QCW tasting club: Hearty winter reds

Baby, it's cold outside!   If you're anything like me, the latest winter storm has you bundled up at home waiting for the ice to melt and looking for a substantial glass of red to keep you company while you do it.

This was the inspiration for my kick-off QueenCity Wino tasting club. 

I put together a group of my closest wine-loving friends, threw together some hearty snacks, got the fire crackling and set to tasting a whole bunch of wine. 

We tried 10 different "hearty winter reds" and rated and ranked each one.  The overall consensus:  everyone learned a lot, tasted a whole bunch of great wines we might not have otherwise tried, and can't wait do to it again.


The "aroma panel"

 The concept was simple:  everyone brings the red wine of their choice in the "under $13" price range and we'll try each one to choose our favorite.  Before tasting, we reviewed basic guidelines for evaluating appearance, nose and flavor and then experimented with an "aroma panel" to introduce the idea of basic aromas and tastes that might be found in each glass.   

Armed with rating sheets, we blind tasted and rated each on a scale from 1 - 10 (1=I instantly regret trying it.  10= I'm buying this on the way home.) and then ranked them in order of personal preference.




Michael David Petite Petit

 The wines ranged from Beaujolais to Merlot to California and Spanish blends to classic Cabernet Sauvignon.  We even had an Armenian pomegranate on the table.  

Most of our selections were clearly "hearty" with alcohol percentages in the +13.5% range with the obvious exception of the Beaujolais and one surprisingly low Garnacha/Tempranillo blend at just 12.5% each.  

The "big boy" on the table was a petite sirah/petit verdot blend that weighed in at a whopping 15%. 



Here's the line up:

2006 Tin Roof Cellars Merlot
2008 Chateau du Souzy Beaujolais Villages
2008 Michael David Winery Petite Petit
2007 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Bridgman Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Cheap Date Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Panarroz Jumilla
2006 Mosen Cleto Campo de Borja
2009 ReVah Pomegranate
2009 Contempo Inferno


Mosen Cleto Campo de Borja

 Of the ten wines evaluated, the clear favorite was a 2006 Mosen Cleto Campo de Borja.  This Spanish blend is 75% Garnacha/25% Tempranillo. 

In the glass, this opaque purple wine gave off aromas of black cherry, coffee and chocolate with a hint of minty herbaceousness. This was by far the most balanced of all the wines tasted.  Smooth and tannic with a lightly acidic presentation and a long peppery finish.  On the palate, the Campo had tastes of black cherry and plum, currant, raisin and a faint vegetal quality often found in younger Cabernets.   It was fantastic with briny marinated black olives and pungent blue cheese.  

Every wine on the table was highly drinkable and worthy of consideration.  But don't take my word for it...have your own Tasting Club and see for yourself.   Cheers!

Basil Chicken Chili

Enter January: the coldest month of winter, when holiday hangovers give way to football playoff parties where hearty comfort foods and game time snacks force a showdown with our New Year's resolutions.

Lucky for us, there's Basil Chicken Chili.   Hearty and substantial, it takes the chill out of any winter's day and fits right in on any gametime menu.

Best of all, at less than 350 calories per serving, it takes the guilt out of your guilty pleasure.  


What you'll need:

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 med Onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 lbs Ground Chicken
Black pepper, Kosher salt, Cumin, Paprika, Chili powder
2 Green Onions, chopped
1 Green Pepper, large dice
1 Red or Orange Pepper, large dice
1 can each Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, drained

28 oz can Tomatoes, crushed or diced
1 can Tomato Paste
as needed Chicken Stock
1/2 oz Basil (fresh)

Note about ingredients:

This is chili, which by definition allows you to do pretty much anything you want.  Don't like beans?  Don't use them.  Like some kinds of beans but not others?  Use the kind you like.   Want more veggies?  Throw 'em in.   Salt restriction?  Skip it...the canned beans have enough.  For that matter, use dried beans instead of canned.    Like more garlic?  Go for it.  Ditto for red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or whatever else makes you happy.   

Just do it:

Heat olive oil in dutch oven or large deep skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until onion just begins to soften. 

Ground chicken is leaner and less flavorful than ground beef, so generously season with cumin, paprika, and chili powder before adding it to pan with onions and garlic.  Cook over medium heat, breaking up chunks with spoon, and continuing to season until chicken begins to brown but still has firm pink center. 

Add peppers, green onions and any other veggies and let cook until peppers begin to soften...about 3 minutes.  

Stir in drained beans and let cook for a minute or two before adding canned tomatoes.

Cover and let cook over medium-low heat until vegetables begin to release their liquids and then stir in tomato paste.

Cover again, reduce heat to low and let cook for another 15 - 20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste.   If chili seems to thick, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock and stir to combine. 

Let simmer for additional 15 - 20 minutes and adjust seasonings to taste.   


Tear or finely chop basil and slowly stir into chili.  

Keep warm until ready to serve.






What to drink:

Even the QueenCity Wino knows that chili goes best with beer.  I prefer a dark Mexican like Negra Modelo or Dos Equis Amber.    If picking wine, I'd look for something spicy but not overly tannic...a rioja (tempranillo) or a carmenere would do the trick.   Enjoy!

Baked Mushroom Linguine

If there is anything more comforting than baked pasta, its baked pasta full of earthy mushrooms, bathed in cream sauce and covered with a crunchy baked pecorino romano crust.   Its heaven on a plate!   

Pair it with a Pinot Noir and you've got the stuff that cozy winter's nights are made of.

What you'll need:

3 oz Dried mushrooms
4 cups Boiling water
Fresh Rosemary and Thyme (couple sprigs each)
7 tbsp Unsalted butter
5 tbsp Flour
1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
1 onion, diced
2 lbs Mushrooms (mixed), stems removed, sliced or quartered
2 1/2 tsp Coarse salt
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
1 lb Linguine
1/2 cup Pecorino romano cheese, grated

Just do it:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let sit 30 minutes.

Use slotted spoon to lift out re-hydrated mushrooms and press to release any liquid.  Set aside.  Strain mushroom liquid through fine sieve (line with paper towel if necessary) to remove any sediment and reserve.  You should have about 4 cups.

Melt 5 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Once bubbling, whisk in flour until mixture begins to brown (about 3 minutes).  While whisking, slowing pour in mushroom stock.  Continuing cooking over medium head, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens. 

Stir in heavy cream and drop in bouquet garni of rosemary and thyme (sprigs wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with string).   Reduce to gentle simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil for linguine and cook until very al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than normal cooking time).  

While water is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add diced onion and cook until it begins to soften.  Add fresh mushrooms and saute until they begin to release liquid.   Add reserved mushrooms and 2 tsps chopped thyme and cooked until all are tender and brown.  

Combine mushrooms with cream sauce (removing bouquet garni) and stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.     Stir in cooked and drained linguine and pour into prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.   

What to drink:

This is a rich, earthy plate of comfort.  Pair it with a "put your feet up" red wine and make it an occasion.  A Pinot Noir is an easy choice but I can also think of several Italian reds that will match perfectly...a Montalcino d'Abruzzo, Barbera d'Asti, even an Amarone di Valpolicello.  My new favorite is a bottle I picked up by accident a few weeks ago...a 2003 San Giorgio Ciampoleto.  This is a rosso di tavolo (red table wine), a mysterious blended wine with intense aromas of truffle and fig and palate seducing flavors to match.   Pick a bottle up at the Wine Shop at Foxcroft (about $16) and try not to drink the whole thing.  Or maybe don't try....just pile some baked mushroom linguine on your plate, put your feet up, and keep the bottle handy so you can keep filling your glass.   Enjoy!

Holiday in a glass

The holidays are here and if you're anything like me, you've got a calendar full of entertaining and parties and special dinners to host, but a budget that makes trips to the grocery and wine shop a challenge. The good news is holiday cheer doesn’t have to break the bank! 

Rivata Moscato d’Asti is a slightly sweet, lightly sparkling (“frizzante”) white wine traditional to the Piedmont region of Italy and is a bargain at about $9 a bottle. Don’t let the low price fool you. This wine has a DOCG classification, which is the highest level of quality wine designation in Italy, and it certainly lives up to the rating.

Upon opening, this Moscato gives sweet aromas of citrus and honey. In the glass, the straw-colored wine is spritzy and alive and hits your palate with sweet and slightly acidic flavors of orange peel and honeysuckle. It’s like holiday in a glass and a fantastic alternative if you're not a fan of drier sparklers.

This is a great wine to bring to a party.  It pairs perfectly with salty snacks like chips and nuts or sweet and tangy cheeses like Wensleydale with cranberries on cornbread crackers. With dessert, its a great match for pumpkin pie, cheesecake, or crème brulee.

Whether you’re shopping for a holiday meal, picking up a bottle as a hostess gift or looking to fill your own glass with some cheer, a sweet and bubbly Moscato d’Asti is a great choice. Cheers!

Guinness Beef Pie

...because what could be better than beer and beef and pie?

Now that the cold weather seems to have finally settled in, my thoughts turn to warming up the kitchen with the kind of slow cooked hearty meal that makes a chilly afternoon stretch leisurely into early evening while the house fills with the aroma of dinner yet to come.  With some football on tv, a fire crackling in the fireplace and a glass or two of my favorite red wine, a meal like this is the reason Sunday is my favorite day of the week.

I came across the recipe for Guinness Pie in the NYTimes dining and wine section a few years ago and it became an instant classic in my kitchen.   It is exactly what I look for in a Winter dinner....hearty and comforting...and just how I want to cook on a lazy weekend afternoon.   I hope you love it as much as I do.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce Guinness Beef Pie.

What you'll need:

For the stew:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
20 mushrooms, sliced
3 lbs brisket or stew meat, chopped into bite size pieces
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 tbsp flour
Sprig rosemary
2 Pints Guinness (or other stout)

For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
Ice water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Sea Salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large, ovenproof pan fitted with a lid, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-low heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft.  About 10 minutes.

Add carrots, celery, mushrooms and remaining 2 tbsp butter and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dark and their moisture has evaporated.  About 15 minutes.

Season the beef with salt and pepper and toss with flour.  Add beef and rosemary to the pan and cook over high heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.  

Add enough Guinness to just cover the beef.  Cover pan with lid and put in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Once stew is in the oven, make the pastry. 




...coarse meal...

 Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Using pastry cutter, your hands, or food processer, quickly work the butter into the dough until it is the texture of coarse meal.  Add ice water, a splash at a time, until dough comes together (it will be a little sticky).   Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

After the stew has been in the oven for 1 1/2, remove it and stir.   At this point, if the liquid is gettting too low you can add a little more Guinness or beef stock.  

Return to the oven and cook for 1 more hour.  Once its done, if the liquid remains thin, you can put it on a burner over medium heat, remove the lid and let it reduce.  Season to taste with kosher salt and ground pepper.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place between two sheets of plastic wrap.  With a rolling pin, roll to about 1/4 inch thickness and wide enough to fit your baking dish.  Pour stew into an 8" square, 2" deep baking dish or a 10" pie dish.   If desired, scatter freshly grated cheddar cheese or crumbled blue cheese on top of the stew.  

Place the dough on top of the pie and pinch it closed around the edges.  Slash with a knife or prick with a fork and then brush with beaten egg yolk, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until the pastry is  puffy and golden.

What to drink:

Now that you've got this heavenly pie filled with hearty braised beef and vegetables you'll want to pair it with an equally hearty glass of something!  Guinness is a no-brainer.  But, I'd be remiss in my duties as a Wino if I didn't offer up a wine pairing.

I've made this recipe several times and have paired it very successfully with a few different wines.  My favorite of these was an inexpensive Barbera (Pennyfarthing Barbera, about $10) that was a deep purply red, lightly acidic with a full body, plenty of tannin to balance the beef, a juicy mouthfeel and a smooth finish.  

This time around, I went with an '09 Carchelo, a blend from the Jumilla region of Spain.  40% Monestrell, 40% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon promised to deliver the big bold red needed for a hearty meal like this.   

Upon opening, the Carchelo was bright and juicy, with black fruits from the Monestrell, juicy acidity from the Tempranillo and a slightly vegetal spiciness from the Cabernet.   Tannic with a black pepper finish, this was a really good match with the stew. 

Guinness Beef Pie is definitely not a quick weeknight dinner...its going to take the better part of 4 hours from start to finish...but its time well spent for a meal I'm sure you'll  make a regular part of your winter menu.  Enjoy!

South American Butternut Squash Stew

Let's cut to the chase:  this stuff is awesome.   It's hearty and delicious and tangibly healthful.   One bite and you'll know exactly what I mean...you just feel better eating it.   And on top of being a bowlful of good-for-you, its one of those dishes that hits all the taste and texture notes with earthy, comforting squash, bright and fresh green beans, hearty sausage, acidic tomato balanced perfectly with creamy tartness of the goat cheese and the whole thing topped with salty, crunchy roasted seeds.    You should stop whatever else you're doing and make yourself a pot of this stew immediately.   I mean it.  Ok...you can read the recipe first...but then, stop everything and start cooking. 

What you'll need to serve 8:

4 lb butternut squash (7-8 cups diced)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb link sausage, casing removed
4 cups sliced yellow onions
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes in juice (14.5 oz)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 jalepeno chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 lb fresh green beans, stems removed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, frozen (and thawed) or fresh off the cob
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Crumbled feta or Cotija cheese
Roasted squash seeds

Ingredient notes: 

• Use whatever sausage you like...Italian, Choriza, Turkey, Hot, Mild...it all works. 
• Keep extra chicken broth on hand.  As written, the stew has very little liquid at completion, so if you like your stew "soupier" you'll want to add more broth.
• Your call on the jalepeno.  
• Flat leaf parsley works fine in place of cilantro.
• Ditto on goat cheese in place of feta.

Let's do this:

Peel the squash, cut in half and remove seeds (reserving to roast).  Dice squash into equal pieces (about 1 inch) and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, breaking up chunks, until sausage is brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.   Stir in sliced onions and cook until they begin to soften, 8-10 minutes.   Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Stir in diced squash, tomatoes, broth, jalepeno, oregano and smoked paprika.  Partially cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook stew, stirring occasionally, until squash is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

While the stew is stewing, roast the seeds:  Rinse to remove any fibrous strands and pat dry.  Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, kosher salt and ground black pepper and roast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Add beans and corn.  Partially cover and cook another 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   Garnish stew with crumbled cheese and roasted squash seeds. 

What to drink:

Pairing wine with vegetables can be tricky.  I based my decision on the primary ingredients:  butternut squash and turkey sausage.   There were a few directions I could have gone...a Cote du Rhone caught my eye and a Malbec from the same region of South America this recipe originated from...but I went with the '09 Mark West Pinot Noir.    

As it opened, I picked up aromas of black cherry, cassis, fig and truffle.   It was at once earthy and acidic...light bodied but with a peppery finish.  It was an easy match for the stew...and at less than $10 a bottle, a great bargain.    

When you make the stew (and I know you will!) let me know what wine you choose to pair with it.   Enjoy!

I heard you missed me....

I'm back!   And I've got some new recipes, wine pairings and adventures to share.  

To my old friends and new, thanks for waiting...I hope I was worth it!