Spring Food & Wine Pairings

                                   

Spring has sprung and I’m not about to let Corona Virus dampen my spirits!  I’ve been out of the country six weeks and am so looking forward to spring’s bounty.   As the season’s foods have changed, so should our wine choices.  Heavier bodied wines (like Zinfandel and Cabernet) can now be replaced with lighter tannin and less alcoholic reds (such as Pinot Noir, Grenache, or even Sicily’s Frapatto, a fruity red wine brimming with another Spring flavor---strawberries).   Winter’s full-on oaky Chardonnays can now begin their transition to more gentle oak influences, or even  unoaked mineral-forward versions.  Spring whites also scream citrusy Austrian Gruner Veltliner or Italian Vermentino.

Here’s my shopping list, menu, and wine pairings:

Fresh peas: to be made into a risotto and served with a Pinot Noir.

Baby artichokes:  grilled, topped with a mélange of fresh spring herbs and garlic, served with grilled lamb chops and a Grenache from the Rhone Valley.

Fava beans:  these labors of love will be turned into a simple sauté using wonderful dill and mint, and served roasted salmon along with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

New potatoes:  far less starchy than other potatoes, these yummy spring-time morsels will be featured in a salad mixed with tender green beans, spring radishes, just-sprouting parsley, and dressed with olive oil.  They’ll accompany a roast chicken, and be served with a Sicilian Frappato.

Morel mushrooms:  these scrumptious splurges will be showcased in a simple pasta dish (garlic, shallots and olive oil), and will be accompanied by a real-deal Rosé Champagne to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

Happy Spring!  Stay Healthy!

The Best of the Best

                                     New Zealand is so much more than Sauv Blanc

WineKnows' trip to New Zealand just ended.  We visited the country's four major wine regions (Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough, and Central Otago).  Nearly 150 wines made from more than a dozen varieties were tasted.  Pinot Noir (PN) and Sauvignon Blanc (SB) led the pack in terms of the most tasted wines.

40% of the wines in my Top Ten are PN, but that's not surprising as New Zealand is rapidly evolving into one of the Pinot capitals of the world.  I'm not a fan of the classic Kiwi style of grassy SB, so it's no wonder that only one SB made it to my list (this one was made from warmer climate grapes and had the tropical profile I prefer).  The surprise was the Chardonnay which made a strong impression garnering two of the top ten spots.  Two aromatics also made my list:  Viognier and Pinot Gris.

TOP 10 (listed alphabetically)

• Ata Rangi PN (2017):  from the estate's prime vineyards, this one is complex layers of spice, earth & fruit.

• Decibel Viognier (2018):  intoxicating melange of luscious florals & citrus, it's one of the few bottles I brought home.  If you can find it, buy it (or save it for me to buy).

• Dry River Chardonnay (2014):  stunning rendition of tropical fruit & citrus.  

• Elephant Hill Salome Chardonnay (2017):  burnt pineapple mixed with limey mineral nuances.

• Greywacke SB (2019):  luscious nectarine + lemon/lime + good finish.

• Mt Difficulty Hanock Farm Single Vineyard PN (2016):  ethereal mix of raspberry, violet, spice & earth, all with a gorgeous finish.

• Palliser Estate PN (2018):  elegant mix of savory & fruit with a winning finish.

• Te Awanga Wild Ferment Pinot Gris (2018):  white & yellow peach mixed with grapefruit.  Lingering finish.

• Te Whare Ra Single Vineyard PN (2015):  voluptuous mix of cherry, chocolate & spice with a fab finish.

• Valli Bendigo PN (2018):  Grown in Otago's warmest region, this one is full bodied & screams black cherry & spice.  Silky tannins & an elegant finish.

Note that all the above wines should be available in the US.

A big "cheerio" for the Kiwis!

Rent Julia Child’s Villa in France

                          A "Week in Provence with Julia" is the the culinary memory of a lifetime

I have long been a fan of Julia’s.  Fortunately, I’ve had the great pleasure to meet this illustrious woman on three occasions.  The first mesmerizing time was at a cooking class in the early 1980’s.  The second was an event hosted by Robert Mondavi to launch the opening of Copia in Napa Valley (Center for Wine, Food and the Arts).  The final time was a Black Tie dinner to celebrate Julia’s 90^th birthday, a fund-raiser for the American Institute of Wine and Food.  When the opportunity arose to actually rent the villa where Julia, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle wrote their hallmark cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I jumped higher than one of Julia's voluminous souffles at the chance to do so.

        The estate has been completely modernized but Julia is still present around every corner

If you’re a Julia devotee, renting this villa is the equivalent of going to Mecca.  This is where it all began.  Although the villa has been transformed by one of France's great interior designers since Julia was there, its walls still echo Julia.  Even the antique La Cornue stove screams coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon.  I’ve rented this hallowed residence now on four separate occasions.  Each time Julia's magigue has been palpable.  If you haven't joined these special one weeks programs, do note that I have reserved the property for two additional future weeks.

 A well-outfitted kitchen offers 2 huge frigs & a La Cornue stove, along with beautiful dishes & linens

The villa is located in the South of France’s stunning Provence.  In the foothills above the Riviera, this large stone country home now boasts a swimming pool and outdoor kitchen with panoramic views.  It's available for a week’s rental.  With five ensuite bedrooms, a dreamy kitchen, and two separate sitting rooms, the large property is perfect for ten foodies. The four different groups I’ve taken for “A Week in Provence with Julia,” have all found the experience a lifetime memory.

         Grougeres & strawberry coulis aperitifs began this homage to Julia dinner in Provence 

A fifth Julia week (2023) is already sold out.  The original group of ten women from "Julia's Week in Provence" are going to return and have booked the villa.  But, an another week in September 2023 has been added.  This 2023 week is available to individuals, or another option is a private group of foodie friends.  

The butcher shop where Julia bought her meat is still open.  One of Julia’s favorite restaurants is thriving nearby and they even remember "the tall American."  Then, there’s the olive mill in the next village where she purchased her oil---it's still producing ethereal extra virgin.   This all can be yours.  Come and walk in Julia’s footsteps.

Bones in Wine?

                                Bone dry means there is a miniscule amount of sugar in the wine

Most everyone has probably heard the expression bone dry in reference to wine.  There are no bones in wine, right?    That would be wrong:  China has a wine called “Tiger Wine,” which actually is made with real tiger bones.  OK, now back to bone dry.   This descriptor, along with dry, and off-dry are all three terms used to identify the amount of sugar in a wine.  

So how does sugar get into wine?  Let’s start at the beginning.  In alcoholic fermentation yeasts eat the naturally occurring sugar in grapes and through a process of chemical reactions this sugar is converted to alcohol.  Therefore, the amount of residual sugar (RS) in wine depends upon when the fermentation is stopped. 

In dessert wines (aka sweet wines) fermentation is artificially stopped before all of the yeasts can turn the sugar into alcohol.  This means that these wines have higher sugar levels and lower alcohol.  Conversely, in bone dry wines all of the sugar has been eaten by the yeasts, which in turn means that the wine has a higher alcohol level than dessert wine.   Bone dry means there is very little, if any, remaining sugar. 

Below shows the amounts of RS in the different categories of wines:

                     Bone dry:  0.5% or less RS

                     Dry:  1% RS

                     Off-dry:  2-3% RS

                     Sweet:  3.5-12% RS

                     Dessert:  12-22% RS

An experienced wine drinker can often taste the nuances in a wine’s sugar level, but there are factors that prevent even experts from recognizing the differences between bone dry, dry, and off-dry.   Both tannin and a wine’s acid levels can distort one’s ability to discern RS.   For the novice, even a wine’s ripe fruit aromas or sweet florals can also trick one into thinking the wine has some sugar.

In closing, any grape varietal can be made into a wine that is bone-dry or a dessert wine.  So, how does one know if a wine is bone dry or if there is RS?   Since wineries are not required to put this on the label, most do not.  A good wine store will know.  Many of the better wineries also have “Technical Sheets” available online in which RS amounts are stated.