Saturday Night – Request night – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

Lemon cream pasta with Prosciutto was the main course for the evening. This dish loves Merlot so for the pairing I went with a Merlot we hadn’t tried before – 2004 Clos du Val Napa Valley Merlot. We have tried a Zinfandel by Clos du Val before and it was pretty good so I looking forward to trying the Merlot.

"Proscuitto with Lemon cream pasta"

The wine was aromatic with black plum, smoke, nutmeg and cassis. The cassis threw me when Mick mentioned it as that is not an aroma usually in Merlot. The bottle mentioned that 5% of the wine was actually Cabernet Sauvignon which shed light on the cassis aroma. The Merlot had very chalky tannin rather than soft tannin which I believe made it seem more tannic than it actually was. The flavour profile was coffee and cocoa which gave this wine a very mature quality to it. The lack of fruit on the flavour profile was surprising for a California Merlot and tasting this blind I would have guessed it was French and Mick said he would have guessed it to be Chilean. The same lack of fruit hurt this wine on the food pairing making at it best an OK pairing.

"The bottle says it is from California"

We had a store bought brownie cheesecake for dessert and still had some of the Clos du Val left over. The coffee and cocoa flavour that didn’t work so well with the pasta was really good with the cheesecake. I was actually surprised at how damn good this wine was with the cheesecake and disappointed that I drank most of it with the pasta.

"Needs more Merlot!"

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 84, Mark - 85, Kathy – 85, Amy – 84, Overall – 84.5

This wine was purchased at the LCBO but has been on my rack for about a year so unfortunately it is no longer listed on the LCBO’s website. The price point on this wine was around $21-25 CDN. There are other Merlot’s in that price point like the Beringer’s Founder’s Estate Merlot or Rutherford Hill that I’d recommend over this one unless of course you are looking for a Merlot to go with brownie cheesecake!

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Request night – Part 1

Mick and Amy were back from vacation last week so we got together for our usual Saturday night dinner. Amy had been asking for awhile for honey Gorgonzola crostinis and lemon cream pasta with Prosciutto so I based the menu on those two items.

"Honey goodness!"

For the first course, I was concerned that the honey Gorgonzola crostinis wouldn’t be enough food. I did some searching online for sweet and spicy recipes but didn’t find one that I like. I next went over my own recipes and came across the spicy honey ginger shrimp and mixed vegetables recipe. I thought this was an interesting one as I liked how both recipes had honey as an ingredient and felt this common element would tie the two dishes together nicely. The issue I’ve had in the past is that Amy found the spicy honey ginger shrimp too spicy. This time I decided to just marinade the shrimp in olive oil vs. the honey ginger sauce and made the honey ginger sauce as a side dipping sauce.

"Serve chilled"

With honey being a large element of both dishes, I knew the wine had to be a sweeter wine. After looking over what I had on the rack, I picked a 2007 Wegeler Spätlese Riesling to pair with the food.

Nosing the wine you get aromas of lime, wet stone, pear, rose and pineapple. Tasting the wine it was an interesting mouth feel as the wine had a oiliness to it but also had lots of frizzante. The acidity seem a touch low and the sweetness a touch high as the wine was almost cloying at times due to the sweetness. The main flavours were ripe nectarines, pineapple, and green apple. Most Rieslings I’ve had, I find as the wine warms up the wine gets better, this one it was better colder as the more it warmed up the sweeter it seemed. It was a good pairing for the food. The crostinis and the shrimp with the sauce on the side were a big hit as there were clean plates all around.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 87, Mark - 86, Kathy – 87, Amy – 87, Overall – 86.75

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Wegeler Riesling Spätlese 2007

Vintages 87452
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 27.60
Wine, White Wine,
11.0% Alcohol/Vol.Sugar Content : MS
Made in: Moselle/Saar/Ruwer, Germany
By: Geheimrat J. Wegeler Erben
Release Date: Dec 6, 2008

Tasting Note - 2007 was another exceptional vintage for Germany. The aromas suggest slate, lime blossom and fruit, plus a hint of peach. The ripeness is impressive and the balancing acidity is even better. The sweetness and acidity play with and against each other, leading to a long, balanced finish. This wine is capable of greatness, so age it 5-10 years. (VINTAGES panel, Feb. 2008)

I like the wine but would go with the 2007 Selbach Oster Spãtlese Riesling instead as it is only a little more money but I enjoyed it a lot more. Here is the link for the review and LCBO information - http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2009/06/saturday-night-kim-cooks-up-storm-part_30.html

Click here for part 2

July Wine Club – Aglianico

July’s Wine Club was trying a couple of Italian reds made from the Aglianico grape.

"July's two wines"

Here is the LCBO information on both wines -

RIVERA CAPPELLACCIO AGLIANICO RISERVA 2004

Stock Number – 984120
750 mL bottle
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 17.95 (+$.20 Deposit)
Wine, Red Wine,
12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Puglia, Italy
By: Azienda Vinicola Rivera Spa
Release Date: May 2, 2009

Tasting Note - The more traditionally styled Cappellaccio, a monovarietal Aglianico, has fruit conserve aromas and a soft, open palate. Score - 2 Glasses (out of 3). (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines, 2008)

MASTROBERARDINO AGLIANICO 2006

Stock Number – 93112
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 22.95 (+$.20 Deposit)
Wine, Red Wine,
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Campania, Italy
By: Mastroberadino
Release Date: Feb 14, 2009

Tasting Note - Thick, dark concentration sets the stage and segues to spice and oak aromas lavished over black fruit, blueberry, granite and leather. There's also a soapy, lavender-like quality in the back. The wine has thick tannins and good length with bursting fruit flavors. Score - 88. (Monica Larner, Wine Enthusiast, Oct. 2008)

This is a blurb from Wikipedia.org -

Aglianico (grape)

Aglianico (pronounced "ah-LYAH-nee-koe") is a black grape grown in the Campania and Basilicata regions of Italy. The vine originated in Greece and was brought to Campania by Greek settlers. The name may be a corruption of Vitis hellenica, Latin for "Greek vine". Another etymology derives the name Aglianico from a corruption of Apulianicum, the Latin adjective which indicates the whole of southern Italy in the Roman age. In early Roman times, it was the principal grape of the famous Falernian wine which was the Roman equivalent of a First Growth wine today.

Wine styles

Wines produced from Aglianico tend to be full bodied with firm tannins and high acidity, making this a wine that has aging potential. The rich flavors of the wine make it appropriate for matching with rich meats such as lamb. In Campania, the grape has been blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the production of some Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines.

In its youth the wine is very tannic and concentrated, with need of a few years of ageing before it can be approachable. As it ages the fruit becomes more pronounced and the tannins more balanced with the rest of the wine. The trademark colouring of the wine is a deep garnet. In well made examples of the wine, it can have chocolate and plum aromas.

Here are my tasting notes on the two wines –

RIVERA CAPPELLACCIO AGLIANICO RISERVA 2004

Deep dark brownish red colour with a powerful and aromatic nose. The three aromas I got from the wine were strawberry, soap and smoke. The wine was very dry and big bodied, I found the acidity too high compared to the tannin causing the balance on the wine to be off. We had sandwiches and cheese and crackers to go with the wine and I found that the wine was too ‘big’ to go with these. I have had this wine a few weeks ago with a rich and heavy parmesan cheese sauce and pasta and it was a nice match. This is not a wine I could see someone sitting around on the patio and drinking on its own.

MASTROBERARDINO AGLIANICO 2006

The colour depth on this wine was lighter than the first but had a similar brownish red colour. The nose wasn’t as powerful either. The aromas on this one were leather, cherry and dark berry which was very different from the nose of the first as well. Big acidity on this one but the tannin levels were about the same but with a more softer feel in the mouth. The wine seems more toned down yet more refined than the Rivera. As there were so many differences I wonder if one of them was a blend with another type of grape and one was a pure Aglianco as that could explain the large differences between them. The Mastroberardino was a nicer pairing with the sandwiches and cheese and crackers and was much more approachable on its own.

I really wasn’t enamored with either of these wines, though I could see them being interesting when paired rich and heavy food dish that could stand up to them.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Facebook dinner

Mick and Amy were away this past Saturday, so we changed up the guest list for the evening. Dorie and Todd and Jayne and Chris were in attendance for the evening. I work with Dorie and she is a member of my Wine Club at work and Todd is her husband. Jayne and Chris both went to high school with Kathy and myself. Jayne and I connected through Facebook about six months ago and I was surprised to see Dorie’s name on her friends list. Dorie and Jayne have played soccer together each week for years. So I thought it would be a fun night to get us all together for dinner and catch up. The last time Kathy or I saw Jayne and Chris was in 1989… feeling old now.

"This many empties = good times"

Sorry for the lack of pictures but it can be explained by this simple equation : 5 courses + 6 people – Amy (official Zippy Sauce photographer) = No pictures.

As Mick and Amy weren’t in attendance, we didn’t rate the wines either. I’m just going to do some random thoughts about each of the courses.

"The Menu"

1st Course - Gorgonzola Dip and 2006 Henri Bourgeois “Les Baronnes” Sancerre, I’ve been on a Riesling kick for a bit and forgot how good a nice Sauvignon Blanc can be. The crispness and precision of the wine cut through the richness of the dip and was a good pairing.

Here is the recipe for Gorgonzola Dip - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beets-with-Walnut-Gorgonzola-Dressing-100673 (forget the Beet part of the recipe, just make the dressing part – serve with crackers or vegetables)

2nd Course - Fresh Corn Soup Topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole and 2007 Wegeler Spätlese Riesling. Soup is very good but a lot of work. The recipe below claims to serve 4 to 6. The first time I made it, I barely got 4 decent sized servings out of it. I doubled the recipe this time. Shucking and shaving kernels off 18 ears (supposed to be 16 ears for a double batch but they were small so I did two extra) of corn becomes very tedious very quickly. The Riesling’s sweetness easily kept up with the sweetness of the corn and the avocado and was a nice pairing.

Here is the recipe for the Soup –
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Corn-Soup-Topped-with-Roasted-Corn-Guacamole-352975 (It is the soup portions that are small, there is more than enough of the Guacamole to go around)

3rd Course – Smoked Salmon with cream cheese, bagel crisps, lemon, capers, cucumber, and red onion with 2005 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. One of my favourite wine and food parings of all time, ‘nuff said.

4th Course – Chimichurri Steak with classic Greek Salad and 2001 Vina Albali Gran Reserva Rioja. The Chimichurri Steak was a big hit with everyone. Great flavour and extremely tender meat. The recipe is below. I doubled the recipe for the Chimichurri and used half of it to marinated the six steaks the night before. Reserve the other half. Cook the steak to just Medium Rare and then tent them on a plate covered in foil for 4-5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak after that and place in a large bowl. Pour the reserved Chimichurri in the bowl to lightly coat all pieces of meat and then stir so all are evenly coated and then serve. (Note – doubling the Chimichurri recipe will give you lots and you will probably have some left over). Switching to the medium bodied red at this point made a nice change from the whites we’d been drinking and was a good pairing for the meal.

Here is the Chimichurri recipe –
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Steak-and-Chimichurri-Toasts-105959

5th Course – Individual Angel-food cakes with Berries, Whipped Cream and Raspberry coulis and 2005 Henry of Pelham Botrytis Affected Riesling. It has been a year since we last had the 2005 Henry of Pelham Botrytis Affected Riesling and it was even better then I remembered it. Great nose and a very nice balance between acidity and sweetness.

The night was fun as we got caught up and just talked and laughed about life in general. I will say that I was feeling all that wine the next day though! Hopefully we’ll all get together again soon and not wait another 20 years to get together.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Independence Day – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

The Vina Albali Rioja was the other wine we were having with the meal. As I wrote earlier I have tried this one a couple of times now and liked it enough that I have five more bottles sitting on the rack.

"Greek Salad... Mark style!"

The nose on the 2001 Vina Albali Gran Reserva was stronger in intensity than the Bordón. There was a dominate smell which had been driving me nuts as it was so familiar but I couldn’t place it. My wonderful and astute wife after nosing the wine said “Maple Syrup” and I laughed as she hit it on the head. Maple syrup was the main aroma to the wine but there was also coffee, licorice, dark cherry and smoke in the background. The balance on this wine was much nicer than the Bordón and velvety soft tannin and fresh acidity round out this medium bodied wine nicely. The main flavour of the Vina Albali was a dark berry with eucalyptus, cocoa and smoke. This wine was great pairing with the beef and potatoes and a decent pairing with the Greek salad.

"Good value for $20"

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 87, Mark - 89, Kathy – 84, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.5

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

VIÑA ALBALI GRAN RESERVA 2001

Stock Number – 9621750 mL bottle
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 19.95 (+$.20 Deposit)
Wine, Red Wine,
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Valdepenas, Spain
By: Bodegas Felix Solis
Release Date: Feb 28, 2009

Description - Selection and patience are the keys to this award-winning Gran Reserva's success. First there's the fruit selection in the vineyard, where only the best Tempranillo grapes are picked. Then with the crush, only the best free-run juice is used to make the final wine. Patience is required for the long ageing process: at least two years in American oak and then a further three-to-six years in bottle before release. The result is a beautifully balanced, soft-textured red that's delicious with a lamb casserole, chorizo sausage or roast chicken.

We wrapped up the evening with a chocolate mousse cake which the Bordón wasn’t a good pairing with and the Vina Albali was at best an OK pairing. Mental note – Rioja and chocolate not a good combo, stick to Cabernet Sauvignon.

The evening went well as my Greek salad craving has been slated, the Rioja was fun to try and we got caught up with Mick and Amy and what they’d been up to recently. They will both be away for the next couple of weeks so the Blog might be a little during that time.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Independence Day - Part 1

Mick and Amy were by Saturday for our normal Saturday night dinner. Saturday during the day was a tad busy as we had to wrap up some odds and ends that needed addressing from renovations. This had me adjusting the menu so it was just a main course and dessert vs. the normal appetizer, main course and dessert.

I had a Vina Albali Rioja that I enjoyed at Wine Club that I wanted to have Mick and Amy try and a second new Rioja, a Bordón Gran Reserva, that none of us had tried before. I’d tried the Vina Albali at Wine Club but also had a bottle of it last week with Beef Tenderloin and Greek salad and loved the pairing. So the menu for the evening was Beef Tenderloin, pan fried potatoes with onions and Greek salad.

"Worth $27?"

I have been craving a good Greek salad for about two weeks and the one I had earlier with the Vina Albali Rioja was a pre-made store bought one that just didn’t do it for me. My biggest problem with store made Greek salad is the dressing. It seems like every bottled/pre-made packaged Greek dressing contains feta. Don’t get me wrong I love feta but feta sitting in a bottle of dressing for months is nasty. First I don’t understand how any time I have seen feta for sale it is in a refrigerated area yet feta in salad dressing sits out on a warm shelf for months. Second, feta that comes out of that bottle is so far from the fresh feta’s texture it isn’t even funny. I really wish they’d go back to making Greek dressing without “feta” …. sorry end of rant.

So I picked up some fresh Romaine lettuce, some Hot House tomatoes, cucumber, onions, Kalamata olives, fresh oregano and fresh basil and a bottle of Kraft Oil and Vinegar dressing and a block of Feta in brine and made the Greek salad I was craving.

Getting back to the wines, I’ll cover the 2001 Bordón Gran Reserva Rioja first.

The nose on the wine was a combination of cedar, cherry, black pepper and spice. Tasting the Bordón Gran Reserva was a bit disappointing as there was a sourness to it that I wasn’t keen on and the tannin was way too chalky. The flavour to the wine was a blend of sour cherry and lime/citrus. The flavour of the wine really improved with the beef tenderloin and the potatoes but was just OK with the Greek Salad.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 86, Mark - 85, Kathy – 85, Amy – 84, Overall – 85

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

RIOJA BORDÓN GRAN RESERVA 2001

VINTAGES 114454
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 26.95
Wine, Red Wine,
13.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Rioja, Spain
By: Bodegas Franco-Españolas
Release Date: May 23, 2009

Tasting Note - A classic old-school Rioja, featuring aromas of dried figs and dates, wood smoke, tar, cedar and fresh herbs. Dry, very supple, round and ready to drink. The years in wood and bottle before release have paid wonderful dividends. Decant it before serving to remove any sediment, and enjoy with an elegant beef or lamb dish. Or, you can sip and savour this mature Rioja on its own, revelling in its kaleidoscope of flavours. (VINTAGES panel, Sept. 2008)

Click here for Part 2