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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Simple recipe for a hot evening: Fresh & Easy Sciue Scuie

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1 lb. small pasta (such as Ditalini) salt & pepper
3 lb. fresh Roma tomatoes – chopped 4 cloves garlic – whole
1 bunch fresh basil leaves – chopped 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella 1/2 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, gently blend the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Set out to marinate (do not refrigerate) for a couple of hours. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and add to tomato mixture while still very hot. Blend well and top with Parmesan cheese.

Try this simple dish even the kids will like. The adults can pair this with Tremonte Single Vineyard Reserva Malbec 2010.

Vegetable Panini

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  • 1 loaf round (boule) crusty bread – sliced
  • 1 zucchini -sliced
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • 1 small eggplant – sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper – sliced
  • 1 large tomato – sliced
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper

Brush zucchini, eggplant and red pepper with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until well cooked (even a little charred is okay). On one side of bread, drizzle olive oil, line with basil leaves, top with mozzarella, grilled vegetables and then tomato slices and top with another piece of bread. Place on a grill pan or in a panini press and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted.

Best Summertime Sangria

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(Serves 4 people, with room for refills)

2 Bottles of White Zinfandel (I prefer using White Zinfandel to red because it is lighter and crisper, and mixes well with any fruit I decide to use)
½ cup Remy Martin VSOP
½ cup Absolut Peach Vodka
1 can papaya juice
1 can guava juice
1 cup cranberry juice (NOT cocktail)
½ bag frozen peaches, sliced
½ box fresh strawberries, quartered
½ box blueberries
2 oranges

The beauty of sangria is how versatile it is.  It never needs to be made from a standard recipe like so many other cocktails and punches seem to.  In fact, you can pretty much make sangria any way you like, as long as you incorporate the key ingredients: wine, fruit, sweetener, brandy.  The kind of wine and fruit you use, and any other ingredients you want to throw in as well, are all up to you.  This is what makes sangria such a fun, experimental cocktail.  Red sangria, white sangria, sparkling sangria?   It’s completely up to you!

 

Celebrating Father’s Day: A Grilling Occasion

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Nothing goes more hand in hand than grilled steak and a nice glass of red wine, so forget the necktie this year and give him something that is sure to bring a smile to his face this Father’s Day.  Let him kick off his shoes, relax, and treat him to this delicious Grilled Skirt Steak recipe we found from WineSpectacular.com.  Skirt Steak is an excellent choice for grilling because not only does it cook quickly, but it’s packed with flavor, and therefore requires no marinade.  In addition, the salsa’s toasty, briny, and very gently sweet and acidic components will pair perfectly with our featured red wine this month, Black Pearl Vineyards Paarl Shiraz 2008.  Be sure to check back next week to find out why Don was blown away by this wine!  The best part about everything is that it all comes together in just under five minutes.  Add some potatoes and a romaine salad, with dressing of choice, and you’ve got a meal truly fit for a king!

 

Grilled Skirt Steak with Sun-Dried Tomato & Almond Salsa

For the salsa:

  • 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup oil-cured black olives. finely chopped
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons best-quality red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

At least 1 hour before cooking the steak, combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and stir well to combine.  If making several hours before cooking steak, cover and refrigerate.  Adjust seasoning and bring to room temperature before serving.  Makes about 1 1/2 cup.  Happy Father’s Day!

 

Special Mother’s Day Dinner; Lamb with a Great Shiraz

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday everyone, and as a mother, I know that the one thing a mother can really appreciate on her day is a nice cooked meal that she doesn’t have to prepare herself.  Well I thought I would share with you this really nice lamb chops recipe I found from Emeril Lagasse back in 2004 from The Food Network.  It’s guaranteed to please and actually pairs nicely with a beautiful, full-bodied wine we featured last month, Berton The Black Shiraz 2010 from Australia:

Seared Petite Lamb Chops with Rosemary Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 (4-ounce) double lamb rib chops (2 ribs) with bones attached, ribs frenched
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large or 2 small rosemary sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, rosemary, and garlic. Season with salt, to taste. Set aside.

Set a 12-inch oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the black pepper. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil to the saute pan and place the lamb, fat side down, in the pan. Sear the lamb until the fat has rendered and the skin is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the lamb, turning to cook evenly on each side, about 2 minutes each side. Baste them with the herb and oil mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the lamb is rare, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the lamb chops.

Make the balsamic drizzle while the lamb is cooking: Set a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots to the pan and sweat until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the garlic to the pan and sweat for 30 seconds. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary and allow the balsamic to gently boil and reduce until only about 1/4 cup of balsamic remains, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter into the pan. Remove the rosemary sprigs before using.

When the lamb is rare, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, slice each double chop in half, and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  Hope everyone enjoys!

Me & my lovely daughter Mindy

So What Do I Drink …Off the Job – Part II?

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King prawn and fennel risotto with a glass of Barbera

When beef, lamb, and game appear on the menu, red Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon (preferably with some bottle age), Châteauneuf-du-Pape, full throttle Spanish Tempranillos from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, or elsewhere, Super Tuscans, and thick rich Syrah based wines from Australia, California, or South Africa are likely to be my wines of choice.  I like to mix up what I drink with red meat.  When pork, pastas with thick tomato sauces, and spicy bean, sausage, or vegetable dishes are the order of the day, Carmenère from Chile, country reds from Spain, California Zinfandel, and of course a whole host of Italian reds will more often than not join me at table.  To be frank, I love good Carmenère that is made from physiologically ripe grapes.  It drinks well young, needs very little breathing time, and delivers more flavors for the money than almost any other varietal.  The best examples are great on their own or with simple dishes; however, not all Carmenères are created equal so sometimes I am disappointed.

While discussing preferences, it is fair to say that risotto is one of my favorite foods, and here I am quite particular about what I like to drink with risotto.  I can think of no better wine to accompany risotto than Barbera, Barbaresco, or Barolo from Italy’s Piedmont.

Poultry, cream based pastas, salmon, soft cheeses, rare tuna or for just plain sipping, what wine beats Pinot Noir, and that includes red Burgundy and the finest California, New Zealand, and Oregon Pinots?  When Oregon experiences a good vintage, who offers better quality and value Pinot Noir than the top Willamette Valley producers?

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Easter Brunch; Wine for Breakfast

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Brunch is my favorite meal, because there are so many choices in foods and wines. We always think of Champagne to pair with our Easter Brunch meal.

So the question is; Rose Champagne, Brut Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Rose Champagne and sparkling wine is one of the number one wines to pair with breakfast foods, both “demi-sec”, which means slightly sweet, or “brut”, which means dry.

Lobster, shrimp, bacon and bagels with lox are just a few of the many foods that pair very well with the pink bubbles.

Waffles, crepes, pancakes, cheese, fruit and other slightly sweet brunch foods pairs well with the demi-sec Champagnes.

Egg dishes like poached eggs, scrambled eggs, omelets, frittata and eggs Benedict would pair well with a French bubbly called Cremant de Alsace, this bubbly comes from Alsace in France, near the German border. It is made with Chardonnay & Pinot Noir (Pinot Blanc grapes). Or you can use a more budget friendly Sparkling Wine will pair very nicely.

Let’s not forget dessert; pastries, roasted pears, warm apple pie, cheese cake, cobblers, custards, strudels and French toast drizzled in syrup and whipped cream. I think of Moscato di Asti or an Iced Wine a German wine Eiswein. Drizzle the Iced Wine on vanilla ice cream or skip the syrup and use on the French Toast.

The options are endless that is why I love brunch with wine. What type of foods and wine do you have on your Easter table?

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