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

Santa Rita Cabernet Reserva

Hello Wine Lovers!
I know, I know, what am I doing writing about another Cabernet? You would think I am turning into one of those persons that only drink Cabernet and think if anyone drinks something other than the grape of choice doesn't know a darn thing about wine! Well just don't get your panties in an uproar... I just happen to find this a very worth while entry! So there! You will find this wine at Binny's or the Wine Discount Center for $9.99 a bottle. If you don't find this to be absolutely brilliant and alive for this price then I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor and have yourself checked out!
This estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Alto Jahuel, located in Chile’s famous Maipo Valley, one of the finest wine producing regions in the world. The result is a well balanced and complex wine. On the nose you will find ripe, black fruit, plums and herbs, gracefully combined with vanilla, cloves and fragrant spices. In the mouth you will find it complex with soft tannins and a long rich textured finish. This wine has been aged up to eight months in American oak barrels. This is a perfect wine to match with grilled meats and vegetables during a nice evening on the patio with the grill fired up and them stars above!

Cheers!
J

California Cabernet

Hello Wine Lovers!
Today is Father's Day! I would like to extend a Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! This is your day... steaks on the grill, a round of golf, your favorite fishing hole, a day at the track and maybe even a nice cigar on the patio while sipping a glass of Cabernet. Now that's what I call a good day! In honor of Father's Day I am writing about, you guessed it, two Cabernets from California. Grayson Cellars from Napa and Bridlewood from Paso Robles, both fine examples of this grape and at bargain prices! You will find both at your ever popular Binny's for under $9.
This Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon displays classic Cabernet dark fruit flavors of blackberry and chocolate with a touch of Pomegranates and oak with good balance and structure. This wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet, 20% Merlot and a touch of Zinfandel.Bridlewood winery is located in the Santa Ynez Valley and is included in the Central Coast AVA that stretches approximately 250 miles along California's coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. The movie “Sideways”, put the Santa Ynez Valley on the map and became known for Pinot Noir and as a much needed travel alternative to the ever popular Napa Valley.
Grayson Cellars has a unique way of doing business. They buy grapes from all over the Napa Valley and take them to their facility and make high quality wine at bargain prices... wow what a concept! The 2009 Grayson Cabernet Sauvignon shows a dark color with deep, rich aromas of ripe, dark cherries, blackberries and hints of black pepper with just enough oak to know it is there. It is a full bodied wine which will blow you away with it's value. You would bet your first born that this wine was double the price. According to their website here is there philosophy: "The founders of Grayson believe that we can put to work our Napa Valley winemaking skills to create some of the highest quality wines at the by-the-glass price point. We believe that decades of Napa winemaking experience will allow us to create a better bottle of wine at a better price point than what’s generally in the market today". I for one am a believer!
Cheers!
J

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve

Hello Wine Lovers!
Last night during our dinner I served a Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2007 and was so impressed I had to write about it today! This wine was at Binny's for $9.99 and it drinks like a $20 bottle of wine, I kid you not! This wine is from the Barossa Valley in southern Australia and is deep purple in color with notes of plum, mulberry, vanilla and spice with a hint of chocolate on the finish. It is complex with a mouthful of fruit and enough tannin to support your favorite steak on the grill. Let's talk a little about the Barossa Valley...
The Barossa Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of the city of Adelaide. Unlike most of Australia whose wine industry was heavily influenced by the British, the wine industry of the Barossa Valley was founded by German settlers. The hot continental climate of the region promoted the production of very ripe grapes that was the linchpin of the early Australian fortified wine industry. As the modern Australian wine industry shifted towards red table wines (particularly those made by the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon) in the mid-20th century, the Barossa Valley lost prominence due to its reputation for being largely Shiraz producers whose grapes were destined for blending. In the 1980s, the emergence of several boutique family wineries specializing in old vine Shiraz wines began to capture international attention for the distinctive style of Barossa Shiraz, a full bodied red wine with rich chocolate and spice notes. This led to a renaissance in the Barossa which catapulted the region to the forefront of the Australian wine industry as it is seen today. The valley has a reputation for producing some great wines and anytime you see Barossa Valley on a label, rest assured you will find it to be of high quality.

Summer Sippers

Hello Wine Lovers!
Well it is official! My Daughter has graduated grad school and is on her way! I am so proud of her and her many accomplishments, and certainly her palette for wine and food. After her ceremony we went to a super small, you would only know it was there if you lived in the neighborhood, down the stairs next to the CVS store, seats about 30 people, Mexican restaurant by the name of Chilam Balam. (By the way, google this and feast your eyes on what comes up... interesting) It is under the watchful eye and artistic hands of a former Rick Bayless sous chef. Put this on your list to try out, you will not be disappointed!
Now that summer is here it brings back memories of sipping soft Rose wines while sitting at a small cafe in Provence France and nibbling on olives and bread with cheese, and looking out over the countryside at the rolling hills and history of Southern France! Ok Ok... back to Chicago. Picture this, you're sitting on your patio, there is a big, clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the temp is in the high 80's and you all of a sudden become thirsty, reach for one these Rose's I am about to talk about. First one, Muga Rosado Rioja, Rose from Spain. This wine is a blend of Garnacha, Viura and Tempranillo and offers a range of aromas of which very fresh fruit prevails, peaches especially. You will also find kiwi, pineapple and passion fruit. It enters the mouth cheerfully and lightly, thanks to lively acidity, and the finish is fresh and light that makes you want another sip.
The second Rose to talk about is from France,Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose. It is a blend of 35% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 20% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% other grape varieties. This is a fresh rose with a pretty salmon-pink color. elegant flavors of red berries, mineral notes and a clean finish, perfect for hot summer days! Both of these wines will set you back about $9 a bottle and will keep you happy all summer!
Now I am going to talk briefly about how Rose is made. (Key word, briefly) Black-skinned grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period, typically one to three days. The must is then pressed, and the skins are discarded rather than left in contact throughout fermentation (as with red wine making). The skins contain much of the astringent tannin and other compounds, thereby leaving the structure more similar to a white wine. The longer that the skins are left in contact with the juice, the more intense the color of the final wine. Another technique is Rose can be produced as a by-product of red wine fermentation using a technique known as Saignée, or bleeding the vats. When a winemaker desires to impart more tannin and color to a red wine, some of the pink juice from the must can be removed at an early stage. The red wine remaining in the vats is intensified as a result of the bleeding, because the volume of juice in the must is reduced, and the must involved in the maceration is concentrated. The pink juice that is removed can be fermented separately to produce Rose. There is one more way called "blending" but most wine makers don't believe this is a valid way to make Rose, and in many cases it is not allowed.

You see, short and sweet! Now you can impress your friends with your knowledge of Rose wine!
Cheers!
J