Month: February 2020

Striped Bass … Perfecto with an Italian Chardonnay

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Pairing: Grilled Striped Bass Topped with a Watercress Sauce … Paired with a 2014 Felsina Chardonnay 

Food: As a boy, I fished for Striped Bass on Great South Bay and the ocean water off Fire Island, Long Island, NY. I have many fond memories of those fishing trips on my Uncle Lou’s boat battling these mighty fighters. Memories, not so fond, of the arduous task of cleaning and filleting the fish laid out on newspaper on the driveway. Of course eating my fish was almost as rewarding as landing them. Reminders of that day’s successful catch lasted throughout the rest of the year since this fish freezes beautifully.  The striped bass for this dish came from the Harbor Fish Market in Portland, Maine, our favorite market in one of our favorite cities.

The preparation here is a new one for us.  The fish are grilled, then topped with a simple sauce made of fresh watercress, onion, olive oil, and a little fish or vegetable stock.  Some of the sauce also flavors the side of pasta (gemelli here), and the meal is completed with fresh broccoli. If you prefer, just grill or broil the fresh fish, plate it and squeeze fresh lemon on it. Stripers have a wonderful flavor all of their own.

Striped Bass w Italian Chard

Wine:  The  Felsina winery is located in Tuscany, the region most often associated with the famed red wines of Italy … Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Less well known are the wonderful white wines produced in this beautiful countryside … Vernaccia di San Gimignano is perhaps the most widely known Tuscan white wine, but more and more producers are finding that the soils and climatic conditions are well suited for growing the Chardonnay grape. I Sistri is Felsina’s entry into the world of Chardonnay. The winery is located about 10 miles east of Siena near the border of the Chianti wine region.

Felsina I Sistri Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: A pretty light gold color with maybe a slight tint of green. Some peach and other stone fruit (apricot and plum) and vanilla on the nose. Layers of tropical fruit and apple combine on the palate with a delightful creamy mouth feel. Vanilla lingers on the finish. Nicely complements the fish and watercress.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Striped Bass:  White Burgundy (France), Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Viognier (France), Chardonnay (California)

Other Seafood That Pairs Well with Italian Chardonnay:  Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Halibut, Arctic Char

View the Stunning Tuscany Region:  Tuscany

A Source:  www. klwines.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noisettes d’Agneau a l’Estragon … a Favorite Lamb with Cabernet Sauvignon

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Pairing: Noisettes d’Agneau à l’Estragon (Boned Rib Lamb Chops with a Tarragon Sauce) Paired with a 2012 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia 

Food: As a family we have enjoyed this lamb dish for almost fifty years, most recently to help celebrate my birthday. The recipe comes from Craig Claiborne‘s cookbook, The New York Times International Cookbook. In our household, this dog-eared, heavily stained, falling-apart-at-the-seams kitchen treasure is a well-loved companion dishing out culinary wisdom with a wealth of wonderful mealtime ideas. Noisettes d’Agneau à l’Estragon is quite simple to prepare, but elegant and delicious for that special meal. Quickly sear the boned lamb rib chops, keep them warm, and sauté a chopped shallot in some butter, deglaze pan with some white wine, add a little beef stock, reduce over medium heat, add a generous spoonful of tarragon, and pour the sauce over the lamb. The complementary flavors of lamb, tarragon, wine, and butter is fantastic. We like it with asparagus and roasted red potatoes.

Noisette d'Agneau

Wine: The Margaret River wine region of Western Australia is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Chardonnay, oftentimes favorably compared with their European counterparts, notably Red Bordeaux and White Burgundy. The Leeuwin Estate winery has a well-earned reputation as among the best wineries in all of Australia and with strong international accolades as well. Although we see ourselves as mostly locavores and our lamb comes from the farm down the road from us, it’s fun to drink a wine that comes from arguably the most distant location from us here on planet Earth.

Cabernet Sauvignon Leeuwin

Tasting Notes:  Beautiful gemstone garnet color. Multi-tiered aromas of black currant jam cooking on the stove, fruit leather, and cowhide leather. Concentrated flavors of chocolate and black and red currant. Surprisingly light for a cabernet sauvignon. None of the harsh tannins and very gentle cedar. “I just got a flavor that is so remarkable … but I don’t know what it is!” says my wife. Like good French cooking … you often can’t discern all of the individual ingredients. The chocolatey-ness drifts you along on the lovely finish. Just perfect with this lamb.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Lamb Chops and Tarragon:  Shiraz (Australia), Red Bordeaux (France), Merlot (Italy), Zinfandel (California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Cabernet Sauvignon:  Beef (Grilled or Roasted), Venison, Game Birds, Roast Duck

View the Beautiful Margaret River Wine Region:  margaret river wine region

A Source:  www. klwines.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Classic Reborn … Mom’s Meat Loaf Refined with a Chilean Red Blend

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Pairing: Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes and Peas … Paired with a 2013 Clos des Fous Cauquenina (Chilean Red Blend)  

Food:  Mom’s Meat Loaf was a frequent weekday meal in our household … plain, simple comfort food. And delicious. Made with ground beef, pork and veal (sometimes lamb), breadcrumbs, onion, an egg, some milk, and varying combinations of herbs and spices (whatever was handy). Here is Fanny Farmer’s basic recipe which can be modified a gazillion different ways. And we always served it with mashed potatoes, peas, and a rich brown gravy. Of course, the best part of this meal was the leftovers served the next day.  Somehow the meatloaf was even better cold, sliced on some sandwich bread, maybe with smear of ketchup or mustard. And with a big glass of milk. Today, we dress up this classic food with an exceptional red wine from Chile.

Meat Loaf w: Chilean Blend

 

Wine:  Clos des Fous is the brain child of four highly respected winemakers – Albert Cussan, Paco Leyton, Francois Massoc, and Pedro Parra. The grapes used for their Cauquenina blend are 36% Carignan, 18% Malbec, 15% Syrah, 15% Pais, 9% Cinsault, and 7% Carmenère sourced from small vineyard growers in the Caquenes commune in the Maule Valley region of central Chile. It is historically important that Pais is one of the grapes in this amazing blend. Pais, known as Mission grapes in North America, was first brought to the New World by the Spanish in the 16th Century. Planted initially in Mexico, it was later brought to Texas, New Mexico, and California where it proliferated in those regions for centuries. Although wines made from Pais/ Mission grapes have long been considered to be fairly ordinary, they are having a renaissance in central Chile where innovative winemakers are blending Pais with several other varieties to make some very special wines. This Clos des Fous is an exemplary result of this innovation.

Clos des Fous Chilean Redjpg

 

Tasting Notes: A dark (almost black) garnet color.  Spice and leather are the first aromas one can notice followed by some wild blueberry and a hint of cigar box (really!). The palate is amazingly complex with a delicate layer of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg surfacing among the tastes of hedgerow jam and leather. Soft tannins hold it all together and help the flavors linger long on the finish. After sipping the wine for a while, a lovely, gentle sweetness emerges. The pairing with the meat loaf couldn’t be better, but this very inexpensive wine would easily hold its own partnered with a sophisticated French Roast or a Grilled Ribeye.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Meat Loaf:  Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile), Dolcetto (Italy), Zinfandel (California), Rioja (Spain)

Other Food That Pairs Well with a Malbec Blend: Roasted Beef or Lamb, Pizza with Mushrooms and Sausage, Grilled Steak, Empanadas

View the Maule Valley Wine Region:  maule valley

A Source:  www. klwines.com