Monday, April 26, 2010
A Gift
One of the great things about hosting a dinner party is the fact that people often bring gifts of wine! Last night, with a sirloin steak, I opened up a great recent gift, a bottle of 2008 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel. I never know what to expect with a Zinfandel - the grape can take on so many different flavors/styles in wine. This one was a deep purple color with cherry and chocolate notes, and just a tiny bit of spice. Again, Louise's reaction was "Yum." So, thanks Frascatores!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
It Feels Like Summer
Tonight we kicked off Grilling season with a new recipe of Thai-style Chicken Breasts with Sweet/Sour Dipping Sauce (prepared by young chef Little Martin). It was really spectacular. Along with it we opened up a 2006 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (see, Steve, I take my own advice!) from Staete Land. We tasted apricots, peaches, and green apples, and the flavors balanced nicely with the spice of the chicken. A great combo!
In other wine news, I've reserved my first WS-rated 100 bottle (Thanks for the heads up, Dad)! I'm getting (from the PA State Store system) a 2007 Vintage Port from Dow's. It is, ignoring vintage, one of the 1001 wines around which this blog is supposedly based, so I can't wait to try it, although WS says to wait until 2022-2050!!! I wonder if this blog will last that long.... Incidentally, the vintages in the 1001 Wines book are the 1908 and the 1997, but WS declares the 2007 the "best Dow's ever" so I'll take it. And at $73 - its almost a steal.
In other wine news, I've reserved my first WS-rated 100 bottle (Thanks for the heads up, Dad)! I'm getting (from the PA State Store system) a 2007 Vintage Port from Dow's. It is, ignoring vintage, one of the 1001 wines around which this blog is supposedly based, so I can't wait to try it, although WS says to wait until 2022-2050!!! I wonder if this blog will last that long.... Incidentally, the vintages in the 1001 Wines book are the 1908 and the 1997, but WS declares the 2007 the "best Dow's ever" so I'll take it. And at $73 - its almost a steal.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Party At Our House!
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UPDATE: A clarification from my father about the Cloudberry liqueur in our house...
"I’ve never had the cloudberry liqueur in the freezer; it’s always been in the refrigerator. You may not remember the reason I had done this, but you are now learning the reason: It just tastes so good! Fortunately for me, I was the only one in the family who appreciated it and drank it all myself. By the way, you and no one else was aware that during the time you were growing up, although there was only one bottle in the refrigerator at any time, there was more than one bottle!"
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Tonight we had a great party at our house! Thanks, guests (you know who you are)! We went through five bottles of wine, half a bottle of Campari, and half a bottle of Cloudberry Liquer (Lakka in Finnish). Louise, as usual, was on the top of her game with Ziti, Chicken Parm, Chocolate Pie, and Lemon Sorbet, and the guests contributed fruit salad, chocolate-covered strawberries, and fun-fetti cookies! I know that I, at least, ate, and drank, way too much.
Anyway, more on the wines (and liqueur). I didn't get to try the white wines, so I can't really comment on them (its not fair to say how the pinot grigio, a 2008 Zenato della Venezie, contributed to my Campari cocktail). The Chardonnay was a Guenoc from Lake County I've been wanting to try, but, oh well.
The reds were all Italian, to go with the Ziti/Chicken Parm. We started with a 2007 Banfi Centine Rosso which is a blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Merlot. It was a simple, but tasty wine, and a great value. Then we moved on to my house Tuscan, the 2006 Monte Antico Rosso that I've mentioned before. Really a wonderful little wine to pair with Italian food. (Notice that I'm not going into great detail. Like I said, I had a fair amount to drink....) Finally, we finished up with a 2005 Santa Martina Toscana which was a dryer, but wonderful way to finish the evening of red wine (it went great with the Chocolate Pie).
Now, the cap on the evening was the Cloudberry Liqueur. Cloudberries are a high altitude berry native (at least to my knowledge) to Scandinavia. Once, when in Trondheim, Norway, I had a wonderful Cloudberry parfait at the house of a host family (the parents of one of my former students) - they had picked the berries themselves near their Stugga in the mountains of Norway. My dad also, for some reason I can't remember, always had an old bottle of Cloudberry Liqueur stashed away in his freezer. Anyway, the last time I was in Sweden I came back with a couple of bottles of Lakka made by Lapponia in Finland (as well as some Linie Aquavit, which is another story). Tonight I chilled it and then pulled it out as a "digestif." It was WONDERFUL. Around the table I heard talk of walnuts, vanilla, brown sugar, and most everyone seemed to enjoy it. It was a great way to end the meal, and I snuck myself a second small glass. Some "dessert" liqueurs can be overly sweet and unenjoyable, but this had just the right balance of sugar and alcohol. I will drink this again, and buy more the next time I am in Sweden....hmmm...I am, nominally, Clarkson's liason to the business school at Jonkoping University....I'll have to make some arrangements!
UPDATE: A clarification from my father about the Cloudberry liqueur in our house...
"I’ve never had the cloudberry liqueur in the freezer; it’s always been in the refrigerator. You may not remember the reason I had done this, but you are now learning the reason: It just tastes so good! Fortunately for me, I was the only one in the family who appreciated it and drank it all myself. By the way, you and no one else was aware that during the time you were growing up, although there was only one bottle in the refrigerator at any time, there was more than one bottle!"
------------------------------
Tonight we had a great party at our house! Thanks, guests (you know who you are)! We went through five bottles of wine, half a bottle of Campari, and half a bottle of Cloudberry Liquer (Lakka in Finnish). Louise, as usual, was on the top of her game with Ziti, Chicken Parm, Chocolate Pie, and Lemon Sorbet, and the guests contributed fruit salad, chocolate-covered strawberries, and fun-fetti cookies! I know that I, at least, ate, and drank, way too much.
Anyway, more on the wines (and liqueur). I didn't get to try the white wines, so I can't really comment on them (its not fair to say how the pinot grigio, a 2008 Zenato della Venezie, contributed to my Campari cocktail). The Chardonnay was a Guenoc from Lake County I've been wanting to try, but, oh well.
The reds were all Italian, to go with the Ziti/Chicken Parm. We started with a 2007 Banfi Centine Rosso which is a blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Merlot. It was a simple, but tasty wine, and a great value. Then we moved on to my house Tuscan, the 2006 Monte Antico Rosso that I've mentioned before. Really a wonderful little wine to pair with Italian food. (Notice that I'm not going into great detail. Like I said, I had a fair amount to drink....) Finally, we finished up with a 2005 Santa Martina Toscana which was a dryer, but wonderful way to finish the evening of red wine (it went great with the Chocolate Pie).
Now, the cap on the evening was the Cloudberry Liqueur. Cloudberries are a high altitude berry native (at least to my knowledge) to Scandinavia. Once, when in Trondheim, Norway, I had a wonderful Cloudberry parfait at the house of a host family (the parents of one of my former students) - they had picked the berries themselves near their Stugga in the mountains of Norway. My dad also, for some reason I can't remember, always had an old bottle of Cloudberry Liqueur stashed away in his freezer. Anyway, the last time I was in Sweden I came back with a couple of bottles of Lakka made by Lapponia in Finland (as well as some Linie Aquavit, which is another story). Tonight I chilled it and then pulled it out as a "digestif." It was WONDERFUL. Around the table I heard talk of walnuts, vanilla, brown sugar, and most everyone seemed to enjoy it. It was a great way to end the meal, and I snuck myself a second small glass. Some "dessert" liqueurs can be overly sweet and unenjoyable, but this had just the right balance of sugar and alcohol. I will drink this again, and buy more the next time I am in Sweden....hmmm...I am, nominally, Clarkson's liason to the business school at Jonkoping University....I'll have to make some arrangements!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Wines of this Week
I haven't been nearly as consistent at this as I had hoped, but this week we had three wonderful wines. It was also a good week for eating - steak, not once, but twice; Louise's wonderful Lasagna; and some great oven baked chicken with a "gravy" with Thyme, garlic, and onions.
With the steak and Lasagna we had a deep purple 2008 D'Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz. It tasted of dark berries and, as Louise said, "yumminess." At $9.99 it was also a true value!
With the oven-baked chicken I struggled over what to drink. In searching I noticed just how one-dimensional my red wine collection had become. Almost all of my reds are now Rhone varietals (Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah) or Bordeaux/Cabernet. I have NO Pinot Noirs! I'll have to rectify that this week. So, I went to my wine collection and picked out what I thought would be a "throwaway" Chardonnay from Bogle. Boy, was I wrong. It was a wonderful value wine with vanilla, pear, and oak notes. Louise and I both really enjoyed it, and, thankfully, I know I can get it in town!
Finally, tonight with our second steak night of the week, I served a wine that I've been holding on to for years - a 2000 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. Back in 2004, Louise and I traveled to Sonoma for our friends' wedding (Thanks, Mark and Pinata!). While there, ALL the tour books were saying that we just HAD to try Gary Farrell, but tours and tastings were by appointment only. So, we forewent a trip to Gary Farrell, but I made a mental note. A couple of years later I picked up this bottle of Zinfandel and decided tonight to open it. It was excellent, with (I know this sounds strange, but maybe its just my lack of a palate) apple, chocolate and caramel flavors. It was truly wonderful, if a little on the strong side (alcohol-wise). Worth the wait - just wish I could get more (and that it was cheaper). Hopefully not another month until my next post!
With the steak and Lasagna we had a deep purple 2008 D'Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz. It tasted of dark berries and, as Louise said, "yumminess." At $9.99 it was also a true value!
With the oven-baked chicken I struggled over what to drink. In searching I noticed just how one-dimensional my red wine collection had become. Almost all of my reds are now Rhone varietals (Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah) or Bordeaux/Cabernet. I have NO Pinot Noirs! I'll have to rectify that this week. So, I went to my wine collection and picked out what I thought would be a "throwaway" Chardonnay from Bogle. Boy, was I wrong. It was a wonderful value wine with vanilla, pear, and oak notes. Louise and I both really enjoyed it, and, thankfully, I know I can get it in town!
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