Ostrich Chili with Yeti Imperial Stout

1 lb. Ground Ostrich
1 6oz. Package Volpi Dry Salsiccia Salami (Casing removed and chopped)
1 C. Chopped Onions
1 C. Chopped Bell Peppers
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
2 tsp. Ground Coriander
1 Tbs. Dried Ancho Chilis, ground to a powder
1 Tbs. Kosher Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 Tbs. Arrogant Bastard Hot Sauce
1 C. Yeti Imperial Stout
1 16oz. Jar Main Street Produce Black Bean Corn Salsa
2 Cans Black Beans
2 16oz. Jars Canned Tomatoes or 1 Quart Pureed fresh Tomatoes
Olive Oil as needed
Chopped Cilantro

Render the Salami in Olive Oil over medium heat.
Add Ground Ostrich and brown. Once brown, deglaze with Yeti Beer and add Corn Salsa, Black Beans, Arrogant Bastard Hot Sauce. Let reduce.

In a separate pan, saute peppers, onions, cumin, coriander, dried chilis, salt and pepper in olive oil until onions in are translucent. Add tomatoes and garlic and bring to a simmer.

Next, pour the tomato mixture into the pot with the Ostrich and Salami.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 45-60 minutes

Serve with chopped cilantro and Yeti Imperial Stout.

Mediterranean Quinoa and Orzo Salad

2 C. Uncooked Quinoa
1 C, Uncooked Orzo
1 large Eggplant, sliced
3 medium Zucchini, sliced
3 mediun Yellow Squash, sliced
4 large cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
2 large Tomatoes, diced
2 medium Onions, diced
2 C. Olives, diced
1/4 C. chopped fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Cook the Quinoa and Orzo from package instructions.  Set aside to cool
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Place the Eggplant, Zucchini and Yellow Squash flat on a baking sheet. May need 2 so that they aren't touching.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, a little Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil, making sure each piece gets some Olive Oil.
Cut the Garlic cloves in half without peeling. Put them cut side up in aluminum foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and seal the foil.
Place the veggies and garlic in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.  The veggies should be soft and slightly brown. Cool and set aside.

Place the Tomatoes, Onions and Olives in a large bowl.  Once everything is cool add the remaining ingredients except for the roasted Garlic.

Toss will the Balsamic Vinaigrette and Basil.  Chill and serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 C.  Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 C.  Olive Oil
The roasted Garlic Cloves from the previous recipe
1 T. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Honey
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

In a food processor add the Vinegar, Roasted Garlic, Dijon, Honey and Italian Seasoning.  Pulse a few times first, and then leaving the processor running, slowly add the Olive Oil.  Once added, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vrisi36 Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

When you visit the Vrisi36 website, the words"Farm to Bottle" are the first things you see.  They literally do everything by hand and let Mother Nature take care of the rest.

Their Extra Virgin Olive Oil is fresh pressed from nutrient rich Greek Olives.  It is bottled unfiltered and unblended.  Most EVOOs you see on grocery store shelves are actually blends of different countries or regions.  Moreover, the FDA requirements for labeling a bottle as EVOO is that it must be less than 10% acidity, be derived from fruit and "edible".  Therefore, not all EVOOs are the same.  Read the back of the label to see what you are getting.

Their Balsamic Vinegar is made from Corinthian Grapes, sometimes called currants, and are only found in certain regions of Greece. Unlike commercial Balsamic Vinegars, Vrisi36 contains no sulfites, artificial caramel coloring, GMOs, or other artificial preservatives.  It is simply made by fermenting the grapes repeatedly in to wine, then into Balsamic vinegar and aged in oak barrels.

http://vrisi36.com/recipe/fresh-tomato-soup-with-bulgur-and-vrisi-36-oregano-infused-olive-oil/

Information used in this blog comes from their company website.

http://vrisi36.com/

The Fermented Gourmet: Versatile and Food Friendly Wines

The Fermented Gourmet: Versatile and Food Friendly Wines

Versatile and Food Friendly Wines

I just read an article in Food and Wine called The 12 Wines that Pair with Absolutely Everything.
It was a good read with good information.  However, it suggests wines at price points higher than my pool of customers can afford.  Here are some suggestions based on this list, but at more budget-friendly prices.  I will go 1-12 in the same order as the article.

1.  Saint Hilaire Brut - The first Sparkling Wine produced in France about a century before anything from the Champagne Region.

2.  Meinhard Forstreiter Gruner Veltliner (aka. Grooner) - Gruner Veltliners are light in body with crisp acidity.

3.  Pewsey Vale Riesling - A dry Riesling from Australia that has some serious awards behind it.

4.  Hugel Gentil - The wine world was saddened by the passing of Etienne Hugel last week.  The Gentil is a great gateway wine into the Alsace region of France.

5.  Wente "Morning Fog" Chardonnay - This is an estate grown and bottled wine, but not too heavy for pairing with food.

6.  Marcel Lapierre Raisins Gaulois - A Gamay from the Beaujolais region in France.

7. Chateau De Pizay Morgon - A Cru Gamay from Beaujolais

8.  Ravenswood Mendocino Zinfandel - A rocking Zin from a cooler climate.

9.  Bodegas Breca Grenache - Aragon, Spain.  Beautifully balanced.   A home run.

10.  M. David 6th Sense Syrah - Lodi, California.

11.  Vina Falerna Syrah - Chile is producing some beautiful Syrah these days and very affordable.

12.  Trifula Piemonte Rosso DOC - 80% Barbera and 20% Nebbiolo

There is no mention of a Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc or Tempranillo listed in the article.  I find these wines to be very food friendly also.  I've kept this short and to the point.  Please add a comment or a question if you would like.

Crios Wines of Argentina

The Crios line of wines are a creation of famed Argentine winemaker, Susan Balboa.  She was recognized as one of "The Most Influential Women Wine Makers" in 2012 and "Woman of the Year" in 2015 by the Drinks Business magazine.

The intent of the Crios line is to produce fruit forward and easy drinking wines to be consumed in their youth.  They are natural wines for enjoyment on their own, but also work well at barbecues and other social gatherings.  Not to mention, they have received numerous awards and high ratings since their creation.

The Torrontes is an aromatic white varietal.  It often smells sweet, but it does finish dry. This is perfect for sitting on the deck on a clear afternoon, or pairing with Asian or Indian Quisine.

The Red Blend is a combination of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat. It is a soft, lush wine with just a hint of oak.  Open this one up at any backyard barbecue, and you'll be considered a wine guru by your friends.

Finally, the Malbec, a signature varietal for Argentina, is a structured, sturdy wine to go along with that big Rib Eye sizzling on the grill.  The presence of more tannins from time spent in oak barrels are soften by the fat content of the steak.

These wines are very reasonably priced and seamlessly go from a Tuesday night wine to a Saturday night wine.

The Wines of Alsace

Its Spring.  The weather is getting warmer, and Summer is just around the corner.  I'm not sure if everyone categorizes wines as either a Summer wine or a Winter Wine.  In my case, any time you open a bottle of wine is a good time to drink it.  That being said, if you are one who thinks of wines in terms of the weather, let me introduce you to something other than Pinot Grigios or Sauvignon Blancs.

The Alsace region in France is known mostly for white wine, and tends to use the varietal name on the label.  Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc are a few examples.  These wines, however, can be rather costly.  But, when these wines are blended, they offer a good starting point for enjoying Alsace wines.

Edelzwicker is a blanket term used for these wines, and they have no restrictions as to the blend or how it is vinified.  The term Gentil, is also a blend, but must stick to an established charter of how these wines are blended and vinified.  Only the "noble" varietals can be used, and they all need to be vinified separately before blending.

 Some Alsace producers use a proprietary name for their blend, or simply label it is as an Alsace Blanc.  Keutz Bas is an example of this.

The blend for this wine is made up of Sylvaner, Auxerrois and Muscat.  These aren't exactly house hold names, but they do make a nice wine that is light, floral and dry.

The Meyer-Fonne Edelzwicker is composed mostly of Pinot Blanc, and the rest are a combination of the lesser known varietals.  It is also floral, dry and complex.

Hugel's Gentil follows the standards of the charter, and uses Gewurztraminer as its base.

It is freshly aromatic with floral and fruit driven notes.  It has a bit more body than the others mentioned here, but finished equally dry.

All these wines are perfect for the warmer weather, but should not be relegated to the shelf until the Spring time.  They are delicious all year.  As far as a food pairing, please check out my recipe for Alsace Farmhouse Chicken.

Louis Latour Pinot Noir Valmoissine

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of spending a week with the Latours at their annual Burgundy Seminar.  It was a wonderful experience that I'll treasure, and what I learned remains with me until this day.

The Latour offices are in the town of Beaune.  They are what is known as a Negociant, meaning that they buy a large amount of theirs grapes from some of the smaller growers in Burgundy.  While they do own vineyards in the Burgundy region, they started investing in other areas of France, particularly in the south.  Burgundy prices had long been going up, and the Latours saw an opportunity to craft great wines at a reasonable price.

Their first purchase was in the Ardeche.  Ardeche is located west of the Rhone Valley and is an ideal climate for Chardonnay.  They produce two wines from this area, one is a stainless steel fermented wine with a clean, and crisp flavorful profile.  The other is called The Grand Ardeche and uses grapes that the Latours feel are perfectly suited for their Burgundian style of wine making.  This means that they are barrel fermented and aged in oak for a certain amount of time.

Now, onto my favorite of the bunch.  After the Latours found so much success making Chardonnay in the south of France, they wanted to find an area to plant Pinot Noir.  Their search ended in the VAR region.  No reason to get wine geeky here, just realize that Pinot Noir needs a long growing season with cool nights.  They found these conditions at an ancient monastary and university named Valmoissine.  At an elevation of about 500 meters, there is plenty of sun during the day, and the nights cool down to ensure a long growing season with plenty of hang time.

I had previously been bitten by the Pinot Noir bug long before I tasted this wine.  The problem was that the bug that bit me sold for about $30.00.  This was not exactly in my price range. So when I tasted the Valoissine Pinot Noir, I new immediatly that this was going to be my go-to Pinot Noir.  It had all the characteristics of the one mentioned above and sells in the $14.99 range.

I'm not going to burden you with all the aromas and flavors I got out of this wine.  It was just a sublime experience that Pinot Noir lovers have, and can only be experience subjectively.  So, I encourage all, not just Pinot Noir lovers to give this wine a taste.  Please share your experience and thoughts in the comment section.

Alsace Farmhouse Chicken with Spaetzle

6 lbs. Chicken (whole cut up, legs and thighs, etc.  I don't recommend chicken breasts)
Salt and Pepper
4 T. Olive Oil
12 T. Butter
1 bulb garlic, minced
2 medium onions, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 C. White Wine Vinegar (Martin Pouret)
2 C. White Wine, I used Riesling
2 T. Honey
1 8 oz. jar peach jam
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. tomato paste
2 C. Chicken Stock
Parsley

Spaetzle

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces in a large baking pan.  Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 20 mins.  This is to get the outside brown and crispy.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Melt Olive Oil and 4 T. Butter in a large stock pot.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 mins.  Next add the vinegar, wine, honey, mustard and peach jam.  Let this reduce by half.  Taste to make sure all is in balance.  If too vinegary, add more honey.  If too sweet, add more vinegar.

Next, pour the vinegar and wine mixture into the roasting pan with the chicken.  Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear from the chicken.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook spaetzle according to package instructions.

To serve, arrange the spaetzle on the bottom of the plate.  Place chicken piece or pieces on top of spaetzle.  Ladle the sauce over top, making sure that the spaetzle get plenty.  Sprinkle parley on top.

Wine Pairings:

Hugel Gentil
Hugel Pinot Gris
J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling

Mexican Veggie Soup with Duck

1 Maple Leaf Farm Rotissierie Half Duck
1 Quart Water
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced (with seeds or without, depending on taste)
1 Tbs. Salish Potlash Seasoning
1 tsp. Bacon Freak Bacon Hot Sauce
1/4 C. White Wine
2 C. Chicken Stock
10 Tomatillos, pureed
2 C.  Main Street Produce Canned Tomatoes
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Butterbeans
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Corn

In a soup pan, bring the quart of water to a boil and add the duck.  Boil for 10 minutes and turn off the heat.  Set aside.

In a different soup pan on medium heat, add the olive oil first and wait 1 minute.  Next add the onion, carrot, celery and diced jalapeno and stir a couple times.  Add the Potlash Seasoning and the Bacon Freak Hot Sauce and continue stirring until the veggies are tender (about 5 minutes).

Next add the wine and de-glaze the pan, add the chicken stock and pureed tomotillos and stir.

Next, strain the water from the pan with the duck and add the water to the soup.  Follow this with the canned tomatoes, butterbeans and corn..

Remove the meat from the duck, and chop into small pieces.  Add that to the pot.

Let simmer for about 2 hours, serve with more diced jalabenos or even a dollop of sour cream.

Wine Pairings:  There are no hard set rules on this, but here are my choices.

Hecht & Bannier Rose

Lapierre Raisins Gaulos Beaujolais
Venta Morales Tempranillo

Wrongo Dongo Monastrel.

Beer Pairings:

Victory Helios
Bell's Oberon

There's No Politics in Wine

With President Obama's remark about Trump Wines getting hype in the media, there's been a rush to judgement by newspapers, magazines and other on-line publications.  However, it seems that this has more to do with an individual's political preference, rather than the wine itself.  Just as Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, "There's no crying in baseball", I say "There's no politics in wine".

The polarizing effects of Obama's remark, "Has anybody bought that wine?  I want to know what it tastes like." has turned columnists into connoisseurs.  He continues, "I mean, come on.  You know that's like some $5.00 wine.  They slap a label on it.  They charge $50.00 and say it's the greatest wine ever." Well, opinions do vary. and that's exactly the point.

The fact of the matter is that there are many wines on the market that are directly owned or affiliated with famous individuals.  Francis Ford Coppola, Greg Norman and Fess Parker are a few examples.  Nancy Pelosi?  Yeah, even she owns vineyards.  

According to an article in The Washington Post, Erin Scala, sommelier and wine writer, refuses to include Trump Wines on her Wine Lists. Stating, "I work in the restaurant business in Charlottesville, Va., and though I'm a short distance from the winery and the restaurants where I work feature Virginia wines, I make a conscious decision not to carry the Trump Brand."  I wonder if there were a Cruz Cabernet or a Hillary Hilltop Reserve if they too would be excluded.

As a wine shop owner, I don't just have wines that I like on my shelves.  I make sure I cover as many categories and varieties available.  The choice then is now my customer's to make.  As I digress away from the wine world, election booths don't have just one name to choose from.  All the candidates are listed, and each person is given the opportunity to choose the person he or she likes.  That is what a Democracy is, and that is how wine should be made available to all.

I always tell my customers that there are only two answers when tasting a wine.  Those are, "I like it" or "I don't like it".  The choice is theirs based on their preference.  My job is to simply provide the choices.  One quick look at my shelves clearly exemplifies my point.

"And that's all I've got to say about that." - Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks again). " There's no politics in wine.  There's no POLITICS in wine."

Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

2 lbs. thinly slice chicken breast, marinated
1 lb. Asparagus, sliced and blanched
1 lb. Pasta, I used Penne
2 Tbs. Butter, plus 4 Tbs to finish.
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. Basil Pesto, plus two more for marinade (homemade or store bought)
2 C, Chicken Stock
1/4 C. dry white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed


Marinade for Chicken:

2 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs. Basil Pesto
1/4 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes.

When using chicken breasts, they tend to dry out quickly.  Combine the thinly sliced chicken and marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.  Next, spread the chicken pieces out on a baking sheet, and cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Be sure to have gaps between the pieces.  This seals in whatever juices and flavors of the marinade and keeps the chicken moist. Set aside the chicken.

Cut the asparagus into 1-2" pieces, bring a salted pot of water to boil and add the asparagus for about 2 minutes.  Drain the asparagus, saving the water, and put the asparagus into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Set aside.

Using the liquid from the asparagus, add enough water to complete the amount suggested on the package of pasta.  Finish following the directions, drain and set aside.

In a soup pan, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Next, add the chicken stock, wine and crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and add the chicken.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the basil pesto and asparagus.  Once that begins to boil, turn it off.  Slowly whisk in the butter in small amounts.  Continue adding and whisking until all the butter is melted.

Add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine.  Pour this into a baking dish and top with the mozzarella.  Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Then just bake it per directions above.

Serving suggestions:

Vitiano Rosso
Rapitila Nero d'Avola
Chloe Pinot Grigio
Villa Pozzi Grillo
Trifula Piemonte Rosso

Chloe Wines

Chloe, meaning "blooming", is a line of wines sourcing grapes from from around the world.  This gives their wine maker, Georgetta Dane, the opportunity to choose exactly what she wants to work with to craft her wines. Born in Romania, she and her husband emigrated to the US in the late 1990's.  She has a masters degree in food science and cut her teeth at Kendall-Jackson before moving on to her own brand.

Normally, I would consider this just another label and not think about it again.  There are a lot of "labels" on the market that do the same thing, but all too often end up "settling" with whatever they can get, and that is usually what someone else doesn't want.  Whereas, Chloe, pays a premium and gets the juice they want, and this shows in the finished product.

Chloe wines are marketed as an upscale choice for special occasions.  This is evidenced by their "Red Carpet Ready" program which walks the consumer through the process of creating the perfect cocktail party, not to mention that their wines are already dressed in black tie.

So, for an average cost of about $14.99, I recommend grabbing a few for your next special occasion, or any occasion for that matter.  Since we are approaching St. Patrick's Day, here is a recipe I posted last year for a Hearty Irish Stew.  Both the Pinot Noir and Red Blend will pair nicely with this.

Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

1/2 lb. Pastrami, thinly sliced
4 Acorn Squash
2 T. Butter
1 Onion, minced
1 Carrot, sliced
2 Apples, cubed
1/2 tsp. Sage
1/4 tsp.  Basi1
1/4 tsp.  Nutmeg
4 C. Chicken Stock
1/2 C.  Fruity white wine (Moscato or Riesling)
1/2 C.  Half and Half
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place the cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast them at 350 degrees until they are soft (about 20 mins.)  When its cooled, scoop out the flesh and set aside.

In a soup pot, melt the butter and add the onions and the spices, salt and pepper.  Saute for about 5 mins. and then add the carrot.  Next,stir in the Pastrami.  After another 5 mins. add the wine and apples.  Let the wine reduce for another 5 mins., then add the chicken stock and the squash.  Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper to taste.  Finish by adding the half and half.

When serving, crumble some Blue Cheese on top and open a bottle of Dry Creek Chenin Blanc.

Curried Potato Soup

This is a "kicked-up" version of Potato Soup using curry powder and Victory's Headwaters Cheddar Dip as the cheese ingredient.  Victory Brewing Company collaborates with Key Ingredient Market to craft specialty cheese spreads using Victory Beers.

Curried Potato Soup

• 12 oz. Bacon
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 2 lbs. Potatoes, diced
• 6 C. Chicken Stock
• 2/3 C. Butter
• 3/4 C. Flour
• 4 C. Milk
• 2 tsp. Curry Powder
• 1 C. Ham, cubed
• 1 C. Sour Cream
• 1 6.5 oz. Victory Headwaters Cheddar Dip

Render the bacon in a pot with a little butter.  Once crispy, remove the bacon onto a plate with paper towels to soak up the drippings.

In the same pot, add a little more butter and the onions, salt and pepper and curry powder to taste. Cook the onions until tender (about 5 mins.).

Next, add the the remaining butter and flour and stir to create a roux (about 10 mins.).

Now add the chicken stock, milk and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 mins.)  Be sure to keep it on a low boil.

Finally, add the cooked bacon, ham, sour cream and the cheddar dip.  Heat through until warm and the cheese is completely melted into the soup.

Serve with a Chardonnay that has a touch of oak.  The Penfold's Koonunga Hill Chardonnay works well.  Any leftover soup can be frozen in an air tight container.

Cheers!