Island Fever

Maybe it’s all the rain Southern Cal has been experiencing recently?   Or, perhaps it’s just the cold?  Don’t know exactly why but I’ve been obsessing over island wines lately.  If you want to put a little sunshine in your glass, try some of these favorite island wines of mine: 

Wailheke, New Zealand

Located just a few hours by ferry from Auckland, this island (in addition to making some great wines) is a very romantic spot.  The star of the viticultural show is Te Whau winery’s “The Point.”   Only 1,000 cases of this killer Bordeaux blend is made.  The price is about $100 a bottle, but it could seriously compete with the Grand Cru Chateaux which sell for several times this price.   

Sardenia, Italy

Rugged and dry, the soils and microclimate of this island are perfect for growing grapes.  While water and fertile soils are needed for table grapes, an inhospitable environment such as Sardenia is the perfect situation for creating complexity (vines are forced to seek water and nutrients deep down in the soil).   The whites are the stars of the island’s show and Vermentino is the rock-star grape.   We buy cases each year of Argiolas’ Vermentino to serve guests poolside.  At about $15 a bottle, the well-priced sips of this one will make you swear you’re on the beach!

Santorini, Greece:

If you’ve been to Santorini, you know it’s a big OMG kind of place.  If you haven’t been, put it on your bucket list as this place is high on the Richter scale for spectacular beauty.   Created from a cataclysmic volcanic eruption a few thousand years ago, the island’s lava-based soil makes some of the world’s most interesting mineral-laced wines.   Gaia is a producer not to miss.

Mallorca, Spain

Palma de Mallorca's  airport is one of the busiest in all of Europe with nearly 20 million visitors annually.  Because of this, most of its wine, unfortunately, never makes it off the island.  That being said, if you’re visiting Barcelona, take a 30 minute flight to this dreamy place (from Madrid, it’s an hour flight).  Highly recommend Bodega Biniagual and Bodega Binigrau, located in the center of the island in the DOC district of Binissalem.  These boutique producers are among the best on the island.

Gran Canaria & Lanzarote, Spain

These two islands are located just off the coast of Morocco.  This June Wine-Knows is taking its first group to the Canaries.  The islands’ volcanic soils create some very interesting mineral flavors in their wines, but it’s not just about the minerality.  The island’s abundant sunshine also add enticing tropical fruit flavors to the whites.  If you can find El Grifo or Los Bermjos, they’re fab.  Olé!

Madeira, Portugal

After the Canaries, the group of Wine-Knows will be heading to Madeira.  While many think of the aged & fortified Madeira, this volcanic island is now producing some very good table wines.   Like the Canaries and Santorini, Madeira’s mineral-rich volcanic soils translate into very interesting wine.  These soils are quite well drained (necessary for creating the best wines) and there is little water (thus, roots have to search deep into the earth for hydration---bringing up with the water interesting flavors from the deep soils).   Best for table wines is Quinta do Moledo or Roca Branca, both made by the island’s rock-star winemaker Joao Mendes.

Corsica, France

We spent a week on Corsica a few years ago.  An overnight ferry’s ride from Marseille (or a few hours boat ride from Italy’s Tuscan coast), this gem offers a perfect getaway from the maddening crowds of the French Riviera, as well as Tuscany’s hoards.   It also offers wonderful wines, especially Vermentino.  While Americans haven’t really discovered Corsican wines yet, the French have.  One of the French Bibles of wine recently dubbed Corsica as the “most exciting wine region in France.”   Look for producers Arena or Leccia.   

Have fun….and don’t forget to the sun block!

Minestrone To Warm the Soul

We moved to Southern California for warm weather so let me confess right now that I'm not a lover of the cold.  That being said, the recipe below has certainly helped to ease the the chill of winter nights.  Moreover, it has one of my can't-seem-to-get-enough-of veggies, escarole.  How could something so simple (less than an hour of active prep time), so low in calories (terrific diet-food after the holidays), and so nutritious (lots of vitamins and fiber), taste so yummy?  This one ticks all of the boxes for scrumptious and healthy.

NOTE:  If you want a more filling soup you can add pasta or potatoes.  Also, if you still have your turkey carcass in the freezer, it can be added to boost flavors.  If you really want to be decadent, drizzle pesto on the top before serving with a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano.   (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 pound sliced pancetta, chopped
• 3 medium red onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup EVOO
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 28-ounce canned tomatoes
• 3 quart hot water
• 5 cups coarsely chopped cored Savoy cabbage
• 5 cups coarsely chopped escarole 
• 1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (about 3 by 1 1/2 inches)
• 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally while preparing the chard.

Cut out stems from chard and chop the stems, reserving leaves for later.  Stir stems into pancetta mix with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until all veggies are tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot (about 45 minutes).  

Push veggies to side of pot, then add tomatoes paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly until paste begins to caramelize (a couple of minutes).  Stir paste into veggies and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes---do not let paste burn. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon.  Next, add hot water, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.

Bring to a simmer.  Stir in cabbage, escarole and add the cheese rind.  Simmer, covered, until greens are tender about 40 minutes.  Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans.  Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes.  Discard ring. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Buon Appetito!

Champagne Trivia for 2017

                                         One of the many Wine-Knows' trips to Champagne

Here are 10 facts that the Champagne-lover needs to keep close at hand for cocktail trivia in the New Year:

1.      The classic Champagne coupe glass (rarely used now) was modeled from a mold that was supposedly made from the breast of Marie Antoinette.

2.     A regular serving of Champagne produces about 100 million bubbles before it goes flat.

3.     Champagne was not “discovered” by Dom Perignon…this monk actually tried to remove the bubbles in a batch of wine that had “gone bad.”

4.     The Champagne region, France’s most northerly wine district, lies at the northern edge of the world’s grape growing latitude.

5.     Only the following 3 grapes can be used to produce Champagne:  Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

6.     Veuve Clicquot is named after the widow of a winery owner ("veuve" means widow).

7.     The biggest bottle of Champagne is 40 times the normal sized bottle and is called a Melchizedek.  The second largest bottle is a Nebuchadnessar which is half the size of the Melchizedek.

8.     Your chances of dying from a flying Champagne cork (which can reach a velocity of 40 miles per hour) is greater than the chance of death by the bite of a poisonous spider.

9.     Only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region can be called Champagne (one exception is California’s Korbel which was grandfathered-in).

10.     Two English sparkling wines beat out some of France’s most prestigious Champagnes in a blind tasting in Paris (refer to last week’s Blog).

Happy New Year!

World's Best Sparkling? The Answer Will Surprise You

Imagine a blind tasting in Paris featuring some of France’s most illustrious Champagnes.   Eminent wine critics served as the judges.  The event was a haute couture of Champagne, with brands present like Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, and even pricey Pol Roger (so beloved by Winston Churchill that he named his race horse after his favorite bubbly).   Although Pol Roger placed third in the tasting, Churchill may have not been too displeased for the winner of the competition was a bubbly from England!

English “fizz” (as it is called in Britain), has been somewhat of a joke in the wine world…for those who have not tasted it.  I had the pleasure to visit a winery in 1999 and was surprised that their fizz was actually drinkable.  Lots, however, has happened to the wine industry in England in the last 15 years.  In fact, the top two wines in the above blind tasting were from England.

Why not England?  Stop and think.  Southern England, where the two winning wineries are located,  is about the same latitude as the Champagne countryside.  England also has limestone soils very similar to Champagne.  Moreover, England’s southern coast, is warmer than many parts of Champagne, thus riper fruit means more complex flavors.  The secret is out.  Champagne Houses such as Taittinger have bought land in England and are beginning to make their version of fizz.

Wine-Knows will be taking its first group to England in 2018, however, the tour has already sold out.  We have added another tour in 2019.  If you can’t wait until then, here are the names of the English fizzes that turned the Champagne world upside down:

                 

                  ~ Hamilton Classic Cuvee, 1st place

                  

                  ~ Nyetimber Classic, 2^nd place

Have a fizzy New Year!

Olé! Baja Restaurant Update

                                 San Jose Del Cabo is a universe away from Cabo San Lucas

                        

I’ve just returned from >2 weeks in San Jose Del Cabo in Baja, Mexico.  Although only 30 miles from Cabo San Lucas, this small colonial gem is entirely different from the maddening crowds and “Spring-Break mentality” of Cabo San Lucas.  I grew up on Mexican food in California’s agricultural rich Central Valley.  My last meal would definitely include some of my Mexican favorites.  In a nut-shell, I like to think of myself as somewhat an expert on Mexican food.  With that being said, here’s what floated to the top of my list for dining in San Jose Del Cabo.

Tropicana Restaurant

                                        Tropicana is sexy and seductive in an innocent way

Located on San Jose Del Cabo’s main street not far from the city’s central colonial plaza, this place has it all.  There is live nightly entertainment during high season, but the real reason to come is the food.  There’s a terrific Caesar salad made table-side (a dying art), plus the chile rellenos are excellent.  Margaritas are made from scratch---the only way to go.   The cost is moderate which makes this place a great bang for the buck.  Moderate

Don Rodrigo

                           From the street there's just a doorway...but a charming oasis awaits

A friend of mine picked this place to celebrate our mutual friend’s birthday.  It was so good that I returned the following week with another group.  On both occasions two different sets of diners loved this mucho romatico place.   The courtyard setting, under a canopy of trees and colorful bougainvillea with twinkling lights,  just oozes major atmosphere.  Another bonus is the live, soft music.  The menu specializes in fish, and the red snapper, as well as the tequila shrimp were the standouts.  The only negative was the service which was on both occasions a little dis-jointed.  Moderately expensive

Don Sanchez

                                             A definite do-not-miss for a special occasion

Located just across the street from the above Don Rodrigo (and just a few doors down from Tropicana), Don Sanchez was a wonderful surprise.  Although I had heard many good things about it I wasn’t expecting the quality I received.  First, however, let me disclose that this place offers more of an "international" menu.  I had a duck taco that was superb, along with a killer grilled Caesar salad that was one of the most interesting renditions I’ve had (for example, the salad was served with a prosciutto jerky, a tempura anchovy, “garlic chips,” and an out-of-this-world homemade tomato jam).  Another favorite of the table was the tamarind short ribs.  Service was sublime.  Diners can choose between a large alfresco tree-shaded patio, and a more formal indoor dining room.  Moderately expensive

Harbanero’s

                                         Upscale, authentic Mexican cooking

This restaurant is owned by the same owner as Don Sanchez so it’s no surprise that the quality was so high.  Also like its sister restaurant, service here is very professional.  Unlike Don Sanchez, however, this one specializes in traditional Mexican cooking.  Harbanero’s is located ½ mile from the central square on the outskirts of town.  I dined here twice, both times of which I left with a big smile on my face.   Order the shrimp cooked in garlic and butter…there’s no better rendition in town.  Moderate

Flora Farms

                                    A drop-dead setting in this farm-to-table restaurant

Last, but in no terms least, is Flora Farms.  I’m not sure how in the world to ever convey the magnitude of this magical setting.  Let me suffice by saying this:  if you are a foodie and you’re any where close to San Jose del Cabo, you *must* go.   It’s a 15-20 minute cab ride up in the hills ($25 each way), but the moment you arrive you’ll understand.  This place could easily be in the Napa Valley or Tuscany in that it is so disarmingly gorgeous.  Moreover, everything served is either grown or raised on the farm, or nearby.  The real stars of the culinary show are two:   the wide of assortment of breads baked daily in their wood-fired oven, as well as anything made with the plethora a knock-your-socks off vegetables.   Expensive (when you factor in the cab), but worth every peso

Feliz Navidad, amigos!

A White Christmas

White Bordeaux completes the perfect White Christmas

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.  While I love red Bordeaux, I’m thinking of dry white Bordeaux this year …perfect for San Diego’s warm December weather.  Perfectly timed for a White Christmas was a white Bordeaux tasting I just attended.  Held by a very sophisticated and savvy group of wine lovers (the Commanderie de Bordeaux of which I am a member), the blind tasting’s findings are below.

Before unveiling the winners, let’s review white Bordeaux.  Produced primarily from Sauvignon Blanc, these gorgeous relatively unknown wines also are often blended with Semillon.  While Sauv Blanc should be familiar to many, Semillon is often not.  One of the things I most love about Semillon is its luxurious, velvet-like texture.  Its flavor profile ranges from citrus in less ripe grapes, to tropical flavors in perfectly ripened grapes.  Mixed with the high acidity of Sauv Blanc, white Bordeaux can be a marriage made in heaven.

While extraordinary whites are made by some of the top Grand Cru Chateaux (e.g. Premier Grand Cru Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc which sells for about $850 a bottle), the Commanderie de Bordeaux tasting excluded all Grand Cru chateaux.  Eight members of our group tasted >10 bottles from the 2014 vintage.  Prices ranged from $28 to $14.  Here are the top three from our group's consensus:

• 1st:  Chateau Charmed-Godard ($23)
• 2nd:  Clos Floridine $26
• 3rd:  Chateau Doisy Daene ($23)

The best wine of all tasted was disqualified because it was from the 2015 vintage.  Personally, this one was my hands-down favorite, however, the 2015 weather presented Bordeaux with much riper fruit than the year prior.  This gorgeous wine was made by Chateau Haut Mayne in Graves and offered a killer price quality ratio of a mere $12.  If you find it, buy a case or two.  It’s an extraordinary value.

If you don’t know white Bordeaux, you should.  Make your Christmas a white one this year!

Gourmet Gifts for the Holidaze

It’s that time of year for gift-giving.  Here’s a special list for foodies (and I’ve checked it twice).  Most gourmands would be thrilled to receive any of these luxurious goodies….all of which scream “Happy Holidays.”  Furthermore, many of the items can be ordered online and sent gift-wrapped.

Blue Stilton Cheese:  

                                                                                           

William Sonoma imports from England (only during the holidays) a two pound wheel of Stilton.  But, it’s not just any Stilton.  It’s from Long Clawson Dairy, the best in the country.  The cost is steep, but the quality is amazing.  $70  http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/stilton-cheese/

Truffle Oil:             

                                                                                                           

There’s truffle oil, and then there is truffle oil.  Chinese poor quality knockoffs are flooding the market so make sure you purchase the real deal.   The best is made from white truffles (significantly more aromatic than black truffles).  A reputable producer from Italy is Urbani….which leads me to the next gift.   https://www.urbani.com/

Truffle & Porcini Sauce:     

   

                                                                                     

I have visited the Urbani factory several times with my clients during the truffle harvest.  Recently when I was there the owner of the factory suggested I try this over pasta for her idea of “fast food.”  I am now a regular customer and have it shipped from their New York store 10 cans at a time.  6 oz, $12.      https://www.urbani.com/

Fleur de Sel:      

What foodie wouldn’t be thrilled with a gift of fleur de sel?   This special gentle French sea salt is harvested from only from the very top layer of salt.  It can be found in any gourmet emporium, or equally easy online.  $10-15 depending on size of container

     

Peppermint Bark Cookies:    

I could kill the friend who gifted these to me several years ago for my December birthday.  Let me start by saying that I am not a peppermint fan.  That being said, it was love at first bite for these scrumptious white chocolate morsels of pure bliss.  Unfortunately, William Sonoma has an exclusive lock-down on these and they cannot be purchased elsewhere.  The price is outrageous…and worth it for a holiday splurge.  $25           http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/peppermint-bark-cookies/                                                                                                                             

Happy Holidaze