dwightthewinedoctor

Thursday, October 22, 2015

WINE OF THE WEEK-BENEDE CATARRATTO SICILIA 2014 BY ALESSANDRO DI CAMPOREALE-$14

by Dwight Casimere

A REFRESHING NEW WHITE WINE FROM SICILY

Winemaker Benedetto Alessandro (l) with Dwight Casimere

Catarratto is one of the oldest native wines in Sicily, yet it is only just beginning to gain popularity in the United States. It's a pity, because the wine packs a lot of flavor for a white wine, and is versatile enough to go with a variety of dishes, all the way from salads and pastas, to any shellfish, seafood, and even a variety of meats. You can practically go through an entire meal with Catarratto and not want for any other wine.

A case in point is BENEDE' CATARRATTO DOC SICILIA 2014. A luscious, fragrant white wine with a ton of mouthwatering fruit flavors, such as Meyer lemon, pineapple, star fruit and a touch of antelopue. I met winemaker Benedetto Alessandro during a recent introductory tour to the U.S. and he shared a bottle of his fantastic wine over a variety of Sicilian specialties; Hamachi crudo (essentially yellowtail tuna Sashimi) with a splash of Meyer lemon, capers and trout roe, an appetizer of Fresh figs with various cured Italian meats and a deliciously prepared dish of seared Octopus with black olives, serrano ham and mint. Octopus is a Sicilian and Mediterranean delicacy that is starting to find its way to a lot of tables at the trendiest restaurants. I even saw it prepared as a cold salad in the prepared food case of my local Whole Foods-type deli. At just $14 a bottle, its a great wine to pick up for a casual lunch or informal dinner.

Benede Catarratto 2014 paired with Hamchi Crudo with Meyer Lemon

If you're looking for some more substantial fare to go with the wine, try a plate of Gnocchi, the light,pillowy potato flour dumplings that can be found fully cooked at many local stores and delis. I had mine with some mixed steamed and quickly stir-fried vegetables; cauliflower, broccoli leaves and a few peas. Its also great with a blend of eggplant, sweet and mild peppers, celery, pine nuts and anchovies, a delightful Sicilian vegetable 'stew' called Busiate. It's quick and easy to make and it goes great with Benede' Catarratto 2014.

The estate high in the hills outside Palermo, Sicily

The Founder outside the modern winery

A word about the winery: Alessandro Camporeale is a family-owned estate founded by Oenologists Natale and Benedetto Alessandro. Prior to establishing a modern winery in 2000, the family sold grapes to nearby wine producers for their high-quality wines. The estate, located high in the hills outside the capital city of Palermo, is devoted almost entirely to native Sicilian grape varieties; Catarratto, Nero D'Avola and Vigna di Mandranova, as well as Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc international varieties. "Its surprising how well Syrah grows in our Sicilian soil and climate. It's almost as if the Syrah grape was tailor-made for us," Benedetto declared. About the wine name Benede.' "It's short for Benedetto," the winemaker shared, "and it becomes a sort of nickname for my grandfather. So I dedicated this wine to him." So, the next time you have a glass of Benede' Catarratto, raise a glass in the founder's honor. Salute'!

Saturday, October 10, 2015

KOBRAND TOUR d'ITALIA 2015 PRESENTS THE STARS OF ITALIAN WINE TO U.S.

KOBRAND TOUR d'ITALIA A FALL SHOWCASE PREVIEWING THE FINEST ITALIAN WINES

by Dwight Casimere

NEW YORK-- Kobrand Tour d'Italia 2015 presented Italy's top wines and winemakers in a whirlwind national tour that began in Boston, and wound its way though New York, West Orange, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa and Miami. This showcase of the Icons of Italian wines celebrated the best that Italy has to offer. All of the great names in Italian wine were there, with their owners and winemakers personally on hand to pour their liquid gems.

Sassicaia, Tenuta Sette Ponti, Folonari, Masi, Michele Chiarlo, among others, presented a dazzling array of their latest vintages, all served against the backdrop of a luxurious venue, accompanied by some terrific Italian food.

Among the favorites was Tenute Silvio Nardi's Brunello di Montalcino 2010, A deep, intense Ruby-red wine aged for 12 in French oak barrels. Its a real powerhouse of a wine, best paired with a Prime Aged Steak or a rich fish, such as Sturgeon, Monkfish or Grouper. If you have a butcher or close friend who can get you some game meat, such as Venison, Pheasant or Grouse, you'll thank me for the suggestion.

Another outstanding wine was Roberto Pighin's Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave. A bright, crisp wine with flavors of candied fruit, ripe banana and star fruit. This one will go great with Pasta Fruiti di Mare (a mixture of littleneck clams, mussels, shrimp, langostino-spiny lobster) and a light tomato puree sauce splashed with a bit of the wine poured over Angel Hair pasta. Abbondanza!

Another favorite was the Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2010. This is a powerful, complex wine with flavors of dried plums, anise, a hint of fennel and the slight aroma of baked cherries and mint. Grapes are aged on a rack 'in passito', which gives the wine a richness and character. The back note of chocolate and cinnamon flavors makes it perfect with game meat, a Prime Aged Steak, or a rich cheese like an aged Parmesan or even a creamy Gorgonzola. It is also is great by itself or with a cigar while listening to your favorite music. I'm listening to 'Trane and Johnny Hartman, myself.

Fine Italian wines, generally, get a real workout in the aging barrels, with some winemakers making elaborate use of combinations of barrel sizes, types of wood and age of barrels. Masi, for example, uses a combination of giant Slavonian oak casks and fine French Allier oak casks from the Auvergne region in Moulin, then ages the wine for 6 months to a year in the bottle. The results are exquisite.

I found myself hovering around the table with Oreno Toscana IGT 2008, a rare treat. Perhaps it also was the magnetic personality and warm smile of the owner, Giovanna Moretti, that also attracted my attention. She's a terrific ambassador for the brand. The wine not only tasted great on its own, but it went perfectly with the assortment of Italian specialties on the groaning sideboard; assorted crudo and salumi and, of course, pasta. Salute'!

Giovanna Moretti-Tenuta Sette Ponti

Phil Kampe, The Wine Hub (l) Ralph Wright, De Carlo Wines (c), Maria Reveley (r)

Alberto Chiaro (l) of Michele Chiaro pours his Cannubi Barolo

Stefano Maggini-Eport Manager, Tenuta Sette Ponti with Oreno 2008 named for the river that runs though the property in Central Tuscany

One cool guy!

Mine Ayberk-Sommelier-Wine Consultant with Mine Wine

The Terrace at The Bowery Hotel, a serene oasis in the East Village

Sebastiano Rosa, Principal, and Edoardo Ardizzone of Agricola Punica with their Barrua Isola Nuraghi IGT 2012 and Biserno 2010 from Lodovico Antinori's Tenuta Biserno

Another terrace view

Lars Guy of Kobrand Wine and Spirits

Roberto Pighin of Fernando Pighin and Figli with his Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave

Jennifer Neidig-Mundial Lounge

The Great Hall at The Bowery Hotel, reminiscent of the Great Hotels of London

REMEMBERING PAUL PRUDHOMME, LEGENDARY CAJUN CHEF

FAMED NEW ORLEANS CHEF WAS NOT ONLY A LEGEND, BUT A PERSONAL
INSPIRATION

by Dwight Casimere

PAUL PRUDHOMME, CHEF WHO PUT CAJUN COOKING ON NATIONAL STAGE, DIES AT 75...The New York Times, October 8, 2015

The headline in the New York Times sent waves of regret over me in the early morning hours, as I recalled my first encounter with legendary Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme, who died on Thursday at the age of 75 in New Orleans after a brief illness.

I first met the great chef in 1980, when he opened a 'pop-up' restaurant on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, prior to opening a brick and mortar establishment. Prudhomme had a reputation for setting up shop in the most unexpected places, both in the US and around the world. His French Quarter restaurant, K Paul's had already captured the culinary world's imagination and he was quickly on his way to becoming a household name.

I was introduced to Prudhomme because I was embarking on a culinary career of my own, auditing courses at the San Francisco Culinary Academy and creating a pilot for a proposed cable TV show, Celebrity Gourmet. Prudhomme welcomed me into his makeshift field kitchen, set up in a tent along the docks near Pier 35. He showed me how to prepare a dish I had never had before, a variation of Jambalaya, featuring Rabbit instead of the traditional shrimp or crawfish, and poured over pasta instead of rice. He allowed me to sample a few of his other specialties, including Shrimp Etouffee and, of course, Gumbo.

I confided to Chef Prudhomme, that although I had eaten many Cajun and Creole specialties as a child. They were prepared by my grandmother, who was born in New Orleans, and who raised me.
I joked with him that, although I had eaten many of her preparations, I really didn't know the names of them and, as a young child, didn't have the nerve to ask. Prudhomme joked that "when Granmaw cooks, you don't ask questions. You just eat!" His hearty laugh and considerable girth at the time cemented his image in my mind as the jocular down-home chef, who was all about serious business in the kitchen, even in less-than-perfect conditions.

The last time I saw Prudhomme was in New Orleans at the J.W. Marriott Hotel on Canal Street during the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience in 2011, when he was the recipient of the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality. He was in a wheelchair, but rose to the occassion and walked unassisted onstage in the Ile de France Grand Ballroom to accept the award. As always, he was the same jocular person I had met years before and recalled our encounter in San Francisco with the same great sense of humor.

Paul Prudhomme was not only a great chef, he was an outstanding individual who championed a humble cuisine and elevated it to the heights.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

AFFORDABLE FRENCH BORDEAUX FOR FALL FROM MICHAEL MADRIGALE HEAD SOMMELIER BAR BOULUD, NEW YORK

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE PICKS GREAT FRENCH WINES THAT PROVE
BORDEAUX DOESN'T MEAN EXPENSIVE

By Dwight Casimere

NEW YORK--Michael Madrigale has dedicated his attention over the last few years to championing the terrific lesser known, and therefore inexpensive, wines from France's Bordeaux region. When most people think of Bordeaux, their minds automatically turn to the celebrated "first growth" premiere wines from Chateau Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Marquaux. These wines command top dollar and the prices at times can reach the stratosphere. A case of Chateau Petrus 1990, for example, sold for more than $45,000 at a recent wine auction at Sotheby's in New York.

As Head Sommelier at midtown Manhattan's Bar Boulud, he's had ample opportunity to compare the relative merits of the finest French Bordeaux's. By way of resume', he was named Food and Wine Magazine and Wine Enthusiast "Top Sommelier of The Year" in 2012 and a 2014 James Beard Award nominee.

Michael Madrigale in action at the Goldmine of Planet Bordeaux Wines tasting event

"These wines are electric, Madrigale expressed, during a recent intimate tasting with a select group of wine media and buyers. "They have vitality and truly speak for the terroir and the region. They are true Bordeaux in every way. Although the wines aren't aged as long as their more expensive counterparts, the same amount of care goes into creating them."

Michael Rigney of Wineberry America at the Midtown Loft A Goldmine of Planet Bordeaux Wines

That means a significant amount of satisfaction and value for the wine consumer. Madrigale demonstrated the point at a series of events, including tastings at Bar Boulud and sister restaurants Epicerie Boulud and Boulud Sud, where he also serves as Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer, culiminating in a food and wine seminar and walk-around tasting for the A Goldmine of Planet Bordeaux Wines trade event at the scenic Midtown Loft and Terrace in New York City.

A special feature of the event was a live streaming via Skype of the actual crush underway at that very moment in Bordeaux with the winemaker and staff at Chateau Reignac on hand to explain the step-by-step process of harvesting, sorting and fermenting the grapes for the new vintage. It was an exciting edition to an otherwise engrossing tasting experience. Paired with cuisine inspired by the culinary team at Bar Boulud, Madrigale proved that affordable Bordeaux can make your introduction to Fall and its cuisine an unparalleled delight!