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Archive for the ‘4-Star’ Category

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I have no idea what to call the fall feast that went down at my good friend Bruce’s house.  In a nutshell, it was a nosh-up of towering proportions that can only be summed up in one word – EPIC.

While the kids were running rampant, dancing and roasting marshmallows around the bonfire, and elbowing one another to get the most candy from the broken piñata, there were several adults having some fun of their own! 

Supervised, of course!

Every kid for themselves!! 

Earlier this year, I received several samples from brothers, James and Mark Blanchard of Blanchard Family Wines.  Located in Healdsburg, California, Brothers Blanchard operate a small family winery that produces and sells hand-crafted, limited production wines – only 1500 cases to be exact.  I took a real interest in their personal journey into the wine business, and thought it would be fun to share their wines with friends.

Our first selection on this beautiful, chilly fall evening was the 2009 Blanchard Family Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley) (MSRP: $20 US).

Our group of tasters described it as being “citrusy, tart, possessing a grassy New Zealand-esque quality to it with very good acidity.” A few detected an “oniony” quality.  However, the group was unanimous and rated the 2009 Blanchard Family Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley) 3 Stars out 4.

Onto the delights that had us all practically licking our bowls and plates all night long!

First up… Arugula, Apple, Pear with chopped Pecan and crumbled Blue Cheese Salad topped with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

I paired this simple, yet terrific salad with what turned out to be one of the favorite wines of the night – the 2010 Blanchard Family “Peoria Pink” Pinot Gris (Russian River Valley) (MSRP: $30.00).

2010 was the inaugural vintage of the Blanchard Family’s Russian River Valley Pinot Gris.  Its special name “Peoria Pink”  is inspired by the wine’s color, which is a light pink.  Another thing worth mentioning is 20% of all sales from 2010 Blanchard Family “Peoria Pink” Pinot Gris go to breast cancer awareness.  How great is that!?

Here’s what people were saying about the 2010 Blanchard Family “Peoria Pink” Pinot Gris (Russian River Valley):  “Nice body, citrusy, sexy color! Great match with this salad!  Medium acidity and good structure.”  Tasters were split – some gave it 3 Stars, while others (including me) gave it 4 Stars out of 4!  Overall, it was a crowd-pleaser.

After finishing the 2010 Blanchard Family “Peoria Pink” Pinot Gris, we headed into hedonistic ecstasy when bowls of homemade pumpkin soup made their way out to the dining room table.

This soup, I tell you, was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!

I asked my friend Bruce to share some of his insights, secrets and tips for making this bountiful bowl of orange goodness, and this is what he had to say:

“In preparing the pumpkin soup, I found out very quickly that pureeing pumpkin is not as easy as it sounds.  Seems like it should be simple, right?  Place pumpkin in the blender/food processor; turn it on and instant pumpkin puree –right?  WRONG!  As it turns out, pumpkin is too dense to puree on its own, at least in my blender.  So my brilliant solution was to blend the pumpkin with chicken stock (the soup’s other base ingredient).  The trick, as I learned after much trial and error…and cleaning up pumpkin splatter on the walls, cabinets and ceiling is to have the right pumpkin to chicken stock ratio.  Oh yeah, two other notes: 1) Don’t lift the blender lid to peak in as pumpkin is being pureed unless you like wearing pumpkin and 2) Don’t wear a white shirt while trying to puree pumpkin.”

Thanks Bruce for sharing!

Now where were we?  Oh yeah, here’s the killer recipe for that pumpkin soup:

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 cups cubed, peeled, chopped fresh pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley and fresh chives
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups milk or heavy cream

Directions

1. Cut pumpkin into small pieces.
2. Heat the chicken stock and the other ingredients *(minus the 2 cups of milk and/or cream)   on the list in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
3. Puree the fresh pumpkin in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender and stir in with the other ingredients in the large pot.
4. Return to pan and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Finally, stir in milk/heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh chives and parsley.

I’d suggest pairing this soup with a Chardonnay; but if you’re an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) person, give it a go with a Viognier or Dry Riesling.

Our next course was Alaskan Copper River Wild Salmon from 2 Sisters Alaska Seafood.  Nothing like the real deal!

Check out the thickness of this salmon!

My pal Bruce used this recipe Salmon en Papillote from Julia & Jacques.

While he was on the fish station, I was in charge of cooking the side dish that he selected, which was a Herbed Quinoa Pilaf with Vegetables courtesy of Morethangourmet.com.

*Note: You may want to deviate a bit from the recipe and add more vegetable stock, butter and other interesting spices that you can find in your buddy’s spice rack to really make this recipe pop!!  Just a suggestion. 

We downed it all – “deadliest catch” and “ancient Peruvian grain” – with a couple of Oregon and French Pinot Noirs.

And were we done yet?  Heck no!  After going to Alaskan heaven and back, we had to have some beef, right?  In the words of Sarah Palin, “You Betcha!”

So we did.

Yup, we were gluttons for punishment!  This delicious Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise is courtesy of Food Network’s resident hottie, Giada De Laurentiis.

We had such good fortune with the first two wines from Blanchard Family Wines that we decided we’d give it a go with both the 2008 Blanchard Family “Amber Monique” Syrah (Russian River Valley)(Sample, MSRP:$25) and 2009 Blanchard Family “Red Scarf Blend” (Sonoma County) (Sample, MSRP:$26.50).

The 2008 Blanchard Family “Amber Monique” Syrah (Named for Sylvia and James Blanchard’s daughter) packed a good punch of cherry-vanilla, black pepper, dark chocolate and light smokiness.  The group was divided on the 2008 Blanchard Family “Amber Monique” Syrah; some awarded it 2 Stars, while others gave it 3 Stars out 4.

Our last wine of the night from the Blanchard brothers was the 2009 Blanchard Family “Red Scarf Blend” (Sonoma County).  This wine was created to honor the men and women of the MH-53 Pavelow helicopter.  10% from all sales of this wine is donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, whose mission is to provide full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.

The 2009 Blanchard Family “Red Scarf Blend” consisting of Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese and Zinfandel was a very successful mission with the entire group.  We found lots of explosive black fruit and a long finish that complemented every last bite of Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise.  The group again was split, yet again; some awarded it 3 Stars, while others gave it 4 Stars out 4.  Another great wine for a great cause.  Note:  This is a very limited wine – get it while you can.  

And what would a dinner like this be without dessert?  For those that could hang, it was lights-out with Fresh Figs with Mascarpone and Warm Spiced Honey.

Night, Night…

If someone were to ask you, “What’s the best red wine under $20 that you’ve tasted so far this year?” – could you easily come up with a hands-down favorite without giving a second thought?  In my quest to uncover one of (my) life’s little mysteries, I asked myself this very same question…

While looking in the rearview mirror, I sure have tasted a hell of a lot of wine in the under $20 category during 2011 – most of which have been fairly good.  But if I had to pick only one extraordinary bottle of wine that without question has left a lasting impression on me and my taste buds since the very first sip, that wine would have to be the 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve.

The 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve (>$20 US) is a beautifully crafted blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Viognier.  It’s suitable for everyday drinking, yet has the moxie to grace a white linen-covered table at the finest restaurants. 

The winemaker says, “the Grenache will release in your mouth silky, velvety plum and cocoa flavors.”  There’s really nothing to add to this description except the fact that this red wine from France’s Beaumes-de-Venise AOC (wine region) just flat out kicks serious ass at this price point!

A big THANK YOU to John Ryan at Ryan’s Wines & Spirits for sharing this magnificent discovery with me!

4 Stars out of 4 for the 2009 Domaine Saint-Amant Grangeneuve (>$20 US).  This wine is a winner:  scoop it up by the pallet until it runs out!

Summer Dream:  relaxing on the beach under an umbrella, while listening to the pounding waves with a cold drink in my hand.

Produced and bottled by Vavasour Wines, in Marlborough, New Zealand, the 2010 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from two different locations within the renowned Marlborough region.  This 100% Sauvignon Blanc (61% Awatere Valley, 39% Wairau Valley) explodes with a blend of tropical fruits and a mouthwatering racy acidity.  In your glass you’ll taste a massive avalanche of grapefruit, lemon, lime, and pineapple flavors.  It’s even better than that fruity, frozen concoction that you might otherwise be sipping on under your umbrella!

4 Stars out 4 for the 2010 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc. If you’re looking for summer in a glass, look no further!

(Sample, MSRP: $10.99)

There’s an old urban saying – Keep it 100!

Keep it 100 means to stay real and true to yourself, and to be honest…no matter what anyone else thinks.  I’m going to Keep it 100 when I tell you that it’s been one mighty tough year for red wines in the under $20 category.  If I’m keeping it real, true and 100% honest – many that I’ve tried so far in 2011 just haven’t been worth the time it took to pull the cork; let alone worth jotting down painstaking notes to tell the whole wine drinking world, “Hey people, this wine is the shiz…you really have to try this!”

The sad truth is that so many offerings, although drinkable, have just been rather boring and character free for me; and even fewer have been DELICIOUS like the 2008 Foppiano Vineyards Russian River Valley Estate Bottled Petite Sirah or even the 2009 Château La Clotte-Fontane ‘Mathierou’.

After powering through cases of mediocre red wine over the past few months, my friend Steve at Teller Wines in Lewes, DE came to my rescue.  On a recent visit, I asked Steve if he had anything that would rock my world for less than 20 bucks.  He proceeded to take me over to a spot where a totally inconspicuous bottle of red wine from Sicily was lying. Steve repeatedly told me, “You’ve got to try this wine.   It’s not a knock you over the head blockbuster, but it has a lot of finesse and outstanding fruit inside that bottle – it’s 100% pure goodness.”  He also mentioned that this 100% Nero d’Avola, made from organically-grown grapes, has been high on the list of his customers who are prone to red wine headaches:  they’ve had no problems drinking it and had no bad effects the next morning. 

I gave the 2009 Lamura Rosso di Sicilia IGT ($11 US) a shot this past Fancy Dinner Friday.  Rather than our usual Friday night fare of spaghetti and meatballs, I decided to go a bit more stripped down:  making a simple creation of sautéed minced garlic in olive oil, mixed with chopped up prosciutto and a can of crushed tomatoes on a bed of thin spaghetti, topped with fresh Basil from my herb garden.

Two words that best describe this wine and food pairing:  Bellissimo and Yummy!!

The 2009 Lamura Rosso di Sicilia IGT was packed with 100% fresh crushed, organically grown Nero d’Avola.   Bursting with pure, unadulterated, big red-berry fruit flavors and a soft flinty herbaceous component on the finish, this very approachable red has tons of juicy character!  It was awesome all by itself and delicious with a clean and simple pasta dish like we had that night.

4 Stars out of 4 for the 2009 Lamura Rosso di Sicilia IGT.  You can tell when something’s real:  THIS is the real deal at this price level!