Italian Culinary and Wine Experience

Last month Beth and I had the privilege to enjoy a fun night at Fezziwig's Tea & Gourmet Market in Lebanon, Illinois.  This cute shop, owned by Tim and Ellen Leaf Moore,  hosts all kinds of events including wine tastings, loose leaf tea tastings and gourmet food tastings along with various  classes on all those mentioned goodies.  That night we participated in an "Italian Bistro Night".

Tim and Ellen's dear friends Mike and Patti Awalt spent 12 years living in Italy learning all they could about the culture and foods of that wonderful country. It was great being the recipients of their delicious culinary delights!

The evening started off with a "Capri Cocktail" of Prosecco.  As with any Italian sparkling wine, that's the best way to begin an evening while mingling with friends.

Once we were seated, we enjoyed the first course of Bruschetta ( that's pronounced broos-kEHt-tuh).  To pair this for the evening I chose the 2013 Chloe Pinot Grigio which is from the Valdadige D.O.C.  It had ripe juicy flavors of fresh white peach, beautiful honeysuckle and subtle Meyer lemon.

Continuing on with the next course of tonno e fagioli, which is a tuna and white bean dish. Oh delish! I continued to enjoy the Chloe Pinot Grigio with this one too and  it was a perfect pairing.

The next course of the evening was the Pasta Bolognese Bianco.  Awesome! I've enjoyed Bolognese before but was always with a red sauce.  This version is a lighter pasta with a white or olive oil sauce.

I paired this dish with a 2012 Vesevo Beneventano Falanghina from Campania, Italy. Again, a perfect choice for it had a full, ripe palate with a hint of honey on the finish.

Our next course was Insalata verde.  It was interesting to learn that in Italy the salad is always served after the pasta to help with digestion.  After having the heavier entrees, I thought I was full and couldn't eat anything more, but the salad was perfect. It was bib lettuce with  very light EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

The dinner was topped off with fresh strawberries drizzled with Fezziwig's very own Summer Peach White Balsamic Vinegar.  Not to stop there, Patti made homemade Limoncello that was the culmination of a fantastic evening.

Now we know why Tim and Ellen wanted the Awalt's to be their first "guest presenters" of their Culinary Experience classroom. I'm so glad we were a part of it!

Cheers!

Lisa

Wine School Sauvignon Blanc-French and California

The wines!

Theme:  With summer approaching, I thought it was the perfect time to explore Sauvignon Blanc from its birthplace. Both Sancerre (sahn sair) and Bordeaux claim to be the birth place of this refreshing white wine, so we tried one from each region and threw in a Sav Blanc from Napa for a comparison. The three wines were a great example on how much influence terrior in wine.


The Wines:
Domain Thomas & Fils 2012 Le Crele Sancerre

• Color:  Pale yellow
• Aroma:  Youthful nose - lemon zest, herbs, and a chalky-mineral notes
• Mouth:  Light body with crisp acidity and notes of lemon/citrus and mineral with a medium finish.
• Price:  $27.99 - Wine Merchant/Clayton, MO
• Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
• Conclusion:  Well balanced aroma bled through to the taste! Good expression of what mineral tastes like in a wine. Best wine of the evening!

Peter Sichel 2012 Sirius White Bordeaux

• Color:  Pale yellow
• Aroma:  More earthy aroma than the Sancerre with tropical fruit and slight floral notes
• Mouth:  Light body, although slightly more body than the Sancerre, smooth mouth feel with definite mineral notes
• Price:  $12.99 - Wine Merchant/Clayton, MO
• Rating:  3 out of 5
• Conclusion:  Nice wine, makes a great summer sipper.

Laird Big Ranch 2012 Sauvignon Blanc

• Color:  Pale yellow with a hint of green
• Aroma:  Youthful nose definitely different than the French wines - tropical fruit and pear
• Mouth:  More fruit flavors than the French wines with a tart finish - crisp and refreshing
• Price:  $15.99 - Wine Merchant/Clayton, MO
• Rating 3 out of 5
• Conclusion:  We enjoyed this wine best on its own. A nice refreshing wine for our hot St. Louis summers.

Cheeses for the evening.

The Pairings:
Sofia Goat Cheese:  Nice cheese that paired well with all the wines. It really brought the body out in the Bordeaux, our favorite pairing of the three wines.
Couronne de Touraine:  Nice pairing - our favorite was with the Sancerre.
Garlic and Herb Chevré:  Very nice with the Bordeaux!
Crab Salad:  A nice pairing with the Sancerre, the Bordeaux wine was too floral with this pairing.
Goat Cheese Pizza:  Great pairing, as Lisa says, "Woo Hoo!". Did we mention she is from Texas!! Great with all three wines. We love this frozen pizza from Target! Best pairing of the evening!
Godiva Salted Almond Chocolate:  We enjoyed with the Sancerre and Laird from California.
Godiva Salted Caramel Chocolate:  Nice pairing, we enjoyed best with the Sancerre.

Conclusion:
Beth:  I enjoy Sauvignon Blanc so this was a fun class to prepare. Most of the time I find myself drinking these wines from a domestic source or New Zealand. In full disclosure I have enjoyed Sirius, from Bordeaux, already when my husband and I took a class at the  Wine Merchant so I knew what to expect in this wine. New to me was a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre. I enjoyed the mixture of mineral and lemon/citrus, and my favorite of the evening. Hands down the best pairing of the evening was the goat cheese pizza (frozen from Target)! The creaminess of the cheese plays nicely with the acidity of the wine.
Lisa:   When it comes to summer, Sauvignon Blanc is definitely my "go to" wine.  I always love the refreshing and crisp flavors they hold. Although I enjoy all three on their own, I wasn't a huge fan of the cheese comparisons.  But my favorite was the Garlic and Herb Chevre, especially with the Sirius.  I loved the crab salad with the LaCrele Sancerre!  And of course the winner of the night was the Goat Cheese pizza.  I think I'll have to stock up on that for easy dinners :).  Then there were the chocolates...My pick of the wines was the Sancerre-yum!  It was fun comparing all three wines and definitely seeing the differences.  Fun class!  And come on summer!
Mary Jo:   MMMM....With summer comes delicious whites that can be enjoyed by the pool, or outdoors on a hot summer night.  What a pleasure it was to enjoy these wines!  Overall, I loved the Sirius the most, with Laird as second and La Crele third.  Each of these wines had their own distinct flavors.  The Sirius had mineral, herb and flower notes and went very well with the goat cheese and goat cheese pizza.  The Laird had juicy pear on the nose and a tart crisp finish.  This wine went very well with the garlic and herb chèvre and the goat cheese pizza.  The La Crele had a citrus/lemon and mineral flavor that paired well with the Couronne de Touraine, the crab salad and the Godiva salted almond chocolate.  The Laird was a very easy drinking Sauvignon Blanc.  What a wonderful class to kick off our midwest summer!  Thanks, Beth!

Happy Memorial Day!

     Happy Memorial Day – the unofficial kick-off to summer! What better way to enjoy the beginning of summer than a bike ride and lunch with my hubby?

Echo Bay (left) and Joel Gott Sauvignon Banc

     It began as a beautiful day for a bike ride. We pedaled our way to Edwardsville looking forward to lunch at our favorite pizza spot, Peel. Unfortunately they were closed for the holiday, but not to worry, we found a shady spot on the patio at Mike Shannon’s Grill – just next door. Mike and I were both in the mood for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. I ordered Joel Gott from California and he ordered Echo Bay from Marlborough, New Zealand. A perfect opportunity to share our glasses and compare this grape from two different growing regions. This is what we discovered:
Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc – California

• Color:  Pale yellow
• Nose:  Lemon and citrus hit me with my first sniff
• Mouth:  Love the bright acidity of this wine with refreshing citrus notes and clean finish. This wine had a slightly fuller body than the Echo Bay.
• Pairing:  Was an excellent pairing with a Greek Island salad and half a Health wrap that we split.

Greek Island Salad and Health Wrap

Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough, New Zealand

• Color:  Pale yellow
• Nose:  Classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with herbaceous notes and zesty citrus
• Mouth:  Bright, crisp and refreshing. Mike described it as thirst quenching.
• Pairing: Another great match with our light lunch, although Mike mostly enjoyed his wine before the lunch arrived.

Steakhouse Salad

Overall results/thoughts:  I would recommend both of these wines. They are perfect for the upcoming summer filled with salads and other lighter fare. Our favorite of the afternoon was definitely the Echo Bay!
     Our relaxing lunch was over and it was time to get back on the bikes. All was going great until we noticed more and more dark clouds to the west. We pedaled as fast as we could and were about a half of a mile from our car when the skies opened up! I think I prefer the refreshing Sauvignon Blanc over the “refreshing rain”!!
     I would be remiss if I did not thank all those who have given so much for us on this Memorial Day. God bless you all and Happy Memorial Day!

Cheers,
Beth

The Coravin 1000 Wine Preservation System

How often have you wanted to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, but knew you wouldn't finish the bottle and did not want to waste it.  Or, have you desired a white wine prior to dinner and a glass of red with your steak?  Wines start to oxidize the second the cork is pulled and, unless you either finish the bottle or share it with others, your wine will likely not be as good the next day.  There are different preservation systems on the market, but none are completely foolproof.

Greg Lambrecht, the Founder of Coravin, Inc., found that when his wife became pregnant and he was the only one drinking wine, he didn't want to commit to drinking an entire bottle.   Greg wanted to be able to enjoy his wine, without having to pull the cork.  Is that possible, you ask?  Greg Lambrecht made it possible.

Greg explains the technology behind the Coravin on his website coravin.com.  There is no need to remove the cork or the foil.  When the Coravin is put into place, a thin, hollow needle is placed through the cork to extract the wine from the bottle.  The bottle is then pressurized with Argon, a gas plentiful in nature and is regularly utilized in other methods of wine preservation.  Once the bottle is pressurized, the wine flows through the needle into your waiting glass.  The last step is simply to remove the needle and the cork reseals itself.  The wine in the bottle never comes into contact with oxygen, thus the degradation process never begins.

Not only does the Coravin allow a wine drinker to preserve wine, but it also allows one to go from one type of wine to another as the Coravin needn't be dedicated to one bottle.  The benefits of this device are even more appreciated by wine store and wine bar owners who are now able to keep their wines-by-the-glass fresh, even if they aren't finished in one day.  The financial and taste benefits are worth the price of this gadget!

For only $299, you will receive the Coravin 1000, a storage base and two pressurized argon capsules (FREE SHIPPING - ground).  If you prefer, you can get a flight-ready Coravin without the pressurized capsules (FREE SHIPPING - air).  Each pressurized capsule allows for approximately 15 pours.

Don't waste your wine, it is like pouring money down the drain!  Enjoy your wines over weeks or months, instead of feeling pressured to drink or dump.

Cheers!
Mary Jo

Duchman Family Winery

As you probably recall, last Valentine's Day weekend Beth and I, along with our husbands ventured to the Texas Hill Country to check out the wines and enjoy the weekend away from our harsh Illinois winter.  As we searched many books and websites to determine which wineries we wanted to try, due to limited amount of time, we had to narrow our choices to only  a few a day (yes, we were trying to be responsible too).

One of the very first wineries I jotted down on my "must see" list was the Duchman Family Winery.  Several things caught my attention about this winery, starting with the ambiance of the drive up to the tasting room.  It looked like a slice of Tuscany in the little Texas town of Driftwood!

More importantly, the owners Lisa and Stan Duchman's goal was "to craft wine in Central Texas using exclusively Texas-grown fruit"(Spectacular Wines of Texas). Their philosophy is "100 % Texas Grapes 100% Texas Wines".  Fortunately, the Texas warm summers mimic the Mediterranean climate of Italy, meaning that grapes that fare well in warm and often arid climates thrive. Native Italian grape varieties like sangiovese, agliancio, and vermintino grow in the vineyards.  In addition to experimenting with Italian grapes, the winery sources the majority of its fruit from the Texas High Plains appellation, where cooler temperatures and a more moderate climate prevail.

They offered a variety of white wines which include Trebbiano, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Vermentino, and Bianco (a blend of Trebbiano, Vermentino, and Pinot Grigio). Thanks to my most convenient WineCheck, I was able to bring home my top three choices: a 2011 Trebbiano, a 2011 Pinot Grigio and a 2012 Vermentino.  Yes, they are all winners in my book-perfect by the pool!

Next, we tasted the reds chosen from Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Rosso (a blend of Sangiovese and Dolcetto), Montepulciano, Tempranillo, Aglianico, and Canto Felice.  Again, I limited myself to only a couple of tastings but thoroughly enjoyed the Sangiovese, the Montepulciano and the Tempranillo.  As you can see, we even enjoyed a bottle of the 2011 Tempranillo while sitting outside soaking up the lovely warm weather as the sun was starting to set. They even had a Bocce Ball court! (Aw, I remember last year's California trip.)  For more detailed information about their wines, check out their website at duchmanwinery.com.

All in all, the Texas Hill Country was quite a success and I'm looking forward to visiting again- hopefully soon!

Cheers!

Lisa

A Lesson on Bordeaux!

The wine line up!

     Recently my husband and I had the opportunity to participate in a class on Bordeaux wines at The Wine Merchant in Clayton, MO. The class was taught by owner and sommelier, Jason Main, and was both entertaining and educational. Jason is a wonderful teacher, taking the time to answer all of our questions. In addition to enjoying the six wines, we also tasted some of the wonderful edible treats available at The Wine Merchant. 

Delicious white Bordeaux

Our Line-up for the Evening:

• Wine #1 - 2012 Maison Sichel Bordeaux Blanc "Sirius" -   This is a delicious little white wine for $12.99. It had lovely mineral notes on the nose and was especially delicious with the cheeses. I brought home two bottles that night and have been back for more already! Perfect for the upcoming summer season!

• Wine #2 - 2008 Chevalier de Russan-Gassies Margaux, Bordeaux, France - This wine had the look of an old world wine, it was earthy with nice acidity and paired very well with all the goodies. Priced at $42.99.

• Wine #3 - 2009 Cháteau Taillefer Pomerol, Bordeaux, France - This red was fuller bodied than the Chevalier with dark red fruit up front on the nose but also a nice earthiness. We loved the finish on this wine. Priced at $27.99.

• Wine #4 - 2009 Cháteau Fieuzal Pessac-Leognan(Graves), Bordeaux, France - Color on this wine was very dark brown-red. It had deep rich notes on the nose. Again paired well with the nibbles. Priced at $62.99.

• Wine #5 - 2009 Cháteau Cantermerle Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France - Color was deep, dark almost purple. Bright fruit on the nose and wonderful with the cheddar cheese and sausage. We brought home a bottle at $59.99.

• Wine #6 - 2005 Cháteau d'Armailhac Pauillac, Bordeaux, France - This was the big treat of the evening. A wonderful full body on this wine but the tannins were well balanced. We both loved it and would consider getting a bottle for a special event. Priced at $110.00.

Cheese, Charcutérie and Páté of the Evening
Winnimere, raw cow's milk, VermontBrie Fermier, cow's milk, FranceCabot Clothbound Cheddar, raw cow's milk, VermontCantelet, raw cow's milk, FranceWenneman's sausage, IllinoisFabrique Delicés Páté de Chanpagne & truffle mousse, California

     I definitely would recommend trying one of the many classes offered by The Wine Merchant(www.winemerchantltd.com). I know I will be signing up for a future offering. After finishing this class I wouldn't say that I am an expert in French Bordeaux wines, but my appreciation and understanding for these wines has grown. Maybe my next Bordeaux experience should be in France!

Cheers,
Beth

     

Caymus!

One of my absolute favorite higher end wines is Caymus.  I have loved the everything about this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon since my very first taste.  My husband and I had it for the first time at a local steakhouse and fell in love.  Since then, when my wonderful Husband knows I need a pick-me-up, this is what he has in his hand!

Caymus Vineyards was started in 1971 in Napa Valley, California by Charlie and Lorna Wagner, along with their son Chuck.  In 1972, 240 cases of their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon were produced, a far cry from today's production of 65,000 cases.  Charlie, Lorna and Chuck ran Caymus for 30 years.  The Winery is now led by Chuck and his two sons, Charlie and Joe and daughter, Jenny. The grapes are grown on 350 acres in Napa Valley.

According to Caymus.com, the vineyard's name came from a Mexican land grant known as Rancho Caymus, which was given to George Yount in 1836.  This included the area now known as Rutherford, as well as the surrounding area.

The Wagner Family of wine includes other well known names, such as Conundrum, Meiomi, Bella Glos and Mer Soleil.

Caymus produces two different Cabernet Sauvignons, one is the "Napa Valley" and the other is the "Special Selection".  I have had both versions, and they are both amazing!  Caymus prides itself on aromas and flavors that can only be attained via "hang time" which is a process that risks the loss of a crop at the hands of an early winter.  This technique leaves the fruit to hang on the vine longer than usual.  This process increases color and produces a suppleness and tannin maturity with a velvety softness unique to Caymus wines.  Caymus also chooses to utilize crop thinning, which allows maximum sunlight to reach the vine's fruit zone.  These wines are full of aromas and flavors that include vanilla, cocoa and cassis!

I have been so blessed to have been exposed to these delicious wines.  They are an absolute favorite, and every time I mention Caymus, I am met with many positive testimonials by Caymus fans.

If you haven't had the pleasure, please make this a bucket list item!  You will not be disappointed!

Cheers!

Mary Jo