T o O r d e r M o r e F e a t u r e d W i n e s C a l l 1-800-823-5527 T o d a y !

Volume 20

Number 10 ©Vinesse Wine Club 2012 The SKU 20262 GrThe Officiala Newsleptter forevine Viinesse Wiine Club Members Taste the Artistry of Belgian Chocolate

Food Trends & What They Mean for Wine Mastering the Basics of Wine Glassware Getting to Know the Landscape of Alsace

G e t Y o u r D a i l y D o s e o f W i n e N e w s a t http://blog.vinesse.com 2 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

Our Mission: To uncover and bring you wine gems ditor s ournal from around the world, which you’re E ’ J not likely to discover on your own, and which enhance your wine enjoyment. Your Grapevine Team: Food Trends and What Intrepid Wine Enthusiast, Chief Taster and Winehound: They Mean for Wine Martin Stewart By Robert Johnson Chief Operating Officer (aka “The Buck Stops Here”): Lawrence D. Dutra here have always been trends in most aspects of our Editor: T lives. But with the instant communication that social Robert Johnson media has spawned, it seems as if trends are surging Wine Steward: more quickly than ever. Katie Montgomery The Grapevine is published by Vinesse, You might say that trends are... 2. Farm to Table Eating. “A 822 Hampshire Road, Suite E, Westlake trending. corollary of the Slow Food Movement, Village, CA 91361; 1-800-823-5527. Copyright by Vinesse, LLC. Printed in USA. The end of one trend (do we all this easy-to-understand idea has No responsibility is assumed for loss or agree that blackened redfish has hit become a mantra for chefs who damage to unsolicited materials. a red light?) makes way for another, believe that the closer the ingredient and food columnist and author John sources are to the restaurant, the Be good to the planet Mariani (Esquire, The Encyclopedia better the food will be.” of American Food & Drink, The The wine world has embraced this recycle Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink) philosophy for generations. While recently identified 10 trends in food commerce dictates that wines made for the 10th anniversary issue of in large quantities be shipped long Charter Member Celebrated Living. distances in order to be sold, there Benefits: We will share Mariani’s food trends still are plenty of under-the-radar The Grapevine Newsletter (with his comments in quotation gems crafted in such small amounts marks), and add some wine-related that they’re available only in a Premium wine selections at members-only prices observations of our own... winery’s tasting room. 1. Slow Food Movement. “Has 3. Olive Oils. “Pick up any French as a participant grown into a worldwide advocacy cookbook now or watch any American on VINESSE’s Gold Medal group zealously trying to preserve cooking show... and olive oil will be Award Panel food traditions and culture, lobbying the requisite fat medium.” Complimentary subscription against the use of pesticides, and Restaurant chefs and those who to VINESSE’s Cyber Circle inveighing against large-scale cook at home have largely replaced Community agribusiness.” butter with olive oil, and this has Random giveaways of wine The impact has been the creation of fundamentally changed the flavor of and accessories a dining public and a generation of many dishes. It also has had an impact Wine Finders Reward — cooks more aware of the quality and on wine-pairing possibilities for these identify a future wine selection benefits of food cooked from scratch, dishes — in some cases even changing and earn a reward using natural ingredients. This ties the ideal wine from a white to a red. Perfectly matched recipes for in perfectly with the “natural wine” 4. Pizza. “These days chefs are featured wine selections trend in Europe and the ongoing devoting as much energy and time — Complimentary wine tasting transition to organic winegrowing in constructing special ovens, importing America. buffalo mozzarella — to pizzas as to Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 3 anything else on their menus, and restaurateur with the motivation to in ethnic restaurants of all kinds. they don’t have to be Italian.” stock the wine cellar with selections Just about any on the list Many of these new creations come other than standbys Cabernet formerly was a pretty safe choice at in single-serving sizes, and may be Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Meats Italian restaurants. No more. Today, called flatbreads, focaccia or pizzette. prepared with a bit of spice are with any dish — raw or cooked — These dishes allow each person in a enhanced by varieties such as ordered in any type of restaurant, dining party to enjoy his or her own Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, while salty it’s important to know the dominant favorite toppings. It also makes it charcuterie benefits from red wines flavor in order to be able to select the possible — and advisable — for the with a solid acid backbone, such as most complementary wine. restaurant to have a creative wine-by- Chianti. 9. Upscale Comfort Food. “Old- the-glass list. 7. Cheese Service. “It is rare that fashioned comfort food is now being 5. Pork Rules. “With the a new restaurant does not have a refined by some of the best chefs development of hormone-free, fatter selection of fine, perfectly-ripened in the world, demonstrating that Berkshire hogs... chefs have restored cheeses, many of them from local even prole food can be stunningly pork to its proper place on a proper dairies.” delicious.” menu. The use of pork belly, once Wine and cheese have always been Never thought about serving wine reserved for Chinese restaurants, pairing partners, but only in recent with macaroni and cheese or wings? has now become the ‘in’ food of the years have restaurant owners paid You might if you were noshing on decade.” close attention to the pairings. As mac 'n' cheese bites with truffle This is good news for Chardonnay more restaurants offer cheese courses, dipping sauce, or ‘lollipop’ chicken and Pinot Noir, two wine varieties it’s becoming more common to see wings with blue cheese dressing — as commonly matched with pork. It’s specific wine recommendations on prepared at the Society Café at Steve also good news for an array of other menus. A cheese-centric menu is Wynn’s Encore resort in Las Vegas. varieties, which also can be paired greatly enhanced by a well-selected 10. Desserts. “Even a small with pork depending on the flavors wine-by-the-glass list. Even better: restaurant with 50 to 80 seats, just added to a dish by creative chefs. For cheese flights accompanied by wine about anywhere in any city, now has instance, pork served with a sweet flights. its own pastry chef who turns out caramel-soy glaze cries out for a dry 8. Raw Food. “The real trend right stunning, original creations that often or off-dry Gewurztraminer. now is how chefs of different food come hot to the table.” 6. Charcuterie. “American chefs cultures have adapted raw fish and, to Pairing wine with sweet dishes have taken charcuterie... a blanket an extent, raw meats on their menus... can be tricky, but a wine-focused term I use for all sausages, salamis, Crudi — Italian chefs’ version of sushi restaurant will take care to include patés and other cooked or cured — has become all the rage, from Nice complementary (mostly sweet) wines meats... off the sideboard and put it to Naples.” for their special desserts. And keep center stage.” This trend is fundamentally changing in mind that a well-made sweet wine This trend should provide a how we think about wine pairing can, in itself, make a great dessert.

The one that started it all!

• Hand-crafted gems produced by little known or small estates • Limited-production bottlings • Under-the-radar wines you won’t find in supermarkets Each shipment includes: Wine Color Mix: Reds, Whites, or Both ­— Your Choice! • 6 bottles from all over the wine world Frequency: Monthly • Detailed Tasting Notes for each featured wine Price: Only $12-$15 average per bottle plus shipping

To learn more about this Club, call 800-823-5527 or visit www.Vinesse.com 4 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com Patz & Hall: Great Wine, One at a Time

rom its Sonoma Coast Fcuvees to its vineyard- ÉLEVANT designated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings, the Patz

society™ & Hall name has become synonymous with excellence It’s not for everyone. in the world of wine. Is it for you? Patz & Hall was founded in 1988 Vinesse created the Élevant Society by Donald Patz, James Hall (who to meet members’ demands for serves as winemaker), Anne Moses super-premium wines. and Heather Patz. Together, they While virtually all have turned the winery into one of California’s most highly regarded, members of the original with a celebrated portfolio of single- American Cellars Wine Club vineyard wines. were planted on the Sonoma Coast were very satisfied with their The proprietors believe that wines in the mid-’90s,” Hall notes. “As monthly selections, some capture the essence of great . these vineyards have matured, they wanted more, and they For more than two decades, Patz & have emerged as the finest sources were willing to pay for it. Hall has been seeking out the very for Burgundian- grapes in best small, family-owned Chardonnay California.” and Pinot Noir vineyards in Patz & Hall’s Sonoma winery is California, and establishing long-term not open to the public, but there is a Each Élevant Society relationships with the winegrowers “tasting salon” at its Napa office where shipment includes: who farm those sites. visits can be arranged by appointment. • 2 or 4 bottles — your choice — Built on real friendships and a One sit-down tasting per week — shared commitment to quality, these of super-premium wines, mostly on Fridays at 3 p.m. — includes a partnerships have led to the rich selection of cheeses from Oxbow big and bold red varieties or diversity of Patz & Hall’s portfolio. Cheese Merchant. blends While consistency in terms of quality • Detailed Tasting Notes for each is important, Hall says he doesn’t try featured wine to impose a style on the wines. “I would be incredibly disappointed if we made the same wine two years in a row,” he says. Frequency: Hall does, however, apply a very consistent approach to making wines, Approximately Monthly so that the vineyards and the vintage take the lead. The 2010 growing Price: season, for example, was quite Winery 4-1-1 $85.99 average per distinctive. Patz & Hall shipment including shipping “2010 was so cool, it was like all of our vineyards physically moved closer Tasting Salon to the coast,” he recalls. “As a result, 851 Napa Valley Corporate Way To learn more about there is a nerve and architectural Napa, CA 94558 structure to the wines that I love.” this Club, call 800-823-5527 707-265-7700 A seeming move toward the coast is Tasting available by or visit www.Vinesse.com far from unwelcome for Patz & Hall. appointment only. “A lot of phenomenal vineyards Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 5

cellarmaster

Picking the Right Glass for the Right Wine

Wines that match the season uch is made about the various shapes of wine Summer — wines for Mglasses. Is it much ado about nothing? barbecues, picnics or just for No. And yes. Allow us to explain... absolutely enhance the aromas and sipping. Fall — wines for hearty, The purpose of any wine glass is to flavors of the wines intended for harvest-time dishes. You get the present the wine that’s poured into them, our tasting panel members idea. All wines are selected by our it in the most positive light possible. unanimously agree. Tasting Panel to pair beautifully That means one should be able to So, when stocking your wine glass with the foods you love. breathe in the bouquet — the various cabinet, start with the basics — one aromas that are present — and then white wine glass, one sparkling wine taste the wine’s full spectrum of glass, one Burgundy glass and one Each shipment includes: flavors. Bordeaux glass for each wine drinker The former can’t be done unless the in the household. • 4 bottles of specially-selected bowl of the glass is large enough so If you entertain often, add glassware wines there’s plenty of room for the wine to in sets of four so that everyone drinks • Detailed Tasting Notes for be swirled without spilling. And the a specific wine out of the favored each featured wine latter can’t be accomplished unless style of glass. the curve and depth of the glass As you drink more varieties and allows for ample air exposure, which styles of wine, you may discover Wine Color Mix: helps “release” the flavors. new favorites that you’ll want to Today, there are specially designed enjoy on a regular basis. Then, and Reds, Whites, or Mixed glasses for virtually all of the most only then, consider purchasing other Frequency: common wine varieties. Glass makers styles of glassware. We’ve attended conduct tasting demonstrations that demonstrations at which certain 4-times per year, plus a special may or may not convince one that bottlings of Sauvignon Blanc, for holiday shipment each and every design is necessary. example, benefited from being served Here at Vinesse, our tasting panel in a specially designed Sauvignon Price: fares quite nicely with just the four Blanc glass. That said, the variety $98.99 average per basic styles of wine glasses: one for also shows well in a standard white shipment including shipping white wines, one for sparkling wines, wine glass. one for Burgundy and similar wines, What about cost? How much should and one for Bordeaux and similar one spend on a wine glass? Figure wines. out how much you typically pay for To learn more about In a pinch, the white wine glass a bottle of a certain type of wine, and this Club, call 800-823-5527 makes a very serviceable all-purpose plan to spend about the same amount or visit www.Vinesse.com stem. But the other three styles on the appropriate glass. 6 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com Wining, Dining (and Sleeping) in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

f you love Pinot Noir, there are two places you must put on your “bucket list” — or, I perhaps that should be your “barrel list.” They are the Burgundy region of France, and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Burgundy is the historic home there is no shortage of fine-dining from long days of wine touring. of fine Pinot Noir. The Willamette opportunities. So, you have the There’s an excellent restaurant, Jory, Valley is the “New World” capital of basics for a wonderful vacation: nice on site, featuring a wine list with 800 the variety. The styles can be quite accommodations, good food and, of selections, including 50 by the glass different, but the core character of the course, good wine. — just in case you didn’t have enough Pinot Noir grape is apparent in each Plan to spend your nights at The vino during your winery visits. locale. And since Oregon is easier Allison Inn & Spa in the hills of Another excellent lodging option is to get to than France, this month’s Newberg, featuring 85 luxurious guest the Inn at Red Hills in Dundee. It’s “Wine Touring Tips” will focus on rooms and suites with balconies, a boutique hotel with 20 casually America’s great Pacific Northwest. fireplaces and original artwork. With elegant rooms offering beautiful views While the Willamette Valley 12 treatment rooms, a swimming pool of the Dundee Hills — right in the produces a good number of varietal and a fitness studio, it offers ample heart of Pinot Noir country. wines and blends, there is no question opportunity to prepare for or recover In California’s Napa Valley, a real that Pinot Noir is the star. It is the “restaurant scene” has emerged focus at virtually every winery from in recent years, with destination Eugene in the south to Portland in the restaurants dotting the landscape from north, an area that spans 3,438,000 the top of the valley down to the city acres, or 5,372 square miles. of Napa. In the Willamette Valley, The valley became an official because it’s so spread out, it wouldn’t American Viticultural Area AVA in be accurate to describe the culinary 1983, and now encompasses six sub- opportunities as a “scene.” That said, appellations: Chehalem Mountains, there are numerous restaurants that Dundee Hills, Eola Amity Hills, would be right at home on Napa’s McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and the grand stage, including a favorite Yamhill-Carlton District. among locals, the Joel Palmer House The tourism industry is still catching in Dayton. up to the wine industry, but there “Our cooking revolves around wild are several excellent places to stay mushrooms and truffles which we beyond the “logo” chains, and TTOURINGOURING TIPS TIPS gather ourselves and with friends,” Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 7 says owner/chef Christopher Czarnecki. vinesse “We have always endeavored to obtain locally raised ingredients in our cooking, and we use many locally produced greens, herbs and vegetables, many of which come from our own culinary garden. List “We frequently draw inspiration from the Italian Restaurant. Zagat cuisines of Mexico, 1 calls it New York’s best China, Thailand, Poland and India, restaurant offering an award-winning Italian eatery, and it’s hard to so we call our cooking, ‘freestyle.’ Of selection of international wines and argue with that assertion, given course, we work hard to create dishes fine foods. Marea’s impeccable service, that complement the glorious wines “All of our dishes are made on flawlessly prepared pasta dishes of Oregon,” and nothing goes better premise from scratch — stocks, soups, and creative seafood preparations. with Pinot Noir than mushroom-based sauces, desserts, ice creams, sorbets, It has a long and impressive — dishes. breads and charcuterie — using and expensive — wine list, on Another Willamette Valley dining fresh local ingredients and traditional which Louis Roederer’s Cristal mainstay is Tina’s in Dundee. European techniques,” says proprietor Brut Rosé, at $1,300, isn’t even “Like many of our fellow chefs, Richard Gehrts. “The menu changes the most expensive bubbly. we believe that the best food is frequently to keep things interesting More affordable are the wines organically grown,” says Tina Bergen, for our customers.” by the glass, featuring selections the restaurant’s namesake. “Our A menu highlight is the wild salmon that complement the menu with search for these foods led us out of the with ginger Pinot Gris sauce, and precision. city and into the countryside where the asparagus Napoleon with lemon www.marea-nyc.com we work closely with a great group cream sauce is a flavorful starter that Hot Wine Accessory. Did you of farmers. We’re closer to the source sets the perfect mood for an evening 2 have a sock monkey when you of what goes onto your plate, and we of fine dining. were a kid? If not, you missed believe that the opportunity to cook in As for the wineries of Willamette out on one of the more coveted a winegrowing region lends our food a Valley, there are far too many to name combinations of kitsch and folk context and flavor and experience that just a few. The best plan for exploring art, with long arms and legs that is unbeatable.” them is no plan. Get a map, head out, made toting easy for a little one. Situated in a beautifully restored and you’ll find that Oregon Pinot Noir Well, the sock monkey has been Craftsman home also in Dundee, Red and serendipity make a mighty tasty “reimagined” for adults in the form Hills Provincial Dining is a destination combination. of a cover/holder for a bottle of wine. Yes, you can now tell your For Further Information fellow wine lovers to “put a sock on it.” The Allison Inn & Spa Tina’s Restaurant www.surlatable.com 2525 Allison Lane 760 N. Highway 99W Newberg, OR 97132 Dundee, OR 97115 Hot Wine Trend. In Oregon 503-554-2525 503-538-8880 3 and California, vintners are Inn at Red Hills Red Hills Provincial Dining experimenting with Pinot Noir 1410 N. Highway 99W 276 N. Highway 99W grapes, minimizing contact between Dundee, OR 97115 Dundee, OR 97115 skins and juice during the crushing 503-538-7666 503-538-8224 process to create “white Pinot Joel Palmer House Winery Information Noir” wines. The flavors are more 600 Ferry St. http://willamettewines.com commonly associated with white Dayton, OR 97114 wines, yet the wine is dense like a 503-864-2995 red. 8 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

wine Vinesse Style AtoZ Belgian Chocolates

uixote Winery. A 28-acre Napa QValley estate, located between Stags’ Leap Winery and Shafer Vineyards, that produces and Petite Sirah. ary Poppins believed strongly that just a spoonful Mof sugar helped medicine go down. eserva. The Spanish and Jean Neuhaus had perhaps ripened grapes, a praline maker Portuguese term for a reserve- R an even better idea. Unlike the needs top-quality cacao beans in style wine. Each country has its own fictional nanny, Neuhaus was a real order to stand out in the crowd — restrictions on the use of the term on pharmacist, practicing his profession and quite a crowd of chocolatiers it labels. in the Belgium city of Brussels in is in Brussels. the late 19th century. When filling One way Laurent Gerbaud does ekt. The term for sparkling wine prescriptions, he would add a layer that is to allow customers to make made in Germany. Alsace S of chocolate around the pills. their own pralines in his shop — That’s how Neuhaus came up with after he provides a demonstration ypicity. Term used to describe the concept of filled chocolates, that’s highlighted by sampling. how accurately a wine reflects T which came to be known as pralines Chocolats Gerbaud is located the characteristics of its variety and there and bonbons in America. near Brussels’ city center, so it gets terroir. The original Neauhaus chocolate plenty of traffic. The shop is known shop is long gone, but others have for pralines filled with fruits such as nctuous. An umbrella term for been opened in the suburbs of pears and apricots, as well as a wide wines that are rich and lush, U Brussels. Today, pralines are made array of nuts. offering layer after layer of velvety by an estimated 800 chocolate Like a good glass of wine, the fruit flavors. makers in Belgium, more than half flavor of a praline should linger on based in Brussels. the palate for several seconds after igneron. The French term for a Crafting pralines has been likened it is consumed. At Neuhaus and Vvine grower, who may or may to crafting fine wines. Just as a Chocolats Gerbaud, there’s plenty of not also be the winemaker. vintner is dependent upon well- lingering flavor to love.

Each shipment Wine Color Mix: includes: Reds, Whites, or Both ­­— • 4 bottles of the best finds It’s Your Choice! Featured wines Made from California Frequency: in California Exclusively! Approximately • Detailed Tasting Notes • Napa • Sacramento Delta for each wine Every Other Month • Sonoma • Amador County Price: • Santa Ynez • Mendocino Only $15-$17 average per bottle plus shipping • Monterey ... and More! To learn more about this Club, call 800-823-5527 or visit www.Vinesse.com Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 9

vinesse® appellation showcase

Join us for an incredible wine journey! Each Shipment Takes You to a Different Corner of the Wine World! Taste Exquisite Boutique Alsace Wines... Savor Each Country’s Winemaking Tradition... and n the far northeastern sector of France, there’s a wine Collect Some Souvenirs! Iregion with a name that sounds more German than French, and produces wines more typically associated with Each shipment Germany. includes: Through the years, the area known Route was established, making it • 6 bottles of specially selected as Alsace has switched between easier for visitors to the region to French and German sovereignty on explore the various wineries. The wines from one country or several occasions. As a result, the route now is known far and wide region of the wine world culture, architecture and even the for its exceptional scenery, its ease • Detailed Tasting Notes for each wines share qualities common to each of travel, and the friendliness of its featured wine country. winegrowers. Because it is sheltered from any Undulating hills... pretty villages maritime influences by the Vosges with narrow streets of flower-decked, mountains, Alsace experiences half-timbered houses... church less rainfall than any other French steeples... and, of course, plenty of Wine Color Mix: wine region, and has a sunny, hot winstubs highlight the route. Reds, Whites, or Mixed and dry climate. These conditions Alsace is best known for its accommodate a long growing season, bottlings of Gewurztraminer. Indeed, Frequency: giving the grapes plenty of time this is the region that produces the to ripen fully. That’s why Alsatian best renditions of that variety, year in 6 times per year varieties are known for their engaging and year out. The region also offers fragrance and complexity. some of the world’s most highly Price: You name the soil type, and it’s coveted bottlings of Riesling — from $139.99 per shipment likely to be found in Alsace, which bone dry to ultra sweet, and from including shipping means grape growers can match extremely food friendly to dessert in varieties to specific plots of land with a glass. excellent results. Granite, limestone, Virtually all wine from Alsace is To learn more about gneiss, schist and sandstone are just white, although a few vintners make this Club, call 800-823-5527 some of “hosts” for the grapevines. Pinot Noir in a light, almost-rosé or visit www.Vinesse.com During the 1960s, the Alsace Wine style. 10 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

­

It’s dangerously easy-drinking.

— Actress Drew Barrymore, describing the Pinot Grigio “ from her Barrymore Wines line. She added that she” often orders Pinot Grigio in restaurants “because it’s a surefire way to get a wine that’s not too buttery, too acidic or My wife and I just returned overly fruity.” (Source: Food and Wine magazine.) from a tour of Burgundy, Qand we tasted some very interesting wines. In part because we’re fairly new to wine, and in ou’ve spilled a glass of red wine on your carpet. part because of the language barrier, YWhat to do? Check your medicine cabinet for a we’re finding it challenging to learn bottle of hydrogen peroxide. According to Pat Slaven about Burgundy wines. Do you have of Consumer Reports, it’s best to test a small portion of the stain (preferably in an inconspicuous place) to any ideas for helping us sort it all make sure that the hydrogen peroxide does not strip out? the carpet’s base color. When learning about any wine region, it’s best to Abegin with a very broad view and then gradually get more asa Barranca Certified Organic specific. In the case of Burgundy, CWinery is a central feature of the that means looking for bottles that National Historic Landmark known are labeled “White Burgundy” or as Casa Barranca Estate, designed in “Red Burgundy.” You may even be 1909 by Greene & Greene. Located in able to find Burgundy-designated California’s picturesque Ojai Valley, Casa wines that have the varietal names Barranca has the distinction of being the — Chardonnay or Pinot Noir — on first certified organic winery in the Santa the label. The idea is to simply get Barbara region. a feel for how the grapes taste in Burgundy, which is different than versions from California, Oregon or elsewhere. Then move on to a he color of a wine is determined mostly by more specific geographic designation how much contact the grape juice has with within Burgundy, such as Pouilly T the grape skins prior to fermentation. White wines Fuisse or Macon-Villages. In bottlings generally are made from grapes with yellow or from those areas, you’ll begin green skins. Red wines are made from grapes to notice the mineral flavors for with dark skins. Rosé wines typically split the which white Burgundy is known. difference; they’re made from darker grape Among red Burgundy wines, look varieties, the juice of which has been allowed to have for designations such as Cote de limited contact with the skins. Can a white wine be made from dark grapes? Beaune or Cote Chalonnaise. Finally, Yes. Some California and Oregon vintners are experimenting with “White once you’ve trained your palate to Pinot Noir.” appreciate the flavors of Burgundy, move on up to the best of the best — the Premier Cru and Grand Cru The number of celebrity chefs that will be on hand for wines. There’s a lot to learn about the 6th annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine event in the Central Coast region of California. Also expected are Burgundy; enjoy the journey! 250 wineries. The dates: April 4-7, 2013. 75 Info: www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 11

food & wine pairings You Ask... & We Answer

the fastest-growing club in vinesse history! A club for people who enjoy a touch of sweetness in their wines. Wines that are lighter in style, sometimes sparkle, occasionally blush, and are simply fun to drink. e get lots of questions about food-and-wine pairing, Wines selected from top so this month, we thought we’d devote this space to W regions around the world. three of them... 1. What is the most versatile complex bottle of wine, such as a Each shipment “food wine” I can buy — one that high-end Cabernet Sauvignon, calls goes with lots of different dishes? for a relatively simple dish. Because includes: There are several varieties of wine your wine likely will be defined, in • 2 bottles of delicious that are very food-friendly, but if we part, by its tannins, opt for a grilled had to choose just one, it would be steak (almost any cut will do) and light-and-sweet wines Sauvignon Blanc. In addition to its allow the astringency of the wine’s • Detailed Tasting Notes for each common pairing partners — crab, tannins to cut through the viscosity featured wine raw oysters, scallops and shrimp of the steak’s fat for a culinary — it also pairs nicely with chicken combo made in heaven. and pork dishes. But here’s what Wine Color Mix: wins the “Most Versatile” medal for 3. What kind of wine do you Mostly White; Occasionally Sauvignon Blanc: It also matches suggest we drink with black well with vinaigrettes, as well as truffles? Blush/Pink or Sparkling many raw vegetables. Veggies can be Most successful pairings Frequency: particularly challenging to pair with involve food and wine that have wine, but Sauvignon Blanc very often complementary flavors. In the case of Approximately solves that vinous mystery. truffles, the common characteristics Every Other Month are gaminess, earthiness, some spice Price: 2. We’ve been saving what we’re and an impression of dried fruits. told is an absolutely amazing bottle Wines that offer similar flavors Only $15–$17 average per bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for a very include Barolo from Italy, and well- plus shipping special occasion. What food should aged Pinot Noir, particularly bottlings we eat with it? from France’s Burgundy region. It’s It’s rare to find two “stars” in food- rare to encounter those qualities in To learn more about and-wine combinations. A fabulously younger wines; they typically emerge complex dish calls for a fairly simple with bottle time. this Club, call 800-823-5527 wine. Conversely, a wonderfully or visit www.Vinesse.com 12 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com The Grapevine

CURRIED LENTIL SOUP LE WINE BEOUF This recipe yields about 4 servings, and pairs nicely with This recipe comes from Bill Swisher, proprietor of the Merlot. For best results, plan to drink the same wine used South Cliff Inn bed and breakfast in St. Joseph, Mich. It in preparing the dish. makes 3-5 servings, depending on how you cut the chuck Ingredients roast. Serve it with the same wine you use in preparing • 1 large clove garlic the dish. • 1 piece (1/3-inch long) peeled fresh ginger Ingredients • 1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and cut into large • 3-1/2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into thick, serving-size chunks chunks • 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks • 1 lb. thick-sliced bacon • 1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks • 2 tablespoons margarine or butter • 1 large shallot, cut in half • 1 large bay leaf • 3 Tbs. unsalted butter • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tsp. curry powder • Salt, to taste • 1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed • 7 cups dry red wine • 1 quart low-salt canned chicken broth • 3/4 cup flour • 1 cup Merlot • 1 lb. whole mushrooms • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt • 9 medium onions, peeled • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Preparation Preparation 1. Marinate the meat in 6 cups of the wine overnight. 1. Pulse the garlic and ginger in a food processor until 2. Cook half of the bacon in a heavy Dutch oven until chopped. Add the fennel, carrot, parsnip and shallot, and almost done, then remove the meat. pulse until coarsely chopped. 3. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Add bay leaf, garlic 2. Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over and salt. medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and 4. Heat the marinade just to boiling, and add more wine if cook, stirring, until softened (about 3 minutes). necessary. Pour over the meat. 3. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, until it’s 5. Add flour and stir. fragrant (about 30 seconds). 6. Bake at 350 degrees in covered Dutch oven for 1 hour. 4. Add the lentils, broth, Merlot, salt and pepper. Bring 7. While beef is cooking, cook the rest of the bacon, then the soup to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat add whole onions and brown. Remove from the heat, to maintain a brisk simmer. Cover, and cook until the and add mushrooms. lentils are tender (about 25 minutes). 8. After the beef has cooked for 1 hour, add the remainder 5. Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the soup to a blender or food of the ingredients and continue cooking, covered, for 90 processor, and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back minutes more. into the soup, along with the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. 6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

As a Member, You Can View Your Account Online For full details about your account, including your personal shipment history, charge amounts, and more, please visit www.Vinesse.com and log on via the “Your Account” link at the top right. TO ORDER CALL TOLL-FREE: 800-823-5527 HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM TO 5PM PST Vinesse 822 Hampshire Rd., Suite E, Westlake Village, CA 91361 • www.Vinesse.com