Venta Mazzaron, 2005

Venta Mazzaron, 2005

The 2005 Venta Mazzaron , from Vinas del Cenit, is a great value red wine from Spain. It is made from 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). The color is a deep ruby red with a garnet rim with nice clarity and depth of color. On the nose is the sweet scent of blackberries, caramel and toast. On the palate are an abundance of ripe black fruit with sweet smoky flavors and a hint of spice. The tannins are full yet soft and this medium to full bodied wine has very good depth and a long pleasant finish. The new-world style comes through and this wine is truly delicious. This wine is very good now and should do well with some short-term cellaring. We bought this at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $11.

Vegetable Frittata

Vegetable Frittata

A Frittata is a simple Italian dish that is easy to make and it goes well with all types of wine. This is a flat egg omelet with vegetables, herbs and cheese. This can be severed warm, cool or at room temperature. Drizzle with high quality olive oil, before serving.

10 large eggs
2/3 cups milk
1 cup grated Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 glove garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced½ cup mushrooms, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh Basil
½ cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium size bowl beat the eggs, milk and grated cheeses until mixed.

Place a 10-12 inch non-stick, oven- proof, sauté pan on medium heat and add the olive oil, garlic, onions, red peppers, mushrooms and onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Pour in the egg mixture to cover the sautéed vegetables. Add the chopped basil and parsley and a little salt and pepper, stirring in gently. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about 5-7 more minutes as egg mixture begins to set. Finish the cooking by placing the pan under a hot broiler until the center is nearly firm and the top is golden brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before sliding out on to a serving plate. Cut in wedges, drizzle with more olive oil and a splash of chopped basil of Italian parsley.

Ruffino Modus, 2004

Ruffino Modus, 2004

Here is a Super-Tuscan that is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. For over 130 years Ruffino has been one of the leading Chianti wineries. I have been a fan of the Modus wines since their 1999 vintage. This wine is deep ruby red with garnet hues. The nose is full of spicy cherry and dark berry flavors showing an exotic quality. There is an impressive chewy texture with very ripe black fruit, strawberries and plums with a hint of sweet pipe tobacco. This is a full bodied wine with sweet, soft tannins and a long, juicy finish. The Modus 2004 was awarded the 3 bicchieri (3 glasses) by the Gambero Rosso Wine Guide 2008. A lovely wine to sip with some aged sharp cheese or a home-made Vegetable Frittata. We bought this at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $21. This wine should cellar well for 3-5 years.

Layer Cake Primitivo, 2006

Layer Cake Primitivo, 2006

Winemaker Jason Woodbridge, with the Vantage Point Wine group, is importing wines from Italy, Argentina, Australia and France. This new venture is a Primitivo (Zinfandel) from Puglia, Italy, that is perfectly marketed for America. The easy to remember brand name, eye catching label and use of the familiar term "Zinfandel" gives this wine an edge on store shelves. As a rule, I am more of a fan of what is "in" the bottle verse the marketing side of the house. I enjoyed a glass of this wine this weekend and found out that this wine is a nice package both in and out. The wine is nearly opaque and purple-colored with an explosive nose of jammy black cherry and blackberry fruit, tar and spice. This is a medium bodied wine that is more new world than old. It is smooth and rich in the mouth with ripe dark fruit flavors of black cherries, berries and plums. Tannins are low and well integrated and this jammy wine is well supported by the depth of the structure. This wine should appeal to anyone who likes a fruit driven wine that can pair well with a Pasta Puttanesca!

Alberti 154 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Alberti 154 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Here is an old vine Cabernet, from Mendoza, that is a delicious wine at a very affordable price. The color is dark ruby and the nose is full of ripe black cherry, mushroom and caramel. This is a medium bodied wine with lovely flavors of sweet cherries, cassis, licorice and spice. The tannins are smooth and add to the overall complexity of this quality red. This wine will pair well with a plate of chocolate brownies and a good romantic movie. We purchased this Argentinean Cab at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for under $8. If you are looking for quality and value, think Alberti 154 Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.

Hedges C.M.S Red, 2006

Hedges C.M.S Red, 2006

Hedges winery is located in Red Mountain Washington and they have been producing excellent wines from great Red Mountain and Columbia Valley grapes over the past 20 years. This 2006 C.M.S. Red is a blend of 52% Cabernet, 44% Merlot and 4% Syrah. The color is a rich ruby red and the nose shows dark ripe blackberry, cherry and plum and some pleasant floral notes. This is a medium bodied wine with rich black cherry and raspberry flavors along with a hint of toasty oak. The tannins are well submerged, but present, and there is ample acidity to keep this lively. The finish is long and satisfying. We bought this wine for about $11 at Pete's Wine Shop in Bellevue. This is a quality wine with nice structure and fruit and it should cellar well for the next 3-5 years. Enjoy this with a grilled burger or a meatball sandwich or a killer rib eye steak!

Alamos Selección Malbec, 2006

Alamos Selección Malbec, 2006

Alamos Selección was released in 2006 as an extension to the successful Alamos brand. The Selección line offers quality wines from Argentina that exhibit the true character of the country. As with the other wines made by the Catena family, the fruit for these wines is carefully selected and blended to create the final product. This Mendoza Malbec really delivers the goods. The color is a deep vivid purple and is nearly opaque. On the nose is black cherry, plum and a puff of smoke. The flavors are those of juicy black cherry and sweet cranberry, spice and a slights hint of oak. Although this full bodied wine has a creamy texture, it also has vibrant acidity and smooth caressing tannins. The finish is long and fruit-filled. We enjoy many good wines throughout the year, but this wine was truly delicious, by itself, and with a hardy meal.. We bought this for about $13 at Pete's Wine Shop in Bellevue. This is another excellent Malbec from Mendoza.

Antipasti

Pizza and Antipasti Party

This past weekend, I prepared a large variety of antipasti to accompany a pizza party for a group of about 25 people. Items included a Frittata with Fontina cheese, asparagus and chives and mixed grilled vegetables including zucchini and eggplant. I also mad some Meatball Sliders as a nosh. I fired 15 pizzas that day, and we all had a great feast. Here are some pictures form the party.

The top picture is Pizza with Caramelized Onions , Kalamata Olives and Blue Cheese. The next is a mixed Antipasti Platter, and the third is fresh baked buns for the Meatball Sliders!

Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio, 2006

Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio, 2006

This past weekend we hosted a party for my Dental Study Club. The theme was Antipasti and Pizza and I included this Italian white wine with a nice mix of reds. Pinot Grigio has become the leading imported white wine in the United States. In general Pinot Grigio is easy drinking wines that come in at a good price point. This Cescon Pinot Grigio, from Friuli, has a light straw color with great clarity. On the nose is the aroma of pears and violets. This is a light to medium bodied wine with flavors of peach, pear, orange zest and almond extract. The finish, of this simple white wine is long and smooth with no sharp edges. The packaging of this wine is quite special with a bold yellow ribbon holding a real wood twig up near the neck. We bought this at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $11.

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec, 2007

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec, 2007

We were impressed with the previous vintage of the Altos Las Hormigas Malbec (2006) and were excited to see the 2007 vintage had arrived. This Malbec, from Mendoza, is made by Italian wine makers Alberto Antonini and Attilio Pagli. These guys, from Tuscany, have produced excellent wines from Malbec and Bonarda grapes that not only display the quality of these grapes, but also the pedigree of their Italian wine making tradition. This Malbec as a dark purple color with a violet rim and the wine is nearly opaque. On the nose is black cherry, black berry and plums. This is a medium to full bodied wine with very pleasant dark fruit flavors of black cherries and berries along with some leather and licorice. There are ample tannins ti keep it interesting, but they are quite smooth and well submerged. The finish is soft and elegant. Perhaps we liked the 2006 vintage a little better, but I'm not sure. This 2007 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec is very good! You can find this at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for under $9.



Although the Seattle area weather continues to be cold and dreary, I have started using our outdoor grill. We enjoyed the lovely Malbec with a grilled Balsamic marinaded Flat Iron Steak with some grilled Zucchini and some pan roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes. This kind of meal shows us that even if the weather doesn't cooperate, we still can celebrate Summer!

La Medusa

La Medusa

4857 Rainier Avenue S

Seattle, WA 98118

206.723.2192
http://www.lamedusarestaurant.com/

One of Seattle's BEST Restaurants!

La Medusa Restaurant, in the Columbia City neighborhood, continues to impress us every time we dine there. The kitchen is run by Chef Earl Hook and the front of the house by the charming Julie Andres. The menu is Sicilian inspired food, expertly prepared, and served in a relaxing casual atmosphere. Hardly a weekend arrives without us thinking about a meal at this special restaurant. Last night we made the journey from our Bellevue home to see what culinary delights would come our way. The dining room is small and casual with the positive buzz of happy diners. Delicious aromas, from the open kitchen, flow throughout the room and excite our gastronomic senses. Our server, Christine, was extremely courteous and attentive as she described the evening dinner specials and answered all our questions about the menu preparations. We started with a Sweetbreads and Asparagus Salad, which we split, while our wine (Caterina Zardini, Valpolicella, 2005) was still "opening" in the glass. This was a beautiful dish of Crispy Fried Sweetbreads served with Grilled Asparagus, a fresh soft fried Duck Egg, shaved Parmesan and a luscious creamy sauce. The flavor combinations were perfect and the high quality of the preparation and ingredients was exciting. For our main courses, Kate ordered the Crespelle (Italian Crepes) and I went with the double-cut Pork Chop. Kate's Crespelle where delicate crepes stuffed with a delicious ricotta cheese filling served with a creamy lemon sauce with fresh peas, fava beans and toasted baby artichoke hearts. The filled crepes were sautéed until golden brown and we both thought this dish was truly delicious. My Pork Chop was a large loin chop stuffed with a puree of dried figs, anchovies and garlic. The chop was perfectly browned and the pork was juicy flavorful. It was all topped with some fresh wilted arugula and a sassy pan-sauce. I have to say that this was the best "pork chop" dish I have had in years. With a great combination of sweet, salty and savory elements and perfect execution from concept to plate, this dish really rocked! The portion was large and I gladly allowed Christine to pack my "left-over" to be enjoyed at another time. Although we were both totally "full", we still couldn't resist trying the Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Hazelnut Crust. As we sipped our wine and finished off every last morsel of this ultra-smooth and scrumptious cheesecake, we discussed what was on the agenda for next week! It is much easier travelling to Columbia City verses to Sicily. With great food, service and a warm, friendly atmosphere, this is one of Seattle's bests.

Caterina Zardini Valpolicella, 2005

Caterina Zardini Valpolicella, 2005

Last night we had a fantastic dinner at La Medusa Restaurant, in the Columbia City area of Seattle. We brought a bottle of this highly acclaimed wine from Giuseppe Campagnola winery located in the Veneto region of Italy. In Italy, there is a publication called the GAMBERO ROSSO that rates all Italian wines. This Caterina Zardini Valpolicella, Classico Superiore, was awarded Tre Bicchieri, or "three glasses", which is awarded to only the top wines in a given year. This wine is made from 60% Corvina and Corvinone and 40% Rondinella. The hand picked grapes are allowed to air dry for 20 days prior to crushing. This wine has an explosive aroma with dark cherry, black licorice, tar and burnt almonds. After the wine was opened for about an hour, we were delighted by the additional aroma of lychee and orange peel. The color is dark garnet red, nearly opaque. There is an explosion of activity in the mouth with smooth, but gripping tannins and crisp acidity. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a delicious mix of tart black cherries, tar, licorice and tobacco all wrapped up in a velvet curtain. The wine is well balanced and elegant with an extremely long and satisfying finish. In any given year, there are a few wines that really blow us away, and this is one of them. This wine should cellar well for up to 10 years, but with only one bottle still in our cellar, we will need strong self-control to allow it to "stay- put" for that length of time! We bought this wine from Wines from Italy for about $25. A great Valpolicella to add to your list.

Condado De Haza, 1999

Condado De Haza, 1999

Alejandro Fernández, of Condado De Haza, started planting Tempranillo on the hillside banks of the River Duero in the late 1980s. His vineyards are blessed with southern-facing slopes that ended in the river with different soils composed of gravel, clay and gypsum. The character of these vineyards allow for the creation of wines with interesting nuances that arises from the land and setting. Tonight we opened a bottle of this Ribera Del Duero, red wine, to enjoy with a Grilled Flank Steak. This Condada De Haza is made from 100% Tempranillo and is aged for 15 months in small oak barrels. We had this wine in our cellar for about 5 years. The color is a dark ruby with nice clarity. The nose is wild forest floor, mushrooms, green pepper and dried cherry. The mouth feel is smooth and round with flavors of sour cherries, mushrooms, citrus peel and spice. There are mouth filling tannins that have mellowed with age along with gripping acidity and a very long finish. These Condado De Haza wines are always muscular, complex and delicious. This wine will appeal to your average "old-world" wine junky. I recommend decanting these wines for at least 2 hours. Current vintages of this wine are available for about $23 at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue. A nice wine worth cellaring.