Deconstructed Bagel and Lox

I recently worked a wine dinner at Temptations and wanted to share the behind the scenes fun.

I’ve said it before:  if you love food and wine and want to learn more about the whole subculture of people and pleasures that field encompasses, and you want the opportunity  to try lots of great food and wine you might not otherwise get to – for free – get yourself a part-time job at a restaurant; the learning experience can’t be beat.

Plus, the opportunity to work with talented and creative chefs and sous-chefs, get recipe tips and learn about fancy cooking techniques, get tastes of fabulous food and wine on a regular basis – what’s not to love?

I thought I wasn’t going to like that deconstructed bagel and lox thing-y at all, but boy, was I ever surprised — it.was.good. That’s what’s so cool about working a wine dinner — you get to try all the food and all the wine, and we did. This course was paired with Abbazia Novacella Gruner Veltliner 2007, from Trentino, Italy.

And then there was the Duck Paella.  I don’t like duck, I just do not.  But this was the second iteration of duck I’ve had in recent months that I’ve loved.  Go figure.  What I figure is that what a super-talented chef can do with a dish can fo’ sho’ change your mind.  This course of duck, saffron rice, chorizo sausage and spicy tomato stock was paired with the Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserva 2008, from the Maipo Valley in Chile.

Duck Paella, after being inhaled by hungry waitstaff

Next was the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with a Sweet Corn Cake and Blueberry Mourvedre Reduction Sauce, paired with Amaze Mourvedre, Contra Costa County, California, 2006.

And then . . . my favorite course of all — dessert – “The Truffled Trifle,” a chocolate truffle with berries, paired with Marenco Pineto Brachetto d’Acqui, Piedmonte, Italy, 2009.

I wrote about the Marenco Pineto Brachetto d’Acqui on this blog recently, sharing how much I adore it.  It’s a perfect and light-hearted and fun dessert wine, which you all ought to try when you get a chance.  It’s like Welch’s Grape Juice, but with bubbles and alcohol — charming.

The great thing about a wine dinner is, you’ll learn how transcendent great food and wine pairing can be (yes, I get a little carried away), you’ll eat fabulous food and drink fabulous wine, and I bet you’ll have a couple new friends after. 

Desserts in the kitchen, waiting for their debut

Cheers!

Angry Lobster! (yep, that's what it's called)

Oh hallelujah and finally, yes, I ate at Catch on Market Street, a pilgrimage I’ve been wanting to make for a loooong time. Oh boy, was it ever good. 

If you live in Wilmington and eat out regularly, you’ve either been here already, heard about how awesome it is, and/or plan to go soon.

We didn’t have reservations, but we were accommodated in the bar area, which we all liked immensely.

We started with Ribs-n-Fries for appetizer, then ordered Blackened Amberjack, Shrimp and Grits, Angry Lobster, and some sort of Flounder dish, whose menu name I can’t recall at the moment, for our entrees.

And then the sharing of dishes commenced.  Once we tucked in, all four of us were giddy with delight at how damn good everything was, save for the 12-year old among us, who possibly didn’t share quite the same enthusiasm as the adults for each and every bite. (But he’s being raised by a foodie, so he’s coming right along.)

Blackened Amberjack over Cheddar Cheese Grits

A nice touch – Chef Keith Rhodes came out and said hello, asked how everything was and chatted for a few minutes, and when his wife spied us trying to take a pic of ourselves, she kindly stepped in and took it for us. Nice people.

I highly recommend Catch on Market, and I for one will be going back as soon as I can swing it.

To learn more about Catch, check out their website here.

Location and Hours:
6623 Market Street
Lunch:  Monday-Friday 11:30-2:00
Dinner: Monday thru Saturday 5:30-until
910.799.3847

Bon Appetit!

Marenco Pineto Brachetto D’Acqui 2009

Today I’m going to talk about a concept called “gateway wine.”  (I’m borrowing the term from my friend Benito over at Benito’s Wine Reviews.)  A gateway wine is, as Benito says, “a wine that won’t scare away newbies.”

I think of this category of wines as “baby steps” for folks do say they don’t drink wine because they can’t find one to like. People who want to enjoy wine, and even learn more about it, but don’t, because they’ve tried one or two, didn’t like them, and based on that limited experience, have determined they don’t like wine as an entire category.

If you are one of those people, I bet you I can help you find a wine to like, and the “gateway wine” is a way for you to get there.

Gateway wines are approachable and unserious, yet delicious and completely enjoyable. Highly gulpable wines you can drink and like, even if you don’t know the first thing about the winemaker or the growing conditions or viticulture or vintage charts or which kind of barrels the wine was aged in or terroir — or any of the other things that make the hearts of wine geeks everywhere sing.

Three “gateway wines” that come to mind for me are Beaujolais Nouveau, Vinho Verde, and Brachetto D’Acqui. If you started with just these three, you’d have a red, a white, and a lightly sparkling wine in your repertoire, and you could step up from there as you feel comfortable.

Brachetto D’Acqui

I recently had Brachetto D’Acqui at a wine dinner, and fell in love with it all over again.

Brachetto is the name of the grape; D’Acqui refers to the part of the Piedmont region of northwest Italy where the grapes for this particular Brachetto (see pic above) come from. Light-bodied and highly aromatic, Brachetto D’Acqui is pink to cherry red, frizzante (mildly sparkling), and has aromas of strawberries, raspberries, orange blossoms and spice.

It is a lovely, lovely dessert wine – it was paired with chocolate truffle and berries at the wine dinner where I tried it — absolute perfection. And it has a very low alcohol content, around 5.5%, making it a great aperitif that won’t leave you too buzzed.

It can have a trace of sweetness, and some examples are medium-sweet.  The version I had made me think of exactly this:  Welch’s Grape Juice with bubbles – and I liked that.  ; )

Beaujolais Nouveau

I’m sure everyone knows what Beaujolais Nouveau is, but here’s a quick refresher in case you’re totally new to wine:  BN is young, fruity red wine made from the Gamay grape, with a nice zing of acidity and no bitter tannins to turn you off.  Its light body and lack of tannins make it chillable, if you prefer, and its low price point and easy availability make it an ideal wine for newbies to seek out.
 

BN is made and released scant weeks after the grapes are harvested, hence the moniker “Nouveau.” It’s the first wine of the new vintage every year in France, and arrives in the States in November each year.

You can read my previous post about the 2009 Beajolais Nouveau here.

Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is from Portugal. It’s light, fresh, and effervescent — an excellent summer sipper on its own, and also pairs well with lighter seafood dishes, salads, and fruit even, all the things you like to eat in summer. It’s not at all a serious wine, but one meant to be drunk while you’re enjoying your usual summer fun.

Vinho Verde is easy to love — I’ve had people who say they don’t drink or like wine try Vinho Verde and become converts, ask me what other wines they might like, and then there they are – wine likers (not wine “lovers” just yet, but give me a little time.)

If you want to check out two inexpensive and readily available Vinho Verdes, read about Casal Garcia Vinho Verde here, or Twin Vines Vinho Verde here.

So there you have it, three approachable and loveable wines for folks who think they don’t like wine.  And for those of you in that category, if you try all three and get then get back to me, I’ll give you some more suggestions!

Cheers!

In the meantime, Cheers & Bon Appetit.

This is going to be B-I-G F-U-N.  Temptations Everyday Gourmet, 3501 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, will present a five-course “forgotten grapes” wine dinner on Friday August 20th at 6:30 p.m.

Chris Kern, wine expert, culinary entrepreneur, and founder of ForgottenGrapes.com, will partner with one of Wilmington’s Top Chefs (as voted on by readers of the Star-News), Temptations Everyday Gourmet Executive Chef Michael Comer, and Chef de Cuisine Virginia Thompson, for an irreverent, interactive, off-the-wall, and pop-culture-filled “Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes” wine tasting dinner on Friday, August 20th at 6:30 p.m. at Temptations  Hanover Center location in Wilmington.

The “Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes” dinner will focus on the Forgotten Grapes, the lesser-known and uncommon varietals of the wine world.  Mr. Kern has specifically chosen five different Forgotten Grapes for the dinner, and will tell stories, crack jokes, sing songs, and dress up in costume to introduce Wilmington wine lovers to these exceptional yet misunderstood wines. Chefs Comer and Thompson have crafted a five-course gourmet dinner where each course pairs perfectly with one of the Forgotten Grapes wines.

Menu and wine pairings:

Flounder en Papillote
Shitake Mushrooms, Fennel, Celery, Lemon, Wine & Tarragon Butter
Paired with Willows Semillon, Barossa, Australia

Deconstructed Bagel & Lox
Smoked Salmon, Bagel Crostini, Lemon Herb Cream Cheese, Micro Greens
Paired with Abbazia Novacella Gruner-Veltliner, Trentino, Italy

Duck Paella
Duck, Saffron Rice, Chorizo Sausage, Spicy Tomato Stock
Paired with Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserva, Maipo, Chile

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Sweet Corn Cake, Blueberry Mourvedre Reduction Sauce
Paired with Amaze Mourvedre, Contra Costa, CA

The Truffled Trifle
Chocolate Truffle & Fresh Berries
Paired with Marenco Pineto Brachetto d’Aqui, Piedmonte, Italy

“This is not your typical ‘pour-sip-and-nibble’ wine dinner,” explains Mr. Kern. “Forgotten Grapes wine tastings are loud, rambunctious, loaded with pop culture references, completely interactive, totally unpredictable, and usually end with me making a fool of myself in some way, so people should definitely come out to Temptations for that alone!”

“But seriously, I could not be more excited to be working with two of the finest chefs in Wilmington, and if you’re a wine and food lover, or just someone who enjoys a fine glass and a good meal every now and then, you owe it to yourself to come out for this amazing dinner and learn about these other fantastic, highly drinkable grapes out there that just don’t get the same press or shelf space as their A-list brothers and sisters but drink as well if not better, and often for half the price or more.”

The “Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes” wine-paired dinner begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 20th and advanced reservations are required. The cost of the dinner is only $75 per person, which includes the five-course dinner and generous pours of each of the five Forgotten Grape wines with each course, the show, and tax and gratuity.

**Reservations can be made by calling Temptations directly at (910) 763-6662, but please note that seating for the event is very limited and it is expected to sell out.

Temptations Everyday Gourmet is located at 3501 Oleander Drive, Suite 13 in Hanover Center in Wilmington. For more information about this event or Temptations, please visit temptationseverydaygourmet.com. For more information about Forgotten Grapes and Chris Kern, visit ForgottenGrapes.com.

Twin Vines Vinho Verde 2009

I recently wrote about the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde here; I’ve been meaning to try the Twin Vines Vinho Verde for weeks, as a sort of comparison.  Because they are both Vinho Verdes, they both have twist-off caps, and they both retail for around $8 in my market.  Apples and apples, then.

I planned to write about that comparison, and give you other helpful information about the wine, but was thrown for a loop a couple of hours ago when my brother called to tell me our Dad was admitted to the hospital today.

Not to get too personal or dramatical here (yes, I know that’s not really a word, but I’m trying to keep my sense of humor here, as much as possible), but I can’t do anything else right now while I wait for news, and I have to do something, so a blog post seems like an OK thing to do while I sit here on pins and needles.

However, now I’m not feeling much up to researching wine and doing my taste comparison, so instead I found a well-written and entertaining review of this wine from another wine blog for you. I just discovered this blog and after reading the review, thought, “hmm, that’s how I would likely have talked about  this wine, and it is kinda sorta like my own blogging ‘voice,’” so here you go. 

Enjoy.  : )

(A quick note, though:  I prefer the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde — it seems a little more delicate and balanced to me.  For what it’s worth.)

Pic from Dr. Vino's Wine Blog

Hello dear readers,

Tonight while catching up on food and wine blogs I read regularly, I found a super interesting post over on Dr. Vino’s wine blog about pairing BBQ with wine.  In the post, Dr. Vino references our very own eastern NC-style BBQ.  (I ask you, is there any other kind?  But I digress.)

Dr. Vino does regular blog posts on impossible food-wine pairings — they are awesome because, between reading the post itself and all the comments on the post, you can learn some really useful information on pairing wine with seemingly difficult foods/dishes/recipes. I pay attention to these posts, and implement the suggestions.

But hell, I never thought NC (or other) BBQ was hard to pair with wine to begin with, been doin’ it for years. But hey, I guess it’s not all that easy for those who don’t eat BBQ regularly.  (Bless their hearts.)

So, since we here in Wilmington, NC, and in eastern NC in general, have loads of experience with our particular style of (the very best) kind of BBQ, and what pairs well with it, why don’t we all head on over to Dr. Vino’s wine blog and leave a comment with our wine and BBQ pairing suggestions. I already got us started with my very own comment earlier tonight, so you all go on over there now and leave your comment, how ’bout it?   : )

Thanks a bunch!

Kymberlei DiNapoli of Taste the Olive

If you love to cook, and you really prize using the finest ingredients – the very best and freshest olive oils and vinegars, for example – then you are going to want to visit Taste the Olive, pronto.

I went last week, and from one foodie to another I must tell you, it’s a place to rave about.

When you walk in, you’ll spy rows of gleaming silver fustis — tanks for dispensing and storage of olive oil — and lots of ‘em. Which is a lot of great nectar to try. And you’ll get to, because this is an “olive oil tasting bar.”  Yeah, I know!

Kymberlei DiNapoli, proprieter, will lead you through as many as you’d like, explaining the origin and flavor profile of every one. And let me tell you, Kymberlei knows her olive oil. And her vinegars. I was impressed by the depth and breadth of her knowledge, and left feeling like I’d been missing out all these years on how much there actually is to know. Geez, how was I shopping for olive oil properly before learning these things?!

I tried several of the single varietal extra virgin olive oils, starting with the least intense, and working my way up to the big daddy, bold, peppery, king of the hill, which I believe was the Hojiblanca Intenso from Spain. Whatever it was, one thing is certain:  I’m in love.  I have every reason to believe I’ll get addicted to it.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.  In addition to single varietal extra virgin olive oils, and aged and infused balsamic vinegars, there are naturally infused flavored extra virgin olive oils, whole fruit fused extra virgin olive oils, white balsamic vinegars, and wine vinegars.  And more.  You’ll just have to check it out for yourself.

A cool thing:  when you shop (and taste!) here, you’ll learn things about vinegars and oils you didn’t know before, you’ll get great suggestions from Kymberlei on what to pair with particular oils and vinegars, and, if you’re as lucky as I was, you may even get a couple of recipe cards to enhance your particular purchase.

What I ended up buying was an aged 18 year traditional balsamic vinegar that makes my heart sing.  I already had it on strawberries for dessert one night, and will be cooking with it this weekend.

I highly recommend you check out Taste the Olive, first chance you get.  ; )

Taste the Olive
1121-G Military Cutoff Rd., in The Forum
Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm
910.256.6457

www.tastetheolive.com ]]> http://wineandwalnuts.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=1851 0 http://wineandwalnuts.com/wordpress/?p=1856 http://wineandwalnuts.com/wordpress/?p=1856#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:27:03 +0000 Kimberly Houston http://wineandwalnuts.com/wordpress/?p=1856

Nouveau Muse 2009 Rosato

In the last 2 months I’ve enjoyed four bottles of this particular Rosé – that’s how much I like it.  I love serving this one to folks who say either “I don’t like Rosé,” or, “I don’t really drink wine.”

I recently poured this wine at a tasting for one of the networking groups I belong to, and heard both those comments, and each time the commenter was surprised by their reaction to the wine – one said, “Wow, that’s really nice, I usually drink beer, but I could see me drinking that.”  The other said, “OK, maybe I do like Rosé.”

That’s exactly the reaction I used to have to white wines – I don’t like ‘em, and therefore don’t drink ‘em. But this summer I decided to take my self-limiting blinders off, and now I’ve found a good half dozen whites I really love!

So c’mon people, don’t be scared!  Yes, Rosé is pink, but it’s not like drinking kool-aid!  It can be dry and fine and lovely and full of finesse. Yes, it’s wine, but if you “don’t really drink wine,” you may want to start with an example like this to change your mind!

You’ll never know unless you try . . .

The Nouveau Muse Rosato is made predominantly from the Sangiovese grape, blended with a small amount of Chardonnay for color and complexity. It has aromas of cherry, apple, raspberry and pear, with hints of spice and blackberry.

The mouth feel is light and lively with crisp and sweet fruit flavors; the finish is medium and filled with sweet fruit.  

This wine would pair well with all the kinds of foods Rosé usually pairs well with – grilled fish, grilled vegetables, mildly spicy food, BBQ — say Southern y’all! – and other smoky food, pork dishes, and so on.

In the interest of full disclosure, I conduct in-home wine tastings for small groups through a company called WineShop at Home, and this Rosé is part of our line-up, so if you go to the link below and buy something, I will earn a commission.

(I’ve been writing this blog for well over a year, and this is the first time I’ve ever promoted anything I could earn money from. I was initially wildly uncomfortable with the idea, but a girl’s gotta make a living, right?)

Please visit my other website to order this Rosé (I believe there are about 10 cases total left, then it’s history. It’ll set you back $18 bucks).

Once on that page, click on “Shop Our Products,” then, “Shop for Wines,” then “White Wine” (even though it’s not actually white wine. Ahem.), then scroll down to Item #:19-0051 and place your order.  It will be worth the effort.  ; )

Or simply e-mail me at wineandwalnuts@gmail.com and I’ll happily guide you through the process!

Cheers!

Cotes du Rhone Blanc Les Abeilles 2008

Jean Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone Blanc Les Abeilles 2008

In keeping with my summertime experiment of finding whites to love, I recently tried this white Cotes du Rhone (France). I’ve had many, many a red Cotes du Rhone, but a white one?  Never.

Like red Cotes du Rhones, white CDR’s are a blend of grapes.  This particular version is a blend of 40 % Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier , and 10% Roussanne.

Now, I consulted both of my tip-top go to wine resources – Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, and Mark Oldman’s Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine (both of which I highly recommend) to find more information for you (and me!) on white Cotes du Rhones. 

But here’s the thing, white CDR’s aren’t really mentioned in Oldman’s book at all, and in even Zraly’s bible/tome, they get a very passing mention.  As in here’s a chart of the major wine regions in France, and the Cotes du Rhone region produces “mostly reds.”  Yep, that.is.it.folks.

What gives?

What this tells me, if nothing else, is that not a lot of people know about white CDR’s, and even fewer people drink them, so if you do, you are really special.  Let’s just go with that, shall we?  ; )

I bought this wine locally, for around $14, at Temptations in Porter’s Neck.

Since I had nothing else to compare this wine to, and finding no real information about white CDR’s elsewhere, I’m going to rely on the info I found on the Jean Luc Colombo website, see below.  You’ll also find below some food pairing guidance from the winery.

Les Abeilles Blanc – 2008

Vines and Cellar
(From Jean-Luc Colombo website)

Grape varieties: 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier, 10% Roussanne
Terroir: The vineyards are located in the heart of the Côtes du Rhône; Cairanne, Rasteau, Vacqueyras.
The grapes are harvested manually in small cases, respecting the quality of the fruit.
Upon reception in the winery, the grapes are vinified at low temperature in stainless steel, temperature controlled vats.

Tasting

Robe: Beautiful, brillant, light yellow with hint of green.
Nose : The nose offers fine and intense floral aromas and notes of fresh fruits like candied lemon with a nice freshness.
Palate: Nicely rounded and fresh., it surprises by it is complexity, its freshness and lively structure.
This wine will continue to develop its’ palette of aromas.

Pairing
Mackerel sushi, Wasabi de Thon and Casserole of Kobe Beef.

Back of bottle notes:

Les Abeilles, or “the bees” in French, is a virtuoso white wine of traditional southern Rhone white grapes.  Supple, harmonious and full-bodied, with floral and fruity aromas.  Complements a wide array of hors d’oeuvres and salads, as well as fish dishes, white meats, and Asian-influenced dishes.

Cheers!