Vines & Vittles

Washington State wines: everything in balance !

February 24, 2011 by John Brown

Most experts agree that the Napa Valley is the greatest wine making region in this country and one of the best viticultural locations on the planet. While it is hard to dispute that point of view, one other area- year in and year out- is challenging Napa, particularly when it comes to producing wines from cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

I present for your consideration the state of Washington which has become, over the past couple of decades, one of the world’s premier wine-producing regions! You’re probably wondering how I came to this startling conclusion. Suffice it to say, years of personal research (i.e., drinking the stuff) made a believer of me!

In an area of the country perhaps better known for producing cherries, asparagus, apples, apricots and RAIN, thousands of acres of grapes have been planted, and some of the resulting wines are nothing short of stunning.

Of course when an “easterner” thinks of Washington, Seattle comes immediately to mind. However, that beautiful city, in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to its east and the Olympic range to its west, is not where the majority of grapes are grown.

While there are some wineries in the Seattle/Puget Sound area actually growing vines, the overwhelming tonnage of vinifera is being produced across the Cascade Mountains in Eastern Washington.

Talk about a change! When you travel through the Snoqualmie pass – just 45 miles from Seattle – you go from a rain forest to a high mountain desert where the majority of vineyards are planted and extend eastward to the border with Idaho.

Washington State Wine Regions

And in the past 30 years, the wine business in Washington has grown exponentially.
Consider this: in 1981, there were only 19 wineries in the state. Today there are more than 700 scattered over 11 American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s), and the industry continues to grow vigorously.

So what makes this northwest corner of the U.S. so special? Excellent terroir, baby!

That somewhat confusing French word (pronounced tare-wah) means Washington has the requisite soil, climate and geographic location most ideally suited to growing some of the world’s greatest wine grapes including, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, semillon and riesling.

I spent a week touring the area more than a decade ago and came to a rapid conclusion, after tasting the best the state had to offer, that the wines are exceptional. Since then, things have only gotten better and the cabernets and merlots are among the best being produced anywhere.

A bold statement? Maybe not, once you’ve tasted the wines. In addition to intensity, richness, elegance and power, Washington State wines have the potential to achieve a qualitative attribute uncommon in California – or anywhere else for that matter.

That characteristic is balance.

Balanced wines possess a harmony of fruit, alcohol and acid. There are also many sub-components that contribute to balance such as tannins and phenolic compounds and other technical stuff that only a chemist would find interesting.

Washington State, because of its unique terroir, has the ability to produce wines of exceptional quality and balance. I am particularly fond of the cabernet, merlot, riesling and semillon being made in the state.

Here are a few of my favorite labels from Washington State that you should find appealing. L’Ecole No. 41; Columbia Crest; Canoe Ridge; Hedges; Leonetti; Waterbrook; Quilceda Creek; Woodward Canyon; Covey Run; Hogue Cellars; Kiona; Milbrandt; Walla Walla; Chateau Ste. Michelle; Columbia Winery; DeLille Cellars; and Barnard Griffin Winery.

Tipsy Pork Tenderloin Loves Zinfandel

February 9, 2011 by John Brown

I don’t think there is any more versatile and tasty cut of pork than the tenderloin. In the past, I have regaled you with various culinary treatments for that long and lean piece of pig meat. And today, I’ll share another.

I call this recipe “Tipsy Tenderloin” because the marinade requires a glass of dry red wine (and also because I think it’s only fair to reward the pig for his sacrifice). As a matter of fact, I suggest you reward yourself with a sip or two from the same bottle for preparing this lovely dish. So, here goes…

Shopping List:

1 pound pork tenderloin trimmed of all fat
8 ounces of dry red wine (I suggest zinfandel)
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
1 egg and one-half pound of shredded mozzarella
8 ounces of Italian sausage
3 ounces of extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper cut into thin, two-inch long strips
1 package of chopped frozen spinach
1 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cut the pork tenderloin in two lengthwise and rub with salt and pepper

Between two sheets of wax paper, pound the pork into 1/2 inch thick pieces

Whip the wine, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and balsamic vinegar into a marinade

Marinade the pork in a bowl or plastic bag in the refrigerator for at least four hours

Cook the sausage separately, drain the fat and chop into small pieces

Sauté’ the onions, peppers and spinach and allow to cool

Stir the cheese, egg and sausage into the onion, pepper and spinach mixture

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry (reserve the marinade)

Spread the mixture onto the meat and turn into rolls using toothpicks to secure

Dust the rolls in flour and sauté in olive oil until brown on all sides

Place in the oven and cook at 375 F. for 20 minutes

Remove rolls from oven pan and allow to sit for 10 minutes

Pour reserved marinade into oven pan and reduce liquid to a sauce

Slice the pork into half-inch rolls, pour the sauce over and serve

I accompanied this dish with orzo in a light tomato sauce and served the remainder of the 2009 Foxglove Zinfandel ($19) to wash it all down. I think a sangiovese or old vine grenache would be an excellent choice for this dish too.

Enjoy !

Synapse Wines: connecting with West Virginia

January 27, 2011 by John Brown

Throughout history, wine has had a powerful influence on just about every aspect of the human condition. From religion, to culture, to art, to war and, indeed, to our daily lives, wine has played an important role in shaping history and civilization for thousands of years.

The Romans sent farmers to far off lands to plant vines well in advance of their invading armies so the soldiers would have wine to accompany their meals and to celebrate their victories. And to this day, wine remains an integral part of Judeo-Christian religious ceremonies.

So I guess it should not be surprising that someone from Weirton, practicing medicine in California would become infatuated with wine. What is surprising is the degree to which this WVU graduate has pursued his passion for the fruit of the vine.

Bruce Ginier was born and raised in Weirton, graduated from Brooke High in 1978 and received a BS and MD degree from WVU. He actually spent the last two years of medical school here in Charleston. After an internship, Ginier moved to Sacramento for his radiology residency. The rest is wine-stained history.

As you may know, Sacramento is the gateway to the Sierra Foothills wine country that includes El Dorado and Amador Counties. The town of Placerville is smack-dab in the middle of the Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area) and that is where Synapse Wines was established.

The Vineyard

The concept for Synapse Wines began in 2000 when Bruce Ginier and his colleague and friend Randy Knutzon hatched the idea one evening over a few beers. (Strange how beer always seems to play a role in wine making). Anyway, the two friends scoured the Sierra Foothills and found the perfect spot for the vineyard on a 40-acre westward-facing slope overlooking the Cosumnes River Canyon.

Synapse owners Randy Knutzon and Bruce Ginier

Ginier said the initial plan was to simply grow grapes and sell them to wineries in the area. So in 2002, they planted syrah and later added zinfandel, petite sirah, viognier, grenache and mourvedre. But four years after planting the vineyard, the partners were so excited by the quality of the first vintage, they decided it would be more fun to make wine than just grow and sell grapes.

The Wines

For such a new enterprise, Synapse has garnered a significant treasure chest of awards from several prestigious wine competitions. Their 2006 K-Space Syrah won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Many of their other wines have won gold, silver and bronze awards at other competitions around the country. Debbie Knutzon (Randy’s wife) is the winemaker and both families are involved in all aspects of running the winery.

Most Synapse Wines are priced from $16 to $28 a bottle and can only be purchased at the winery. However, the wines are available online and can be shipped to West Virginia.

If you’re interested, check out the Synapse website at: www.synapsewines.com. If you decide to order wines, Bruce has offered free shipping on any order of three or more bottles. (When going through checkout, there is a box in the shopping cart window to enter a promotion/coupon code. In the box, simply type in fs3b2011).

The Name

Why “Synapse” for the winery name? Well, both owners are neuro-radiologists who spend a considerable amount of time examining the brain which is a composed of nerve cells and the connection between them – the synapse.

So, for the partners, Synapse Wines symbolize the two families coming together to create the vineyard and winery, and pays tribute to the value the owners place on connecting with family and friends.

I’ll drink to that !

Inexpensive Wine: Easier than ever to find !

January 11, 2011 by John Brown

As those of you who regularly read my ramblings know, I am on an incessant search for wines of excellent quality that are also values. A few years back it was easy to despair of the notion that you could easily find good wine at reasonable prices.

To be sure, there are still outrageously priced wines in the marketplace that are immune to conventional economics, particularly those with famous names or those from places which are revered such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa. Some wines from these regions are still priced out of all relationship to reality (as I define the term).

Chateau Petrus, which is undoubtedly the most famous wine in Bordeaux, is also the most extreme example of how crazy wine pricing can be. The 2005 Petrus fetches between $3000 and $4000 a BOTTLE! Amazingly, there is a long line of “trophy” hunters just waiting to plunk down their cash for the stuff.

But before you despair, forsake all wine purchases and switch to buttermilk, consider this: there are literally thousands of wineries around the world that are still making good and even great wine at affordable prices. You just have to look a little harder, be adventuresome and be willing to experiment with wines with which you are unfamiliar.

As a matter of fact, I am now convinced that the number of these value wines is increasing. Could this be a trend? I hope so.

World famous (and expensive) Ch. Petrus

In the past, it all came down to supply and demand. When Mother Nature smiles in the vineyard and there is a glut of wine on the world market, prices drop. The converse is true as well. You also have to factor in the tepid economy, which has forced some wineries to lower their unrealistic pricing.

But there is now more to the equation than just supply and demand and a weak economy. The new X factor is the Internet and search engines like Google, Yahoo and Ask.com. Information and pricing on wines which had once been obscure and unavailable are now just a click away.

I have maintained for years that there is a sea of excellent wine out there just waiting to be discovered. Well, now it’s easier than ever to find it, order it and sip it! And all because of the Internet.

Say you like cabernet sauvignon, but are put off by the prices of wines from some producers. Simply type: “highly rated cabernet under $20” onto your search engine and instantly you will be rewarded with an almost overwhelming number of choices.

At this point, you can order the wines online or simply take the list of wines to your local retailer. And building a relationship with folks running the local wine shop is probably the most important way of finding good wines that suit your budget. If the wines you want are unavailable, your wine shop can usually order the stuff for you.

We have a bevy of excellent shops in our state with a remarkable selection of wines from around the globe, and that is where I prefer to make my purchases. However, if you can’t find them locally, you might try the online retailers listed below that ship to West Virginia and many other states.

Here are some of my favorites: wineanthology.com; wineaccess.com; wine.com; and empirewine.com. There are many others, but these are among the ones with both excellent pricing and selection.

To give you a head start, you might want to lock your lips around these delectable wine values: 2007 Crooked Row Merlot ($12); 2008 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese ($12); Cristalino Brut Cava (Spanish Sparkler -$10); 2009 Pacific Rim Gewurztraminer ($13); 2007 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc ($15); 2005 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Riserva ($19); 2007 Trimbach Riesling ($17); and 2008 Hey Mambo Sultry Red ($10 – no kidding this a good one!).

Port: making winter bearable!

December 30, 2010 by John Brown

I’m sure many of you will be toasting the New Year with sparkling wine. I know that I will, but my choice for après Champagne is something that will warm the cockles of your heart and soul even more than your favorite celebratory bubbly.

Today, I’m going to regale you with information about Port – my favorite winter time beverage that is sure to take the edge off this frigid winter.

Some would suggest that port, like scotch, is an acquired taste. If so, I’ve acquired it! And I’m convinced that once you try the stuff with a good blue cheese or a handful of walnuts, you’ll be hooked too. But first, let’s take a look at the history of Port and how the wine is produced.

Port or Porto (as it is called in Portugal where it is produced) is made from a variety of grapes grown along the steep slopes of Douro River. In fact there are more than 80 varieties of grapes which are permitted to be used in the production of port, but most producers use less than 10. The most prominent port grapes are: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and Tinta Amarela. Rolls right off the tongue, no?

The center of port production is the town of Oporto where the wine is sold to companies (called” Shippers”) who age it, label it under their house name and then export it all over the world.

Port is fortified which means that brandy is added to the fermenting wine. This causes the fermentation to stop, leaving about 10 percent residual sugar in the wine and also boosting the alcohol to about 20 percent. While port was produced in mainly a dry style for centuries, today’s sweet version was popularized by the British in the middle of the 18th century. Many Shippers are also British companies.

There are also some very good port-style wines produced in other countries, most notably Australia and the U.S. As a matter of fact, two of my favorite tawny ports are produced in these two countries and I’ll list them for you later. Port is made in several styles, among which are:

Vintage Port -This is the best and most expensive style and is produced only in exceptional years (only about three years a decade). A “vintage year” is usually declared by an agreement among the shippers and the wines are given special care and aging.

Once you buy it, vintage Port can age easily for 15 to 40 years before reaching maturity. Recent vintage Port years are 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1991 and 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2003. You can pay anywhere from $50 to $150 a bottle for vintage port with the older, more prestigious years, commanding the highest price.

Late Bottled Vintage Port – Not to be confused with vintage port, this wine is a blend of ports from different vineyards in the same vintage year. Late bottled vintage port (or LBV) will have a vintage date on the label, but it is not vintage port. However, these wines are vinified in the same manner as vintage ports, except they are aged in barrel longer to accelerate their drinkability.

Ruby Port – Young port wine blends from several different vintages comprise ruby port. They are lighter and fruitier than other styles and usually the least expensive ports.

Tawny Port – I call this the poor man’s vintage port because it is aged for many years in oak and, when released, it is very smooth and rich like an old vintage port, though not as fine. Without a doubt, this is my go-to port and I’ll list a few of my favorites for you later. Most of the better tawnies are aged for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years and this fact is listed on the label. These wines can be found in a wide price range from under $10 to more than $30 a bottle depending on the age of the Tawny Port.

Ficklin 10-year old Tawny Port

White Port – Made from white grapes, this is the only port-style wine that is dry. It is usually crisp, yet full-bodied, and makes a nice aperitif wine.

Okay, now here is a list of some of my favorite tawny port producers. Incidentally, these wineries also produce other types of port if you should wish to try them.

Ficklin and Quaddy (US) and Clocktower (Australia) are my favorite port-like wines produced outside Portugal. The rest of these producers are Portuguese: Warre’s, Graham’s, Taylor-Fladgate, Croft, Dow’s, Fonseca and Ramos-Pinto. Prices for 10-year old tawnies can range from about $10 to $40 dollars a bottle. If you can find it, try Ficklin’s 10-year old tawny – it’s absolutely delicious.

So grab yourself a bottle of Port, build a fire and sip the cold away.

Gifts of wine build Christmas cheer!

December 14, 2010 by John Brown

‘Tis the season to be (get?) jolly! Well, in that spirit, it’s time for my annual Christmas wine gift recommendations. In addition to providing you with a few ideas for the important wine lovers in your life, you might also wish to pass this list along to those inclined to remember you on December 25th.

But before I get to the wines, I have a few other wine-related gift ideas.

Books:

The Oxford Companion to Wine – Third Edition ($65) by Janice Robinson is the most comprehensive compendium of wine information you will ever read. It is the ultimate reference guide to anything to do with the liquid we all love.

Been Doon So Long ($35) by the zany, clever, irreverent wine maker-satirist Randall Graham is a hilarious romp through winedom. Owner of Bonny Doon Winery, Graham’s views on the state of wine are delivered with zinging tongue-in-cheek wisdom and humor.

Wine Vacation:
Solage is a 22-acre uber-spa located at the northern terminus of the Napa Valley in the town of Calistoga. Surrounded by mountains and vineyards, I had the pleasure of reposing at Solage earlier this year and was blown away by the experience. With an incredible restaurant on the premises, a world-class spa and even mud baths, this is a spectacular destination for any food and wine lover. Check out the packages at http://solagecalistoga.com/ or call 866 942 7442.

Okay, so let’s get to the wines. These goodies are arranged in no particular order (other than price) and include just about all the major wine regions and varietals.

Under $20: 2007  C&B Cabernet Sauvignon Chalk Hill Reserve; 2006 Chateau Greysac; 2009 Terra Andina Cabernet Sauvignon; 2009 Alexander Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer; 2008 D’Arenberg Hermit Crab; 2009 Ferraton Tavel Rose’; 2007 Bogle The Phantom; 2008 Banfi Centine Rosso; 2008 Vinosia Aglianico; 2009 Palo Alto Sauvignon Blanc; and 2008 The Stump Jump.

$20 to $40: 2007 Newton Claret; 2008 Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay; 2006 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir; 2007 Falcor Henry Ranch Chardonnay; 2007 Chalk Hill Chardonnay; Domaine Chandon Brut; 2007 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel; 2007 Evidence Cabernet Sauvignon; 2008 Tantara Pinot Noir; and 2007 Talley Vineyards Chardonnay.

Over $50: 2004 H Block Cabernet Sauvignon; 2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir; 2004 Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino; 2004 Taittinger Comtes Champagne Rose’; 2005 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa; 2005 Catena Zapata Malbec; 2008 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay; 2005 Chateau Lynch Bages; and 2005 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Chardonnay: Too much of a good thing?

November 30, 2010 by John Brown

Is it possible to love something, but be tired of that very same thing?

I emphasize the word “THING” to make sure the animate objects of my affection do not get the wrong idea. As you might suspect, I speak of wine. And not just any wine, but one of the greatest of all– chardonnay.

Too much of a good thing? Yes, that’s part of the problem because there’s no doubt the stuff is all around us. It seems someone is always handing me a glass of chardonnay at every event I attend or every bar I frequent. But that’s not the problem either.

What it gets down to is searching for quality and avoiding the boring plonk that so many wine makers are producing from this world-class grape.

With any wine, particularly one as ubiquitously produced around the world as chardonnay, the soil, climate and overall geography of the vineyard site, along with the wine making style of the vintner, become critical. These elements all define the style of the wine.

While it may be an oversimplification, I classify chardonnay as “new” or “old” world. New world chardonnays are those from North and South America, Australia and South Africa, and they are decidedly different from the old world wines produced with great success in the White Burgundy region of France.

For example, many new world chardonnays are rich, buttery and oaky with the intensity of a red wine. Many of these wines also have tropical fruit or butterscotch flavors and some have a good dollop of residual sugar.

In Burgundy, there are three basic regions where chardonnay is produced. In Chablis, the wine can show stony minerality and sometimes tart green apple flavors. In the Macon region, the best wines (such as Pouilly-Fuisse) can be aromatic and slightly buttery.

In northern Burgundy, the greatest chardonnays have creamy textures and ripe apple flavors with a kiss of oak. These wines, such as Corton-Charlemagne and Puligny Montrachet, can cost anywhere from $150 to more than $500 a bottle.

My own preference in chardonnay runs to the northern Burgundian variety, but my pocketbook leads me to California. In particular, I prefer chardonnay grown in the cooler areas such as Carneros, the Russian River Valley of Sonoma and the Santa Y’nez Valley near Santa Barbara where sunny days are followed by chilly nights to produce wines with excellent balance.

Carneros Chardonnay fermenting in my cellar

My favorite style of chardonnay combines ripe fruit richness, good acid balance and just a touch of oak. Wineries such as Chateau Montelena, Talley Vineyards, MacRostie, Acacia, Wente Riva Ranch, Talbott and Cakebread are among my favorites and range in price from under $20 to about $40 a bottle.

I actually took matters in my own hands (literally) a few years ago by making my own chardonnay from grapes grown in the Carneros region of southern Sonoma County. As a matter of fact, I’ve got 20 gallons of 2010 chardonnay fermenting in my cellar right now. I just bottled the 2009 chardonnay and I am sipping a glass as I finish this column.

I am not bored with this wine!

Bountiful food and wine options: giving thanks !

November 18, 2010 by John Brown

Okay, fellow gourmands, on your mark…get set… go – to the nearest wine shop and begin stocking up for the marathon eating and drinking season which is about to commence. Thanksgiving is the beginning of this forty-day holiday season which includes Chanukah and Christmas, and culminates with the New Year’s celebration.

It is also a time when you will spend about seventy percent of your yearly wine budget purchasing bottles for parties, gifts and holiday dinners. For me, it’s the most exciting time of the year. I’m like a kid in a candy store! The shelves of local wine shops are overflowing with bottles of every type and pedigree.

But, first things first. It is likely that turkey will once again be the featured main course for Thanksgiving at your house. The culinary versatility of turkey to be successfully paired with red or white as well as light or full-bodied wines makes picking a winner an easy proposition.

The reason? The bird is blessed with meat that has a variety of flavors, colors and textures which present opportunities for us to try a lot of different wines.

The type of stuffing you use adds a whole other flavor dimension which, depending upon the nature of the dressing, opens up even more wine possibilities. Thus, the holidays also offer we wine lovers a rare opportunity to sample a virtual sea of wines. Here are a few wine recommendations to match your holiday turkey and associated culinary accoutrements.

The traditional oven-roasted turkey with sage-flavored dressing does wonderfully well with sauvignon blanc, especially the wines that exhibit herbal characteristics. You might try Dry Creek Vineyards or Kenwood from California. Another of my favorites, particularly with sage dressing, is semillon. Try L’Ecole No. 41 Semillon from Washington State

Alsatian wines, such as riesling or gewürztraminer, will also work well with this more traditional treatment of Thanksgiving dinner. Look for Pierre Sparr, Trimbach and Zind Humbrecht wines from this often overlooked premium wine producing region.

But you can choose to accompany the bird with red wine too. Any number of medium bodied wines will fit the bill. For something different, ask you wine purveyor for a bottle of Chinon (pronounced She-non) which is a red from the Loire region of France made from cabernet franc.

Sangiovese from Italy ( I love the 2007 Banfi Centine) as well as tempranillo from Spain (try Martin Codax) are also excellent choices. Medium-bodied California or Washington State cabernet sauvignons such as Guenoc, Alexander Valley Vineyards or Chateau Ste. Michelle will also fit the bill.

I’ll probably try to re-create my mother’s Thanksgiving recipe this year. She would oven-roast her turkey, but her dressing had no sage flavoring. Rather, she would season with salt, pepper and garlic and then add roast chestnuts, celery and Italian sausage to her bread dressing. I have used full-bodied , rich California chardonnays to accompany this meal in the past,.

This year, I plan on opening up a 10 year old magnum of Patz & Hall Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Mendocino County. If pinot noir is on your list, you might try an Oregon wine such as Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee or one of Patricia Green Cellars’ wines.

On those occasions when I smoke or charcoal grill the “national bird,” I’ll usually create a stuffing of ancho peppers, chili powder, cumin along with chipotles, corn bread, chorizo sausage and cheddar cheese. This dressing will get your attention and it demands wines that can stand up to the more intense flavors.

My favorite wines with this spicy, smoky treatment are full-bodied Sonoma or Amador County zinfandels such as Ridge Lytton Springs or Terra D’Oro. I’ve also used French Rhones such as Chateauneuf Du Pape or Gigondas from producers such as Beaucastel, or View Telegraph.

We can’t forget dessert (or as we call it in my home “prelude to the couch”). Of course, Champagne is always my default option, but there are some other goodies you might consider too.

Make your pumpkin pie (and you) smile with a late harvest riesling or moscato with the final course. Look for Ch. St. Jean Late Harvest Riesling or Nivole Moscato D’Asti.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!

Smoky linguine and a big red: an Autumn repast

November 2, 2010 by John Brown

I really do enjoy the change of seasons, particularly the transition from summer to fall. I am aware that autumn is more than five weeks old, but my internal thermostat is just now registering the change. I also know it’s fall because my body is getting urgent messages from my brain to start ingesting fuller flavored wine and food.

Hey, you gotta listen to your body, right?

Well, nothing says full-flavor to me like pasta and red wine, so after a little rumination, I came up with a lovely culinary inspiration: why not combine my love of grilled vegetables with pasta and accompany the dish with a purple whopper?

You might remember a piece I wrote last summer extolling the virtues of grilled vegetables. Well, this recipe uses many of those same veggies, but in a whole new way. Listen up.

The first order of business was to visit the Purple Onion produce emporium at our own Capitol Market where I was able to procure a diverse selection of vegetable goodies that would be the centerpiece of this concoction. A little further down you’ll find my wine selections for the meal, but first, here’s the recipe for what I call “Smoky Linguine.”

Shopping List

1 red and one yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into thirds
2 peeled zucchinis cut lengthwise into half-inch wide, two-inch long rectangles
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarter inch circles
2 poblano peppers, cut into long strips one inch wide
2 Portobello mushrooms cut into one-inch wide strips
4 Roma tomatoes cut in half length-wise
6 cloves of garlic peeled and left whole
3 ounces of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil and Italian parsley
1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 ounces of grated parmigiano reggiano
1 pound of linguine (you can use whole wheat or spinach linguine if you wish)

Ready for the grill !

Prepare a marinade for the vegetables by combining the olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Place veggies in a large bowl (or gallon plastic bag), add the salt and pepper and mix, allowing the vegetables to marinate for one hour

Fire up a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat and place the vegetables on the grill surface and turn them regularly to avoid burning

When veggies are charred (not burnt), allow them to cool to room temperature
and place half the veggies in a food processor and process into a paste

Cook linguine in boiling water until al dente, drain pasta (reserve one-half cup pasta water) and place pasta along with all veggies into a large sauté pan and blend the ingredients

Add the pasta water to the pan and heat the mixture

Remove and plate the Smoky Linguine, adding the red pepper flakes, parsely and basil along with the parmigiano reggiano to each plate

So, what about wine matches for this dish? Well, the key here is to use a wine that has some element or component flavor that pairs well with the smokiness and spiciness of the grilled vegetables. You might consider wines such as a zinfandel or something from Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.

Zinfandel usually shows spiciness and dark fruit flavors while the Languedoc has a smoky, black cherry character. Never one to take a chance, I chose to open one of each of the following wines and both, for different reasons, paired well with the pasta dish.

2008 Chateau Coupe Roses (La Bastide, $15) – From the Minervois region in Languedoc Roussillon of Southern France, this blend of old vine carignan and grenache has ripe plumb flavors with nuances of smoke. Excellent accompaniment to the grub.

2007 Marietta Old Vines Zinfandel ($20) – A great mouthful of blackberry spiciness, this purple zin is a killer match to the dish.

2007 California Cabernet – Vintage of the century?

October 19, 2010 by John Brown

Cabernet sauvignon lovers rejoice! Wines from the extraordinary 2007 California vintage are beginning to make their way to a retail store near you, and you would be wise to grab as many as you can afford. While the vintage as  a whole is exceptional with just about every red and white benefitting from an almost perfect growing season,  the cabernet is stunning.

2007 is being hailed as the vintage of the century – which probably isn’t saying much since we’re only a decade into the new millennium. However, your humble wineboy has sampled a pretty good cross-section of these goodies, and I can honestly say that none of the more than two dozen different 2007’s that have passed these wine-stained lips have disappointed.

The Wine Spectator (Nov. 15 issue) sampled more than 500 cabernets from the 2007 vintage and rated nearly 200 of them with scores of 90 or above  (on a 100 point scale). And, while Napa is still the appellation to find the best of the best, every major wine producing region in the Golden State has produced exceptional cabernet sauvignon.

The wines have all of the flavors associated with great cabernet including rich plumb and cherry fruit, vanilla and mocha tones along with aromas of spice, currants and leather. These are classic wines and most have exceptional aging potential.

While you can spend several hundred dollars (a bottle!) on cult wines such as Harlan Estate, Schrader Cellars, Screaming Eagle and Staglin, prices of the wines listed below range from under $20 to less than $60 a bottle. So here are some labels to look for from the 2007 California cabernet sauvignon vintage that I recommend for your sipping pleasure.

Gallo Dry Creek Frei Ranch; Sebastiani Sonoma; Rodney Strong Alexander Valley; Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley; BV Tapestry Reserve; Whitehall Lane Reserve; Joseph Phelps Napa; Franciscan; Pahlmeyer (Jason); and Merryvale.

Disclaimer: Over the past decade, I must admit to drinking less cabernet sauvignon in favor of more medium-bodied reds such as pinot noir, sangiovese, grenache and tempranillo.  I also generally prefer meritage wines (those that are blends of several grape varieties) to most full-bodied single varietals like cabernet.   I just find them more complex and better matches with food.

But just about the time I think my appreciation of wine has evolved and I’ve become more sophisticated (preferring only subtle and nuanced wines to the fuller-flavored ones), I am utterly seduced and palate-slammed by the almost other worldly pleasure of sipping a big, juicy, purple cabernet. – like those from the 2007 vintage.

Go figure.