Matchmaking: Pinot + Coho

Always a debacle when you're craving fish and red wine. Lucky for us, we live in Pinot-land, Salmon-country! After summer-mania, it had been a while since we last dined at home. I whipped up some savory faro with spring vegetables (one of my favorite rare-to-find repeat recipes) which I've adapted from Brigit Bins' The New Slow Cooker. And Braun's on fish duty, which before reading some kick-ass tips, seemed quite daunting (something always goes wrong!) Ah, but how lovely the dinner turned out! The fire has been rekindled on my previously waning salmon enthusiasm!

To compliment some gorgeous Coho filets (and for Braun's blind tasting exercise), I chose Sineann's 2009 Schindler Vineyard Pinot Noir. A fabulous flavor team, indeed! We also popped a 2011 Comm G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga for a little pairing experiment, since we are in no way convinced that Pinot can be the only red with enough lightness and finesse to balance a cut of salmon. We remembered this Piedmontese wine as being a light & spritely, peppery wine, flush with the flavor of nasturtiums. Alas! The food and drink were nary a compliment, as the wine greatly overpowered the delicate dish. The search for a non-Pinot, salmon-worthy red continues!

mmm...

*also, fun fact: Coho salmon is the official animal of Chiba, Japan, and October is salmon-season! I had buckets of fun joining a salmon festival in Northern Japan around this time in 2008. Among the many fish races, various meats on sticks, dancing, and milk drinking competitions, there was also: the catch-your-own-salmon-free-for-all.

Game Hen Smack Down

For every food, there is a perfect wine to pair, and we need to taste a lot to find it! On tonights table we've grabbed two Pinots to test out with roasted game hen and warm faro salad.

The wines:

Olivier Jouan "Les Bussieres," 2007 old vine Chambolle Musigny > Burgundy > France.

Spicy cherries and tart persimmons. Soft pomegranate. A nice little wine, but perhaps not the perfect Pinot for our dish!

J. Daan, 2009 Willamette Valley > Oregon.

The clear winner! A brilliant food wine across the board, this wine perfectly balanced each bite with savory herbaceousness. The best part is, I wasn't into the wine on it's own, but the pairing made the best flavors and textures shine. The pairing had Brent's tastebuds tingling: "I feel like I had a cupcake, ate it in bed, spilled it all over my pillow and ate it." I guess... he likes it!

Ah, pairing. It's like super fun, self-imposed homework.

Battle: Lamb

Out with the old, in with the new? Life's just not that easy! We popped the cork on an 11 year old Aussie (that's an old new world) and a much younger Italian (a new old world*) and put them to a food challenge. We had these bad boys duke it out over juicy lamb chops, indian-spiced cauliflower mash, and some brilliantly zingy red-wine braised peppers. [Thanks, Devon! You're welcome, mouth.]

Our "down under" homeboy for the night was Torbreck's 2001 The Steading, a rather sexy-sophisticated GSM (Grenache, Mataró---another name for our beloved Mourvèdre---and Shiraz) which hails from the scorching Barossa Valley of South Australia. Boom! Subtle earthy complexities and lush tannins balanced impeccably with every inch of my plate. Felsina's 2009 Chianti Classico was next up to bat. At first, his manly-yet-romantic self needed a lot of breathing room (in fact, ended up tasting best day 2), but when he finally opened up we totally hit it off. While he held his head high in the lamb battle, he just couldn't beat the experience and finesse of our aged Aussie. All in all, wine + food were a match made in heaven, and both our wines brought their herbaceous, gritty, down-to-earth A-game to do the lamb justice.

Do we have time for a glamour shot?!

*Quick Terms: "Old World"---wines of France, Spain, & Italy. "New World"---everything else.

Heaven is a Gift of Chablis + Oysters

Gobble Day: a Beerless Holiday

Our small holiday party (left to right): the sommelier/synth master extraordinaire, the passionate artist, the professional mess, the artisan winemaker,  the exquisite cook, the writer, the boy-genius (not pictured), and the super heroine (yours truly whose snapping the photo)

In direct contrast to last year, we opted for an early meal turned all-day-feasting-loungeathon. We started with eat-as-you-make appetizers; crispy-fried brussel sprout trimmings with lemon aoli, baked prosciutto chips, and plenty of cheese n' favorite charcuterie from Olympic Provisions. For sippings we went with something our friend Leah recently created & fixed for us at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro; she calls it the Don Juan. This almost salty sweet, bright bubbly peach stone cocktail is an ideal apéritif.

The Don Juan

2 parts Amontillado sherry

2 parts delicate cava

splash of bourbon

dash of peach bitters

gently stir mixture in desired glass (sherry glass or champagne work nicely)

Next, 'twas time to get down and dirty with the main course. We had all the classics---turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, heaps of smashed potatoes---to pair with our wine selections. Adelsheim's 2010 Auxerrois was light and crisp enough to fight off the indispensable heavy butterfat and seriously had me refreshed after every sip (or gulp...), but Patrimonio's 2010 Clos Alivu rosé paired best with basically everything on my plate. We showed some local urban winery love and brought Vincent's Pinot Noir, and, just 'cause we enjoy a little kitsch every now and again, drank black bubbles.

Whew! I'm stuffed bigger than this turkey, but the hour is nary 5. Time to put my homemade mini pumpkin pies (with graham cracker crusts & freshly whipped almond cream!) in the oven and take down another cocktail. Manhattans all around!

For our warm petite pies (I probably ate 3...) we delighted in a split of Arbor Brook's Sauternes-esque 2008 Sydney Semillon ($28). Oh sweet golden heaven.

After dark? A game of Dominoes, bed time for the smaller humans, and "just-leftovers:" a round of turkey sandwiches. To top off the now-late-night event, we sat down for muted football, home videos, impromptu piano performances, and finally indulged in another helping of pie before passing out for a long night of satisfying slumber.

Film Taste

Watching a movie should be an experience; I just can't help but fall into the ditch with every character. So I started thinking, "what pairs best with what we watch?" We've matched loads of drinks with tasty food on Blush Naked, and now it's time for the next level in ultimate pairing!

The Flick: Control

Here we delve into the abstruse tortured life of Joy Division's Ian Curtis. The film is jam-packed with apathetic brooding and bleak indecisiveness oozing from the enigmatic front-man. Be warned: intense melancholy may last for days following your Control experience, but it's totally worth it.

On the Table:

British cask ale (at room temp)---we are, after all, enjoying some English history.

Black Russians (1 part Kahlua + 2 parts Vodka over ice)---dark & lamenting.

A bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey---smooth but intense for maximum agony.

A pack of cigarettes

Plenty of painkillers

Get the following day off work. Ruminate. Maybe next time we'll enjoy a more "uplifting" movie...

Grillin n' Chillin

Check out these bad-boys!

friends + grill + sunshine = excellent excuse for celebration (math is fun!)

Charlie's backyard chickens were sure pleased that we were grilling cow. We needed something in the realm of juicy-savory-spicy-sultry to pair with a rockin marinated tri-tip, so after enjoying our food-prep aperitifs we uncorked a few winning bottles (and a little 5th growth Bordeaux thanks to papa Wassenmiller! How awesome is life? So awesome!) We scarfed down roasted beets and loads of veggies from Charlie's own micro-farm, leaving us with dufus-sized grins on our faces.

. . . eats . . .

salted cucumber salad.

roasted red beets with sliced avocado, blueberries, nuts, and crumbled goat cheese.

grilled tri-tip steak, marinated teriyaki style & seasoned to juicy perfection.

. . . drinks . . .

Ridge 2009 Paso Robles Zinfandel

light n' spicy yum yum fruit! We know what that tastes like... right?!

Château Cantemerle 2000 Haut-Médoc

earthy heaven, D'Artagnan! now THAT's a haut bottle! ;)

A Gritty Pair

Grits!  Never has a food been more ironic than in this tiny cornmeal form.  Southern states slop grits on plastic plates at Waffle House next to scrambled eggs and bacon or fried chicken n' waffles ($4-$7.)  Once upon a time I lived in Birmingham, Alabama and built up a true fear of such gut-busting southern traditions.  In years since I've come to find that us fancy coastal residents also eat grits... but we call it Polenta, serve it for brunch with pancetta, fennel and poached eggs, or for dinner alongside wild boar ragu, and even with marscapone and rosemary-braised lamb shank ($10-$30.)  After noticing so many tasty dishes on my favorite menus around town, I put my preconceptions aside and dove into the realm of grit.  And guess what?  Grits are delicious and can be paired with drink far beyond the PBR tallboy.

At home I made creamy parmesean grits with caramelized shallots as a side for seared bay scallops and green-tea butter jus.  My-oh-my did our 2009 Cormons Isonzo de Friuli Pinot Grigio ($19) shine with the dish.  A later attempt at savory grits and sauteed vegitables proved miraculous with De Trafford's 2005 oaked (!) South African Chenin Blanc ($17.)

Portland's polenta!
Irving Street Kitchen aged hanger steak, roasted garlic grits, dino kale, seared eggs + bacon madeira sauce
                                        roasted crawdad + manila clam creole, grits, smoked cippolini + cajun xo
Delta Cafe blackened snapper with grilled garlic + cheese grits (maaaybe it's okay to pair with a bucket of PBR 40s this time... doin' it southern style!)
Nel Centro spit roasted pork loin with creamy polenta + stone fruit chutney
Lauro Kitchen braised beef short ribs with fried polenta + rapini
Screen Door braised carlton farms pork belly, gulf shrimp + creamy grits

Port to Pair (but not with pear)

the wine : Porto : 20 Year Tawny

successful matching : Beemster [butterscotchy] XO Gouda. Thomas Hoe [stinky] aged blue stilton. ITA [grainy] Parmesan grana. An assortment of nuts (esp. walnut.)

undesirable tastes : hazelnut milk chocolate. 3 types of pear.

the Superlative Intoxicant: * D L *

Dominique Lafon 2008 Vire Clesse

stats: Chardonnay. Maconnais > Burgundy > France.

visuals: buttercream daffodil

sniffings: bright yellow pears + honey, fresh apples, roasted macadamia + asian sesame soy.

palate: perfectly balanced cooling ginger + lime with mouthwatering acidity.

spendings: $20

to pair:

premiere

fresh arugula salad featuring whole raspberries, crumbled goat cheese, finely chopped pistachios, cucumber + raddish---drizzled with olive oil and a spritz of lemon.

deauxieme

seasoned Dover Sol in lemon caper sauce served atop sauteed broccolini, grilled onions, garlic + celerac.

Courses

aperitif

vin - benoit gautier [sparkling] vouvray NV

deuxieme

warm brussel sprout salad with caramelized onions + hazelnuts

vin - donna maria 2007, portugal

principal

rosemary seasoned creamed potatoes

wine soaked roast + vegetables

vin
1. domaine notre dame des pallieres gigondas 2007

2. millesime le clos 2008

3. chateau ste michelle indian wells cabernet sauvignon 2008

les bonbons

vin - terra blanca botrytis chenin blanc 2006 reserve

A White for Winter

I must be pining for a summer of refreshing young wines. Alas, we are in the midst of winter, so to meld the two seasons, we paired a hearty Moroccan chickpea couscous with a light Domaine de Montcy Cheverny 2007. The pretty white wine married perfectly to the full flavored, spicy chickpeas, with mint, cilantro, and nuts bringing out a unique vibrancy with each swill. A little winter chill relieved with the spirit of warm weather!

Holiday Pairing with ENSO

On the table at Enso Winery:

Resonate White (100% Reisling) paired with bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Manchego.

Zinfandel paired to ham tartlet with cranberry orange chutney.

Resonate Red (Malbec/Grenache) paired with turkey and dumplings.

Holiday Wine Pairing Party with winemakers Chris Wishart and Ryan Lee Sharp. Tasty delights provided by Chef Jenny Wishart of Screen Door.

Commence Winter Feasting!

The first rain of Winter should not spread gloom, but inspire an exciting shift in activities! We paired a home made spicy chorizo, white bean, kale soup with a 2006 Via Terra Garnacha ($12), and it was so tasty! Just the right amount of weight and savory expressiveness for the start of this cold season.

Of Birds & Crabs

Tradition insists fresh crab marries with a buttery Chardonnay, or perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc or bright Champagne, but we grabbed a bottle of 2006 Kestrel Raptor House Viognier ($20) for our messy afternoon of Dungeness. The lush white wine melded harmoniously to the rich sea flavors of the butter-drizzled crustacean, bringing out its subtly sweet and oaky lemon characteristics. This is an easy drinking wine that shows best with food, so enjoy on a picnic or a sunny Autumn lunch.

Also try from Kestrel: the 2005 Estate Malbec ($40) for a devilishly desirable, gritty black ink seduction sauce. Think: Adrien Brody-- the epitome of class and quirky intellect. Tall, dark, and unassumingly handsome.

A Taste of X

I had an incredible opportunity to taste through some serious knock-out wines from ExCellars distribution. The tasting was friendly and intimate, hosted at the fashionable MetroVino, which is known for a mind-boggling list of 80+ wines by the glass (a feat impossible without the use of the stylish Enomatic wine preservation system). Present wineries included Owen Roe, Sineann, El Corazon, Côte Bonneville, Fausse Piste, and Pomum.

On the table we found the latest releases by Owen Roe. With each vintage comes variant percentages in blended grape varieties, and I was eager to try the '09 Sinister Hand after adoring the 2008 creation. The soft and supple spice and well rounded candied pecans on the palate were less warm and decadent than the previous year, and while I enjoyed this wine, it was not as sexy as its preceding installment. I loved, however, the magical forest-like 2008 Yakima Valley Red, and especially the 2008 Cabernet Franc "Rosa Mystica." The wine was so smooth that it coated my tongue as if it were milk, reminding me of sipping a decadent Hot Toddy in the blizzarding mayhem of Winter. In pouring our tastes, the winery's own Darius Price beamed, "this Cab Franc stole my heart;" just as it did mine.

Winemaker Kerry Sheils poured a selection of her 94+pts creations from Côte Bonneville. Fabulous aromas and complex aromas, yet for $120 I'll pass on the 2004 DuBrul Vineyard Cab/Merlot.

The charming and animated Spencer Sievers appropriately entitled his lively wine El Corazon, meaning "heart." I didn't believe his Syrah could be bested until the Malbec was poured. The deep beet colored juice was so smooth and dreamy with the slightest dash of ink that, in a daze, I scribbled ♥ ♥ ♥.

Jesse Skiles, the creative mind behind Fausse Piste, had several kick-ass wines to share. One of my favorites was Skiles' 2008 Syrah Ce Lieu Apres (not yet released), an unreal blend which exhibited amusing barnyardy corn meal and Spray Millet complexities. The line-up also features Skiles' lovingly created treasures, "lOrtolan" Roussanne, a 2009 Viognier, and an '09 Syrah titled "Levier de Cuisine." Keep an eye on this talented winemaker!

And then there was Sineann, with adorably chic glass stoppers and an irresistible 2007 Yates-Conwill Pinot Noir (90pts Wine Enthusiast, $35), which combined elegant opalescence with cleanliness and a side bowl of animal crackers and vanilla wafers. If I could pair this wine with a film, I would leisurely enjoy it with The Fall (a gorgeous and heart warming action/fantasy by Tarsem, 2006.) Sineann's Sugar Hill had me thinking, "holy frosted cupcake, Batman!" and the 2009 Oak Ridge Pinot Noir tasted of wonderful warm and chewy, rubbery earth.

Ruling: the ExCellars tasting brought awesome small production, artisan wines on each front. Don't miss out on these wines, they are worth the hunt!

Chefs Dinner with Shawn & Corin

Last Monday I met with friends, coworkers, and canines for a fabulously leisured four course chef's dinner hosted by culinarians Shawn Clark and Corin Wilder. Each course brought mouthwatering savoriness with wines to pair.

To implore that life grant excellent food, wine, friends, and conversation is the greatest recipe for happiness. Salud to life!

Entrée Not Included

The typical American carb-focused diet is a recipe for lethargy -- too often have I experienced a "food coma" directly after unthinkingly stuffing myself on an over sized, heavy entrée. Thus, I have become enamored with Mediterranean food habits, whose leisurely indulgence in life's simple pleasures is fantastically inspirational. To create and delight in a great charcuterie board can be inventive, romantic, entertaining, and surprising, and it needn't involve hours of preparation or even cooking; plus, the lack of carbohydrates leaves you with a protein buzz, which makes for a nice aphrodisiac! Relaxedly snacking on and discussing meats, cheeses, olives, and fruits, provides light and healthy accompaniment to fantastic friends and conversation. Our recent evening of blind tasting and pairing wine to decadent charcuterie left us fulfilled and energized with a renewed lust for life!

Charcuterie

three cheeses (above)

meats: sweet coppa & prosciutto

greek olives

sliced, sea salted avocado

sliced golden pear

Vin sur la table

Though I am often the bubble skeptic, I was awed by the nutty smoothness of Freixenet Cava brut. Effervescent sparkling wines pair expertly with most foods, and this bottle, when combined with our charcuterie plate, was most definitely drool-worthy. Impeccably paired with: avocado.

To double blind taste my other, I chose a 2006 Finca La Linda Malbec: a smooth Argentinean bottle with a delectably understated, inky backbone. I adore Malbecs, and for its minimal price tag and soft chocolaty notes and medium body, I would buy a case of La Linda to enjoy as an everyday guilty pleasure... not to mention it paired stunningly with every item on our charcuterie menu. Impeccably paired with: sweet coppa wrapped La Leyenda, Spanish sheep's milk cheese.

My blind taste challenge was revealed as Vignamaggio Terre di Prenzano Chianti Classico 2004. Such Italian wines often end up on a lower level of my palatable enjoyment. Despite such preceptions, this Chiantis heavy, earthy, cherry Sangiovese profile exhibited sweet vanilla, and was well structured and mouthwatering.

Saucy Dinner Monday

Start

plate of French cheese and olives.

Main

warm port reduction Brussels sprouts sprinkled with fresh Parmesan Reggiano.

chicken and caramelized onion, wild mushroom & white wine sauce.

Vin sur la table

We enjoyed a favored aperitif of De Ponte Cellars tangy rosé, and munched on our starter while whipping up the main plate.

Concho y Toro Amelia 2006 Chardonnay paired fabulously with the white sauce and earthiness of the wild mushrooms. The gorgeous gold wine held marvelous candied pear flavors without being over oaked or flabby. I regard this Chardonnay as if he were an English Lord, come to high tea for a pleasurable afternoon of tea and scones. Top-notch, I'd say.

The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008 (chilled, of course!) added an airy mouthfeel and tingly dry fruitiness to the meal. Beaujolais is extremely light bodied, as it is made from the Gamay Noir grape, whose lineage is intertwined with Pinot Noir. Everyone knows Pinot pairs marvelously with chicken and mushrooms, so why not a Beaujolias, c'est magnifique!

One word encompasses our wine pairings to the light, saucy dinner: sprightly. With refreshing libations, the meal was ideal for a hot summer evening under dim lighting and a ceiling fan.

Evening Pairing

We chose three wines to compliment our

steak entrée, and three cheeses to enjoy while preparing the meal.

Sur la Table:

My current favorite ros

é, 2008

Akakies by Kir Yianni, is unique in its sprightly, dry palate and neon color. The wine is made from the most distinguished varietal of Northern Greece, Xinomavro. Attributes of Xinomavro are quite dissimilar from that of most red wine grapes, and feature captivating vegital notes on a nose nearly devoid of fruit. The grapes earned the name Xinomavro, or "black acid" due to their massive tannic structure and difficulty to tend or master. Contrary to the norm for a ros

é, the

Akakies retains the nose of a red Xinomavro, and we found it paired expertly with steak!

2005 Greenpoint Australian Shiraz' saucy attitude and powerful expressiveness made for an unmitigated steak companion.

The 2001 Chateau ste Michelle Meritage displayed surprising strength for its age. With delectable chocolate and dark fruitiness, the supple tannins ensured the wine would drink fabulously with or without food.