Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Gaintza Getariako Txakolina-$17

Txakoli Gaintza Getariako Txakolina-$17 



Slightly sparkling and young, this is the undiscovered white wine from Spain's storied Basque Country .  Surprisingly  vivacious and delicious, this is a white wine that was once reserved for the family table or to be shared with friends or between neighbors. Made from a virtually unpronounceable list of rare, local grapes,  tkakoli was originally just a home-made wines, kept in the cellars of Basque farm houses. Now, its finding its way to tables in America. Food-friendly white, it has a lot of structural backbone and acidity, making it the perfect accompaniment to a hearty Holiday meal.  Always serve it well chilled for best effect.  Its bright and citrusy, with flavors of ripe green apples and lemon peel and hints of dandelion and fresh dill. Its hearty enough to go with Turkey, Ham or a Pork Loin Roast, but equally at home with fish, such as a firm piece of Sea Bass or Whole Roasted Bronzini. A niece piece of planked Salmon would be  perfect! 
The Gaintza family has been making txakoli for four generations, using modern technologies combined with traditional processes. The wines are made from vines that are 130 years old. The wine has a lot of body for a white wine, which is why its so welcome at the Holiday table. It can stand up to just about anything on the plate. It has a lot of character, that speaks to its past, and is made with enough refinement to make it a wine that's perfect for the varied ethnic  fusions taking place in American homes today. 
From the Pais Vaso in Spain, this is the unknown white wine from the heart of Basque country.

Monday, November 16, 2015

THE WINES OF NAVARRA SPAIN IN ELEGANT SHOWCASE

New, fresh wines from the historic Ebro Valley combine tradition with modern trends


  Navarra wines were created in one of the most historic and picturesque regions in all of Europe. Situated in the Ebro Valley, its traditions in winemaking date back to Roman Times and were continued when the Arabs settled into the Iberian Peninsula and later Christian monks established monasteries along the Pilgrim's Way. At the time, the wines were recommended to pilgrims in guidebooks, and widely exported abroad.



             Navarra Wines of Spain on display at Salero restaurant
Brand Ambassador Adrian Murcia


It's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and vineyards along the Ebro River and other tributaries, makes for varied climate and soil conditions that add to the richness and variety of Navarra wines. Primarily known for its  Rosado wines, the area is now becoming equally known for its reds and whites that are not only comprised of native varieties, like Tempranillo, but superb plantings of international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah.

This storied region has the advantage of high altitude vineyards in the foothills of the Pyranees with its ocean breezes from the Atlantic down to the deserts of the South, which supply locations for the popular cable television series Game of Thrones. Pamplona is the historic capital city, which was made famous worldwide for the running of the bulls during the annual San Fermin festival, which was brought to international renown with the publishing of Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises in 1926.

Although situated in northern Spain, the area is rife with French influence. A King during the Middle Ages, was in fact, French. The French influence is everywhere, with traditional local grape varietals, such as Tempranillo, interspersed with vineyards growing so-called "international grape" such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Syrah, all benefiting form the high altitude, rich volcanic soil and strong ocean winds to create spectacular wines with hefty body, full fruit flavors and structured tannins.  These are wines that pair excellently with food. The culinary staff at Salero, led by Chef de Cuisine Aaron Patton, Chef Adam Wendy and Sous Chef Sophia Harris, had a field day preparing a complex array of regional and imaginatively interpreted international dishes to pair with flights of a total of 13 wines. The staff at Salero masterfully orchestrated the complex service of this wine and food extravaganza.




 The precise service of a complex multi-course wine dinner


The pairings represented a host of varying flavors that brought out different aspects of the wines with every bite. For example, an opening salvo of house marinated olives with a side of marcona almonds and jamon croquetas showed off the kaleidoscopic  flavors of Bodega Inurrieta "Orchidea" Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($12) with its bright, crisp citrus flavors, Prinicpe de Viana "Edicion Rosa" Rosado Garnacha 2014 ($18), and Bodegas Marco Real "Pequenas Producciones" Tempranillo 2011 ($12), with its pronounced flavors of dark red cherries, blackberries and baking spice derived from 5 months of aging in French oak.


                               Jamon Croquetas (ham and cheese croquettes)



Jamon Serrano (Serrano Ham) and Manchego Cheese

Whole Lubina a la Plancha



The second course of whole Lubina a la Plancha, a firm-fleshed white fish and Gulf Shrimp a la Plancha with a seductive choice of red pepper sauce and a black sauce derived from squid ink was paired with Castillo de Monjardin barrel-fermented Chardonnay 2013-$15,  Bodega Otazu Rosado Merlot 2014-$14. Of the two wines, the Chardonnay, with its bright citrus notes and slightly smoky overtones due to barrel aging, worked best with the fish. The Merlot, with its jammy red fruit flavors, worked best with the Shrimp.


                         Gulf Shrimp a la Plancha


Restauranteur  John Aranza of Autre Monde in Berwyn enjoys a glass of Bodega Otazu Rosado Merlot
                       Watercress and frisee salad


Behind the scenes preparations by the culinary staff at Salero


Jane Walsh, owner, JCW public relations and event coordinator pitched in on pouring duties
Brand Ambassador Adrian Murcia pours a glass of Bodega Otazu "Premium Cuvee"
Chef de Cuisine Aaron Patton tends to the Grilled Hanger Steak (below)

Chef Adam Wendt sautees broccoli and herbed potato side dishes



Brand Ambassador Adrian Murcia with a bottle of  Finca Albret "La Vina de Mi Madre" 2009-$29
Sous Chef Sophia Harris (left and below) sauces the Sage Pork Sausage with Chef Adam Wendt



The real stars came out to shine with main course of Grilled Hanger Steak and Sage Pork Sausage. The wines would have rivaled anything from Bordeaux with their rich flavors and careful barrel aging.  Bodega Otazu 'Premiere Cuvee'($14) is a real beauty made with 55% Cabernet,  30% Tempranillo, 15% Merlot grapes. It is as good as anything you'd get from the Right Bank. The rich flavors of dark, ripe fruit, a dash of currant and shaved cinnamon stick and a hint of cigar smoke made this the perfect foil for Grilled Hanger Steak.




Grilled Hangar Steak and (below) Sage Pork Sausage were paired with Bodega Otazu, 'Premier Cuvee 2011-$14, Castillo de Monjardin 'Deyo' Merlot 2011-$15, Finca Albret 'La Vina de Mi Madre 2009-$29, and Pago de Larrainzar, 'Page de Larrainzar' 2009-$30


The Finca Albret "La Vina de Mi Madre' 2009 ($30) also made the Hanger Steak sing with its rich, ripe flavors of blackberries, currants and copious helpings of candied black cherries and a touch of shaved cinnamon stick. This was a perfect match with the charred flavors of the marinated steak and its accompanying compote of stewed blackberries and the warm red chili flavors of the smear of sauce that accompanied the Sage Pork Sausage.


 Phoebe Snowe of TASTE Food and Wine of Rogers Park





A finishing touch of lighter than air churros and flan de queso fresco (fresh white cheese flan) set the meal off to a perfect finish. A lingering taste of Castillo de Monjardin barrel-fermented Chardonnay 2013 ($15) was the perfect choice with this one, even though it was also paired with the earlier Shrimp dish. There was something about the tropical citrus and hint of oak that made it perfect with the cinnamon spice on the churros and the toasty caramel topping of the flan.  These are wines that linger long on the palate and in memory. They will make an important contribution to any Holiday table and beyond.

                                                 Churros and (below) Flan de Queso Fresco



Saturday, November 14, 2015

LUXE HOME WELCOMES THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH "CHILL," AN ELABORATE FOOD, WINE AND LUXURY HOME DESIGN EVENT

MERCHANDISE MART IS GROUND ZERO FOR SUPERB WINE, CUISINE AND HOLIDAY PARTY IDEAS


THE LUXEHOME BOUTIQUES BECOME A MOVEABLE FEAST FOR A NIGHT

 BISTRO ZINC CHEF PARTNER TIM KIRKER AND FRIEND
 THE MIELE CENTER WITH RUTH'S CHRIS PRIME  NY STRIP STEAK
EXECUTIVE CHEF/OWNER MARTIAL NOGUIER OF BISTRONOMIC


The LuxeHome Boutiques at Merchandise Mart Chicago became home to the area's 50 top chefs and wine, beer and spirits makers from around the globe for the Ninth Annual CHILL event. Presented by LuxeHome in cooperation with Wine Spectator Magazine, a capacity sellout crowd of gastronomes savored superb wines from the world's most renowned winemakers, wonderful beers and spirit creations all poured alongside specialty dishes prepared by top chefs in the latest designer kitchens.

LuxHome is the world's largest collection of premiere boutiques for home building and renovation and kitchen design. There was no more definitive showcase to kick off the Holiday Season than LuxeHome CHILL.

Some of the more memorable pairings were Bistro Zinc's Chef/Partner Tim Kirker preparing sumptuous Rabbit Rillettes with Sour Cherry Chutney paired with Bouchaine Vineyards Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Ruth's Chris' Executive Chef Jorge Fernandez serving copious slices of USDA Prime New York Strip Steak with his mouth-watering handmade Bearnaise Sauce, Cooper Hawk Winery and Restaurant Executive Chef Matt McMillin serving the restaurant's signature Crispy Kettle Chips  with Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip paired with their very own label of Sparkling Wine, and Side Door Chef Brian Kwak's flavorful Mini Pastrami Sandwiches with Twelve Day Brined Pastrami, Smoked In-House, Served on a Pretzel Roll with Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Cream Sauce paired with Fetzer Vineyards award-winning Valley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Ninth Annual CHILL was a landmark event that set the Holiday Season off to a scrumptious start.

MOET CHANDON CHAMPAGE COCKTAIL
 COOPER HAWK'S EXECUTIVE CHEF MATT McMILLIN

 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAB SCHOOLS JAZZ ENSEMBLE


RAGTIME AND JAZZ PIANO WIZARD DANIEL SOUVIGNY

 BOUCHARD VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR FROM CARNEROS DISTRICT NAPA VALLEY

Matt McCormack of V2 Wine Group pours Chateau Bouchaine Wine
 With a "walking" grape vine

Chef Stephen Hicks of McCormick and Schmick with Mini Lobster and Shrimp Rolls

 "LET THEM EAT CHOCOLATE!"
 THE WITHOTEL EXECUTIVE CHEF KEVIN ATKINSON WITH HIS BISON MEATLOAF SLIDER WITH BRUSSELS SPROUT SLAW, PICKLED BLUEBERRY MUSTARD ON BRIOCHE
 FRED'S AT BARNEYS NEW YORK EXECUTIVE CHEF JEAN TIPPENHAUER
WITH HIS SMOKED SALMON WITH CAVIAR ON CUCUMBER


RUTH'S CHRIS EXECUTIVE CHEF JORGE FERNADEZ WITH PRIME NY STRIP STEAK AND BEARNAISE SAJCE