Thoughts on Valentine’s Day Survival…

February 14, 2019

Whether you recoil every time you enter the supermarket this month to find an interior that looks like it’s been hosed down with Pepto Bismal or you are dodging that person who has a rapidly approaching expiration date, Valentine’s Day can totally stink. But it doesn’t have to – even without romance in your life.

For all you Dads of girls out there…what you do on Valentine’s Day matters and will matter for the rest of your little lady’s life. I never hated Valentine’s Day, even during my very single years, and here’s why:  every year, my Dad made me feel special whether I was alone or had a significant other in my life.  I always received a card, candy or something.

One of my fondest Valentine’s Day memories is from my last year of graduate school. My ex-boyfriend at the time was blissfully courting a Budweiser girl (barf) while I was painfully single and regularly sporting dark circles around my haggard eyes while pounding away at my master’s degree. I had a group of girlfriends over for an impromptu wine tasting – this was before my more responsible somm days of sniff, swish and spit. My best girlfriend had been dumped that very day and the remainder of our group was single – some nursing broken hearts, some not so much. Needless to say, we “tasted” like there was no tomorrow. Then my Dad called with his annual Valentine’s Day greeting. With a touch of a slur, I thanked him profusely then he announced that he wanted to treat all of us girls to dinner. My phone made the rounds as all the ladies said their thank yous then we strolled down the street to Blue Water Grill for a Valentine’s Day dinner. I don’t know how we wrangled a table, I cannot remember what we ate aside from the fact that it was seafood, and I can’t remember every topic of conversation we covered. I do remember that my beloved Boston Terrier, JD, was in attendance (more loyal than any man could ever be).

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I also remember one of my friends, a hilarious Brazilian beauty in the cinematography department at Chapman, suddenly leaned over the dock next to our table and vomited. She delicately dabbed her face with her cloth napkin, turned back to the table with a humiliated glance then uttered, “whoa, I feel much better.” Paroxysms of laughter healed our broken hearts and sheer magic filled the air as the sun set behind us.

The moral of the story is: make someone you love feel special on Valentine’s Day whether it be a friend, a parent, your child or a significant other. I know I’m married now and have a family, but it is my Dad that I always think of on this holiday because I knew I was  special to him. So, this Valentine’s Day, my husband and I will endeavor to make our son know how marvelous he is to us.  So, yeah, make someone you love feel special today.  Happy Valentine’s Day and cheers to Wayne Davis!

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Thanksgiving Wines that Dazzle

November 19, 2018

A day of giving thanks and feasting with those we hold most dear – what’s not to love about Thanksgiving!? It’s also a fabulous excuse to break out some stellar bottles of wine to savor the progression of the day as well as the people in it. The Thanksgiving table offers a cornucopia of flavors with something on offer for just about every palate – sweet, savory, umami, spice, sheer comfort. This does, however, present a rather tall order for pairing wines. Chardonnay aged in oak doesn’t quite suit. Cabernet is just too tannic for the beloved bird while Sauvignon Blanc is just too delightfully green for autumnal flavors. Nevertheless, there are a handful of failproof choices that I look to year after year. Although I do prefer to have a selection of varietals on hand, each and every bottle on this list can elevate the entire meal on its own and evolve with the journey of the feast. So without further adieu…

Saint-Chamant, Blanc de Blanc, Grand Cru, Brut – Champagne

Although I always enjoy kicking off the day with a glass of bubbly and good blanc de blanc Champagne is entirely capable of carrying the entire meal without any assistance. Why blanc de blanc? Well, when produced with care and aged sur lie (on its lees/the spent yeasts from fermentation) a magical thing happens. The wine takes on a yeasty quality akin to freshly baked brioche – hello, popovers and stuffing! That’s matched with bright, thirst-quenching acidity that cuts right through gravy fats and buttered mashed potatoes like a laser beam. Then there’s the minerality of kimmeridgian limestone that only Champagne can muster in the wide world of effervescence – a brined turkey here will reach unfathomable heights. All the stars align to make Thanksgiving pairings across that beautifully set table sheer magic. For a blanc de blanc that knows no rivals in my jaded, vinuous heart, I always swing for the grower Champagne of Saint-Chamant. Octogenarian vigneron, Monsieur Coquillette, has been nurturing his vines and hand-crafting his wines since the 1950’s – the epitome of farm-to-table, this grand old man even continues to hand-label all his own bottles!

For other great blanc de blanc Champagnes, you can also look to producers: Pierre Moncuit, Pol Roger, Vazart-Coquart and AR Lenoble.

 

Château d’Epiré, Savennières, Loire Valley – France

Chenin Blanc from Savennières is truly one of my favorite wines on the planet. In this special little pocket of the Loire Valley the wines are fermented bone-dry (unlike the subtly sweet offerings from the more well-known Vouvray) and here the unique schist minerality is truly something spectacular. Flavors of braised yellow apple, dried apricot, lemon peel and quince compote dance across the palate with notes of chamomile, honey comb, aged, nutty cheese and wet wool – can you think of a more fitting tango partner for turkey day? And although the flavors are warm and hauntingly inviting, the crisp acidity and taut minerality make for a balance that will keep you going for glass after refreshing, satisfying glass. As far as producers go, I love Château d’Epiré for their remarkable price to quality.

For other exceptional producers in the appellation, look to the incomparable Nicolas Joly’s Coulée de Serrant as well as Domaine du Closel, Domaine de la Bergerie and Thibaud Boudignon.

White Rose Estate, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir – Oregon

Oregon’s status as the best price-to-quality Pinot Noir in the world is well-traversed ground. I’ve written enough to fill a Diana Gabaldon novel on the merits of Oregon Pinot, because it’s just that damn good. The climate – perfect. The soil – mind-bendingly complex. Simply put, Oregon’s Willamette Valley offers the New World’s greatest Pinot Noir at a fraction of the price for solid Red Burgundy. And although I love great Burgundy, I honestly don’t have the cash to serve a table of thirsty drinkers at my holiday table that sweet nectar of the gods. Nevertheless, if White Rose Estate’s Pinot Noir doesn’t charm even the most devout of Burgundy devotees, then I’ll eat my wine glass for Thanksgiving dinner. This pure beauty of bright red fruit, forest floor majesty, smoky minerality from the Jory soils and pitch-perfect, bright balance will elevate the savory elements of your turkey and dressing, make cranberry sauce zing across your palate and will dazzle and brighten just about any other side dish you choose to throw its way.

Other Oregon producers of Pinot Noir to look for this Thanksgiving are: Winderlea, Patricia Green, Eyrie Vineyards, De Ponte Cellars as well as Evesham Wood.

 

Julien Sunier, Cru Beaujolais, Fleurie – France

Cru Beaujolais is one of those wines that I fell for with the greatest reluctance, but once the flame was kindled there was just no turning back. I had always associated Beaujolais with Beaujolais Nouveau – bubblegum aromas and cheaply produced shlock. Then I tasted Cru Beaujolais from a true artisan who crafted his wine as his ancestors had before him – organic/biodynamic vineyards, whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeasts and proper aging in old, neutral foudres (massive oak barrels that do not leave a footprint) – the result was a staggeringly elegant wine of such purity of fruit and sense of place, that I could scarcely believe I was drinking Beaujolais. Julien Sunier’s wines are just that – pure, unadulterated, terroir-driven from granite soils, and an example of what truly great Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais) should be. He’s followed in the footsteps of greats like Marcel Lapierre, but he’s made a name for himself that’s entirely worthy of the pioneers that came before. With aromatics and flavors of cold bing cherry, fresh strawberry and a hint of cranberry laced with peony, herbs de Provence, white pepper and granitic minerality, this lithe, refreshing and silky red beauty will give the savory, spicy and complex flavors of the Thanksgiving table wings. If you’re looking for one wine to rule them all for Thanksgiving, this is it.

For other Cru Beaujolais offerings, look for Cru Beaujolais from the villages of Morgon or Fleurie from these producers: Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Brun, Jean Foillard or Jean-Paul Thévenet.

Happiest of Happy Thanksgivings, y”all! And to my Canadians, I’m sorry this is too late for 2018 – love to you all!

 

 

Mediterranean Lamb & Eggplant Magic

September 1, 2018

We spent a weekend away in Greenville, South Carolina last month where we grazed at The Lazy Goat, which I highly recommend, and the unexpected marriage of flavors left such a lasting impression that I’ve been haunted by its lingering memory since. It’s a Mediterranean mashup up of Greek and Moroccan flavors that just jive across the palate like enchanting, near discordant jazz. I’ve tried a few different preparations to recreate the experience of their Greek Lamb and Moroccan Eggplant Zaalook and have come up with a winning roadmap at last! If you can find it, snag a bottle of Chateau Musar Rouge from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for a pairing that will simple dazzle.

Greek Lamb:

This mixture is a solid Greek marinade that does divine things with lamb, but its also a sure fire way to liven up even a dull chicken breast. It’s quick, painless and I use it on the regular in our house.

  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ lb lamb (shoulder or chops)

Combine all the ingredients and marinate the lamb for at least one hour (four if you can). Although I used lamb shoulder, which I love for its touch of grain and soft beautiful texture, lamb chops are lovely with this dish as well. Grill over medium-high heat for four minutes on each side. Simple as that!

In the meantime, whip up your favorite batch of tzatziki sauce. I find this recipe to be ideal if you’re in need of a foolproof tzatziki.

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Moroccan Eggplant Zaalook:

  • 5 Japanese eggplant (or as slender as you can find them)
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon red chile flakes (I prefer guajillo)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup water
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

I like to think of Eggplant Zaalook as Ratatouille’s exotic, Moroccan cousin. Like the famed French side dish, when done well, Zaalook can effortlessly steal the show. Although you can sauté or oven roast the eggplant, I prefer to grill them on a sheet of aluminum foil, along with the tomatoes, prior to returning everything to a pot on the stove. First, peel the eggplant and half them lengthwise. Rub the eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper then line them on an aluminum sheet. Grill them at medium, maintaining a 350 temperature inside the grill, for seven minutes on each side. The last seven minutes, add your halved tomatoes to the grill.

Then, let the eggplant and tomatoes cool for slicing while you grill your lamb. Once the eggplant and tomatoes are cool enough, start chopping. The tomatoes need to be minced, not chopped, so they will cook down to almost nothing. Slice the eggplant down their length then cut them into ¼ inch quarters – like a tiny, slender slice of pie.

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Coat a dutch oven with olive oil and heat on low. Add the paprika, chile flakes, bay leaf and a dusting of salt and pepper then allow the spices to bloom over a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, minced garlic cloves and water to the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn the heat back down to medium-low and cover. Allow the mixture to simmer for about twenty minutes or until the eggplant is soft. Just before serving, add a healthy squeeze of lemon juice as well as a small handful of cilantro leaves and stir.

Ladle the zaalook into a shallow bowl, top with lamb and drizzle tzatziki sauce over it all. Enjoy!

 

Hatch Green Chile Fever

August 12, 2018

I’m a fanatic – an unabashed Hatch Green Chile evangelist – as you regulars at AMCC most likely know by now. I didn’t just catch the chile fever that has swept the country in recent years, I was born into it and am convinced it was a key component in my baby food. All joking aside, I did actually use hatch green chiles in some of my son’s baby food recipes – verdict, a huge hit! So enamored with these green, roasted pods of heaven am I, that I lugged the allowed amount of roasted hatch green chiles across the Canadian border each year when we lived in Alberta. I spread the gift of the green far and wide in the great white north and our homemade salsa became a de rigueur Christmas gift for our beloved Canadians.

These days, many high-end grocery stores around the country feature Hatch Green Chile roasting events when they’re in season – thank goodness! But back when I was a kid living in West Texas, it was a little-known regional secret. The Hatch Valley in New Mexico was a mere 5 hours from where I grew up. Our grocery stores would have rotating, perforated steel drums out front where they would roast the chiles over an open flame as Whole Foods, Wegmans and Central Market do now. We would wait with unrestrained joy for around the first of August to roll around, which usually heralds the beginning of Hatch Green Chile season. We’d eat hatch green chile-infused dishes for days and would bag up the remaining pounds to freeze for the year ahead.

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A year in Santa Fe only strengthened my life-long soul tie to this magical ingredient. Armed with the Tex-Mex of my youth, I added the flavors of New Mexican cuisine to my culinary rolodex and have treasured them ever since. These days, I’ll use the inimitable flavor of a Hatch Green just about any time a pepper is called for, regardless of the style of cuisine. It almost always lends an unexpected layer of bliss and complexity.

So what is all the hype about? Well, Hatch Green Chiles, the only chiles legitimately granted the lofty title, are only grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. With just around 10,000 acres harvested annually and a season of a mere two months, these green vixens are in serious demand now that word is officially out. Among the capsicum annuum family, Hatch Green Chiles have varietal variations that range from mild to quite hot. But it’s the sandy loam soil, diurnal shifts (hot days and cool nights) and nurturing waters of the local Rio Grande that make the terroir of the Land of Enchantment’s Hatch Valley simply without equal. The sensory masterpiece of spicy, savory and almost sweet is unlike any other pepper in the world and its legacy is also quite impressive. Accounts differ, but chile peppers were definitely brought in by the Spanish and were cultivated (arguably) as early as the 1580’s. As the Spanish settled in the area, chiles became a major crop. Today, Hatch Green Chiles are grown on some of these original cultivated lands; many farms go back several generations and have a rich history all their own.

For me, Hatch Green Chiles are more than just a nice ingredient, they are a flavor that lingers in my sense memory and reminds of an aroma and comfort food that knows few equals. I don’t know when I had my first Hatch Green Chile; I just simply cannot remember life without them. This past week, I made my way home from picking Davis up from his grandparents in Texas and, along with all my toddler gear, I toted home 10 pounds of fresh Hatch Chiles for the year ahead. I roasted them at home and we’re currently living off the bounty. Tonight, I’m making Hatch Green Chile Stew, which is a classic and one of my all-time favorites. So, give this heart-warming stew a whirl and stay tuned for more Hatch Green Chile recipes in the weeks ahead.

Hatch Green Chile Stew

I fell in love with this traditional New Mexican dish when I was living in Santa Fe. Over the years, I’ve made it my own as far as measurements, oils, and tiny tweaks are concerned. Nevertheless, I’m a purist when it comes to Hatch Green Chile Stew – you really just can’t improve on perfection, right!

  • 2 pounds of pork (pork shoulder, pork butt or even thick chops will do), dried and dusted with salt and pepper, seared then diced
  • 2 pounds potatoes (I prefer golden, but russets work as well), diced then dusted with salt and pepper
  • 5 roasted hatch green chiles, peeled and chopped (mild to hot is your preference)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • chicken stock

Dry, salt and pepper your pork; if you’re using a butt or shoulder, chop into quarters. Coat a dutch oven with avocado oil or any other oil with a high smoke point then add ½ teaspoon each of cumin and rubbed sage. Sear the meat on medium-high heat – around 2 minutes per side then set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the dutch oven, add the potatoes and toss with the remaining ½ teaspoon of cumin and sage. Get a light, even sear on your potatoes then add the remaining ingredients. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for a minute then turn down to medium-low, cover the pot and let it simmer for one hour. Twenty minutes prior to serving, pull off the lid, salt and pepper to taste and allow the liquid to reduce a bit. Ladle into bowls and serve!

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If you’d like to find Hatch Green Chiles in your area, here’s a few links to help you on your way:

https://www.wegmans.com/events/0818/fire—flavor-hatch-chile-peppers.html

https://centralmarket.com/tag/hatch-fest/

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/store/event/hatch-chile-fest

If you don’t have a local purveyor, the Hatch Chile Store will ship straight to your door:

https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwkrrbBRB9EiwAhlN8_O1HsGH8kr9N4WIeMxDoOJ5V1qX1rRwOXQfK1Ge7dBhJVR-Hml_GXBoC5EkQAvD_BwE

 

The Inexpensive French Sparkler for your next BBQ

July 6, 2018

As Independence Day has thrust us all into the full throes of barbeque mania, I’d like to introduce an unusual pairing partner that will launch your next smoked masterpiece to dizzying heights. A delightfully unique red sparkler, Bugey-Cerdon is nestled in France’s alpine wonderland between Savoie, the Jura, Burgundy and Beaujolais.

My first experience with this charming méthode ancestrale red wine is a moment I’ll never forget. I was going through the sommelier program at the International Culinary Center in the Bay Area when I met a couple life-long friends as well as a handful of wines that would change my life. One of our professors and mentors, Alan Murray, (the first Australian Master Sommelier) left me with a lesson that transcends mere wine and resonates as a shining example of what a true sommelier should be – not to mention a wine that’s firmly implanted in my sense memory.

A few years before this time, Alan was serving as wine director for San Francisco’s Masa. He received a call that the legendary chef, Jacques Pépin, (who is also one of our culinary institute’s founders) would be visiting Masa later in the week. Contrary to many of his peers’ instincts when hearing Jacques Pépin would be descending on their restaurant, Alan opted for an inexpensive yet esoteric wine that would strike an emotional chord with his esteemed guest instead of hauling out the most rare and expensive wine in the house. You see, Jacques spent a significant amount of his childhood in the rural, alpine paradise near Bugey-Cerdon. When the night arrived, Jacques swirled his wine then tasted the cheerful nectar and tears welled up in his eyes. His dinner companions sent Alan a thank you note for making the event such a memorable evening. To me, this moment captures the epitome of what a great somm should truly be. He thoughtfully chose to give his famous guest an unforgettable, poignant experience. For a mere $20, Alan over-delivered when many of his colleagues would have dug deep in the cellar for the most expensive, highly allocated and forgettable bottle the restaurant could muster.

With this moving tale marinating in my mind, I took my first whiff then sip of Patrick Bottex’s Bugey-Cerdon. As years have passed, I can undoubtedly say it was more than mere sentiment that made me fall in love at first taste. The glass came alive with notes of firm, ripe berries, a hint of rhubarb, chalk, peony, violet, aromatic alpine air and a subtle yeastiness that was sheer magic! Although the picturesque little hamlet has been crafting wines since the Romans donned togas, it only received an AOC (French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in 2009, but the wines remain the same rural sparklers that the locals know and love. As I previously mentioned, this sparkling wine is crafted méthode ancestrale, which means that the wine starts fermentation in barrel then is racked to bottle before all the sugar has been fermented. Fermentation finishes in the bottle and leaves behind its lees (spent yeast), which results in a magnificently subtle and inimitable flavor profile that only elevates the beauty in the final wine. This unique method is believed to predate the Champagne method – and though I love Champagne, Bugey-Cerdon offers a wholly unique flavor profile that lovers of the bubbly simply must experience!

Imported by Kermit Lynch, which should come as no surprise to those of you who know me, Patrick Bottex’s offering represents the pinnacle of the appellation for the modest price tag of $20-ish a bottle. Patrick and Catherine Bottex farm their high-altitude parcels on limestone slopes perched above the Ain River. The wine is comprised of 90% gamay and 10% poulsard, which is indigenous to the area. The fruit is hand-harvested, fermented with its natural yeasts and delivers a pure, sensory snapshot of the French alps replete with alpine air, limestone minerality and bright mountain fruit in the glass. A perfect, albeit unusual accompaniment to all the sauce-laden barbeque you can throw its way, I’d make sure to have plenty on hand this summer as this thirst-quenching stunner will disappear before you can throw another rack of ribs on the grill.

 

 

Chanterelles are here! Chanterelles are here!

June 10, 2018

There are few seasonal arrivals that force me into a spontaneous happy dance in public – fresh figs, southern peaches and CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS! A prized fungi on par with truffles, chanterelles have been thought impossible to cultivate, only increasing their desirability among fungi lovers the world over. However, a recent development in Oregon seems to be baring fruit – or fungi. A fruity yet earthy, nutty flavor with a healthy dose of heaven, these mushrooms fill my sense memory like a bucket-list bottle of wine. If you’ve never experienced them, find some immediately!

Today, at my local Port Royal Farmer’s Market, I happened upon 2018’s first batch of chanterelles in the lowcountry! After doing a brief and joyous jig, which I immediately regretted, I loaded up my shopping tote. Luckily, the licensed forager and farmer from 3 Sisters Organic Farm in Bluffton, South Carolina spoke my language. Equally delighted with chanterelle season, she helpfully explained the licensing process for mushroom foraging in the lowcountry. The long and the short of it is: I am now hoping to get licensed in August. Visions of Peter Mayle scouring the hillsides with a legendary truffle hunter filled my head and made my mouth water. I’ve wanted to learn the art of mushroom foraging for as long as I can remember and now this may just prove to be a reality. So stay tuned for that.

For now, I’m going to enjoy my golden beauties with a fresh pasta (also from my local farmer’s market – Rio Bertolini’s) and wash it all down with a nice, vintage bottle of white Burgundy.

Ingredients:

  • 6oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms, brushed clean and chopped
  • 4 Tb unsalted butter
  • 1 Tb fresh sage, chopped
  • fresh pasta (I used black pepper fettucini)
  • 4 boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 Tb white wine
  • zest of ¼ lemon
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

First, I added one melted tablespoon of butter, ½ a tablespoon of fresh chopped sage and a sprinkle of lemon zest to a ziploc bag. I salted and peppered my chicken thighs then tossed them in for an hour to marinate. I grilled the chicken about a half hour ahead of time then sliced it thin. I will say, however, that bacon works equally well for this recipe and a bit of the leftover grease is lovely with the butter for cooking your chanterelles. Your choice!

Next, I took a small, damp brush and cleaned the chanterelles. I feel like washing them under water seriously takes away from the divine texture – so I recommend gentle brush cleaning instead. When cooking mushrooms, I ALWAYS take Julia Child’s advice to heart. Your mushrooms should be dry before cooking and you never want to crowd the mushrooms; otherwise they will not brown and achieve the perfect texture. So, I cooked the chanterelles in two batches.

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In the meantime, I prepared the pasta – and remember, fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta. Once it was ready, I drained in a colander, but kept 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid back for the mushroom sauce.

So, my mushrooms dry and clean, I chopped them up then lobbed 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the pan. Once the butter started to slightly bubble on medium-low heat, I added the mushrooms, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper as well as the remaining lemon zest and sage to the pan. I allowed the mushrooms to sit on the heat without stirring for a good couple of minutes. Then I tossed the mushrooms and once they were just about ready (about 4 minutes total), turned the heat a touch lower and stirred in the white wine, pasta liquid and the first batch of cooked chanterelles. I allowed the sauce to reduce down a touch while plating the pasta and topping with the chicken. At last, I drizzled the mushroom sauce over the dish and voila!

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For wine pairing, I love a good white Burgundy (chardonnay) with a bit of age. Time will lend a slight nuttiness to the wine that really brings out the extraordinary flavors of the chanterelles. Tonight I opted for a 5-year-old Bourgogne Blanc crafted by Henri Boillot. Although a Bourgogne Blanc is as basic as you can get in Burgundy, this particular wine is more than meets the eye, or the label, at a fraction of the price point for its pedigree. Henri Boillot, fifth-generation Burgundian winemaker, is one of the most sought-after names in the region thanks in part to his meticulous, sustainable farming practices as well as his access to world-class parcels of land. Although the wine is bottled as Bourgogne Blanc, and carries with it the reasonable price tag, most of the fruit is sourced from excellent parcels from the lauded villages of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet; the vines are merely awaiting requisite maturity before their fruit is included in the more expensive, village-level bottlings. In other words, this wine offers serious price-to-quality and is an example well worth seeking out. In any event, you can’t go wrong with a solid white Burgundy when serving this dish.

As always, bon appétit!

 

Savennières – a White Wine to Fall in Love With

May 19, 2018

 

Over the course of one month, we had packed up the house, took leave of our dear friends in Canada and said a painful, last goodbye to JD, our one-of-a-kind Boston Terrier who had been my soul tie through undergrad, graduate school, my career in Los Angeles, my marriage to Andrew and then our move to northeastern Alberta. He’d survived three Canadian winters right along with us and had taught Pux (our younger Boston) everything he needed to know for the journey ahead. The long drive east across Canada then down into the States was bittersweet yet often filled with humor. At the end of a long day’s drive, we would stack our wine collection, along with our luggage, on the hotel trolley and wheel it to our room in a desperate effort towards climate control. We caught more than one gimlet eye from fellow guests and often just smiled in return, knowing full well we looked like a band of ragtag bootleggers. We made it to Virginia just in time to celebrate the 4th of July – appropriate but unintentionally timed. We were still sleeping on an air mattress to the chagrin of Pux, our-entitled-yet-adorable-Boston, when Andrew’s birthday rolled around a couple of weeks later.

I had started working as a vineyard hand and cellar tech (a bucket list job for me) on the outskirts of the northern Shenandoah (Middleburg AVA for wine). From there, I’d quickly found a charming restaurant with an inspired young chef where I booked a table for Andrew’s birthday celebration. We arrived at the historic Ashby Inn, cradled inside rolling foothills that harkened back to memories of rural Bavaria, and took a seat beneath wisteria vines on the flagstone terrace. After three years of Canadian cuisine, nothing sounded better than their salt-brined fried chicken over corn succotash and the arrival of our order did not disappoint. The wine list was even more impressive and I quickly selected a Chenin Blanc from the tiny French appellation of Savennières. Although I’d come to love Savennières’ unique expression of the varietal in my sommelier studies, the marriage of flavors in this meal was a revelation and it remains one of my favorite pairings to this day. In fact, I’ve paired it with Thomas Keller’s brined fried chicken again and again for wine tastings.

You may be thinking Chenin Blanc? Ugh, sweet wine, but no. It’s true that the more commonly known French village for Chenin Blanc is Vouvray where there as well as the new world (California and South Africa) offer examples of the grape that are off-dry, meaning they have residual sugar and are not fermented completely dry. This is not the case in Savennières where climatic conditions allow the wine to be finished bone-dry, without a hint of residual sugar, while still retaining ample acidity and freshness. The result is one of my favorite white wines out there and somewhat of a guarded secret among sommeliers the world over. Savennières’ racy crisp freshness and mineral verve cuts through the heat (and the fried chicken’s fats) like a hot knife through room-temp butter. The expansive mouthfeel delivers a haunting bounty of roasted yellow apple, apricot, preserved lemon peel and quince, wrapped inside a blanket of wet wool, chamomile, honey comb and aged cheese that leaves you pondering the complex genius behind the liquid nectar with each immensely satisfying sip.

Chenin Blanc has been rooted in the picturesque village of Savennières since around the 9th century and is believed to have been popular as far back as the times of Charlemagne. Comprised of three rolling hills of schist, which gives the wine its unique mineral fingerprint, Savennières is a prime example of the power of terroir, capturing a sense of place that is totally inimitable. If you have yet to fall in love with the Chenin Blanc varietal, this small appellation will redefine your impressions of the grape forever after. Although not all wines are created equal – here are a few of my favorite producers to look for in your quest.

Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

Justly revered as one of the greatest white wines in the world, this single estate is one of only three in France to have their own AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlées), which is quite an honor. The vineyard was first cultivated in 1130 by Cistercian monks and the site continues to live up to its legacy. Today, the old vines are lovingly tended by Nicholas Joly and his daughter. The estate has been farmed biodynamically since 1984 and has been a beacon of the farming practice within France’s winemaking community for decades. Few names conjure this level of well-earned esteem; the pedigree and sheer magic in the bottle is entirely worth the lofty price tag.

With the king of Savennières behind us, we move on to other outstanding producers. While Joly’s wines do require you to open your wallet as wide as it goes, wines of Savennières actually offer a shocking price-to-quality for the most part. Because they are lesser known in the mass US market, many of the greatest examples of Savennières can be fetched without sticker shock. So here are a few:

Château d’Epiré ($23+)

This wine is a bit of a staple here in our house. Imported by one of my wine heroes, Kermit Lynch, Château d’Epiré is one of the oldest domaines in Savennières and it’s been in the Bizard family since the 17th century! Part of their beautiful estate also borders the aforementioned, famed Coulée de Serrant and their vineyards are farmed lutte raisonnée, which means they are treated organically unless an extreme emergency arises. In other words, you’re getting some serious varietal purity as well as reflection of terroir here. For under $25, this world-class wine is a steal, which is why the Greers keep it stocked.  https://shop.kermitlynch.com/product/detail/16FBI01.html

Domaine du Closel ($32+)

What do I love about Domaine du Closel? On top of the magnificent wine, the domaine is the product of some pretty incredible women. Matriarch, Michèle de Jessey not only led the family estate for years, she was the first female to ever take the helm of an AOC (French appellation). Today, her daughter, Evelyne, is at the helm where she has been responsible for the organic and biodynamic conversion in the vineyards, which translates to an almost religious purity in the glass that exemplifies everything we love about Savennières.

Domaine de la Bergerie ($30)

Domaine de la Bergerie is a family operation that organically (seeking certification) farms their parcels a mere stone’s throw away from Nicholas Joly’s legendary La Coulée de Serrant. Their mature vines are grown in sandy schist and volcanic soil, which gives the wine an inimitable mineral fingerprint that speaks of the power of Savennières terroir.

Other producers to keep an eye out for are Thibaud Boudignon, Eric Morgat and Patrick Baudoin.

For a pairing you’ll never forget, give Thomas Keller’s fried chicken from his book Ad Hoc a whirl. As my Dad likes to say, “it’s so good, it’ll make you take back shit you didn’t steal!”

A votre santé!