The DC10: Mission Accomplished!

We finally did it! All ten members plus two dogs were in attendance for our 3rd meeting of the DC, and I have to say, I think it was the best yet! While "Classic Rock" presented quite a challenging theme, all members rose to the occasion and beyond to create pairings and courses that raised the bar on what has now become our monthly food and beverage "event".

Kerry and I had the opening cocktail and amuse bouche. Going with a "Deep Purple" theme we created a Creme de Violette, Citadel Gin and fresh lemon juice cocktail served straight up in a chilled martini glass. The touch of sweet, violet candy-like-taste of the liquor combined with the very herbal but not too junipery gin and the tangy squeeze of lemon came out the perfect shade of neon purple and was a delicious accompaniment to our "Smoke on the Water" amuse. The smoked shrimp served on waves of sauteed purple cabbage laid out in a Gulf Coast sea shell, rocked with the appropriate Deep Purple sound track playing in the background.

As one course ends, the next couple begins their final secret preparations in the kitchen while the rest of us hang out on the back porch watching the evenings entertainment. Sangi was invited to dinner club by his host Mighty Dog, and their backyard antics were a blur of activity that kept us laughing for four hours. The only breaks taken were to run into the pond for a drink of water or to pull our a plant or two for their never ending game of chase.

"Lavern" and her partner, who we'll call Shirley to keep his identity hidden, was finally able to attend a dinner club meeting. Feeling the need to prove his worthiness to the group, he and his partner took it to another level by creating place mats that combined an old Cream poster photoshopped with a Country Joe and the Fish graphic. They also created what was probably my favorite dish of the evening. Even though beer is not my thing (sorry Lavern!), their pairing of seven seed-crusted salmon over garlic lentils topped with creme fraiche and micro arugula served with Skullsplitter Scotch Ale, all to the tune of "Strange Brew", was a total knockout!

The next course by couple 3 took a lot of time to get to the table but we all understood once we saw their presentation! Their "Cherry Bomb" appetizer was truffled mushroom risotto-stuffed tomatoes topped with manchego and infused with lemon-herb smoke via electronic bong served under glass to Joan Jett's version of the song. It was quite an ambitious undertaking that was greeted with lots of ohhhs and ahhhs by the group even as we argued over whether Joan Jett was really considered classic rock! Their pairing with the Hope and Grace Santa Lucia Pinot was delightful and their dish got high marks for creativity and presentation!

Our hosts went way over board with their "Paint it Black" entree of blackened drum served on grilled leaves of romaine served aside Grilled shrimp Viet- served over rice noodles tossed with cilantro, napa cabbage & cucumber with fish sauce, lime juice and sriracha dressing. Lots of spicy heat came with the fish so their choice of the Donhoff Riesling provided the perfect mouth cooling accompaniment!

The Rolling Stones songs kept coming as the dessert course was served to "Brown Sugar" and probably my favorite wine of the night, the Maculan Torcolato by couple #5. The creator of the dessert went through a few trials and tribulations with an Abita Purple Haze ice cream before she ended up with this delicious brown sugar custard with fresh whipped cream and candied orange confetti that perfectly tied the dish to the marmalade qualities of the late harvest wine. An exquisite end to our indulgent food and beverage orgy!

And even though April's theme of "bread" as the secret ingredient drew many groans from the crowd, all members are anxiously awaiting our next meeting!

Rock On DC10!!

Swirlin' With Gun Bun

We had a wonderful time with Jeff Bundschu in the shop on Tuesday night. 7 great Gun Bun wines, 5 delicious tapas courses by Chef Michael Doyle, beautiful work by Rudy Rowell, 50 happy guests with Jeff Bundshu as a gracious and silly host! What more could you want? Check out Jeff's blog, blogschu.com, where he comments on the evening, "Easily the grooviest wine shop I have been in awhile, with great wine, great customers and a great dog." There are some photos from the event in the column of the right. Thanks Jeff, we had an awesome time and look forward to visiting you and your family very soon!!

Gundlach Bundshu, Expressing Art Through Wine

Gundlach Bundschu, or more affectionately called “Gun Bun”, is one of the oldest operating family owned wineries in the US. Since Jacob Gundlach purchased the Sonoma property he named Rhinefarm in 1858 and Charles Bundschu joined as a partner in 1868, six generations of the Bundschu family have diligently nurtured their 320 acres of vineyards. With a reputation for producing consistent, high quality wines, this remarkable estate at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain Range is located at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations.

Besides making incredible wines, the folks over at Gun Bun have always shown a passion for the arts. In 1875 Charles Bundschu married Jacob Gundlach’s daughter, Francisca. It is said that the energetic and devoted pair were active members of the German community, avid patrons of the arts and prominent members of San Francisco society. Quite a well known poet, Charles formed the Bacchus Club, a wine and literary club that celebrated the harvest and all gatherings in song, poem and prose. In 1897 one of the members wrote a play in honor of the harvest which they presented at the winery in celebration of the vintage. It was so well received that the Vintage Festival became an annual celebration and started the tradition where all guests write and recite poetry in honor of each harvest and family gathering that still takes place today.

Always seeking ways to celebrate the artisanship of winemakeing, Jeff’s father Jim decided to produce a limited bottling of the very best lots of estate grown Cabernet with a label designed by renowned artist Chuck House. Since that first bottling in 1981, each vintage now bears a unique art label and the Vintage Reserve Cabernet has become an iconic example ofGundlach Bundschu’s passion of expressing art through their distinctive wines.

And they’re still at it….Fast forward to current winery President Jeff Bundschu who last year in celebration of the winery’s 150th anniversary commissioned a play based on the life of 4th generation Towle Bundschu. Towle’s Hill toured 10 cities, including a visit to New Orleans' Le Chat Noir in the spring of 2008, and returned home to Sonoma to continue performances at the winery.

During that visit to New Orleans last year Jeff Bundshu and company were deeply move and inspired by the spirit of rebirth in the city, and found it especially alive with the music they heard on Frenchmen Street. At an afternoon lunch at Mr. B's on Royal Street an idea was born to begin a new series of art labels featuring the work of local artists from around the country to show their deepened appreciation of America's diverse local cultures.

In 2005 Mother Nature brought a wonderful vintage to the Gun Bun winery. She gave the Gulf Coast Hurricane Katrina. Realizing the next Vintage Reserve Cabernet release would be the year of Katrina they literally left their seats at Mr. B's to find a local artist whose work represents our traditions, characters and enduring culture. They found RK Rowell through an organization of Katrina artists. One thing led to another and Rudy’s piece, “Stompin’ Tchoupitoulas” graces the label of the 2005 Vintage Reserve and honors the endurance of the people and spirit of this great city.

Rudy is no stranger to Swirl. Last year during Jazz Fest, his work lit up our walls with vibrant, colorful paintings celebrating his very distinct vision of Southern culture. He is also a regular at the local art markets and you can see his work at vigoboom.com. We are excited to have him and some of his work back in the shop for an incredible night.

A letter from Jeff Bundschu arrived in the shop upon the release of the 1,100 case production of the 2005 bottling. The last paragraph sums up the winemaking philosophy at Gun Bun. "Our family's aim is not to simply make great wines. It is to make great wines that matter. It is about a connection to a place, and a connection to a community. We hope you will join us in celebrating the unique site that has produced this wine, as we celebrate you inimitable city with its label. We'd be honored to have a place at your table."

So please join Jeff Bundshu at our table on Tuesday, March 24 for a very special evening of art, wine and food as we taste his incredible line up of wines that will include the rare and excellent 2005 Vintage Reserve Cabernet. Rudy Rowell will be in shop signing bottles and showing some of his current pieces while Chef Michael Doyle of Dante’s Kitchen dishes out a sampling of wonderful tapas to pair with the wines. It is a night you won’t want to miss! Call 504.304.0635 for reservations.

Tapas, Small Bites of Spanish Flavor

Tapas is every where these days, from bars to restaurants and even wine shops, this popular style of eating is a great way to experience lots of different flavors, textures and spices all in one sitting.

Originating in Spain, tapas are simply snacks, canapés or finger food that come in many different forms and can vary from town to town. Tapas can be practically anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion and an olive skewered on a long toothpick to meat with sauce served piping hot in a miniature clay dish. They are served day in and day out in every bar and café in Spain. So much a part of the culture and social scene that the Spanish people invented the verb tapear which means to go and eat tapas!

Spanish tapas is at the very heart of their lifestyle and culture. Everywhere you go in Spain you will find lively and noisy bars serving small plates of superb flavors and local delicacies.

In its most basic form tapas is simply a small snack or appetizer taken with a drink or two at lunchtime or in the early evening before the main meal. It is essentially a style of eating rather than a form of cooking.

Tapas also means sociability, friends and family. The Spanish in general won't drink without eating something as well. This prompted canny bar owners into providing a morsel or two of food to encourage his customers into his bar. Originally these small snacks were given free to anyone who bought a drink in the bar but now you will nearly always have to pay for them.

The origin of tapas is the subject of many an argument in the local bar. (It seems to depend on which area of Spain you are from!) It is said that the first tapa was simply a hunk o

f bread which was placed over the glass to keep the flies out. Hence the word ‘tapas’ was born. Tapa literally meaning ‘cover’ or ‘lid’. In the beginning somewhere must have been the olive - plain and simple, on its own. What better accompaniment to a glass of dry fino sherry? Or maybe some almonds; fried in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and served while they’re still hot? These are the original tapas; the simplest of foods, requiring little or no preparation.

As the tradition developed, tapas became more of an elaborate event, with each region developing their own specialties. They were still 'little dishes' but the personalities of thousands of bar owners all over Spain has stamped them with the identities that they have today.

Ready to experiment, but don't know where to start? There are some great web sites out there, but one I found most helpful was

www.spain-re

cipes.co

m

.

There is also a great site to order any ingredients you may need that you can't find locally:

www.tienda.com

.

Vega Tapas Cafe

,

Lola's

and

Rio Mar

are my favorite places to eat tapas in the city, and of course you know where you can find some wonderful Spanish wines to accompany your cooking....

You can keep it simple or you can make it as complicated as you like. But whichever way you prefer it, tapas is best served with a glass of wine, good friends and a relaxed attitude!

Rio Mar, Saturday Night Satiation!

Small plates, tapas, piatti piccoli - my favorite style of eating in any language, but Spain is definitely the place that put it on the map. What better way to enjoy a meal than by tasting a small portion of several different wonderfully flavored dishes in one sitting. Just add great friends and a few bottles of wine and you have the perfect experience!

We did just that last Saturday night at an amazing dinner at Rio Mar, Chef Adolfo Garcia's restaurant in the Warehouse district of New Orleans. The seafood-centric menu, infused with Spanish and Latin American flavors, puts the fresh seafood of the Gulf, and points beyond, at center stage.

We had a large group and were given a table right by the kitchen, so it seemed fitting that we should try the Chef's Tasting Menu that is available for parties of 10 or more. It includes a sampling of 7 appetizers, 6 desserts and choice of select entrees all for $38 per person. Chef Adolfo was in the house that evening and his watchful eye surveyed every plate that came out of the kitchen, all presented beautifully at our table.

Being in this business makes you a very picky wine drinker and the perusing of a wine list can sometimes be painful. But Rio Mar's offered a variety of food friendly wines at great price points, many of which we carry in the shop. The majority were from Spain, a few from Argentina and Chile with the required sprinkling of California, Washington and Oregon. To pair with the variety of seafood apps and entrees, I chose two of my favorite Spanish whites, an Albarino and a Txakolina. The Brandal Albarino offers a soft, roundness with a slight saline backbone that holds up to the weightier fish and crab preparations while the zesty Ameztoi Txakolina with it's slight effervescence offers the perfect accompaniment to the lighter shellfish dishes.

Starting with the tart and tangy Brazilian Caipirinha cocktails, the highlights were many but here are a few of the standouts. The Baked Oysters Rio Mar (see Chef Adolfo's recipe at the end), prepared with local oysters, spinach, chorizo and manchego cheese, offers a completely different take on the traditional New Orleans preparation. The mussels were delightful and again the use of chorizo and garlic in the broth added great texture and spice. I ordered the Grilled Drum Escabeche for my entree that was deliciously fresh and topped with a melange of peppers, olives and a crunchy caper relish. One of my absolute favorite Latin desserts is Tres Leches, translated as "three milks" because the cake is soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream when combined, create just the right sweetness, density and mouth feel for a rich cake, making it moist but not mushy. It's then topped with a cloud of vanilla cream and drizzled in caramel, and the Rio Mar version also adds a touch of coconut.

The meal and experience were incredible, from the creative hot and cold apps, deliciously fresh drum and the sweet finale of desserts; we left completely satiated. Chef Adolpho was, and always is, a gracious host who makes you feel welcome and at home in his casual, distinctly Latin dining room. If you've never been there or haven't been recently, you need to go, take a large group of friends and order the Chef's Tasting Menu with a few bottles of wine. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Here's Chef Adolfo's fabulous recipe for Baked Oysters Rio Mar:

24 shucked Gulf oysters
2 cups cooked spinach
4 links ground Spanish chorizo
3 T chopped garlic
½ med chopped onion
½ c bread crumbs
½ c grated Manchego Cheese
salt and pepper
butter

Brown chorizo with onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Cool mixture. Chop cooked spinach and add most of the cheese and breadcrumbs. (Save a little to top off before baking) add cooled chorizo mix and season to taste
with salt and pepper.
In individual ramekins or a baking pan half fill with mix and put oysters on top. Cover with remaining mix and sprinkle with rest of breadcrumbs and bake in 400 degree oven till brown.

Serves 6

The Exotic Wines of Jurancon

Our upcoming wine dinner with Café Degas that will feature the wines and food of southern France gave me a wonderful opportunity to write about a little known wine region on the slopes of the Pyrenees, Jurancon. The dinner is also giving me a chance to introduce a Jurancon wine to our adventurous participants as we will pair it with the Skate Grenoblois fish course.

Jurancon is is a small, relatively unknown area located in southwest France. With terraced vineyards facing the steep slopes of Pyrenees at an elevation of 1000 feet, it is located between Lourdes and Biarritz, and produces some of the most exotic white wines I’ve ever tasted.

Historically, Jurançon was the very first region to introduce the concept of the “crus” in the 15th century as a protective measure to preserve the authenticity of the wines. Also in 1553, when Henri IV-the future "Henry the Great"-was born Jurançon wine became a part of French history: when the royal infant was christened, his lips were rubbed with a clove of garlic and moistened with a drop of Jurançon wine from which he derived “a vigour and an ardent spirit which were never to leave him”.

Most of the grapes grown in the region are either Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, or Courbu, with a little Camaralet de Lasseube and Lauzet thrown in for good measure. Never heard of these varietals? You're not alone. They haven't ventured much out of their region of origin in the Basque region since they were first planted. Manseng is planted in a scant 2500 acres in all of France, most of it centered around the town of Jurancon and Gascon. Courbu (also known as Petite Courbu) is so obscure that even the Oxford Companion to Wine has only a two line entry for it, saying it grows in Southwest France.

Thankfully, there are really only two things you need to know about Jurancon and its grapes. They make basically two wines -- one sweet, one dry (sec). The sweet wine is made like Sauternes (botrytized), and is fabulous -- not quite as sweet as Sauternes but gorgeously floral in the same way. The dry version of Jurancon is made primarily with Gros Manseng while the smaller berried Petite is usually the basis for the dessert wine. The wines, both sweet and dry, share some remarkable aromas. Think of crossing a great citrusy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with an earthy, spicy Alsatian Gewürztraminer and then adding a hint of almond and honey and you start to get the picture!

We’ll be drinking the Charles Hours Cuvee Marie Jurancon Sec at our dinner on Wednesday the 18th. It’s my wine of the moment this month and in case you can’t make it to the dinner, I’ve put a recipe for …….. with a Grenobloise for you to see how the pairing works!

Dining at Degas

Cafe Degas is one of my favorite places to dine in the city. With a similar philosophy on business and life of delivering quality without pretense and working hard but having fun with something you love, there is an unforced synergy between us. With less than 25' separating our doors, the laissez-faire attitude and relaxed environment of our two businesses seems to create a natural extension of each other's space.

We have planned many events together over the years from community festivals, to fund raisers, after-jazz-fest street parties and dinners, but I find our latest adventure something different and exciting. Our upcoming wine dinner on March 18th will combine traditional Southern French cuisine with elements of molecular cooking (see my post on "The Science of Cooking") with the menu created by Chef Didier Ardoin. To better educated myself on this event, I did an interview with Didier on what inspired him to combine these two very different styles of cooking.

Q: What excites you about our upcoming dinner?
A: That owners Jacques and Jerry and Executive Chef Ryan Hughes trust in me enough to allow me to do something so non-traditional, and that I can apply all of my years of self study and practice in a really special event such as this.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for the menu?
A: From the food and styles I learned while working in Toulouse, France. Being so close to the Pyrenees, there is a lot of Spanish influence in the regional cuisine and the whole molecular cooking movement was first popularized in Spain by Catalan chef Ferran Adria at his El Bulli restaurant. So, it was a natural fit for me to combine the traditional cuisine of Southern France with elements of molecular cooking.

Q: What do you like about molecular cooking?
A: It's fun; it allows the diner to experience familiar things in an unexpected way through altering presentation, texture and deconstruction of ingredients.

Q: Looking at the menu, give us examples of the "unexpected".
A: Let's take "presentation" as an example using the amuse bouche take on a traditional Parisian dish, Poulet au Verjus. Normally it is a simple dish prepared by searing chicken and then simmering it in a tart, green grape juice. For the menu I'm creating a chicken mousseline with a grape gelee and rolled it into a chicken skin cracker and served it with a verjus caramel. You'll experience familiar flavors but in a very different way.

If we use "texture" as an example we can look at the salad course where instead of a traditional red wine dressing, I'm making a frozen granita vinaigrette.

As for "deconstruction", the dessert is a take on a traditional Bananas Foster where scalloped bananas will be coated in a dried caramel and butter powder, seared and then served with rum spheres created by reverse spherification ("cooking" a liquid in a Sodium Alginate bath) and homemade vanilla bean ice cream.


Q: What do you think is the most "unexpected" item on the menu?
A: The entremet which will be served after the entree to prepare your palate for dessert. It is called "liquid popcorn" and it will literally be a shot (non alcoholic) that will take you back to the movies as a kid eating caramel popcorn, but in a liquid form.

Thanks Didier, I can't wait!!

Find all of this intriguing? Join us on Wednesday, March 18th for our Dining at Degas dinner featuring the wine and food of Southern France with a post-modern twist! I'll have the complete menu with wine pairings in my "This Week at Swirl Wines" weekly email on Monday. If you are interested in subscribing to the email you can do so by following this link: swirlinthecity.com.

Liberty's Kitchen, Cooking for a Cause

It is impossible to think of New Orleans without talking about its food. Known for some of the best restaurants in the world, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the venerable legends of the local food scene as well as new and exciting ventures opening regularly.

Unfortunately one of the other things associated with New Orleans is our high crime rate, with those committed by teenagers increasing rapidly. Hurricane Katrina exposed our failing social infrastructure that has been associated in large part with our public school system. Child poverty, low test scores and high drop out rates have contributed to violence, drug use and illegal activity. “Liberty’s Kitchen”, a new café, catering and training program is seeking to make a difference in our youth populations with their “cooking for a cause” approach by serving disadvantaged youth through an innovative leadership training program.

Set to open in April, Liberty’s Kitchen at 422½ South Broad (across from the Courthouse, hence the name Liberty) will offer an espresso bar serving Starbucks® coffee and espresso beverages as well as a full service kitchen offering breakfast and lunch – all giving their students the opportunity to learn basic barista and culinary skills in a real life setting. Their intermediate strategic plan includes contract meal programs serving nutritious meals to childcare centers, homeless shelters, schools and programs for the elderly. These meals will not only feed those in need – giving Liberty’s Kitchen a dual social purpose - but they will also generate a more stable income that will both sustain and expand their program by providing an additional operational environment for training in a commercial kitchen setting.

This is important work for our community and Swirl is always looking for ways to give back and support local and national non-profits. We are asking you to help us support Liberty’s Kitchen by attending our fundraiser on Tuesday, March 10^th where for a mere $20 you’ll sample 6 different dishes prepared by Liberty’s Kitchen Executive Chef Reggie Davis and their catering service, as well as 6 wines poured by Steve Russett of Republic National Distributing Company. Your support helps make it possible for Liberty’s Kitchen to offer students life skills and employability training, occupational training, and job placement, thus providing students with the opportunity to transform their lives and achieve self-sufficiency.

If you’d like to attend, please call 504.304.0635 for a reservation as this event is limited to 40 people. Can’t attend, but still want to help? Go to www.libertyskitchen.org and do your part to help New Orleans’ disadvantaged youth!

The DC 8+1

The DC8, it's our secret society whose rites and rituals are devoted to the pursuit of the perfect pairing; innovative food combined with artisanal wine and spirits, and not to mention mostly silly and sometimes engaging conversation. The members remain nameless so as not to suffer any negative consequences for acknowledging their membership or to jeopardize their reputations as serious wine professionals and enthusiasts.

February's meeting added a new addition (+1) to the group, we'll call her Lavern to keep her identity hidden, who flew solo as her partner was unavailable that night. Little did she know, Lavern's continued membership was tenuous as she missed the first meeting, an inexcusable act according to the unwritten rules. But even after arriving late, she has given the nod of approval with her efforts for the "all food must be yellow" theme.

Having been assigned the cocktail and an amuse bouche, Lavern and her absent partner created an electric yellow cocktail offering a refreshing eye opener to Mardi Gras weary participants with the combination of Galiano, Gin, lemon juice and simple syrup garnished with fresh lemon slice. The amuse, a Parmesan frico of roasted fennel, crab meat, yellow heirloom tomatoes and yellow bell pepper was gone in seconds, which is why there is no photo, and was paired beautifully with the cocktail.

The cold started course, Oysters Yellow Two Ways, was an unexpected delight of freshly shucked oysters, one topped with a yellow heirloom tomato cocktail sauce and the other with a yellow pepper salsa drizzled in raspberry champagne vinegar minuet served with a fresh slice of blood orange. Accompanied by what we call, in very technical industry lingo, the "crazy wine" by Abe Schoener, whose wines are known for pushing the envelope. The Scholium Project Prince in His Caves, is an enigma in itself. An unfiltered, skin fermented Sauvignon Blanc that is aged in new oak fills your glass with a cloudy yellow, viscous juice that looks more like a Belgian beer than wine. It opens with aromas of pink grapefruit juice, but as it hits your palate there are complex notes of honey, minerals and spice with a dry and "tannin-like" astringency at the back end and a finish that never ends. A true wine geeks wine, it was my favorite white of the evening and a close tie for best wine of the night!

The warm starter by couple #3, was Spiced Crab and Corn Bisque with a blend of fresh jalapeno and red bell peppers, and garnished with lime and yellow tortilla chips. A beautifully creamy yellow color with a rich texture and the perfect spicy finish, this soup worked very well with both wines provided. A Chardonnay and Semillion blend, Betsy's Backacher Blonde from Spann Vineyards offered enough weight and fruit to balance out the cream and spice, while the acid and saline backbone of the Martin Codax Albarino was a great compliment as well.

Our hosts provided the entree, a Braised Short Rib Ravioli Au Jus topped with Wilted Rainbow Chard, which although the saffron did not add enough yellow color to the pasta, was my favorite dish of the evening. Big meat filled ravioli swimming in the light beef broth, when washed down with the amazing 2004 Sette Ponti Crognolo from Tuscany, melted in your mouth finishing with the crunchy texture of the wilted chard. The wine was my favorite, a refined, stylish blend of Sangiovese and Merlot that combines lush, concentrated fruit with a palate of ripe wild cherries, black fruit, leather and vanilla with silky tannins. Delizioso!

We were assigned the dessert and wanted to stay away from the usual yellow suspects of lemon or banana, so we decided on Pina Colada Panna Cotta, a coconut milk panna cotta swimming in a puree of roasted pineapple, topped with toasted coconut and a dollop of creme fraiche. To complete the Pina Colada theme, we served with a aged Caribbean rum in our hosts' elegant cordial glasses. I was happy with the outcome, and the clean plates, empty bottle of rum and looks of contentment made it the perfect finish to a perfect evening. We are having way to much fun with this!!

We decided that Lavern is a keeper, as she created awesome yellow dishes and was able to demonstrate the secret handshake with one attempt. However the next theme may present a challenge to the new comer as "Classic Rock" is on the books for the DC 9 March meeting!

Exciting Mount Etna, Sicilia at It's Best

One of the great things about the wine industry is that there is always something new and exciting to be discovered. It may be an ancient grape varietal brought back from extinction, a little known region that enters the spotlight or an up and coming, passionate wine maker who gets recognized for creating extraordinary wines. The most recent example of this for me came about in the research I've been doing for our wine and culinary trip to Sicily coming up this fall. The little known Mount Etna region has it all, a history of winemaking that dates back to the 5th century BC, ancient grape varietals grown in difficult volcanic soils, and some of the most exciting producers I've come across in a long time.

For most Italian wine drinkers, Sicily is associated with the Nero D'Avola grape which is characteristic of deep, dark wines that are, big and rich in blueberry and blackberry fruits with a touch of smoke and spice. Producers such as Donnafugata, Planeta, Morgante and Tasca D'Almerita that are located in the center and western part of the island, are famous for their awarding winning wines made from Nero D'Avola and are what we usually associate with Sicilian red wine.

Mount Etna, on the north eastern side of the island represents and entirely different style of wine making with red grape varietals such as Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Mantellato and whites with Carricante and Catarratto, making up the majority of the blends. Wines made with Nerello Mascalese offer a delicate, complex alternative to the rich and robust Nero d'Avola. Reminiscent of Burgundy, it has ripe, dark berries with modest tannins and a dusting of mineral earthiness.

Growing grapes on the slope of an active volcano is not without some obvious risks. In addition, the soil is difficult to work. It is a combination of volcanic soils and sand. Quite a bit of sand. In a twist of fate, the soil may be the reason these wines will be stars of the 21st century. At the end of the 19th century, Phylloxera had destroyed much of Europe’s vineyards. The louse, however, was unsuccessful on Mt. Etna due to those same sandy soils. Phylloxera cannot exist in such a soil which prevented the louse from spreading. As a result, there are now some very old vines that are on their original and ungrafted rootstock, a rarity in Italy. Of course, the steep terrain combined with the sandy volcanic soil makes tending the vines quite difficult. It is hard for a worker to keep from falling, especially during harvest, when carrying baskets of grapes. The work is so difficult that it is often problematic employing harvest workers.

During our trip to New York last month, I was able to taste quite a few wines from this region that has become a bit of an obsession for me. The problem is that none of the wines are available in Louisiana so I am working with a few of our distributors on bringing them in. I contacted an importer of one of the "superstars", Passopisciaro, and our friends at Uncorked Wines have agreed to bring them in for me. A consistent Tre Bicchieri wine by Gambero Rosso and rated 93 points by Parker for the 2005 vintage, this wine is an incredible example of what the region is capable of and retails for around $50 a bottle.

Gambero Rosso says:
...a perfect peak of eloquence. The colour is a bright ruby. The nose is irresistible with great depth and elegance as healthy, ripe, red and blackberry fruit interweaves with elegant notes of balsam and mountain herbs before the palate shows full and powerful, with plenty of fruit and sinew, but it also has that amazing mineral depth which epitomizes Etna.

Parker says:
"The 2005 Passopisciaro (Nerello Mascalese) opens with suggestions of candied red cherries and raspberries. It is lithe and sensual on the palate, with an attractive liqueur-like, perfumed quality to its fruit. From start to finish the wine reveals notable clarity and precision. This is a remarkable effort from this young property. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015 Andrea Franchetti of Tenuta di Trinoro is among those who have recognized the unique qualities of the vineyards located on the hills of Mount Etna. These high-altitude vineyards give Franchetti the optimal conditions for gradual ripening and a late harvest that typically stretches in to mid-November, sometimes later. The wines Franchetti makes at his estate Passopisciaro present a fascinating expression of his style and these terroirs."

I'll be writing more on the region in upcoming posts and as soon as we have enough examples brought in there will definitely be a seated tasting. I'll keep you posted on our progress and the trip to Sicily, October 11-21, which will start in the Mount Etna region. We will start taking reservations for the trip in April or May as soon as the itinerary is confirmed.

The Science of Cooking

Chef Didier Ardoin 's passion, creativity, enthusiasm and talent are evident in everything he creates. A Sous Chef at Cafe Degas, Didier is incredibly adventurous and innovative with food so it should be of no surprise that I first heard the term "molecular gastronomy" from him. Watching how animated he became and the way his eyes lite up when he talked about it have made me want to learn more about this type of cuisine that is turning the world of cooking upside down . And we have planned an upcoming wine dinner with Cafe Degas that will molecular cooking elements, so I needed to know a little more about what I was getting myself in to!

As a traditional cook and foodie, this seems a bit out of my reach but a fascinating trend that I feel obligated to educated myself about. Here's a little of what I've learned and I welcome any comments from those of you who have something you'd like to share.

Molecular cuisine is the end product of molecular gastronomy, a term coined in the 1980s by Herve This (pictured to the right), a French scientist, and Nicholas Kurti, a former professor of physics at England’s Oxford University. Working out of a laboratory in Paris, the two men broke foods down into their most basic components – molecules – to find scientific answers to age-old culinary mysteries: Why do some foods combine well, while others don’t? How would you give ice cream a tobacco flavor? From the preparation of a broth, to a chocolate mousse without eggs or the explanation of a rising soufflé, molecular gastronomy explains the chemical and physical phenomena that happen during cooking at the molecular level. .

As a result of this crossover between science and cooking, outstanding restaurants around the world are applying scientific principles to create and serve unusual dishes such as tobacco-flavored ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and sardines on sorbet toast. Utensils such as blowtorches, pH meters, and refractometers, which were previously relegated to science laboratories, are now creeping into the kitchens of those who practice molecular cuisine.

The guiding principle in molecular cuisine is to create dishes based on the molecular compatibilities of foods. For instance, unripe mango and pine share a molecular structure, so they might be tasty if combined. That's the theory, anyway. Molecular gastronomists combine white chocolate and oysters for the same reason. The photo on the left is a great example of this, Smoked salmon lollipops! (by Liam Maloney)

I know some of this sounds a bit crazy, so I found this great video about molecular gastronomy featuring the man behind the science, Herve This. Check it out and if this piques your curiosity, reserve a seat at our dinner on March 18th at Cafe Degas where traditional French cuisine will be combined with elements of postmodern (Didier hates the term molecular cuisine) techniques and paired with wines from the south of France! Also, I'll be doing an interview with Didier in the upcoming weeks on the menu for the event and how he'll be applying the science of cooking!

Wine and Chocolate 101

With Valentine's Day only days away, it gives me a perfect excuse to talk about two of my favorite things, wine and chocolate! Wine and chocolate pairing can be difficult and certainly some wines don't go well with any type of chocolate. But when matched correctly, wine and chocolate pairing can be a fabulous experience. Of course, taste is a very subjective thing but you if you'd like to experiment this week and don't where to start, here are a few guidelines:

Tips for Successfully Pairings Wines with Chocolate:

Tip #1: The wine needs to be at least as sweet, if not a sweeter, than the chocolate you are having. Otherwise, the taste may quickly turn towards sour.

Tip #2: Match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines and the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate pairs well with an intense California Zinfandel.

Tip #3: If you are experimenting with several varieties of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white chocolate and end on a dark or bittersweet chocolate.

• White chocolate tends to be more mellow and buttery in flavor, making it an ideal candidate for a Sherry, a Moscato d'Asti, or an Orange Muscat.
• Pinot Noir or a lighter-bodied Merlot will complement a bar of milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake.
• Rieslings, Muscats or dessert wines tend to hold up well to mild milk chocolates.
• Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a roasted, slightly bitter flavor itself, with perhaps a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabs and Zinfandels have a history of perfecting the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel will more than fill your chocolate pairing expectations.
  

We've have really great chocolates in stock for your Valentine's Day gifts and if you'd like to try them before you purchase them, come to our Wine and Chocolate tasting on Tuesday where we pair our favorite chocolate friendly wines with confections that are available in the store such as:

Charles Chocolates - Named by Food and Wine as one of the top 10 chocolates, the pictured heart shaped box contains chocolate hearts filled with a rich, creamy ganache in three flavors: raspberry, passion fruit, and mojito in a thin 65% bittersweet shell. We also carry their Tea Collection boxed chocolates, the bars and other confections.

Bittersweet Confections - Another find for us at the Crescent City Farmer's Market in 2006, we became the first retail account for Cheryl Scripter's locally made confections and many have smartly followed! Come to the store and check out her famous truffles in a martini glass, boxed truffles, fudge, caramels, coconut clusters and other delicious confections! Check out Sheryl's video below.

So for Valentines Day go out and buy some chocolates, and a few bottles of wine, and see what works. If nothing else you'll be eating chocolate and drinking wine. Now that's a perfect pairing!

Here's a short video of Sheryl in her shop talking about her truffles and other confections:

Felidia, Delizioso!

The reservation for our much anticipated dinner at Felidia was Tuesday night. I was able to
arrange it through one of the Bastianich staff who visited us last summer (thank you Caroline!). If you spend any time with us or in the shop, you know how we feel about Lidia and her wines. She and her son Joey own the Bastianich winery in Friuli and La Mozza in the Maremma (Tuscany). The Bastianich Tocai Friulano, Vespa Bianco, Rosato and Sauvignon Blanc as well as the La Mozza I Perazzi are some of few standard labels of our ever revolving inventory. We drink them often and recommend them frequently as we've sold close to 800 bottles of their wines since we opened.

We also are huge fans of Lidia's show on PBS, Lidia's Italy, that takes you on a journey with Lidia to her ten favorite regions around Italy as she introduces you to friends and family and takes you to food markets, fishing villages and farms as you haggle over the price of fish and forage for the perfect truffle. Then, return back to Lidia’s familiar kitchen to prepare a sumptuous meal using the regional recipes and ingredients. We also own a few of her cookbooks and have loved everything we've made.

So, needless to say, we had high expectations, especially after all of the great food we had eaten over the last few days! We were greeted by an incredibly friendly staff who gave us Lidia's regards and said she was sorry she couldn't be there to greet us. True or not, it was a very nice gesture on their part! We were led past a beautiful mahogany bar to a wonderful table near the kitchen in the second dining room. It's a very warm, kind of cozy atmosphere; beautiful hardwood floors, amber textured walls with a stained wood wainscoting, all washed in great ambient lighting from the sconces on the wall.

As soon as we sat down, we were brought complimentary bubbly, a sparkling wine in the Bastianch line that I've never seen before. A very crisp, clean sparkling that was mainly Chardonnay and had a beautifully dry finish. The wine list was incredible with every region of Italy represented in both red and white wines as well as nearly every other wine producing country from Croatia, Greece and Hungary to the European powerhouses of France, Spain, Austria and Germany to the new world players of the US, South American, Australia and New Zealand. The menu had to be close to 40 pages long and the prices ranged from a $25 of Croatian Katunar Žlahtina to a $2250 bottle of a 1955 Biondi Santi Brunello and truly everything in between.

To start our evening, I chose a 2000 Bastianich Vespa Bianco, the flagship wine of the estate created to showcase the power and evolution that a great Friulian white can have. Consisting of equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay with a touch of Picolit, Vespa Bianco becomes a sum of its parts, a wine of amazing complexity. A five time winner of the prestigious Gambero Rosso Three Glasses award, the Vespa Bianco is incredible in any vintage! I was debating between the 2000 and the 2006 and the very unpretentious sommelier steered me toward the 2000 to see how well the wine ages. With creamy layers of stone fruit intertwined with smoke, earthiness and French oak, this medium-bodied white shows outstanding harmony and tons of style and was fabulous with the food! I'm really glad I ordered it because it reminded me of how special this wine is and that I need to get it back in the shop, especially at the incredible price of $30 retail!

The second wine of the evening came from my new favorite wine region, the eastern area of Sicily near Mt. Etna. These wines are incredibly elegant yet powerful, more reminiscent of burgundy than the dark reds of the island. I chose the Palari Rosso di Soprano, a blend of local grape varieties, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera, Acitana, and Jacche. The blend is based on a wine known in antiquity as Mamertino, which comes from the native nerello mascalese, nerello cappuccio, nocera. Medium ruby with a striking garnet tinge, this wine is immediately approachable, even with its grippy tannins. An alluring nose of baked earth and raspberry fruit. The medium-full body is filled with flavors of cherry, blackberry, raspberry and leather with a silky mouth feel.

Now came the arduous task of trying to chose what to eat from the menu of food and specials we were given! Since there were 4 of us, we decided to get lots of dishes and eat family style, and between what we ordered and the fabulous complimentary items they sent out, it would be hard to write about everything, so here are the highlights!

Antipasti: Il Polipo all Griglia- sliced mosaic and grilled octopus with burrata stracciatella and black olives. Burrata is a typical cheese produced in the province of Bari, in the south of Italy. It has the shape of a small “sack” made of soft cheese which contains a generous quantity of stracciatella, a delicate mixture of fresh cream and mozzarella frayed in thin threads. The octopus was sliced super thin and the mixture of flavors with the divine sweet creamy burrata and the salty olives was nothing short of amazing. Hands down the best octopus I've ever eaten!

Primi Piatti: Il Cacio e Pere - Pear and fresh pecorino-filled ravioli, aged pecorino, crushed black pepper. Creamy and rich with an incredible mix of textures filling the melt in your mouth fresh pasta sacks.

Secondi Piatti: Il Manzo, Flat Iron braised in Goulash sauce, or the Il Branzino, Whole grilled Mediterranean bass. Both were delicious, but by this time we had a cocktail, sparkling wine, a bottle of white and a bottle of red. The details of the dishes are a bit blurry, but the feeling of gastronomic satiation lives on!

I Dolci: Panna Cotta di Mandorle - the creamiest, smoothest panna cotta, somehow delicate and rich at the same time with a subtle almond flavor. The perfect end to the perfect meal!

All in all, it was an incredible experience that exceeded our expectations. The service was impeccable, attentive but not intrusive; the environment and physical space were beautiful without any pretense or snobbishness which was surprising in a restaurant with the reputation of Felidia. And the food was spectacular, with each palate pleasing dish presenting a incredible array of flavors, textures and individuality. Delizioso!!

Check out this great video of Lidia talking about her restaurant:

Felidia Restaurant New York, NY - Click here for more free videos

Adventures in the Big Chilly Apple!

Wow, what an eventful 24 hours we had! From incredible Indian food Sunday night in Midtown, a giant bagel and spinach knish on 2nd Ave for breakfast, Korean food at Times Square and then three fabulous Italian wine bars in 3 hours! Luckily we are walking everywhere so hopefully the damage to our waistlines won't be quite so bad...

The feeding frenzy started Sunday night as we bundled up (it was 17 degrees!) and walked up and down 2nd Ave in Midtown in search of something to eat that we can't get at home. We hit the jackpot with a little Indian place called Amma on 51st, between 2nd and 3rd Ave. Walking up the stairs to the first floor of a brownstone, we knew it must be good as it was packed with happy diners when many of the restaurants had few patrons on a Sunday night. They gave us a prime table in the front corner where we had a great view of the whole restaurant. They had a $35 prix fixe menu that included a soup, appetizer, entree and dessert. Having once been very intrigued by Indian cuisine ever since my sister adopted my niece Rika from India, I have cooked a lot of it and have been very partial to the flavors of Southern India and Kerala. The curry leaves, Kaffir lime leaves, mustard seeds, dahl and light sauces are a refreshing change from the richer foods of Northern India and this restaurant did it right! If I had to pick a favorite dish, it would either be the toor dahl donut appetizer swimming in all three of their traditional condiments, a spicy tamarind, sweet mint and tangy yogurt sauce or the baked chicken stuffed with paneer and spinach covered in a spicy tomato sauce or possible the cardamom flavored ice cream that left bits the lovely fragrant seed for you to crunch on. Absolutely fabulous!

Yesterday morning started with a giant everything bagel slathered with a fresh onion and chive cream cheese from Tal Bagels around the corner. There is just nothing like a fresh New York bagel, period. We also tried a spinach knish which was a bit bland but just looked too good behind the counter to pass up.

Then we took off to Central Park West to check out a great little Salumeria Rossi, a Tuscan inspired restaurant/grocery. Walking in, you see the deli counter on your left with a wide assortment of cured meats, Italian cheeses, antipasti beautifully displayed with the intention of getting your mouth watering so you can't help but want to sit down and eat. The menu leans toward small tastes, rather than large appetizers and entrees with everything from Cavolini, a dish of brussel sprouts, pancetta and garlic, to Le Puntarella, consisting of Italian wild chicory and anchovies cooked in garlic, lemon, and olive oil to delicious looking meat and cheese boards. But, with our bellies still full from the bagel and lunch plans in an hour, we decided we needed to come back.

Lunch plans took us the offices of the New York Times to meet an old high school friend of Kerry's, Kim Severson. Kim is one of the food critics for the Times, so we knew lunch with her would be an adventure not to be missed. And she delivered with a rustic little Korean restaurant, Cho Dang Gol on W. 35th between 5th and 6th. The owner, Kim Bong Ok was born in a village in the South Korean province of Kangwon known for its tofu. As a child, she learned how to make more than 100 dishes using the tender bean curd and the restaurant is now famous for it and offers more than two dozen dishes with different renditions of tofu. I don't know enough about the cuisine to accurately describe it, so all I can say is that it is definitely worth the trip. And the company was fabulous, thank you Kim!

The rest of the day we focused on Italian food and wine so I'll write about that in my next entry. Right now we've got to get ready to go to the wine conference, the excuse we used to come here!

The DC 8

The DC8, it's our new secret society whose rites and rituals are devoted to the pursuit of the perfect pairing; innovative food combined with artisanal wines, and not to mention mostly silly and sometimes engaging conversation. The members will remain nameless so as not to suffer any negative consequences for acknowledging their membership or to jeapordize their reputations as serious wine professionals and enthusiasts.

We conducted our first meeting last night where each twosome was assigned a course and each course was accompanied by their best wine pick. My favorite pairing of the night was the cold starter of mushroom mousse on toast points topped with seared lamb and provencal herbs paired with a 2006 Domaine Les Pallieres Gigondas. The textures of the food, crisp bread, creamy mousse and tender lamb combined beautifully in your mouth with the earthy, dark fruits of the wine adding the perfect compliment. The rich and sweet potato and chipotle soup with bacon and pepper relish worked delicoiusly with the slightly off-dry 2004er Alfred Merkelbach Spatlese, and even though our 2007 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi was corked we improvised with a 2005 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet to compliment our whole roasted red fish with panko crusted vegetables and Meyer lemon relish. The most creative dish of the night came from the dessert team who served blue cheese ice cream set atop a slice of fresh pear with a crushed walnut granish accompanied by the J Pear Liqour. The chunks of blue cheese in the sweet creamy base mingled in your mouth with this salty/sweet sensation accompanied by the soft crunch of walnuts and fresh pear was absolutely delightful and bizarre at the same time.

A ridiculously fun time was had by all and we are anxiously awaiting our next underground meeting with a "yellow" food theme, where access is granted only by demonstrating the secret handshake...

Italian Wine, Love at First Sip

My love affair with wine began with Italy. I didn’t know when I jumped in headfirst that it was probably the most difficult viticultural country to understand. With over 800 distinct grape varietals, 21 classified regions and hard to decipher wine labels, Italian wines are a never-ending source of intrigue or intimidation, depending on your outlook. For me however, there is no other place in the world where food, wine and cultural are so beautifully entwined. The experience of drinking Italian wine isn’t complete with the regional food products that complement it. Italians truly thrive on personal contact and they think very carefully about how everything at their table - the wine, the food, the people, the place - fits together.

On my journey there have been two books that have helped guide me through the maze of Italian wine. I read Vino Italiano by Joseph Bastianich & David Lynch when I want to curl up on the sofa and learn about the Italian wine experience of a particular region. This engaging book explores each region's predominant grapes, winemaking styles, major producers and the history and culture of the region. At the end of each chapter they give recommendations for a tasting of wines from the region, travel tips and delicious regional recipes by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali to accompany the food.

When I’m looking for very specific information on a certain wine and its producer, there is no other book to reach for than Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia (www.gamberorosso.it). Published yearly, it is a guide to the best wine production in Italy, a reference book for both enthusiasts and professionals. The guide is an off-shoot of the Slow Food movement founded in Italy by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Slow Food (www.slowfood.com) is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. It opposes the standardization of taste, defends the need for consumer information, protects cultural identities tied to food and gastronomic traditions, safeguards foods and cultivation and processing techniques inherited from tradition and defends domestic and wild animal and vegetable species.

Unlike other wine evaluation magazines and publications whose scores represent one reviewer’s opinion, Gambero Rosso uses panels of experts to review the wines and created an evaluation system expressed in “glasses”, from one to three for the best wines of all. The “Tre Bicchieri” (three glasses) label has becomes a byword for quality.

For the 2008 edition, 30 plus tasting panels each comprised of five judges worked for over 2 months blind tasting around 25,000 wines. Just under 10,000 wines were rejected outright and the rest were awarded scores ranging ranging from simple honorable mention to 2 glasses. From that phase 1500 wines were selected for the finals in Rome, and only 305 received the highest award, the renowned Tre Bicchieri® (Three Glasses).

Three sentences at the end of the introduction in Gambero Rosso 2006 provide some wonderful insight as to how Italians feel about wine; “…a great wine, or even just an honestly made one, is more than just something to drink. Above all, a wine is the soul of a territory in the bottle. More often that not, it is a product of the love that binds the winemaker to the local soil.” I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 2009 edition!

Justin Pitts, Farming with a Purpose

Searching for an alternative to hormone injected, GMO feed meats in the grocery store, Kerry and I sought out the colorful Mr. Justin Pitts last year at the Saturday Crescent City Farmers market. It only took 1 cut of beef to convince us that he was the real deal and he has set the standard to which we judge all beef and pork products we eat!

Here is an interview with Justin from the Farm Aid website:

"A walk on Justin Pitts' heritage cattle farm in Jones County, Mississippi will carry you back 100 years, says the 40-year-old family farmer whose been working the land all his life.

"I’ve been farming since I was able to walk alongside my granddad as a child," Pitts says.

The Pitts family’s farming roots are deep. They’ve worked farmland in the area since 1815. Pitts has staked his claim to 160 acres of rolling woodland and pasture near the county seat of Ellisville. He rents another 160 down the road. The farm is sandy-soiled, but produces good forage for livestock. Pitts markets his heritage breeds of cattle, sheep and goats at farmers markets, health food stores and catering companies in and around New Orleans.

"I can’t raise enough lamb to meet the demand in New Orleans," Pitts says.

His heritage breeds date back to the days when Spain held sway in the region.

"I raise Piney Woods Cattle, some call them Mississippi Woods Cattle. The "Spaniards brought them over. They’ve passed from one generation to the next as far back as anyone can remember," says Pitts. Spanish Goats and native Mississippi sheep, plus a flock of 250 heritage breed laying hens round out the bulk of farm production. For Pitts, whose independent streak is evident in virtually every statement he makes, economic survival depends on being able to work a market niche, but farming is as much about raising good food as it is about anything else.

"I tell the people who buy this meat that I’ve grown it with me in mind. It’s for me first, then everybody else. I don’t want to eat any hormones, or implants or antibiotics in my food, so you won’t find any in my meat. My animals graze. They eat blue stem grass and whatever else is growing up in the woods. I might feed them a little corn every once in a while if I have to supplement their feed, but I don’t like to buy corn because it’s probably all GMO corn."

While consumer interest in locally raised and grass fed meat is growing, Pitts says making a living on the farm is still a tremendous challenge. Sixteen hour days are not uncommon. He regularly drives to New Orleans to participate in the Crescent City Farmers Market and sell to other retailers. He also has to drive his animals to a small, USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in De Kalb, Mississippi to be processed. It’s 125 miles one-way, and with the price of gas going up, it’s getting tougher.

"It’s a pill everyday trying to get something accomplished," says Pitts. "But maybe the government will leave me alone and I’ll make it.""

We talked back then about planning an event together and it's only taken a year, but we've finally got it on the books. This month's Tapas Tuesday will feature 5 different beef and pork products from Justin Pitts exquisetly prepared by Josh Garic of Vega Tapas Cafe (who also prepared the food for our event at the Degas House) paired with our favorite meat friendly wines like Argentinean Malbec, California Cabernets and Petit Sirah, French Bordeaux and more...And we'll have Justin in the house selling his delicious products that you are sure to want to purchase after you taste them! But call if you want to come, this is sure to be a sell out! 504.304.0635

Growing Green, The Emerging Trend in Winemaking

Going Green has become the catch phrase of the decade and the wine industry is seeking to define itself in this growing movement of earth friendly practices. Many wineries are touting themselves as sustainably farmed, organic or biodynamic. So what do the terms means and do they really have and effect on the wine? We've been exploring this subject tastings and articles lately but have decided to take it one step further. Read on and see what Swirl is doing to help you make educated choices concerning your wine selections at the shop.

Sustainable Farming
According to the University of California, Davis: “Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals--environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Stewardship of human resources includes consideration of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of laborers, the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. Stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term.” A great and wordy concept however, there are no hard and fast rules that define the term, it’s up for interpretation by the winery as to what procedures and processes they will use to id entify themselves as “sustainable”.

One of our producers, Fog Alley, defines themselves as such and has defined three indicators of Sustainable Agriculture:
1. Environmentally Sound
2. Economically Feasible
3. Socially Equitable
Some specific practices implemented by Fog Alley growers include:
-Natural Biological Control -- encourages natural predators to control rodents Soil Welfare -- by using a variety of cover crops to protect and enhance the productivity of the soil
-Recycling of Natural Resources -- reclaims water used by facility through a series of ponds that is later used to irrigate the vineyards
-Improving Wildlife Habitat -- directs the run-o_ of rain water to the natural wetlands nearby
-Education -- developing demonstration vineyards used for regular vineyard management training and education of customers

Organic Farming
Organic farming is very well defined when compared to sustainable agriculture. There are nationally sanctioned organic practices that must be complied with in order to label products as "certified organically produced," making it very clear what certified organic means.

In the vineyard organic means cultivating the soil and planting cover crops, instead of applying herbicides. It means using natural fertilizers, such as composted animal manure, versus chemical fertilizers. As for not using pesticides, the organic alternative is to encourage natural predators of insect pests instead of using poisonous insecticides. Organic farmers promote "biodiversity" and allow plants other than vines to grow in and around the vineyard.

In the cellar, "organic" suggests minimal processing and no use of chemical additives. Organic winemakers pay particular attention to three factors: the use of yeasts, the filtration/fining method, and the use of sulfur dioxide. The need for cultured yeasts in organic winemaking is reduced by the farming practice itself, for wild yeasts remain present, unperturbed by weed killers or insecticides. Therefore their use is limited to difficult weather conditions which would threaten the harvest. The physical treatment of the wine (like filtering and fining) is kept to a minimum. Minimizing the use of sulfur dioxide as an antioxidant is stringently observed. It's rather difficult to make a wine that will keep well without adding at least some additional sulfites to those naturally occurring.

Tablas Creek defines their organic vineyard practices as: "Our organic vineyard practices following the lead of our Beaucastel estate in Chateauneuf du Pape. Like Beaucastel, we use no herbicides or systemic pesticides in the vineyard. We rely on cover cropping, hand hoeing, burning, and mulching to suppress weeds in the rows. Cover crops minimize erosion, host beneficial insects, and return nitrogen to the soil. We use extensive composting, and use compost tea to control mildew in the vineyard and reduce our need for sulfur." All of their wines have been organic certified since in January, 2003.

Biodynamic Farming
Biodynamics, goes well beyond the stringent guidelines of organic growing. It's about believing in the self-sustainabilty of the vineyard as well as viewing the practice of biodynamic farming in a holistic manner. Biodynamics mixes sustainability with more celestial beliefs and takes a spiritual as well as mystical approach to conventional farming methods.

The practice of biodynamics views the vineyard in its entirety as a living system. And, it's not just about the vines and grapes. It's also about the soil, compost, insects, and other vegetation and animals that inhabit space in the vineyard, all working in harmony to bring you some incredible tasting wines.

The concept of biodynamic farming dates back to the 1920s and Austrian philosopher, scientist and anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner. In a sense, biodynamics is an extreme form of organic farming, which avoids inorganic substances and chemical fertilizers and relies only on “natural” techniques. Biodynamic farming is associated with practices such as over-wintering manure in cow horns, fermenting flowers in stags’ bladders, or timing procedures with the phases of the moon. But while these techniques sound eclectic and obscure, they’re in fact “a way of life, a philosophy of farming that’s thousands of years old,” according to Bruno Allaire, president of Dynamic Imports, an importer and distributor of wines made exclusively from biodynamic or organically-grown grapes.

But biodynamic farming isn’t just an agricultural method. To Steiner and his followers, it’s a holistic philosophy of life forces that treats all of cosmos as a living system and emphasizes factors like energy, lunar cycles and planetary forces. Basically the idea is that everything in the cosmos—people, plants, animals and stars—are interconnected, influencing each other. While this sounds ecologically responsible but somewhat lofty, the reasons for more and more vintners going biodynamic have to do with the fact that the biodynamic method really brings out the terroir of a wine. And that's what it's all about, right?

So how can Swirl help you make educated choices concerning your wine selections at the shop? Over the next few weeks you'll be seeing a new bottle tag that will indicate whether a winery is applying any of the above practices. Just look for this special tag and you just might find out that one of your favorite wines is already "growing green"!

Into Shrooms?

We had a very productive trip to the Crescent City Farmers Market last week. Not sure how much winter produce would be available, we were pleasantly surprised to find the most tender and delicious broccoli, dark leafy kale, cauliflower, lots of locally grown citrus and incredibly fresh shiitake mushrooms.

Mushrooms are one of those products I've been thinking about growing at home. There is a lot of information out there about home growing kits and I was surprised to find the vendor at the market not only sold the shrooms, but also the kits. The traditional way of growing shiitake mushrooms is with shiitake grow logs. However, many companies are now using a blend of sawdust and nutrients in a grow bag that can give you 6-7 good crops of mushrooms, around 2lbs., with little work or space, and all for under $30!

Mississippi Natural Products, the vendor at the CCFM, sells the kits online at http://www.naturalmushrooms.com/
or, visit them at the market where you can first buy some mushrooms from them and see what you think! We found them incredibly fresh and tasty and created a wonderful pasta dish. I've tried to recreate the recipe below, but since I don't measure much the quantities might be a little iffy...but you'll get the general idea!

Pasta with Fresh Shiitakes and Bacon
serves 2
1 T. butter
1/4 lb natural smoked bacon, diced
4 cloves garlic sliced
5 oz. sliced fresh shiitakes
1/4 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. white wine
pasta of choice
1/4 c. pasta water (reserved from cooking your pasta)
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. grated piave cheese (similar to parmesan, but younger, softer)
sea salt
pepper
pepperoncini (red pepper flakes)
good quality olive oil (I used the Mandranova oil I wrote about in last blog)
fine bread crumbs

• Put your pasta on to boil with just a sprinkle of salt. I used a whole wheat angel hair for this
  
• Throw the butter and bacon in a big fry pan and on med to high heat, fry 'til the edges start to brown.
• Move the bacon to the sides of the pan and throw in the garlic. Add a little more butter or some olive oil if the pan seems to dry. Fry 'til the garlic is soft.
• Throw in the mushrooms, and mix them around with the bacon and garlic to coat them with butter and bacon fat.
• Add chicken stock, wine, pasta water, a little sea salt and half of the parsley. Bring it to a quick boil and then reduce to a simmer until the liquid reduces to about half.
• Add your drained pasta to the pan, pepper and pepperoncino and gently mix with the other ingredients.
• There should be a good amount of liquid in the pan, so add some of the bread crumbs to help thicken the sauce. This is one of Lidia Bastianich's tricks that I've been using lately.
• Simmer for another minute. Turn off the heat and add a couple of gulps of good quality olive oil drizzled all around the pasta, and sprinkle with half the cheese.
  
• Garnish each serving with a good sprinkle of parsley and cheese.

Buon Appetito!

The Delightful and Charming Clovis Taittinger

We had the honor of meeting and dining with the youngest of the Taittinger family at the Ritz Carlton last week. The most humble of French aristocrats, Clovis presented 6 of his exquisite bubblies in the true European style of a four hour lunch. He also paid a visit to the shop on Saturday where he again shared incredible wine, cheese and conversation for a few hours before trotting off to his tasting at Ric Hoppers. We have always loved the Taittinger wines, but are now fans for life! Thank you to Penny Kelly, Kobrand and Clovis for the great wines and fabulous company! Taittinger at Swirl: La Francais (750’s and 375s) Prelude and Rosé (one of our absolute favorite Rosé bubblies ever!)