Caterina Zardini Valpolicella, Classico Superiore, 2006

Caterina Zardini Valpolicella, Classico Superiore, 2006

Last night was the 82nd annual Academy Awards and we had a small party as we lounged in front of the big screen to watch the handing out of the Oscars. There are a few food items that have become traditional, such as strawberries and Chinese BBQ Pork, but other finger foods come and go throughout the years. The food theme turned more Italian as I decided to fire-up the wood burning pizza oven and crank out some tasty treats.
To accompany our pizza party, I decided to open a bottle of a 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. The 2005 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 bottle is from the 2006 vintage and has been in our cellar for the past year.

The 2006 Caterina Zardini 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. The wine has a lovely deep ruby color with purple hues. This wine has wonderful aromas with dark cherry, black raspberry, tobacco and summer rain. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a voluptuous mouth-feel with smooth tannins and gentle acidity. It is a delicious mix of ripe black cherries, plum, chocolate, clove 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 once again, the Caterina Zardini succeeds. I would award this lovely Valpolicella an Oscar for “Best Supporting Role” at an Oscar party! We bought this wine from Wines from Italy for about $25.

Castell del Remei Gotim Bru, 2005

Castell del Remei Gotim Bru, 2005

This Castell del Remei Gotim Bru is one of Spain's great wine values. This is a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha from the D.O. of Costers del Segre in Western Catalonia. We have been buying this lovely Spanish blend since the 1998 vintage. The color is a deep ruby/purple that is nearly opaque. There are sweet aromas of ripe black fruit with essences of coffee and licorice. This is a medium to full bodied wine with dark berry, black cherry and stewed plum flavors caressed by chewy tannins and zesty acidity. The wine is nicely balanced with some minerality and oak nuances that complete the package. This is a serious wine for the money. This Spanish blend can be found at Esquin Wine Merchants, in Seattle, for about $10.00. This wine will pair well with any hearty meal or an aged cheese from Spain.
　

Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, 1999

On of the great things about having a wine cellar is the pleasure and excitement of enjoying a wine in a mature state. Many wines evolve in flavor and texture and become quite elegant after years of cellaring. Bold fruit flavors become more subtle, rough tannins smooth out, secondary characteristics of herbs, flowers, fruit and earth add complexity. We purchased this Simi Cabernet back in 2002 when it made the Wine Spectator Top 100 List. This week we decided to open this bottle after it rested for about 8 years in a cool dark cellar. Wow, aromas of fresh blackberry, plum, cut apples and wet stone. The color is dark ruby with a crimson rim. Still amazingly youthful considering the grapes were harvested over 10 years ago. Medium bodied with firm, tightly focused dark fruit flavors and notes of smoke, herbs and minerals. There is a zesty grip that compliments the exotic flavors. The flavors are balanced by firm acidity and fully integrated tannin giving this wine of extraordinary depth and length. So smooth and elegant it would be hard to guess this as a 1999 Alexander Valley Cabernet. Back in 2002, we purchased this Simi Cabernet for about $20.

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese, 2008

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese, 2008

I always keep my eyes open for good value wines from Italy. This Di Majo Norante is 100% Sangiovese from vineyards located in the region of Molise, along on the Adriatic Sea between Puglia and Abruzzo. Compared to many value priced Sangioveses coming from Tuscany, this wine is surprisingly bold and complex. The wine was aged in steel then in large oak vats, for six months, to achieve smoothness and softness while preserving the fruity flavors of Sangiovese. This wine exhibit’s a dark ruby color and a fresh bouquet of violets, red cherries, berries, spices, earth and leather. A smooth and plush palate is loaded with dark ripe fruit, tobacco, leather, tar and cedar. The fruit-driven style is balanced by smooth tannins and moderate acidity. There is little evidence of oak in the mouth. I really enjoyed this wine while snacking during the Super Bowl this past weekend. This is a perfect wine to pair with any hearty Italian food or to enjoy with a great pizza. This value Sangiovese can be found in the Seattle area for under $10.

Dow Vale do Bomfim, 2007

Dow Vale do Bomfim, 2007

This is a new vintage of this dry red wine from Portugal, produced by from the house of Dow. Their reputation lies in the production of high quality Ports during the past 350 years. The Vale do Bomfim is produced from Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, & Tinta Barroca. This is an example of modern wine making from established vineyards with traditional grape varieties from the upper Douro Valley. The 2005 and 2006 vintages were very nice and we were excited to try this new vintage. This is another elegant wine with a dark red color and abundant aromas of black fruit, vanilla and cinnamon. This is a medium bodied wine with lovely flavors of black cherry, cassis and chocolate. There is evidence of toasty oak, on the finish, that adds a touch of creamy vanilla. The mouth-feel is quite velvety with ample smooth tannins and gentle acidity. This wine is quite smooth and delicious and is great on it’s own or will pair well with any hearty meal. If you like chocolate covered cherries, seek out this wine. This is another example of the high quality modern wines starting to come to us from the Douro DOC. We found this wine at Esquin Wine Shop, in Seattle, for about $10.

Borsao Red Wine, 2008

Borsao Red Wine, 2008

This wine is imported by Elliot Bay Distributing, of Seattle, and is one of the many great wines exported from Spain by Jorge Ordonez. He is perhaps the most influential exporter of Spanish wines to emerge in the last few decades, tapping into the quality and value of the less-traveled regions of Spain such as Toro, Campo de Borja, Montsant, and Jumilla, as well as the Ribera del Duero, Rioja, and Priorat. From the ultra-expensive to the great values he has discovered and facilitated the revival of some tremendous old-vine Grenache (Garnacha) and Tempranillo vineyards that had laid dormant or neglected for decades. As a result, there is now an amazing resurgence of Spanish wine in the international marketplace. This red table wine is produced by Bodegas Borsao in the Borja region of Spain. This Borsao is a blend of 75% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo and has a deep ruby color. Aromas of fresh black berries and licorice jump out of the glass. This is a medium bodied wine that has rich flavors of ripe berries, coffee, plum, wet stones and baking spice. There is nice acidity and smooth tannins that round off the finish. Definitely more “New World, than Old World, this wine represent another great value from Spain that can be found in the Seattle area for under $8. 　

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Soul

I grew up in a household where my mom would make chicken soup to help cure a cold or flu. We always referred to this potion as “Jewish Penicillin” and to this day I repeat the same ritual in our home. Despite the fact that we both took the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines, Kate ended up with the flu. Cultural forces prevailed and I made a batch of our traditional Chicken Soup to nurse her back to health.

1 Large Whole Chicken (free-range preferred)
6 Large Carrots peeled and cut in large chunks
6 Celery Stalks cut in large chunks
2 Large Parsnips peeled and cut in large chunks
1 Large Onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup dried noodles (elbows, twists or alphabets)
12 cups cold water
1 handful fresh Parsley, chopped
1 handful fresh Dill, chopped
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt (2-3 teaspoons depending on taste)
Black Pepper, Ground (about 1 teaspoon)

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch-Oven or heavy bottom soup pot, over medium heat. Add the whole chicken to the pot and brown on top and bottom. Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, onions, parsley, dill, 2 tsp. salt and black pepper. Allow these ingredients to simmer and sweat for about 5-10 minutes. Add the 12 cups of water and bring to boil with medium/high heat. Once soup reaches a boil, reduce temperature to very low and gently simmer, loosely covered, for about 2 hours. Turn off heat. At this point carefully remove the cooked chicken from the pot and place it in a large bowl to cool down. I use two large slotted spoons to remove the entire bird, it will be falling apart. Taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed. Turn on the heat to medium, add the dried noodles to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, carefully remove all the meat from the bones and add the meat back to the soup (large pieces are OK). Your soup is now done and your patient is on the road to recovery! Kate likes her soup served with sourdough toast for dipping.

Columbia Crest H3 Merlot, 2007

Columbia Crest H3 Merlot, 2007

We have been big fans of Columbia Crest wines for years. I can't think of another American winery that can produce such a tremendous quantity of wine and produce an excellent product at every price point. They have wines starting at about $6 and wines priced above $35. The Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet, 2005 was recently selected as “Wine of the Year” (2009) from the Wine Spectator Magazine. The Columbia Crest “H3” wines are upper-mid level wines that sell for about $12 to $14 in the Seattle area. The name “H3” stands for Horse Heaven Hills which is the appellation of this wine and the home of the Columbia Crest Winery in Patterson, Washington. A few weeks ago we opened a bottle of the H3 Cabernet and were quite pleased. This time it is the H3 Merlot. This is an excellent representation of a Washington State Merlot. I recommend decanting this wine, before drinking, to allow the initial oakiness to blow off and the complexity to deepen. In the glass this Merlot has deep ruby red color with a heady bouquet that evokes ripe berries, sweet tobacco, licorice and vanilla. This is a full bodied wine with complex layers of flavors with an explosion of fresh black fruit, cassis, espresso and spice that are balanced by some nice minerality and a touch of creamy oak. Tannins are chewy and there is crisp acidity that adds to the overall balance. The finish is full and very pleasant. This is still a very young wine that should evolve nicely with a few years of proper cellaring. I really enjoyed the H3 Cabernet; however, the 2007 Merlot is also excellent.

La Vieille Ferme Rouge, 2007

La Vieille Ferme Rouge, 2007

Jean Pierre Perrin, of the famed Château de Beaucastel, established La Vieille Ferme over 35 years ago, when he chose to produce an inexpensive, straightforward Rhône wine to sell by direct mail to French wine lovers. Initially, they made only Côtes du Rhône, but steeply rising grape prices in 1976 caused him to switch to Côtes du Ventoux and eventually to produce a white wine from the mountainous Côtes du Luberon. La Vieille Ferme was introduced to the United States in the late 1970s. This Côtes du Ventoux is a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 15% Cinsault. The 2007 vintage is excellent and this wine is made in a typical Rhone Valley style with good fruit, nice spice and soft tannins. The color is a dark cherry red and there are nice aromas of cherry, plum and wet earth. This is a medium bodied wine with a smooth mouth-feel and flavors of black cherry, plum, black pepper and leather. The tannins are soft and well integrated and there is gentle acidity and a trace of minerals that adds to the overall balance. This is an excellent everyday wine that will pair well with most food and is also delicious on its own. La Vieille Ferme Rouge is a nice value wine that can be found in the Seattle area for about $9.

Lucien Albrecht Blanc de Blancs, Brut

Lucien Albrecht Blanc de Blancs, Brut

Lucien Albrecht has been making wine for over 40 years and helped gain an Appellation Contrôlêe for the wines of Cremant d' Alsace. This wine is vinified by the classic Champagne method. This is an elegant sparkling wine that is a great alternative to Champagnes costing twice the price. This wine is made from 100% Pinot Blanc. Having a lovely straw color and thousands of tiny bubbles, this Blanc de Blancs has delightful aroma of fresh picked apples. This sparkling wine is light and delicate on the palate and the apple aromas lead to the taste of fresh Macintosh apples, Kadota figs and creamy citrus fruit. Being light, fruity and dry, this type of wine is delicious at any time of the day and with many foods. Try it as an aperitif with a sharp New York Cheddar or as a companion to a spicy Thai dinner. We purchased this pleasing sparkler from Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $16.