The 2nd Anniversary of "The Art of Wine & Food" Series!

At last week's installment of "The Art of Wine & Food" at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale we celebrated the second anniversary of the series!

In addition to our featured wines we had lots of fun giveaways including a Family Membership to the Museum, free tickets to the "Shark" Exhibition accompanied by gorgeous Guy Harvey coffee table books, free tickets to the wine tasting of your choice as well as a free month of The Glamorous Gourmet Wine Club, complete with wines and recipes to pair with them. We also gave special recognition to two very special guests who have been with us since the beginning, Kathleen Van Schalkwyk and Jill Harris. 

Our official theme of the evening was "Take a Walk on the Wild Side with some Alternative Grape Varieties" and featured three wines selected specifically to indulge your inner wine geek! The wines were accompanied by the delicious cuisine of Hugh's Catering whom we have had the pleasure of working with on many of the events in the series. We also gave a big round of applause and heartfelt thank you to Republic National Distributing Company for their ongoing support over the past two years! 

In the spirit of wine geekiness, the evening's wines were made from grape varieties a little off the beaten path but delicious nonetheless and definitely worth experiencing:

2008 Pfaffl Grüner Veltliner Austrian Pepper 

The home of Mozart, Edelweiss and Riedel Crystal has a long, rich tradition of winemaking that dates back to approximately 700 B.C. Nowadays Austria is a dynamic wine region characterized by its white wines which account for approximately 65% of the country's total production.
 

More than one third of the vineyards are planted to Grüner Veltliner, a white grape which is indigenous to Austria and not found much outside its borders. Austria’s wine law, which is very similar to Germany’s, dictates grape variety and yields within delineated zones of production. This particular wine hails from Austria's largest wine-growing area, Niederösterreich which is located near the capital of Vienna.
 

This wine is 100% Grüner Veltliner fermented in stainless steel to preserve its fresh fruit flavors and acidity. It is bright green-yellow in color with hints of citrus, minerals and herbs on the nose. On the palate, flavors of lime zest, honeydew melon and white pepper follow through on a refreshing finish. This wine is a natural match for shellfish, grilled fish, chicken or Asian-inspired cuisine. Guests enjoyed this wine paired with deliciously refreshing Ceviche Shooters.

2010 Renato Ratti Barbera d'Alba  

Piedmont is one of Italy’s most revered wine regions and home to the majestic Barolos and Barbarescos made from the Nebbiolo grape. While lesser known, the Barbera grape provides the majority of the region’s everyday wines which are also capable of great style.
 

Unlike many producers, Renato Ratti entered the world of winemaking without a family tradition behind him. Free of any ancestral ties or responsibilities, he was able to face Barolo, "with neither pride nor prejudice, but with unfettered freedom." He was a true pioneer in the region, responsible for creating the first single-vineyard Barolos produced in the same tradition as Burgundy. Following his untimely death in 1988 his innovative wine-making philosophy lives on today thanks to the passion and commitment of his son Pietro.
 

This 100% Barbera is crafted from 20 year old vines located in the Torriglione vineyards situated in La Morra. The Tortonian soil creates wines that are approachable with marked fragrance, softness and elegance. This wine spent six months in French oak barriques creating a wine with an intense, ruby red color and aromas and flavors of ripe plum, cassis, violets and spice. This wine is perfect for pairing with heartier dishes such as aged cheeses, grilled or roasted meats and/or tomato based sauces. Guests enjoyed this lovely red paired with Hugh's Mediterranean Flatbreads.

 

2008 De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot

Deen De Bortoli created his Vat Series with the idea of developing a range of delicious, full-flavored wines at an affordable price. Deen personally selected the blends and chalked the numbers on the vats to identify them. The Vat Series includes traditional varietal wines and also wines made from interesting varietals newer to Australia.
 

This wine hails from the Riverina wine region in New South Wales. Petit Verdot is one of Bordeaux’s classic black grape varieties which is currently enjoying a revival in Australia, where it performs exceptionally well. This late-ripening variety does well in the warmer climates of Australia and other New World wine regions compared to the cooler climes of France where it didn’t ripen as well due to climatic differences.  

This wine is a vibrant, deep ruby-purple color with heady aromas of blackberries, cherries, and violets. On the palate, rich dark fruit, chocolate and spice predominate along with chewy tannins imparted by the oak aging. Enjoy this wine paired with smoked meats, roasted or grilled lamb, veal chops, and/or a big, juicy steak. This wine was paired very well with Hugh's Lamb Rounds with Grain Mustard Demi-Glaze.

Looking forward to our next event on Thursday, July 19th featuring "The Rosé Lifestyle of St. Tropez with Chateau d'Esclans" with our Special Guest Paul Chevalier. We will have the pleasure of sampling the latest releases of some of the world's finest rosés. If you think you're not a fan of these delightfully pink dry wines, think again! To make reservations, please contact Gail Vilone at gvilone@moafl.org or (954) 262-0249. Hope to see you there! 

 

 

 

Cheers,

   

The Diversity of Australia: Some Interesting Wines from Down Under!

Despite Hurricane Irene's best efforts, our monthly installment of "The Art of Wine & Food" at the Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale went off without a hitch! 

The evening's theme was "The Diversity of Australia," and instead of the typical Shiraz and Riesling many people associate with the land down under, the evening featured varietals a little off the beaten path.

To accompany the wines, Chef Marci Boland of L'Hermitage Catering created some delicious dishes that complemented the wines beautifully.

The first wine of the evening was the 2008 Turkey Flat Butchers Block White hailing from the Barossa Valley. Located in the state of South Australia, the Barossa Valley is one of Australia’s oldest and best-known wine regions. It's home to Australia's largest wine companies as well as plantings of Grenache and Shiraz that are over a century old.
 
The popularity of Shiraz (aka Syrah) in this region sparked interest in the development of other Rhone varieties. The 2008 Turkey Flat Butchers Block White is a blend of 58% Marsanne, 28% Viognier and 14% Roussanne, grapes indigenous to France’s Rhone Valley. This wine has appealing flavors of citrus, pear and green apple with a hint of toasty oak from partial barrel fermentation and a richness from extended lees contact. This wine is ideal for pairing with richer seafood dishes like scallops and lobster or those with exotic spices such as Thai, Curry or Indian cuisine. Chef Marci prepared a delicious Curry Coconut Chicken that paired very nicely with the spice and citrus notes of the wine.

The second wine of the evening was the 2009 Robert Oatley Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Proud and passionate Australian, Bob Oatley is considered by many to be a pioneer of Australian wine. His successes include the family-owned Australian winery Rosemount Estate and his latest endeavor, Robert Oatley Vineyards, is built around the family’s vineyard holdings and winery in New South Wales.

The Mornington Peninsula is located in the Australian state of Victoria is known for its cool, maritime-influenced climate, ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. The 2009 Robert Oatley Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir has delightful cherry aromas with hints of strawberry, earth and spice; the 10 months in French oak nicely enhances but doesn't overpower the character of the wine. This Pinot Noir would be delicious served slightly chilled with dishes like seared tuna, grilled salmon or roasted duck with cherry sauce. Guests enjoyed it paired with Chef Marci's Tomato Provencal with Prosciutto, Thyme, & Garlic.

The final wine of the evening was the 2008 De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot from the Riverina wine region in New South Wales. De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family winery established by Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli in 1928. Deen De Bortoli personally selected the blends and chalked the numbers on the vats to identify them. The Vat Series includes traditional varietal wines and also wines made from interesting varietals newer to Australia.
 
Petit Verdot is one of Bordeaux’s classic grape varieties that is currently enjoying a revival in Australia. This late-ripening varietal performs exceptionally well in Australia's warm climate which allows it to achieve heightened levels of ripeness compared to the cooler climates of France. The 2008 De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot has aromas of blackberries, cherries, and violets. On the palate, rich dark fruit, chocolate and spice accompany chewy tannins imparted by oak ageing. This wine is perfect for pairing with smoked meats, roasted or grilled lamb or veal chops, and/or a big, juicy steak. It paired remarkably well with Chef Boland's Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs with Pasta.

Guests really enjoyed these edgy Aussie wines which many were unfamiliar with prior to the event. They certainly sparked lots of interesting questions and conversation throughout the evening. Many participants said they especially enjoyed experiencing how the flavors of wine and food can really complement and enhance each other - I just love hearing that! A big thank you to Republic National Distributing Company for providing the wines for this event.

Please join us for our next installment of "The Art of Wine & Food," entitled "Chardonnay Around the World: Learn how Winemaking Styles Exhibit Qualities of Old Hollywood Glamour." It should be an interesting evening! For more information, please contact Gail Vilone at gvilone@moafl.org or call 954-262-0249.

Cheers,

Champagne Taittinger, Stone Crabs, & "Savor the Moment" Mustard Sauce: What's Not to Love?

It's been nine days since my last post - eek! That's a record for me since starting this blog last August. I have been busy doing my favorite kind of "research": eating, drinking and meeting some fabulous and interesting people in the world of food & wine. I look forward to sharing all the juicy details with you over the course of the next week or so.

As I mentioned last week, Boca Bacchanal, the premier wine and food event in Palm Beach County, took place this past weekend. I am happy to report it was a resounding success! In an attempt to perpetuate the Boca Bacchanal buzz (**sigh** it's hard to believe it's over), I'll continue to highlight wines of the remaining Vintners we had the privilege of enjoying, paired with the recipes of "Savor the Moment." One of the participating Vintners at the Vintner Dinner Steve and I attended Friday night was Champagne Taittinger.

Located in Reims, France the Taittinger Estate is one of the three most extensive in the Champagne district. Champagne Taittinger is proprietor of approximately 752 acres of vines, and the firm's major holdings in Chardonnay vineyards are representative of the Taittinger philosophy and style. The cellars are situated in the underground caves or crayères once belonging to the 13th century Abbey of Saint-Nicaise. Champagne Taittinger was represented at Boca Bacchanal by the delightful Clovis Taittinger, son of Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger, President of Champagne Taittinger. Clovis also served as Boca Bacchanal's Honorary Wine Chairman this year. As a big fan of Champagne, it was a pleasure meeting him and having the opportunity to try a variety of his fabulous cuvées...more about that in the next post.

The weekend prior to the event, Steve and I enjoyed a fabulous bottle of the Taittinger Brut La Française with Florida Stone Crabs and a delicious Mustard Sauce (pg. 74) from "Savor the Moment." If you are a fan of Stone Crabs, you are probably aware that every establishment or seafood market has its own recipe or signature "mustard sauce." Some have more mustard; some, more mayonnaise and some are kind of sweet. The recipe from "Savor the Moment" falls into the sweet category due to the addition of brown sugar. It had nice flavor to it but, personally, I prefer the more mustardy, spicy sauces. We served the crabs with a "modified" Wedge Salad consisting of Iceberg lettuce, beautiful juicy, red, ripe tomatoes and creamy blue cheese dressing.

Regardless of which type of sauce you prefer, the Champagne was a wonderful pairing! Taittinger Brut La Française is produced from select Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes grown in specific microclimates of the Champagne region. These three varietals are important to the blend for different, but important reasons: Pinot Noir lends the finished blend body, structure, power and elegant red berry aromas typical of the variety; Pinot Meunier provides a supple, round fruitiness to the wine; Chardonnay adds elegance, finesse, crispness and delicacy, as well as structure and longevity. Taittinger's reliance on the Chardonnay grape for this cuvée, which approximates 40 percent of the finished wine, or over twice the percentage of Chardonnay used in the standard cuvées of most champagne houses, is indicative of the dedication to quality and overall refinement of the Taittinger style. Upon popping the cork, the Taittinger Brut La Française had lovely aromas of toasted brioche and lemon followed by delicious flavors of pear, apple tarte tatin and a hint of key lime pie. In addition to the flavors, the clean, crisp acidity made it a wonderful pairing for the Stone Crabs with Mustard Sauce. Whether you're a longtime fan or have never tried Florida Stone Crabs, I highly recommend you give this pairing a try! To get you started here's the Mustard Sauce recipe:

Combine 1/2 cup brown mustard, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, and 1 teaspoon dry mustard in a bowl and mix well. Chill for 1 hour to 4 days before serving.

Hope you enjoy - Cheers!

***Wines for this blog kindly provided by National Republic Distributing Company, a presenting sponsor of the 2010 Boca Bacchanal.

Celebrating Friends and a New JLBR President!

I recently had a few girlfriends over for a “Savor the Moment” dinner at Chez Miskew (my house). Being almost 60 recipes into my little project I was in need of a little moral support and I also wanted to celebrate my friend Nancy Dockerty's election as President of The Junior League of Boca Raton for the upcoming 2011-2012 League year – go, Nancy! To kick it up a notch, I made a few delicious recipes from “Savor the Moment” as well as one of my own signature dishes, Boeuf Bourguignon with Short Ribs.

We started the evening with the delicious and decadent Wild Mushroom Brie (pg. 65). This recipe combines three varieties of mushrooms (white button, portobello and shiitake) together with shallots, chives, sherry, toasted pine nuts and the creamy, cow’s milk deliciousness that is Brie. As if that wasn’t fabulous enough, you then wrap it up in pie pastry and bake it until it is golden brown and the Brie is all melty. If you are a mushroom fan you need to drop what you’re doing and go make this recipe NOW! I also love that the recipe tells you to use the leftover pastry to create a little mushroom to place on top as décor. My husband Steve is responsible for creating the one you see in the photo – I think he did a great job! The dish was very well received by my guests; none of us had tried this tasty “Savor the Moment” gem before. In addition to being a great appetizer, we all agreed this dish would make for a fabulous lunch served with a salad.

I paired the Brie with a 2008 Viña Santa Rita Chardonnay Central Valley 120, a white wine from Chile’s Central Valley. It’s made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and aged in stainless steel so no worries about it being an oak monster. It’s flavors of green apple, tropical fruit and buttery pear complemented the Brie nicely. For around $10 a bottle, this also makes for a nice little Everyday Wine too.

For the second course, I dished up the Beouf Bourguignon with Short Ribs. I have written about this dish before in a previous blog http://tinyurl.com/yk829ef. It is a combination of some of my favorite recipes for this classic French dish and I think what sets mine apart is using an entire bottle of red wine, Cognac and of course the short ribs! The short ribs necessitate a longer cooking time which just makes everything taste better if you ask me. When I served it for Bookclub a few months ago, we tried three different wine pairings: a Pinot Noir, a Rioja and a Shiraz. The Shiraz was the hands down winner of the contest! I think the short ribs add a richness that necessitates a bigger, bolder wine even though historically this recipe calls for a Burgundy.

Tonight I paired the dish with a 2006 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Syrah. This red from California’s Central Coast was somewhat lighter in style then the Australian Shiraz we originally had, but also complemented the dish very well. It had nice, ripe fruit flavors of blackberry, strawberry and rhubarb with tannins that stood up to the decadent short ribs as well. Also at around $10 a bottle, this easy drinking red would also make a great Everyday Wine choice.

For dessert, I decided to be consistent with the decadent fare and go with the Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cakes (pg. 254). If you know your guests have a predilection for chocolate, you cannot go wrong with this recipe! Delicious chocolate cakes with oozy chocolate centers served with Haagen Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream and a dusting of Confectioner’s sugar – what's not to love? I included the recipe for this divine dessert in my post a few days ago so if you are so inclined, by all means, check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/ygh7egz. Needless to say, the Soufflé Cakes were also very well received and my guests and I were sufficiently stuffed!

After a night of laughing, eating, drinking wine and more laughing, the girls headed home and I felt even more committed to the "Savor the Moment" Challenge. The Junior League is such a fabulous group of women doing such wonderful things for our community and, now, one of my great friends is going to be President! I highly recommend getting involved in your local League if not for the great friends or opportunities to benefit your community, then definitely do it for the Cookbook. For more info visit www.ajli.org - Cheers!

**Wines for this blog were kindly provided by Republic National Distributing Company.