November 7, 2012

Icelandic lamb from Whole Foods

Icelandic lamb chops are in season and therefore I should enjoy. So I just did that. Whole Foods sells this meat and here is a quick summary on what this lamb is from the Whole Foods site "Icelandic lamb is a wonderfully flavorful, exceptionally lean meat from animals raised with no antibiotics, ever and no added hormones. Pesticides and herbicides are seldom used in Iceland where the climate naturally protects the land. All in all, Icelandic lambs are amazingly robust and live in an idyllic, geographically isolated country' whose strict agriculture regulations protect the integrity of the lamb you are buying.

The butcher recommended sauteing in pork fat with an all purpose meat seasoning in a very hot pan, a couple of a minutes on each side. I had it with an arugula salad with roasted pumpkin seeds, grated hard cheese, olive oil and fresh lemon. Serve with a whole wheat baguette with goat milk butter and for wine I recommend a Petit Sirah, Bordeaux or a Zinfandel. A Rosenblum wine works perfectly with this meal.

November 1, 2012

Can we mix and match food and wine?

by The Wine Belle

Doesn't food from one region like a lasagna from Florence match brilliantly with a Chianti from the same region? How about Eclade (mussels cooked on the beach), a Bordeaux speciality with a chilled white Bordeaux glass of wine, absolutely a perfect pairing.

But there are more mix and match pairings in our day to day eating than ever before. Do we even stop to think that the Mosel Riesling that pairs so well with our Indian food is from a different country. How about that amazing southern fried chicken and grits that we just paired with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Our respected Sommeliers have found a way like the Chefs of the world to incorporate fusion into our wine pairings. Authentic pairings are sublime as we can submerge ourselves into the culture of the region, enjoying the local cuisine with the wine grown down the road. When we have the luck of sampling wine pairings in a way that a world class chef like Pierre Gagnaire creates food, it offers an experience that crosses continents and cultures. Fusion food and wine pairings are taken for granted these days, but think about it, they cross all boundaries and you are free to create your own masterpiece.

Here are some pairings that you can start with and since there are no limits please feel free to allow your personal experiences to guide and inspire you.

Sushi with Chablis

Simply roasted pork with Beaujolais

American river trout with white Bordeaux

Honey Crisp apple tart with Sauternes

Artichoke with Grüner Veltliner

October 23, 2012

Designer wines with David Hirsch at Urban Grape South End

by The Wine Belle

Urban Grape in the South End is a store where a designer would feel right at home. I had the pleasure of tasting David Hirsch's wines from Hirsch Vineyards who in his previous career was a designer in New York before he discovered the world of the Burgundy varietals. He brought them to Sonoma in 1980 where he created the prized Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that has made his wines so coveted.

We tasted through four of his wines

2010 Hirsch Vineyards Chardonnay

2010 Hirsch Vineyards "Bohan Dillon" Pinot Noir

2009 Hirsch Vineyards "San Andreas Fault" Pinot Noir

2009 Hirsch Vineyards "East Ridge" Estate Pinot Noir

They were all excellent, the Chardonnay was a very pure expression minimally oaked with acidity that lingered in the mid palate. The Pinot Noir's were absolutely outstanding, all slightly different, with balanced savory wild fruit and acidity that also allowed the terroir of the Pacific ocean and soils to shine through. Very pure expressions of Pinot Noir in the way that only diligently cared for Pinot Noir can reflect back.

Hirsch started his Pinot Noir vineyard on "The True Coast" area of Sonoma.

The True Coast area, which had previously been considered too cool to ripen grapes, had been used primarily as grazing land for sheep. David Hirsch came along in 1978, and planted a Pinot Noir vineyard here in 1980. Today, at least 25 to 30 wineries, mainly small, are now in the True Coast area, primarily growing Pinot Noir--but also Chardonnay, with a little Syrah and Zinfandel as well. Flowers the best known was one of the earliest to be established.

Thanks to TJ Douglas owner at Urban Grape, David Hirsch from Hirsch Vineyards and Matthew Sandock from Classic Wines for arranging this tasting and allowing us the pleasure to sample this small production and difficult to acquire wine.

October 22, 2012

Moroccan Inspired Wine Pairing

by The Wine Belle

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2010-$37

Chateau Pesquie Cuvee des Terrasses Red 2011-$15

Pegasus Bay Riesling 2007 - $29

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling 2011-$25

I was in Morocco where they have some wonderful local wine. The cuisine is absolutely tantalizing with the flavors coming from olives, dates, lemons, cumin, fresh free range chicken, oranges, cinnamon and a variety of spices to name a few. It is an approachable cuisine and a wonderful dinner party idea. The tapas style salads and flat breads that start a meal create a sense of a festive feast. Beans, olive oils, fresh tomatoes, caramelized onions, eggplant and greens are just the backdrop of the many wonderful recipes that start off these meals.

Wines that are fruity, honeyed, spicy, acidic and rich create a perfect fusion and balance out the exotic flavors and textures that we experience with this food. Try this recipe below with one of the recommended wine pairings. Maybe make a few small starters as well if time permits. More recipes at Food & Wine.

Hanger Steak with Charmoula

CONTRIBUTED BY MOURAD LAHLOU

TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 10 MIN
SERVINGS: 4

This dish was inspired by Moroccan lamb kebabs, which are marinated in charmoula—a tangy sauce of olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. Here, Mourad Lahlou uses the sauce for hanger steak. He salts the meat a day ahead; the simplified recipe calls for salting the steak right before cooking.

2 cups shelled fresh or frozen cranberry beans (12 ounces)
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound oyster mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 cup beef broth
2 pounds trimmed hanger steak
2 Italian frying peppers, thickly sliced

In a large saucepan, combine the beans with the thyme and 2 of the garlic cloves. Cover with water and simmer over moderate heat until the beans are just tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and let cool slightly in the liquid.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro and the remaining garlic clove and pulse until chopped. Add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the olive oil and puree until smooth. Scrape the charmoula into a bowl. Stir in the ground coriander and cumin and season with salt and black pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Add the oyster mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.
Drain the beans; discard the thyme and garlic. Add the beans and beef broth to the mushrooms and cook over moderate heat until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat a grill pan. Generously season the steak with salt and black pepper and brush with olive oil. Brush the peppers with oil. Grill the steak, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over and medium-rare within, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the steak to a work surface and let rest. Grill the sliced peppers until softened and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
Slice the steak across the grain and serve with the cranberry beans, mushrooms, grilled peppers and charmoula

Source: http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/moro...

October 18, 2012

Wine Wednesday at 51 Lincoln

by The Wine Belle

Just wanted to say that the wine and food at 51 Lincoln in Newton Highlands, Ma. is just so good. Enjoyed a tasting flight of 3 reds with some delicious food. The reds were a 1. 2010 Domaine Sainte Eugenie from Corberies, France 2. 2007 Cune Reseva from Rioja, Spain and 3. 2008 Poggio Amorelli Chianti Classico. They all went brilliantly with a fabulously prepared burger, hand cut fries, truffled ketchup, garlic aioli, house made pickle. Thanks to GM and Sommelier Miguel and a very friendly staff for the warm welcome, attention to detail and of course the nice wine and yummy food.

October 17, 2012

Three tips from Jon Rimmerman for buying wine at your local shop.

by The Wine Belle

I am fascinated by Jon Rimmerman who is a genius in the world of wine. I really thought these tips that were published in the New York Times on Oct 10, 2012 written by Daniel Duane would be helpful to most even to us wine geeks because honestly it's impossible to memorize every vintage and variance for every bottle from every region.

AVOID THE MIDDLE

The eye-level rack at your market is usually dominated by shelf space “owned” by local distributors. Some of the top, smaller production examples are represented by tiny distributors that cannot pay slotting or marketing fees demanded by grocers for eye-level rack space. Beat them at their own game — look at top and bottom shelves or in poor visibility areas of a display — my gut tells me you will find a number of gems lying in wait.

ALCOHOL CAN FOOL YOU

High alcohol does not equal high interest. Alcohol can obfuscate the true nature and nuance of a wine — even with normally high-alcohol examples like Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Alcohol levels have risen to blackout levels over the last 10 to 15 years, spurred by a variety of sparks: a certain critic’s preference and possibly global warming. Don’t give in to the rise! Challenge yourself to look for reds under 14 percent and whites under 13 percent. My sweet spot is 12½ to 13½ percent for reds, 11½ to 12½ percent for dry whites.

TRUST OTHER DRINKERS

Use your smartphone to create a level playing field: community-based Web sites like Eric Levine’s CellarTracker give you the opinions of your peers, those who have actually tasted the wine in question — not the opinion of a distributor or a magazine. You can easily pull them up while standing in front of a wall of a dozen unknown New Zealand sauvignon blancs, and all will start to make sense in a jiffy.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine...

October 16, 2012

Romantic Riesling-Is it the River?

by The Wine Belle

I just had the fortune to visit one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. The Mosel in the fall with the 2012 riesling grapes continuing to ripen to the delight of the wine makers and vineyard owners. Riesling is a noble wine in my opinion and the depth of its complexity and variances continue to amaze me.

It's unfortunately one of the most complicated wine labeling in the world. If you want to tantalize your palate, find a wine to lay down for decades, need a white wine to pair with heavier dishes, or a fruity wine to pair with Asian food or would like some sweet wine with acidity and complexity to rival all others than Riesling can deliver. Just ask someone at the wine shop or your mobile internet to help you better read the labels so that you get the intended dryness or sweetness that you are looking for.

Many awe inspiring properties were visited but I wanted to talk about one them Weingut Reinhold Haart since their wines are available locally. Johannes Haart the son of Karl-Theo Haart gave us an extraordinary presentation. This property is located in Piesport, on the banks of the Mosel river and the Goldtropfchen vineyards begin their steep climb right behind the family house. There are no words to describe the magic of this region except to experience the slate, the river and the intense flavors brought on by the long ripening of the grapes except by paying homage to the wine and drinking it.

Weingut Reinhold Haart is a few steps from the house where the remains of the first and oldest Roman grape pressing house that has been unearthed along the Mosel. Every year they have a festival to celebrate and I was lucky to attend on that one perfect fall day Oct 13, 2012.

The wines we tasted were varied and all had a freshness that was remarkable. With balanced sugar and acidity you felt like drinking the wines. Johannes was telling us how the night before they had opened multiple decades old vintages in celebration of the Roman Press festival and how he was continuously amazed that the freshness remained even though the aging brought great complexity to the wines.

Riesling is not the easiest wine to understand or find here in Boston but it is a wine that over delivers in every way. Riesling from the Mosel which is probably the most interesting & complex wine growing regions of the world will absolutely stun you. Fall is the perfect time to pair this wine with your favorite dishes like pumpkin soup, turkey and apple strudel to name a few but the list can go on.

Here in Boston you can find Weingut Reinhold Haart wines in some stores, I like to use wine-searcher to help me locate the wine. If you find some than make sure you take a moment to really taste the slate, the sun, the river, the history and of course the delight of the drink itself.

October 7, 2012

The Wine Belle-The Start

by The Wine Belle

Some of you know me and what you do know about me is that I love flavors. In wine and food I am always picking out the acidity, the spice, the fruit, the herbaceous and the astringency. I also love and respect the city I live in "Boston".

My career in food began since I was born I would probably have to say. Finding little hiding places to stash all the morsels that did not please my palate, following my mother around when she cooked, grabbing bites of all her creations before the grown up dinner parties, sticking my little fingers in every box of chocolates she ever received as a gift. I cooked like a sneak, my parents would leave me in charge of my sister and she would become my sous chef.

Food lead me into wine and I started my journey at the Elizabeth Bishop School. I was working at my schooled career of accounting at Boston University and my boss would see me salivate looking across the street at the wine school. I spent a year learning from two very well respected Master of Wine Guru's Sandy Block and Bill Nesto. I made new friends and new contacts. Vinodivino one of Boston's smartest wine boutique shops hired me and I was now fully immersed in wine with a side of food (of course).

I decided to further my education by pursuing my Advanced and Diploma designation from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) with Adam Chase another amazing Boston Wine Professional and owner of Grape Experience. I am close to the finish line. It feels really great to combine my passion with all this knowledge.

It is now my time to give back to the people of Boston who are passionate about wine and food the way I am. This is the reason I am starting The Belle Report. I will review the wines you can actually buy locally, I will show you what to pair with these wines, I will take you on my travels, I will talk to people who love wine and food and share their tips and I will pass on some savings and promotions from our local wine boutiques and restaurants. We are a generous, intelligent and very palate'd community. Please reach out to me with any questions, I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge or find one of our local guru's to assist me.