Friday, January 28, 2011

Stupid Ad Sense

I just realized there were advertisements on my blog. They have been taken down. I did put up a link to the Children's miracle network. Its a great charity, and I am proud to be able to support their cause.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Recipe pairing for the Anakena Pinot Noir

I have a great one in mind, but I am entering the recipe in a Super Bowl cook-off, so I will come back and edit this post with that recipe after the Super Bowl. Perhaps some of my loyal readers have a suggested recipe to post in the comments section? I will post another recipe, for you all to enjoy. This is my beer can chicken recipe, it is cooked in the oven and is very simple.

1 whole chicken
1 CAN of beer

RUB:
brown sugar
kosher salt
black pepper
paprika
red pepper flake
garlic powder
chili powder
onion powder

Directions are super easy. Find a home for 1/2 the beer (don't pour it out, that's alcohol abuse), cut the top off of the beer can, and poke a couple holes in the side of the can above the fluid level. The key to the chicken is to get it as dry as possible before rubbing it. This will make the skin crispy and delicious. Rub the chicken with the rub recipe above, making sure to pull back the skin over the breast to get the rub underneath. Add some of the rub to the inside of the chicken in the cavity. Place the chicken on top of the can so it is "standing up" and place the whole thing in a 350 degree oven. The beer in the can will turn to steam and keep your chicken very moist and tender. Cook till internal temp reaches 170 degrees F throughout. Be very careful removing the chicken from the can as it will be very hot. Wait at least 5 minutes before carving the bird to let it rest and reabsorb the juices. Serve with whatever you want on the side.

To try something fun you can brine the chicken for an hour or two beforehand. Also try different liquids than beer, perhaps a mixture of water and cheap white wine. I haven't tried that before, but imagine it would add another layer of flavor. Hope you enjoy this one.

Cheers,
E

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Chilean Pinot Noir, WTF?

After some light Internet research I have found an FCC regulation for bloggers. I am supposed to disclose if I have been in any way compensated in the form of money or wine. I am happy to say I am not popular enough for that to matter. I walked into my local wine shop to purchase, at my own expense, something that interested me. The plan was a Washington state Cabernet Sauvignon or perhaps a Merlot. I love the density of the fruit that grows there. Then I see a wine called Anakena, which reminded me of Anakin Skywalker and I was sold. Not that I am much of a Star Wars fan, but the name made me giggle a little bit so I was sold. So here it is, my review of the 2010 Anakena Pinot Noir from Rapel, Chile.
I have to admit that when I saw a Chilean Pinot Noir I thought WTF  is that (no, that does not stand for “Why The Face”)? Chile isn’t really known as a Pinot Noir growing area, but I was intrigued to try it. Besides, at $12.99 I figure, "why not"?  Chile is, after all, known for having great wine values. This wine is a single vineyard offering from Rapel Valley. Typically single vineyard wines are great expressions of terroir and, as such, can be great learning tools. Terroir, btw, is a French term referring to the earth from which the wine grows. Anyone who wants to improve their blind tasting ability should really focus on single vineyard wines to pick up on the characteristics of the soil in any particular region. This Pinot started off GREEN with some clove-type spice and black pepper.  I noticed acid up front with round earthy, strawberry in the mid-palate and a juicy pomegranate finish.  I definitely noticed a little green bell pepper, which is typically my South American cue. There was also a nose reticent of bacon fat.  It does see a little bit of oak, although not enough to be readily apparent. There was some heat to both the nose and finish, an indicator of alcohol that isn’t particularly well integrated. This was a little surprising as the wine was only 13.5% abv. Chile is known for being extremely mountainous (you know the Andes) and rather rugged. This typically leads to very dense wines, although, that wasn’t really the case here. I wrote something else in my notes, but I can’t read my own writing there. It was at the bottom so the fact that I had about finished the bottle may explain that.

It was an impulse buying kind of day, although, aren’t they all? After buying the wine, I went to the grocery store to find something for dinner. Ribeyes were on sale. I know, I know, not a very good pairing, but I LOVE a good Ribeye. I rubbed them with a salt, sugar, pepper flake, whatever-else-type of rub and grilled them to a lovely Mid-Rare. The spiciness of the rub seemed to compliment the wine pretty well all in all.  The acid in the fore palate cut through the fattiness of the steak enough to cleanse my palate which made my next bite seem brand new.  It was a synergistic pairing for the most part.  The wine was good, but not great. It was only $12.99, so pound-for-pound not a bad deal.  It wasn’t what I would call a “steal” but a decent value. Time to break out my all-new ratings system; I’m calling it the arrow system. So, out of 5 possible arrows I give this wine a 3. I’d call it reasonable Pinot Noir for the price, but it won’t go on my list of steals … which I haven’t created yet.

Please post feedback as I am still adding content. Suggestions for content or wines I should look into are always appreciated. Thank you to all those who have supported my writing so far. This is a labor of love and I certainly do love my wine.

Cheers,
E

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Fun food pairing for the 2009 Domaine Mas Du Bouquet



It has occurred to me that food parings and recipes would be a nice addition to my content. This poses a bit of a challenge for me as I consider myself a “foodie” and know my way around a kitchen pretty well, but my diet lately is all lean protein and low carbs. I gotta say it is totally boring to eat chicken breast and eggs every day all day, but I really have been noticing the difference this diet and nutrition have made on my body. I am beginning to realize that perhaps Brad Pitt abs are not in my future, a shame but not tragic. In these recipe/food posts I will try my best to offer healthy options that pair well with the wines I review. So with no further ado, here it is, Chicken with mushrooms and artichokes.

To pair with: Domaine Mas Du Bouquet 2009

Needed: 1 large skillet
2 or 3 chicken breasts
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 can artichoke hearts quartered (do not drain)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup white wine
1 tbs capers
1 lemon
Broccoli Rabe or another bitter green vegetable

Keep in mind these measurements are mostly guesses, I never measure anything in the kitchen.
OK, take the chicken breast and “paillard” it. That means wrap that sucker in plastic and beat the crap out of it until it is flat and has an even thickness all the way around. That is going to make the chicken cook quicker and easier. Once done, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter with the oil in your skillet on med-high heat; once hot, add the chicken.  Slightly brown the bird, then remove it from the pan. Add the broccoli rabe, mushrooms, and artichokes (not the liquid yet) and cook until tender. Return the chicken to the skillet with the wine and some of the artichoke liquid. Reduce heat to low and cook until the chicken is done and the juices run clear. Add the capers, a squeeze of half a lemon, and, (if you want), a grate or two of lemon zest. Serve immediately.

There it is a healthy meal that is delicious. French food is known for being either refined and elegant , or rustic and hearty. I love the rustic style of this dish, and can picture a farmer in Lyon eating this with a fresh baguette. I hope you all enjoy. 

Cheers,
E

Sunday, January 23, 2011

A relatively unknown Rhone red, 2009 Domaine Mas Du Bouquet

     A new year brings resolutions, most of which I have already broken, and new opportunities. The idea of writing this blog has been discussed ad nauseum by my merry band of winos. So the concept was hatched to write about what we find for great wine deals around town. They may not all be steals, some may be bad, but they will all be fun.
     
     So I wander the aisles of my local wine store looking for something interesting. I would really like my first review to be a “steal” so I am looking for lesser-known regions that produce great grapes. I have found over the years that there are so many relatively unknown viticultural regions making great wine, and even better, they are very reasonably priced. So I am starting off with a 2009 DOMAINE MAS DU BOUQUET from VACQUEYRAS. Priced at $14.99 it is right in my wheelhouse. I am willing to spend money on great wines that I tend to cellar and drink on special occasions. Today is not one of those occasions. 200 mother f’n 9, an incredible year for most of France, was no different in the southern Rhone valley. I want to take a minute to point out that VACQUEYRAS is a very up-and-coming region, making wines similar in style to the Chateauneuf Du Pape or Cotes du Rhone. They are predominantly Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blends that show wonderful dust, earth and garrigue. This is a go to region for me when looking for the French wine feel without the typical French wine price tag. Is that enough background? I hope so, because it is on to my tasting notes.

     I opened the admittedly young bottle expecting it to need decanting. It didn’t. The wine proved to be drinkable right away and improved greatly over the 2 hours I enjoyed it. It had a dark amber color, hints of the brickish / brownishness that one would expect from an old world wine. Dusty cherry nose with hints of earth and ripeness. Very slow syrupy legs are a dead giveaway of high alcohol (14.5% abv) but I never noticed any heat on the nose or palate. In fact, I was really impressed by how well integrated the alcohol was in such a young wine, never obvious or imposing. First thing I noticed on the palate, Fruit Punch. Try finding that on the aroma wheel. This is not, however, a sweet wine by any means. This red  is quite dry with powerful structure. It showed impressive concentration and a finish that lasted minutes and evolved into interesting complexity. The finish had tons of fruit and a bit of garrigue. Garrigue is the specific earthiness one finds in Rhone. Reticent of herbs du Provence, earthiness and lavender this wine is an excellent example of the term.  2009 produced wonderfully concentrated wines in Rhone. The perfect storm of climate and weather makes this wine seem very new world with it powerful fruit forwardness. I would drink this now and over the next 5 years.

     Conclusions? Yes, this was defiantly a steal at this price. I have spent scads more on bottles I didn’t enjoy nearly as much. This region is going to continue to become more well known.. I have the feeling wines like this, and really all the 09 French wines, will appreciate in value. As such, I would recommend picking up plenty of this crowd pleasing old world red.  

     Please respond with comments and feedback. I would love to know if you also enjoyed this wine and how much you will typically spend on a bottle to be imbibed the very same day. Your feedback will allow me to tailor my tasting and writing to all of you.

Cheers,
E