Concannon Petite Sirah

Hello Wine Lovers!
Today I thought I would talk about a wine that has certainly started many debates over the years, some may even call them arguments... but what the heck, that's what I'm here for. One of the reasons you are reading this blog (I assume anyway) is to learn something as well as confidence when choosing a wine for the evening's dinner or party or BBQ, or wedding or... oh the list goes on and on!
The wine, Concannon Petite Sirah from California available at Binny's for about $7.99, and my lovely Bride found it at our local Jewel store for $8.99! Anyway, back to me...
You will find this wine loaded with fruit, blackberries and cassis with a kiss of vanilla and a finish of tobacco and spice and a long lingering mouth feel. Perfect for the weather and outdoor fun!
But lets talk about what has sparked all the fuss! You will sometimes find labels with Petite Syrah VS Petite Sirah and this my friends is what causes all the fun! Briefly, Petite Syrah is a smaller grape from the world renowned region of the Rhone Valley in France, small intense berries packed with flavor and know for it's quality. Petite Sirah is actually known as Durif in the US and Israel, over 90% of the wine produced in these countries with the label Petite Sirah is Durif. It was named after François Durif, a botanist at the University of Montpellier. It was in a Peloursin vineyard near the university that he discovered the unique vine that he named for himself in 1880. The DNA fingerprinting at the University of California, Davis in 1997, Syrah was identified as the source of the pollen that originally crossed with Peloursin flowers.The grape's high resistance to downy mildew encouraged its cultivation in the early 20th century although the relative low quality of the resulting wine caused the grape to fall out of favor with local wine authorities. Today, it is almost nonexistent in France. Most winemakers use this grape to blend and few will produce a wine made up of all Petite Sirah grapes.
Now you know...
Here is another recipe my Bride and I prepared last week from Giada. Not only is it simple but it is really packed with flavor and the citrus is so "right on" with the hot summer weather!
Cheers!
J

Ingredients
Salsa:
2 large oranges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Bordeaux

Hello Wine Lovers!
Last night my wife and I had the pleasure to cook dinner for some very dear friends (Actually my wife's x sister-in-law and her husband) and we shared a couple of very nice French wines. One red and one white. The red was a Bordeaux, Chateau De Segur and the white was Domaine Des Cassagnoles from the Cotes de Gascogne Region in southwest France. We cooked a wonderful Bobby Flay Monkfish recipe which you will find at the end of this entry. First the Bordeaux... a Bordeaux Rouge which basically means the wine is meant to be consumed when it is young and fresh. True to it's heritage, this wine had a nose of clove, a bit of cocoa and cinnamon with a mouthful of cassis and blackberries with mineral notes and cedar on the finish. This wine will impress your friends and will only set you back $7.99 at your neighborhood Binny's! Since most of you know where Bordeaux is located I will get into a little info on the Cotes De Gascogne Region.Côtes de Gascogne is a wine-growing district in South West France. The designation Côtes de Gascogne is used for a Vin de Pays or "country wine" produced in the Armagnac area. Most of the white grapes grown here is Columbard and much of it is used to make Armagnac. Columbard is believed to be related to Chenin Blanc which is why the high acid. You Will find this wine to be herbaceous and lots of mineral notes, rather similar to a New World Sauvignon Blanc. The palate is also quite full and honeyed yet crisp with a bit of chalk feel at the end. Also at Binny's for , are you ready... $7.99 a bottle. For this money, if you don't like it put in your windshield wiper fluid container! As promised, here is the recipe that is definitely worth the time and effort. Just remember to drink a little wine while cooking.

Cheers!
J
Ingredients
Green Curry-Roasted Corn Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons green curry paste
• 4 cups clam stock
• 2 corn husks, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add wine and cook until reduced by 3/4. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the clam stock and corn husks and cook until reduced by 1/2. Strain the sauce into a clean medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and corn and cook to a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and add the cilantro
Roasted Corn Relish:
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 ancho chile, seared in a hot pan until pliable, seeds removed and finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Monkfish:
• 2 (1 pound) monkfish tails
• Olive oil
• Ancho chile powder
• Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Preheat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Brush monkfish with olive oil and season with ancho chile powder and salt. Sear on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to the oven and continue cooking for 8 to10 minutes, until just cooked through. Ladle the sauce onto a platter, slice the fish into 3/4-inch thick slice, drizzle with more of the sauce and top with the corn relish and chopped cilantro.

Chile Cabernet

Hello Wine Lovers!


Sorry for missing an entry last week, I was on holiday and just could not squeeze in the time to write! I did make up for it with the amount of wine I consumed though! Here goes another Cabernet. Take note that many of the Cabernets I am writing about are not from Napa Valley... it is way more difficult to find Cabs under the $10 rule from California! With the cost of an acre well over $1 million dollars, who could blame them! So, here is another entry from Chile, Errazuriz Estate Cabernet from the Aconcagua Region. This wine will cost you $8.99 at the Wine Discount Center, for that price but all you can fit in your car, you won't be disappointed! Speaking of the Wine Discount Center... the downtown location on Elston Ave is having a huge blow-out sales next Saturday, Don't miss this event... you'll be sorry!!
You will find this wine to be full of jammy dark berries with hints of oak and vanilla. Enough acid and tannins to withstand grilled meats and heavy rich red sauces. I could not believe my taste buds when I first took a sip... at $8.99! Wow... now a little about the area where it comes from.
A hundred kilometers north of Santiago the Aconcagua river flows through the Central Valley from east to west. The river rises near the mountain of the same name, an almost 7000 meter high peak, and flows into the Pacific Ocean close to Valparaíso. The Mediterranean climate of the valley provides hot days and cool humid nights, near perfect conditions for viticulture. Its soils are sandy and rocky, rich in minerals and in organic river sediments. Since 1870, wine has been cultivated in the region. If you get the chance, visit this region, the people, the food and the wine, I believe you will find to be outstanding!
Cheers!
J