak wood that will finally give that unique and personal touch to our wines. “ In addition the wines are fermented solely with its indigenous yeasts in oak vats. Muga Reserva Rioja Unfiltered 2014 is a dark ruby color with intense aromas of black cherry, black plum, blackberry, leather, tobacco, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, dried figs and dill. Palate is dry, lively acid, fine grained, rich tannins; flavors of black cherry, black plum, blackberry, leather, tobacco, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, dried figs, violet, cherry, chocolate, oak, dill with a loooonnnnggg finish. Just delicious. If you like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Agiorgitiko or Aglianico give Tempranillo a try! Bolder, aged Tempranillo wines Pairs well with Jamón Iberico, smoky grilled steak, gourmet beef and blue cheese burgers, rack of lamb or tomato based dish such as lasagna. The wine has the high acidity , fine tannins and savory qualities to hold up to many pairings.
Great Value Bordeaux White
What comes to mind when you hear the word Bordeaux? Most people would think of a French red wine made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which accounts for 90% of the regions wine production. Bordeaux also makes renowned, unctuous and delicious Sauternes desert wines as well as refreshing, quaffable white blends. These refreshing white wines are mainly made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Some include small amounts of Muscadelle, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. They can range from light, zippy and fresh from the Entre-Deux-Mers region to the creamier, fuller bodied whites from the Pessac-Leognan region. Enter-Deux-Mers is the wine sub-region I will be focusing on today. The area is located between the 2 major rivers of Bordeaux (the Garonne in the south and Dordogne in the north). Entre-deux-Mers produces both dry whites as well as sweet botrytized whites of Cadillac, Loupiac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. The landscape has gentle rolling hills 100m above sea level. The soils here are predominantly of alluvial type (sand and clay in varying proportions) from the two rivers. The rivers provide the humidity for the sweet wines as well as cooling influences at night. Puyfromage Blanc Entre-Deux-Mers 2019 is an approachable White Bordeaux style. The vines are an average age 55 years old. The vines are trained in the Double guyot pruning system using sustainable viticulture. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures in order to preserve the aromatics. It is then aged on the lees for 2 months with stirring of the lees in a barrel and then matured for 3 months in stainless steel tanks. The wine is a blend of 45% Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, 45% Sémillon and 10% Muscadelle. The wine is a pale lemon color with bright citrus aromas. The wine is dry with dominant citrus flavors of grapefruit, lemon, lime as well as gooseberry, grass, wet stone, blackcurrant leaf, honeysuckle. It’s a light wine that shows vibrant, lively, crisp fruit aromatics . Pair with a oysters, gougères, halibut tartare with avocado cream, asparagus risotto, cheese fondue, lobster mac’n cheese, cod with beurre bland or basil chicken. Looking for a great value white wine that is a cross between a herbal New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and zesty Italian Pinot Grigio? Give a White Bordeaux a try!
Vino Lauria Frappato
What is Frappato? Is it a baseball term? Is it a type of coffee drink? In French to “frapper” means hit, but in this case it is an Italian red grape varietal indigenous to Sicily, mainly found in Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. Up until recently Frappato was a blending grape with Nero D’Avola but is now being made as a single varietal. Frappato is also known as Surra and Nero Capitano. The grape does very well in hot, dry conditions. It has a light color wine, very fragrant strawberry, violet and dried herbs, medium bodied, fresh and fruity wine meant to be drunk young Vino Lauria is located in FiàNobile vineyard in the Vittoria region. The soils are made up clay & calcareous soils with gentle breezes from the hills around Alcamo. The winemaker Vito Lauria is the gatekeeping of his grandfather’s traditions while using modern wine practices, organic and environmentally conscious practices in order to meet evolving demands of the modern consumer. They creatively bring out the unique characteristics of rarer grapes and even rarer blends, with a deep wisdom of winemaking and knowledge of the land. This particular wine was fermented at cool temperatures of 60°F for 12 days and then further aged for 8 months ins stainless steel tanks. Vino Lauria Frappato 2017 is a pale ruby color with intense aromas of strawberry, cranberry, violet, cloves and dried herbs. The palate has a medium-crisp acidity, medium tannins and flavors of strawberry, violets, red currant, cranberry, blueberry, cloves, white pepper, sage, earthy balsamic and tomato leaf. It is a fresh, vibrant wine meant to be drunk now. Pair with your next Thanksgiving meal of stuffed turkey breast with cranberry compote, roast ham with cranberry glaze. Available locally in RI at Grapes & Gourmet for $16
Grilled Swordfish with Cilantro Chimichurri
2 lbs. swordfish steaks Salt and Pepper 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 bunch of cilantro, cleaned, well dried 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed 3 anchovy filets 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper Heat the grill to medium heat (around 350F). Meanwhile, dry the fish with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over and drizzle with olive oil. Once the grill is hot, cook the steaks 5 minutes a side till done. Meanwhile, make the Chimichurri sauce – cut 3 inches off of the stalks of the bunch of cilantro. Tear up the bunch and place in the food processor along with remaining ingredients. Pulse 8-10 times till chopped up but not completely pureed. You want some texture in the sauce. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Pair with a lively Sauvignon Blanc, such as one from Menetou-Salon (shown in the picture), Sancere or Pouilly-Fumé in the Vallée de Loire. The herbaceousness of the wine pairs beautifully with the sauce and meaty rich fish.
Heavenly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone has a soft spot for freshly baked cookies… The smell of vanilla, chocolate and brown sugar goodness all rolled into one – heavenly! These delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies have a secret ingredient that makes them ever so decadent – brown butter 😋 it adds an extra richness and nutty flavor that is irresistible! Based on the ATK Cookbook recipe. 1 cup all purpose flour 3/4 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. baking powder 4 tbsp. unsalted butter 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (Guillard is a great brand) Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally. Continue to cook until the bottom and sides of the pan starts to brown and have a nutty aroma, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a large bowl, scraping all the brown bits, stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in the sugars and oil into the butter. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla, mix well. Stir in the flour mixture and chocolate chips. Don’t over mix the dough or it will be too stiff. Shape the dough into 25 small golfball size. Gently flatten and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden around the edges and soft in the middle, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to a cooling rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove and put on a wire rack to cool completely. Bake them or freeze the rollers dough for when you have company pop over at the last minute. Pair with a rich, baked blueberry and blackberry Cabernet Sauvignon or a LBV Port. Both are sweet enough to hold up to a cookie and Port begs to be paired with chocolate
Susucaru Terra Sicilian Rosario 2019
Frank Cornelissen, the winemaker, has quite the cult following for this Sicilian jewel grown in the northern valley of Mount Etna, Sicily. He is a big advocate natural wines, therefore he farms in a minimalist way. He lets the vines do their thing in a bush vine type shape. He has very similar philosophy and style to Meinklang winemakers – let nature do it’s thing and let the grapes shine “au naturel” – nothing added or taken away. The use of wild yeasts, short skin maceration to obtain this gorgeous dark pink copper color and cool fermentation in neutral epoxy tanks creates an incredibly fresh and fruity Rosé. Susucaru Terra Siciliane Rosario IGT 2019 wine is made from Sicilian indegenous grapes Malvasia, Moscadella, Cattaratto and Nerello Mascalese. It’s has fresh aromas of ripe strawberry, blood orange, rose petals, rhubarb, yeast and dusty soil. The palate is dry,light body, medium acid and body with flavors of strawberry, blood orange, sour cherry, rhubarb, rose petals , earthy and grapefruit pith. It is so refreshing, delicious, 12% abv and begs to be enjoyed with friends or with carmelized onion crostini, pumpkin gnocchi or red Thai curry.
Timbre Pinot Noir
“TIMBRE is the “color” of music. It is what makes two voices sound different, even when singing the same song.” Timbre winery founders Joshua Klapper and Alex Katz, are all about terroir – focus on the place where the wine comes from and let it shine. Their winemaking is the music in the wine. Sourced from different terroirs in Salinas Valley in the Monterey AVA , California. Sandy loam soils creates elegance; Steep slopes & cooling ocean creates fresh acidity. The wine is a mix of co-fermented “Don’t poke the bear” Pinot Noir (which is a finicky grape) clones creating a balanced wine. Made at Mission Ranch vineyard, aged for 10 months in neutral French oak. The Timbre Opening Act Pinot Noir 2016 has a rich ruby red color with aromas of fruity black raspberry, cinnamon & cloves, pomegranate, rhubarb & savory fig. The palate is velvety, ripe cherry, cola, figs, vanilla and baking spice sing in the balanced acidity and long finish. Pair with chicken pot pie 😋 roast pork loin with cranberry apple filling or fig crostini.
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore, in Italian is a hunters stew, is a a rustic meal of chicken braised in a rich red wine tomato and mushroom sauce 😋 it is rich in flavor, soulfully statisfying and makes tons to have leftovers the next day. I served it with buttered orzo. 8 (5- to 7-ounce) boneless chicken thighs, trimmed + 3 tbsp. salt for the night before (see below) 2 1/4 tsp. sea salt 3/4 tsp pepper 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped 6 oz portobello mushroom caps, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp minced fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups dry red wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional; see note) 2 tsp chopped fresh sage The night before cooking, season the chicken all over with sea salt. Don’t worry the meat won’t be salty. What will happen is the salt through osmosis will tenderize and retain moisture in the chicken and dry out the outter layer making it more crispy when cooked. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown thighs, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer thighs to plate; discard skin. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion, mushrooms and peppers plus the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in broth, tomatoes and cheese rind, if using, and bring to simmer. Nestle thighs into pot, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken registers 195 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pot from oven and transfer chicken to serving platter. Discard cheese rind, if using. Stir sage into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Note: The Parmesan cheese rind is optional, but we highly recommend it for the savory flavor it adds to the dish. Paired with a Schiava from Elena Walch vineyards, located in Alto Adige, Italy. Tomato based sauces need a higher acid wine to balance the dish and make it sing.