Saturday, November 25, 2017

2015 Colosi Nero D'Avola

2015 Colosi Nero D’Avola


Where: Sicily
Who: Piero Colosi
What: 100% Nero D’Avola
Soil: Limestone
Tastes like: Dark red fruits, particularly dried cherries, with a spicy character.  Medium plus, a warm and aromatic wine.
What to pair with: Spaghetti al’Amatriciana, cured meats and aged cheeses, red sauce pizzas, chicken parm

The What: Nero D’Avola (literally “black grape of avola”) is the most widely planted and arguably the most impotant native grape varietal to Sicily.  The vines like hot, relatively dry weather, and is most closely comparable to a Syrah, with less inky qualities.  

The Who:  The Colosi family has been working in the wine field for three generations. The bottling cellar is in Sicily, located in Giammoro (Messina).  It is run by the oenologist Piero Colosi, who with the precious contribution of his father Pietro follows the various stages of wine-making, from vinification to refinement and from bottling to marketing both in Italy and abroad.  The farm itself covers ten hectares in Salina (a small island in the Eolian Archipelago), all planted with vines, located at Gramignazzi in the Borough of Malfa.  This area is recognized as one of the best in the island both for its exposure and for the physical- chemical nature of the soil which, being of volcanic origin, is particularly suitable for vine cultivation. The new wine-making cellar, surrounded by the Malvasia vineyards was finished in 2004. It is located underground to both respect the strict rules for the preservation of the Eolian archipelago and have a constant temperature for the optimum care of the product.
See the source image
The Where: Sicily is the large volcanic island that forms the toe of the “boot.”  Mt. Etna, the volcano that gave birth to the island, is the largest volcano in Europe and regularly rains black ash down on the island.  This ash is incredibly fertile and has a direct impact on the agricultural life of the island. Colosi’s winery is located in Mesina in the north east corner, just to the north of Mt. Etna.  The vineyards themselves are on the Eolian island of Salina (the 3rd little splot up from north coast on your map).  Volcanic soils and a hot, mediterranean climate contribute to a warm, high acid wine, with integrated tannins and a long, dry finish.


2014 Nostre Pais Grenach Blanc

2014 Nostre Pais Grenache Blanc

Where: Costieres des Nimes, Rhone
Who: Michel Gassier
What: 52% Grenache Blanc, 22% Roussanne, 17% Viognier, 7% Clairette, 2% Bourboulenc
Tastes like: Lively and fresh, flowers, honeysuckle, and white fruits give way to a flinty quality and a mineral-driven finish.  
What to pair with: Gooey cheeses, grilled seafood, rabbit, or poultry.

The Who: Michel Gassier farms and vinifies with the assistance of his wife, Tina.  He considers himself a “peasant-researcher”: someone who is deeply connected to the land on which he lives and works, but who approaches the process of vinification with great intellectual rigour to produce the best possible wines from within his appellation.  Making pure expressions of the terroir of his land is tantamount: Gassier is hands off in the vineyard, preferring to let nature take it’s course.  

“A terroir print on a wine is like a musical score, and is always deeper, more complex, and more interesting than one created by man.  The winemaker needs to learn to understand it and nourish it, to let its vibrato resonate through the wine.  Later, much like a conductor, the winemaker can give free reign to his creativity through the art of blending.”  -- Michel Gassier

The What: The blend features all five white grapes grown on the property.  According to the winemaker, this bottling is “more about freshness, purity, and balance than about exuberance.”  Grenache Blanc and Roussane are both whites that produce full bodied, perfumed wines.  Image result for france wine map detailed

The Where: Costières de Nîmes is the Rhone Valley’s most southern vineyard, descending to the edges of the Camargue. Melting glaciers in the tertiary era created the ancestors of the Rhone and the Durance Rivers. Carving their separate ways to the sea, they dragged boulders, rocks, gravel and silt. A mosaic of terroirs, Costières de Nîmes has a very unique common characteristic: the moderating effect of sea breezes. Freshness and purity of fruit is preserved and full maturity is guaranteed, especially for late ripening varietals.


Monday, November 20, 2017

2016 Mantlerhof Gruner Veltliner

2016 Mantlerhof

Image result for mantlerhof grüner veltliner niederösterreich

Where: Niederosterreich, Austria
Who: Sepp Mantler
What: Gruner Veltliner
Soil Type:  Loess
Tastes like: Zippy!  Tart citrus and under-ripe green apples.  Light with a mineral-driven finish.
What to pair with: Linguini alla Vongole; Brussels sprouts, anything you would want to squeeze a lemon on

Founded in the 12th century as "Lesehof", the Mantlerhof estate is located in a historic manor, where for 200 years it has been managed by the Mantler family. First documented in 1365, the family was first noted when Simon "Mentler" and his wife bought "Elsbet", a vineyard near Krems. Related image

Sepp Mantler started working around the family winery in the late 60's and took over farming and winemaking from his father Josef in the late 70's. With over 40 years of experience, coupled with access to the greatest vineyards of the area, Sepp produces some of the best wines not only in Kremstal, but in all of Austria.

A member of the group called Traditionsweingüter (along with Salomon, Nigl, Hirsch, Gobelsburg, Hiedler and Bründlmayer), Mantlerhof is located east of Krems on the Danube, in a small village called Gedersdorf. With 14 of its 86 hectares planted to organically certified vines, the estate supports Grüner Veltliner (47%), Roter Veltliner (17%), Riesling (20%), Chardonnay, Merlot, Neuburger and Gelber Muskateller. In deep layers of loess soil on conglomerate, the vines grow on soils that contain fine particles of quartz and limestone, which are fertile and mineral rich. The landscape here is dominated by the steep terraced vineyards, fashioned by centuries of vine growing and winemaking. The best vineyards (“lagen“) are around Gedersdorf and are Spiegel (for Grüner Veltliner), Wieland (for Riesling), Tiefenthal, Steingraben and Reisenthal (for Roter Veltliner).

The wines, true to the terroir and shaped by the loess soil, climate and grape variety, have plenty of extract and are concentrated and full-bodied, with excellent aging potential. Fermented with indigenous yeast, they reflect Sepp’s passion and enthusiasm in the vineyard as well as his craft in the cellar.

2016 Telmo Rodrigues Gaba do Xil

2016 Telmo Rodrigues Gaba do Xil

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Where: Valdeorras, Spain
Who: Telmo Rodrigues
What: 100% Godello
Tastes like: Lemon and cooked pear, with a creamy, waxy texture and a mildly-tart finish
What to pair with: Soft cheeses, vongole, caccio e pepe.

D.O. Valdeorras is the eastern-most wine zone in Galicia. Garnacha, Palomino and the indigenous Godello and Mencia grapes are extensively planted. If carefully vinified, the wines can be aromatic with an alcoholic strength between 12 and 13%.

See the source image

Valdeorras is Telmo Rodrigues’s (one of the rising stars of Spanish wine-making) most recent project, though he first seriously visited the area in the 1990’s.  In the town of Santa Cruz he found and purchased a vineyard called “La Falcoeira.” It is an ancient vineyard, planted with a mixture of varieties, but Compañía de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez has focused its work on the native varieties, Godello and Mencia. Telmo thinks that the area has enormous potential, and could be one of his great discoveries.

The Godello comprising the Gaba do Xil are grown at approximately 550 meters (1800 ft) in stoney, infertile soils.  The yields of the vineyard are therefore very low, but the quality is high.  The grapes are harvested by hand, and the first selection of grapes occurs while they are still in the vineyard.  The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected native yeasts.  It sees no time in oak, and is bottled and sent to market without aging.



Maison Foucher Sauvignon Blanc

2016 Maison Foucher “Les Jarriers”


Where: Touraine, France

Who: Jean Mounard

What: Sauvignon Blanc

Soil Type: Calcereous

Tastes like: Citrus peel and limestone, with white flowers in the nose.

What to pair with: Saucisson Lyonnaise, Rillette, delicate, gooey cheeses, Lecco pizza, Caesar

Image result for touraine wine map
People:

Located 30 kilometers northeast of Sancerre in the village of Aligny-Cosne, Maison Foucher is a “Petit Négociant” with a mission to craft classic expressions of Loire Valley appellations at exceptional values. The estate was founded in 1921 by Paul Lebrun, a cooper by trade, who developed his company servicing a clientele made up of restaurants and cafés in the Loire Valley and Paris. During the 1950s, Paul's son-in-law Raymond Foucher took the reins and then in 1985 passed the baton to his son, Jacky Foucher.
In late 2009, with the aim of raising the company's image and developing overseas business, the Foucher family brought on Jean Mounard as a new partner to pave the road ahead. Jean spent many years at the helm of a fine and rare wine brokerage business in Paris, specializing in iconic estates such as DRC, Mouton-Rothchild and Leflaive. His first order of business was to pioneer the production of small batch wines from selected plots in Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Saumur-Champigny, some of which are now farmed organically. Given his deep experience tasting the great wines of the world as well as his many contacts among top producers in the Loire, Jean has been able to establish strong relationships with growers and significantly elevate the quality of the wines.
Place: Touraine, Loire Valley
Touraine is a wine district at the very heart of France's Loire Valley wine region. Its main commercial center, the city of Tours, sits precisely half-way between Sancerre and Nantes (the home of Muscadet). The district follows the Loire river for roughly 60 miles (100km), from Blois in the east to Chinon and Bourgueil in the west. Beyond this the river continues into the adjacent Anjou district.
Touraine has its own generic regional appellation (simply called Touraine) which covers the entire district, as well as several titles that are more specific in terms of both location and wine style. These range from the dry, fruity reds of Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil to the diverse whites of Vouvray and Montlouis.
The Touraine district is located a full 140 miles (226km) from the Atlantic Ocean, and the same from the northern Massif Central hills of central France. As a result, the climate here falls somewhere between maritime and continental. There is a noticeable difference, however, between the cold, drier winters in the district's eastern edge and those in the west, which tend to be slightly wetter and more temperate. In summer, the slow-moving waters of the Loire do little to cool the Touraine vineyards; this region is known for its hot, torpid summer days.  Throughout the Touraine, the better vineyard sites are those blessed with free-draining soils rich in tuffeau. Tuffeau is the calcareous (limestone) rock for which this part of the Loire Valley is famous. It was used as the building material for most the valley's famous chateaux, and tuffeau caves proved perfect for long-term wine storage and ageing.
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc probably originated in Bordeaux, but it is in the limestone soil of theCentre-Loire, that it shows its best, most characteristic qualities. Although widely planted the world over, and highly successful in such widely different climates as California, New Zealand and Chile, all Sauvignon Blanc aspires to standards set in the Centre-Loire. The climate here is too cold for later-ripening grapes (such as the Chenin Blanc) but Sauvignon Blanc buds late and ripens early, making it ideal for a region prone to severe frosts and harsh winds. Sauvignon Blanc is rarely blended with other grapes in the Loire Valley and it is responsible for the distinctive characters of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Reuilly, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Touraine Blanc..
Much Sauvignon Blanc is made for early drinking. With their distinctive aroma, which reminds some people of gooseberries or grapefruit, and their lively acidity, these are ideal wines to drink with the famous goat cheeses of the Loire Valley (Crottin de Chavignol comes from the same village as Sancerre), cold shrimp or lobster, or a summer picnic. Nonetheless, the high acidity of Sauvignon Blanc means that the wines can be kept, and producers have experimented with aging exceptionally ripe vintages in oak. With time, they develop a remarkably fragrant complexity that makes them seem almost sweet, better paired with aged cheeses or foie gras.

Nostre Pais Grenache Blanc And E Guigal Croze Hermitage


Image result for france wine map detailed

2014 Nostre Païs, Grenache Blanc, Costières de Nîmes, France $12/48
Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette, Bourboulenc


A family of winemakers for four generations now, we are intimately connected to our land. By striving to live in harmony with nature we achieve a personal equilibrium and give meaning to our lives. “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
Costières de Nîmes is the Rhone Valley’s most southern vineyard, descending to the edges of the Camargue. Melting glaciers in the tertiary era created the ancestors of the Rhone and the Durance Rivers. Carving their separate ways to the sea, they dragged boulders, rocks, gravel and silt. A mosaic of terroirs, Costières de Nîmes has a very unique common characteristic: the moderating effect of sea breezes. Freshness and purity of fruit is preserved and full maturity is guaranteed, especially for late ripening varietals.



2013 E Guigal, Crozes Hermitage, Rhone, France $14/56
100% Syrah


In the early 1930s his brother helped Etienne, still only 14 years of age, secure a job in the vineyards at Vidal Fleury, then the largest and strongest winery in the Rhone. Etienne started pruning in the vineyards and rose to Maitre de Chai over the course of 15 years, before eventually leaving in 1946 to start his own firm, E. Guigal.
The Guigal firm is extraordinary in a number of dimensions. First is their decision that they will only purchase vineyards that are capable of producing truly great wines. Therefore despite their important production, they own only 150 acres, all in the Northern Rhone.

Guigal vinification is singular in the world of wine, and allows their great raw materials to flourish in the bottle. Their vinification approach actually harkens back to tradition in the Rhone Valley, with long ageing, which integrates tannins and flavors and creates wines of great complexity and refinement. Because of their superior fruit, the Guigals do not make “simple” wines – these wines demand time to come together. All wines undergo natural yeast fermentations, and intervention is at a bare minimum, with no fining or filtration. The top Guigal wines undergo famously long maturation period in barrel, up to three and a half years, but even parcels of old-vine Syrah for their Côtes du Rhône are aged in foudres for six months, completely atypical for the Côtes du Rhône category.

Marchesi di Barolo Nebbiolo




2014 Marchesi di Barolo “Sbriolo”, Nebbiolo, Langhe DOC $12/$48


Technical Details
  • Appellation: Langhe DOC
  • Soil: Limestone, Sand
  • Varietals: 100% Nebbiolo
The color is ruby red, with medium intensity. The fragrance combines the fruity aromas of raspberries to those ethereal and spicy of violet and vanilla. The taste is dry, balanced with fine and elegant tannins.
Because of its structure combined with the freshness of youth, is the ideal companion for typical Langhe appetizers, pastas, roasted or stewed meats and medium-aged cheeses.


Terroir: Nebbiolo is a very eclectic grape variety. It is able to extract many trace elements from hills with calcareous and clayey soil that enrich its texture, while picks fragrant and fruity aromas from soils rich limestone and fine quartz sands. This union causes a wine of great harmony and completeness with a wide and immediate expression of the bouquet.
Vinification: The grapes, freshly picked, arrive in the cellar and are rapidly de-stemmed and gently pressed to extract from the skins and the outer part only the most noble and aromatic notes. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature, in thermo-conditioned tanks. Maceration lasts for about 8 days, during which the must is regularly and softly pumped over the grape dregs, to allow the juice to extract all the elements and the coloring material from the skins. The wine then is racked only when all the sugar is transformed into alcohol. The wine is then stored in stainless steel tanks or concrete tanks to preserve the freshness and the typical fragrant aromas.
About Marchesi di Barolo:
The Marchesi di Barolo estate encompasses approximately 430 acres of vineyards in the Langhe, some of the finest in Piedmont, including the prestigious Cannubi cru. The cellars are located in the village of Barolo, overlooking the Renaissance castle of the Marchesi Falletti di Barolo.


Barolo as we know it today was first made in the early 19th century by the Marchese Carlo Tancredi Falletti di Barolo and his wife, Giulia. The wine from their estate soon became known as “the wine from Barolo”, served at important diplomatic and royal functions. The Marchesi had no children and following the death of the couple, the Marchesi di Barolo dynasty was left without an heir. Per the wishes of Marchesa Giulia, a great philanthropist, the family assets were donated to charity and a non-profit foundation was created in their name, “Opera Pia Barolo”, helping the most needy of nearby Torino. The sales of wine from their Barolo vineyards continue to fund the charity, which still exists today. In 1929, local winemaker, Pietro Abbona purchased the cellars formerly owned by the Marchesi and eventually acquired all their vineyard holdings as well.

Today, Marchesi di Barolo remains a family business. Since 2006, the estate has been under the direction of Pietro’s great-grandson and fifth-generation winemaker, Ernesto Abbona and his wife Anna, who have inherited a longstanding winemaking tradition and a love of the vineyards and its wines.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Beef Stracotto, Fried Brussel Sprouts, and Pork Saltimbocca


Fried Brussels sprouts
savory zabaglione, lemon, bonito bread crumbs $8


Brussels sprouts part of the cabbage family, are fried in Canola oil for a crunchy texture.  The fried vegetable is then tossed with sour dough bread crumbs, bonito flakes, lemon juice, and then finished with the savory zabaglione and allepo pepper.


Terms to consider:  
Zabaglione:  Typically a sweet dessert, that is made by tempering sweet wine, sugar and egg yolks to a custard like texture.
Our process: Egg yolks, salt, butter, and milk in a criovac bag.  Cook at 72 degrees celcius for 20 minutes.  Place in an isi aeration canister and charged with n02. For lighter texture.
Bonito: Dehydrated tuna.  Adds saltiness and Umami.  The bonito is tossed with the crunchy ass bread crumbs.
Allergies: Gluten*, fish*, dairy*, eggs*




Beef Stracotto
Braised chuck steak, root vegetables, crispy potatoes, salsa verde
This dish is fairly ubiquitous to most cultures, and the differentiator between them is the braise.  Ours is heralding from Piedmont, via our use of red wine to deglaze.  “Stracotto” literally means “cooked over and over.”  The beef is seared, then cooked on a very low heat for several hours.  This cooking process allows the beef to become tender and the sauce to build a full flavor.  It is a classic dish for the fall and winter months.


Our process: We will be using the chuck steak flap (similar in texture/flavor to a short rib, it runs under the sirloin) of the cow.  We will season them with salt an hour before searing to caramelize the outside in a pan.  We will braise them at low temperature in a fortified stock.  The braise will include mirepoix, garlic, thyme, peppercorn, and bay leaves.  Once tender we will cool the beef in the braising liquid.  At service, we will serve 8 oz portions with the reduced braising liquid, the mirepoix from the braise, crispy potatoes tossed with chopped herbs and pecorino, confit root vegetables, and garnish with salsa verde.


The braising liquid:
We start by roasting beef knuckle bones that have the most marrow and collagen = flavor and viscosity.  We build a stock that will run for 8 hours.  We strain the stock and reduce to fortify.  Next we take beef trim, caramelize it with mirepoix, deglaze with red wine and pour the stock on top to simmer for flavor.  The next step is to caramelize more beef trim and dried porcinis and add broth on top again.  We then reduce to fortify.
Root vegetables: onion, turnip, carrot, celery, all confit in pork fat.
ALLERGIES: dairy*, fin fish*, allium, mushroom, pork.

Pork Saltimbocca
Black Lentil-Pistachio Stufato, Chanterelle Mushrooms
We will be using Berkshire Pork loin.  Berkshire pork is a heritage breed from England. They are well-known for their tender meat and fat content.  They work well in long cooking preparations and high heat.  


The preparation:  We begin by first cleaning some of the top fat off of the loin.  We then brine the loin in a solution of water, salt, white wine, sugar, lemon overnight.  Once brined, we dry and season the meat with chopped sage.  The loin is then rolled in prosciutto then finally caul fat.  Caul Fat is the stomach lining of the pig.  We’re using it because loin tends to be on the leaner end and caul fat protects and adds fat as it cooks.  
The loin will be cooked at low temperature immersed in pork fat, mirepoix, thyme, peppercorns until at an internal temperature of 53 degrees celsius.  When the desired temperature is reached, we will cool the loin in the fat.  At service we will sear an 8oz. piece of pork to medium internal temperature.  The dish will be served alongside a pork brodo, chanterelle mushrooms, and roasted carrots.


Pork Brodo
Procedure:   We begin with a dark chicken stock, mirepoix, and aromatics. The mixture is then cooked for 6 hours. The next day, the stock combined with pork bones, more mirepoix, and more aromatics. The stock cooks until reduced to ¼ the size.


The stock is then strained and set aside. All remaining  now caramelized pork meat and mirepoix are deglazed with wine and reintroduced into the stock for fortification. The mixture is strained once more, placed in a clean pan, and reduced slowly while cleaning and skimming for sauce consistency.  
Every stock must be strained through fine chinois and cheese cloth.


Stufato:
We render smoked slab bacon with onions and garlic.  We add carrots and lentils to the pan to toast.  We deglazed with wine wine and then cook the lentils to tender with mushroom stock, thyme, bayleaf.
At service we caramelize chanterelle mushrooms add cooked stufato and finish with pistacio, parsley and a scant amount of butter.  

Allergies: Nuts*, Allium, legumes, dairy*

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Beef Stracotto

Beef Stracotto
Braised Chuck steak, root vegetables, crispy potatoes, salsa verde

This dish comes from the Roman ghetto. ‘Stracotto’ literally means ‘cooked over and over’. As a matter of fact the braised beef is cooked on a very low heat for several hours. This cooking process allows the beef to become tender and the sauce to build a full flavour. It is a classic dish for Shabbat, especially in the fall and winter months.  

Our process:
We will be using the tender cheeks of the Cow.  We will season them with salt an hour before searing to caramelize in a pan.  We will braise them at low temperature in a fortified stock.  The braise will have mirepoix garlic, thyme, peppercorn, bayleaves.  Once tender we will cool in the braising liquid.  At service we will serve the cheeks 8 oz portion with reduced braising liquid the mirepoix from the braise and the crispy potatoes that are tossed with chopped herbs and pecorino.

The braising liquid:
We start by roasting beef knuckle bones that have the most marrow and cologen = flavor and viscosity.  We build a stock that will run for 8 hours.  we strain the stock and reduce to fortify.  Next we take beef trim caramelize with mirepoix, deglaze with red wine and pour the stock on top to simmer for flavor.  The next step is to caramelize more beef trim and dried porcinis and add broth on top as well.  we reduce to fortify.

Root vegetables: Onion, turnip, carrots, celery

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Cocktail Changes 11/7/17


Please welcome three new cocktails to our list! 


The Corpse Bride, Softly Spoken Words, and Rosaline!
(86 Pimm's Cup, Division Bell, and French Chameleon)


Here's what you need to know...


Corpse Bride
2 Applejack
.75 Grand Classico
.5 Zucca

*Stir.  Down.  Orange swath.


The original Corpse Reviver, seasoned for the cold weather.  May her love from beyond warm your bones.

Softly Spoken Words
1.5 Clement rum
.75 lime
.5 raw honey syrup
Dash Angostura
Blanc de Blancs


Shake the first 4 ingredients together.  Strain to collins.  Top with BdB.


This little lovely is a play on an Airmail.  The Airmail first appeared in the 1940’s, and is much akin to a French 75, with silver rum instead of gin or cognac.  Airmail itself was a fairly new method of correspondence, and added a touch of glamor to the sending of a letter.  
So what are we working with here?   Artisanal, estate made rum.  Raw, hand-harvested local honey.  Hand squeezed lime.  Small production bubbles.  All of these ingredients combine to make a lovely, delicate cocktail that whispers to your palate the sweet nothings it wants to hear.  

Rosaline $12
1.25 Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
.75 Campari
.5 La Quintinye Bianco
.5 La Quintinye Rouge
1 dash Ango
1 dash Orange Bitters


Stirred.  Coupe.  No garnish.


This cocktail is essentially a Rosita with the proportions adjusted for our crazy mezcal.  The Rosita is the tequila-based cousin of the Negroni, but with a kiss between sweet and dry vermouths.  It’s delicious.  I opted to use both of the La Quintinye vermouths for this one because of their powerful aromatics but relatively light bodies: I want them to be present against the mezcal, but we also want our friend Campari to be heard.  

What’s in a name?  Rosaline was Romeo’s first muse, a cousin of the better known Juliet.  The Rosita is the lesser known cousin of the Negroni.  Both might not be as famous, but they’re just as lovely and deserving of a kiss from Romeo’s lips.