Ny Butcher Shoppe

ny butcher shoppe

join the crowds who’ve already discovered this neighborhood shoppe

sweet potatoes: not just for thanksgiving anymore

gone ﬁshin’ to clean catch new year’s resolutions and wine— a match made in heaven

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epicurean charlotte food & wine

january • february 2011

january february 2011

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE • INCREDIBLE SELECTION • LOWEST PRICES

contents

14

sweet potatoes: not just for thanksgiving anymore

22

new year’s resolutions and wine—a match made in heaven

North Carolina’s

gone ﬁshin’ to clean catch

18

LOWEST PRICES

the new york butcher

8,000WINES • 1,000 BEERS • AND MORE

shoppe debuts to crowds

26

The Best Wines on Earth.
The Lowest Prices Anywhere.

in each issue

Total Wine & More is like no other store you have ever visited.
Each of our stores carries over 8,000 different wines and 1,000 beers.
With almost 70 superstores, we have the buying power to bring you the best wines at the best prices. Our wine team is the best trained in the industry. Just think of them as tour guides, guiding you through the great wine regions. They are committed and dedicated to bringing you the Total Wine Experience^™.

ripe for the picking

through the grapevine

news & gossip within the

06 08
32

beer and wine picks for the new year charlotte epicurean scene

uncorked

the emperor’s new clothes: new food and wine pairings

places to go, people to see

33 34

a calendar of local events

scene around town

take a look at who’s been out and about

seats & eats

10 12 13

Come see why we’re America’s Wine Superstore^®.

miró soothes the rushed and weary with traditional spanish cuisine

local ﬂavor

enticing entrées for the new year

36

juicy morsels

score a touchdown with super bowl beer and cheese pairings

ripe for the picking

37 39

South Charlotte

Promenade on Providence

Charlotte-University

Grand Promenade
Phase II

Matthews

Crossings Shopping
Center

hot spots in and around town

juicy morsels

chocolate: the food of love?

words to live by

Huntersville

Birkdale Village

Charlotte

Park Towne Village

www.totalwine.com

volume ꢀ • issue 1

www.epicureancharlotte.com

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ripe for the picking

Monte Smith of Café Monte French Bistro & Bakery is recommending the 2004 Beaucanon Estate Trifecta.

Glass $14.00; Bottle $58.00

Bill Ryan of Clean Catch Fish Market is drinking the 2008 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay with his seafood.

Bottle $25.99

Jai Budsri of Deejai Thai Restaurant is enjoying the warmth of Cline 2009 Cashmere.
Rudy Amadio of Rudy’s Italian Restaurant is enjoying the 2006 Casale Del Giglio Shiraz Lazio IGT for the winter months.

Glass $10.00; Bottle $38.00
Glass $8.00; Bottle $30.00

Dark cherry and berry aromas accented by notes of cedar, dark chocolate and spicy vanilla are attributed to the use of French oak. A sip reveals its French styling, with elegant red cherry, raspberry and rhubarb fruit. Lean, silky tannins and bright acidity linger on the palate throughout the prolonged finish to develop nuances of spice, tobacco and mocha.
This wine exhibits baked pear and apple notes with lemon custard and sandalwood aromas and a hint of anise. In the mouth, the wine adds orange blossom and toasted almond notes. The rich texture is complemented by crisp acidity, leaving a long balanced finish. This wine begs to be consumed with fresh seafood.
Deep ruby red in color with violet nuances, the promise of black currant, blueberry, wild cherry, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom on the nose is amply fulfilled on the palate. Warm and luscious, but supported by fine tannins, all the fruit and spice of this red return in the lengthy finish.
Scents of red fruit, spice and cedar announce themselves on the nose of this tantalizing Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah blend. The vibrant, silky fruit is medium-bodied with a long middle and lightly tannic finish. It has character and class, much like its name.

Katy Kindred of Good Food on Montford
Rob Rondelez of The Common
Terry Miller of D’Vine Wine Café is

says the 2008 Cos Sicilia Nero di Lupo

Nero d’Avola is perfect for the chilly days.

Bottle $52.00

Thierry Garconnet of Terra Restaurant
Market is enjoying the 2008

Verasol ‘Tn’ Tempranillo from the Navarra region. drinking the 2009 Novy Willamette Valley Blanc de Noir.

Bottle $24.98

is raving about the 2006 Tenuta la Meridiana Barbera d’Asti Vitis.

Bottle $40.00
Bottle $11.99

The Nero di Lupo is unfiltered 100 percent Nero d’Avola. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for a further 24 months in a cask, it has remarkable finesse with rich fruit flavours balanced by flinty notes. This distinctive and elegant wine reveals a high-toned red fruit character to contrast the deeper flavors of preserved plum and menthol.
Possessing some of the midpalate weight and richness of Chardonnay but with exceptional acidity, the nose on this wine, however, is a bit more exotic, with hints of orange and cherry fruits. That, combined with the weight and fruit flavors, ultimately makes it its own uniquely wonderful wine.
This 100 percent Barbera is bright ruby red in color, confirming the freshness. Vineous to the mouth, it boasts an intense and fruity nose with hints of fresh fruits and cherries. Balanced, harmonic and supple, it is the ideal accompaniment of the whole meal.
A vibrant dark ruby color with a hint of violet, this wine boasts a loud, massively fruity nose of amplified blackberry and boysenberry and gobs of straightforward, ripe, slightly tangy fruit. Some minerality makes itself known in the back of the mouth. Low acid, soft and full-bodied.

Maura Howe of Brio Tuscan Grille is talking up the 2007 Bleasdale ‘The Broad-Side’ blend.
Mark Virgili of Total Wine is spreading the word about the 2007 Domaine Chante Cigale Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes.

Bottle $19.99
Glass $9.25; Bottle $29.00

Fifty-three percent Shiraz, 42 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Malbec, this blend is ruby-red in color with spicy cherry and dark berries on the nose. Juicy raspberry and blueberry flavors are firmed by dusty tannins and boosted by tangy acidity. Smooth and generous, spice notes build on the gently sweet, persistent finish.
This Grenache, Carignan and Syrah blend is ripe but focused, featuring a lush, velvety mouthfeel caressing the fig, crushed currant and dark plum fruit, all laced with black tea, spice and bittersweet cocoa hints.

Voted
Best of the Best

“Your Escape from the Everyday”™

Brunch

By Charlotte Magazine

Café Monte French Bakery and Bistro is known for oﬀering aﬀordable, high quality French fare, exquisitely prepared to order. Classic French country favorites served all day include fresh pastries, salads, sandwiches, quiches and crêpes as well as a full breakfast menu. In addition, enjoy our bistro service, featuring mussels, steak and pommes frites, rotisserie chicken and other specialties served in a casual and comfortable European setting.

Erik Carpenter of Georges Brasserie is enjoying the 2008 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée Napa Valley Bordeaux blend.

Glass $14.00; Bottle $55.00

Tommy George of Pasta & Provisions is drinking the 2006 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Ruﬁna Riserva.

Bottle $21.99

Café Monte French Bakery and Bistro’s commitment to using only the highest quality ingredients served fresh at an exceptional value for our customers makes quality French food accessible to all. Bon Appétit!

Vibrant and harmonious, this wine displays the complexity of a classic Bordeaux blend, with all the appealing richness of great California winegrowing. The nose offers notes of sun-ripened fruit and spice. On the palate, abundant black cherry and cola flavors are supported by soft, rich tannins and a supple texture that leads to a long, satisfying finish.
In the glass, this wine has an impressive brilliance in its deep, purple-edged ruby red color. Shows sweet blueberry notes, with mineral and lilac. Full-bodied, this wine features fine tannins and vanilla and bright fruit flavors. Clean and racy.

Brunch, Lunch and Dinner : : Catering : : Bakery : : Patio Private Dining : : Bridal Showers : : Rehearsal Dinners
On- and Off-site Catering : : Breakfast Meetings

Mon - ur 9am - 10pm : : Fri & Sat 9am - 11pm : : Sun 9am - 3pm

www.cafemonte.net : : 6700 Fairview Road
Allen Tate Building at Phillips Place : : 704.552.1116

Locally owned and operated since 2007

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ports and dessert wines worth checking out

uncorked

Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port

Blended from reserves of high-quality, full-bodied wines from a single vintage, the Taylor Fladgate is deep purple in color with intense, jammy fruit flavors and an aromatic nose of berries, vanilla and a touch of walnut.

by nikitas magel

the emperor’s new clothes

new food and wine pairings: sweet wines & chocolate

’m a person of strong opinions, which I frequently any clothes, folks! And if you really think so, then take pleasure in expressing. But when it comes brace yourself while I spew my strong opinion to

Fonseca Quinta 10-year Tawny Port

i

This young port is a russet color with brilliant crimson highlights and a fragrant, ripe-fruit bouquet. Its smooth, silky texture and subtle oak nuances are balanced by a fresh acidity and tannic ‘grip’ that culminate in a long, elegant finish.

to wine, I try to exercise caution with that tendency, the contrary.

because I feel that the apprecia-

Apart from the fact that very

few, if any, wine professionals would agree to such a match, allow me to explain why the two don’t work together. It all boils

down to dryness and acidity, two

of the handful of elements comprising a wine’s style that dictate how it’s experienced on the palate and how it works when paired with food.
Dryness refers to the amount of sugar left unfermented, referred to by professionals as residual sugar. Red wines of quality have no residual sugar and so tion and enjoyment of wine is a very personal experience that should only be sparingly preempted or tainted by ‘expert’ advice. However, very much like art and design, even among variations of tastes, styles and approaches, there are still some universal, often fundamental, ‘rules,’ if you will, about which elements work well together and which ones, frankly, do not. This is one of them: red wine and chocolate do not work together.
I can’t say enough about how

Among variations of tastes, styles and approaches, there are still some universal, often fundamental rules about which elements work well together and which ones, frankly, do not.

Quady Electra

Light, delicate, easy to drink and very refreshing, Quady Electra is delicately sweet, refreshingly crisp and feautes a bouquet of flowers with the taste of peach and melon.

This is one of them:

Washington Hills Late Harvest Riesling

red wine and chocolate do not work together.

This riesling features a beautiful, aromatic nose of peach and apricot with a hint of botrytis. Concentrated poached pear and ripe apple flavors marry wonderfully together on the palate. The developed, sweet flavors are balanced by bright acidity and a clean finish.

sick and tired I am of hearing about ‘red wine and are completely ‘dry.’ Without this sugar, a wine is renchocolate’ as if they were some match made in heaven. dered thin and ﬂat on the palate when paired with the Well, it’s bologna. The emperor isn’t wearing sugar in chocolate (or any sweets, for that matter).

As for acidity—well, it doesn’t play well with beautifully. But honestly, even a ruby port will anything sweet. Salty, yes; but not sweet (which is work. The point is the fullness of the wine and the another reason why champagne is a terrible pairing presence of residual sugar.

with desserts, because, compared to most full-bodied

Other options to pair with chocolate are the light,

red wines, it has even more acidity). The take-away sweet dessert wines made with muscat/moscato message here: an acidic drink does not go with grapes (Italy, California) as well as rich, nectar-like a sweet food. Avoid it like the plague, and your ice-wines (Germany, Canada and some northern

tongue will thank you.

Washington state). The point, again, is sugar! The

wine must be sweet! Oh, and if you think that sweet
So if not Red Wine, then what does work wines must be tacky, cloying or in any way related

to that abomination called White Zinfandel, then I invite you—implore you—to experiment with the

with Chocolate?... Port!

You want a match made in heaven? Then try dessert wine offerings at any quality-driven, small, pairing that chocolate with an aged tawny port, neighborhood wine merchant. Simply go in and ask and you’ll experience a true synergy, the likes of for a recommendation from one of the retail staff. which dry red wine simply cannot even begin to
There’s an entire world of sweet wines out there approach. that are nothing short of transcendent!E
Port has residual sugar; as I explained previ-

ously, that’s crucial. What’s more is that the tawny variety has toffee, caramel-like, nutty qualities that compliment chocolate (and chocolate desserts)

Nikitas Magel is a wine writer based in San Francisco, publishing pieces regularly to the online wine magazine Vinterviews.com. He also provides marketing services to the wine industry through his company Vinﬂuent.com. He may be contacted by email at [email protected].

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seats
& eats

miró soothes the rushed

by zenda douglas

and weary with

images by ashley blake summerlin

traditional spanish cuisine

f incorporating more relaxing moments into a busy as saffron and paprika, as well as fresh herbs. Roasted schedule is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, peppers and tomatoes are also prominent in Spanish

i_{Miró Spanish Grille will be an excellent partner to}

cuisine.

encourage you to keep that promise.

Whether you’re not quite so hungry or just want to

Spanish culture masters the art of relaxation while prepare your palate for a full dinner ahead, tapas provide helping you find pleasure in everyday activities. It is in that delicious solutions. Tempt your taste buds with sautéed spirit that Miró offers a respite from the seemingly longer Spanish sausages in a tomato sauce; manchego cheese hours of American life. Whether you choose a calm-down and prosciutto ham; or seasoned artichoke hearts in break for lunch, after-the-rush tapas and sangria or a feast vinaigrette, to name a few of the choices. Pair up your of steak, chicken and fresh seafood, you’re in for a true “small meal” with a libation from the list of Miró’s special delight, especially when it’s accompanied by a bottle of martinis and cocktails, complete with a Cuba Libre.

mir

�

spanish grille

•

7804 rea road #a charlotte
704.540.7374 www.mirospanishgrille.com

•

Rioja from their excellent wine list.

Happily move forward with a traditional gazpacho

cut beef tenderloin topped with roquefort brandy sauce wine can be a part of every lunch and dinner. Miró offers

and served with garlic mashed potatoes. The Puerco en outstanding Spanish wines, fine selections from Argentina Pimienta calls out softly—pork tenderloin topped with and Chile, as well as some choice California wines. “And a cream of three peppercorns sauce. The aroma alone we have the best sangria in town,” says Luong.
Open since March of 1999, Miró Spanish Grille has soup or the beautiful Ensalada Catalana, with assorted become a mainstay in the Charlotte culinary landscape. greens and romaine lettuce, roasted pepper, artichokes, The restaurant is located in the Stonecrest at Piper Glen goat cheese and hearts of palm.

shopping center, which is right off of I-485 on exit 59. The

For the main course, savor traditional Paella

could have you choose Zarzuela de Mariscos, a traditional

Miró welcomes diners into a simple interior dotted

menu is mainly Spanish, with a few dishes from South Valenciana, a delicious combination of shrimp, scallops, America. “Although the cuisines from these regions mussels, clams, calamari and chicken with saffron rice; or are different, they do have similar ingredients, like rice, grilled fresh halibut fillet with sautéed jumbo shrimp in a beans and the love of spices,” says Tri Luong, owner of light chorizo, tomatoes and thyme sauce. Need comfort Miró. Spanish food is very flavorful, full of spices such food with your down time? Enjoy the Solomillo, a center seafood stew cooked in a Spanish clay casserole with with the work of surrealist artist Joan Miró. “The shrimp, grouper, calamari, mussels, clams and scallops in atmosphere is somewhere between casual and fine dining a tomato sauce. It would, however, be in keen competition and is cozy—not loud—and perfect for both date night with the Chambarete con Jamón—braised oven veal shank and families,” says Luong.

with white wine, tomatoes and ham.

Banquet and private rooms are available for meetings

Lunchtime has its own treasures including Churrasco and special occasions. You can dine in the bar and de Cerdo—seasoned pork tenderloin topped with lounge or simply enjoy the daily happy hour. Personal chimichurri sauce served with black beans and plantains; sautéed beef tenderloin tips and artichokes in a sherry wine sauce; and boneless chicken breast topped with sautéed mushrooms in a sherry wine sauce. All are served with either white or saffron rice. Or, stay true to seafood with a fresh salmon fillet topped with a sun dried tomato basil pesto sauce, wines are welcome (corkage fee applies). Catering from the regular dinner menu is available for smaller events.
Luong came to the states from Vietnam with his family at the young age of eight. Raised in Charlotte, the job he took as a teenager led the way to his culinary career. He has worked his way up from dishwasher at Charlotte’s first

“The atmosphere is somewhere between casual and fine dining and is cozy—not loud—and perfect for both date night and families.”

served with sautéed spinach or Gambas Mallorquinas, Spanish restaurant, Tio Montero, to becoming a cook, sautéed spicy shrimp with garlic tomato sauce served then the manager—all during the 1980s. Luong attended

over angel hair pasta.

the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, studying

To the delight of vegetarians, Miró offers several business administration.

exciting dishes, such as Berenjena Rellena, which is

Originally from Mexico, Miró’s Head Chef, Gustavo

eggplant stuffed with spinach and cheese, and is served Figueroa, also worked at Tio Montero and has been with with saffron rice. A traditional vegetarian paella is on the Luong ever since. menu, as well as grilled mixed vegetables topped with chimichurri (Escalivadad) and sautéed fresh vegetables new habits, and learning to relax in the Spanish tradition in tomato basil sauce tossed with angel hair pasta. is a fine one to nurture, with good food and wine, of
As in Spain, where food and wine are inseparable, course.E
The top of the New Year is the perfect time to develop