This month we present two old favorites (Beckmen Cuvée Le Bec and Unti Rosé), a bright Verdejo from Spain, and a luscious Zinfandel that's destined to be a cult wine. 


First off is a Oro de Castilla Verdejo, a crisp, dry white wine made from old vine Verdejo in Rueda, Spain.  The wine has a yellow/green straw color, with strong aromas of exotic fruit, citrus, and white flowers.  Tasty, fresh, well balanced on the palate. Well rounded with great acidity.  Night harvesting, gravity press, native yeasts, lightly filtered.  88 points from Parker:  "On the palate it has excellent weight with a viscous, creamy texture, persistent flavors, and a lengthy finish. It will provide pleasure over the next two years. It is another example of just how good Verdejo can be (usually at a bargain price)."



Next up is our first Rosé offering of the year, and one of our favorites - Unti Rosé - a blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre from biodynamically farmed vineyards.  This wine is 65% Grenache and 35% Mourvedre from new vineyards planted in 1998 to Grenache Noir clones purchased from Tablas Creek and Alban Vineyards. These clones, selected from Chateauneuf du Pape, give darker color and better structure than the majority of Grenache planted in California. The method of obtaining the Grenache and Mourvedre juice for our Rosé was through saignee or bleeding juice from the tank of red must immediately after crushing. In order to make bone-dry Rosé we feel it is important to have a short skin contact to minimize tannins. The wine is fermented completely dry, and kept 5 months in a stainless steel tank until bottling. No malolactic fermentation to preserve the natural fresh acidity.

Then there's Beckmen Cuvée Le Bec, a biodynamic and organic blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise.  This is the third time we've presented this well-balanced, juicy wine. Since its founding, Beckmen Vineyards has emerged as one of North America's premier producers of Rhône varietal wines, while also helping to establish Santa Barbara County as one of California's most highly regarded winegrowing regions. The 2007 consists of 50% Grenache, 28% Syrah, and the rest Mourvedre and Counoise. It is medium-bodied and soft with plenty of pepper, sweet cherry, herb, and spice characteristics. An ideal bistro red, it is a delicious, personality-filled, bargain-priced effort to enjoy over the next 1-2 years.



Finally, there's Jelly Jar Old Vine Lake County Zinfandel, an old vine, organically farmed Zinfandel that you'll want to lay away by the case.  Jelly Jar, gets back to the idea that great wine wasn't always served in fancy crystal glasses (or made in posh winegrowing communities).

Dry-farmed, head-trained, volcanic, single-vineyard zin from Lake County is what Jelly Jar's about. The Nova Vineyard Zin captures these ideals into a delicious wine with a vibrant perfume of plum, berries and mocha tones with hints of oak that explode on the palate. Flavors of blackberry jam, cinnamon and black pepper mean a wine full of character that's rich and robust with supple tannins and a long, spicy finish.

For more than 40 years, these head‐trained, dry‐farmed Zinfandel vines have taken deep root in the site’s volcanic soils. Old vines like these naturally reduce their own yields, producing fewer and fewer clusters as the years go by. These clusters also become smaller with each year, and the heightened juice‐to‐skin ratio greatly intensifies Zinfandel’s rich, varietal characteristics.

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RECIPES (All by Michael Lemaire)

With the Verdejo  Sole Goujons with Paprika Salt
Serves 6 as appetizer

It is essential that you find smoked paprika that is available at specialty groceries like the Spanish Table for this dish to be a success. This dish is really simple but really good. Enjoy it with this month's refreshing verdejo from Spain

• 8 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)* or 1 teaspoon regular paprika (sweet or hot)
• 2 pounds sole fillets
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chilled fresh seltzer or club soda

a deep-fat thermometer is really helpful here

Heat oil and make paprika salt:
Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until thermometer registers 375°F.

Stir together 1 tablespoon salt and half of paprika in a small bowl.

Make batter and fry fish:
Pat sole dry, then cut crosswise on a diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Whisk together flour, remaining paprika, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then whisk in seltzer. Working with 6 pieces at a time, dip fish in batter to coat, shaking off excess, and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and fish is just cooked through (cut a piece open to test), 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then sprinkle with some of paprika salt. Skim any bits of fried batter from pot and return oil to 375°F between batches.



With the Rosé Salmon with Peas, Pea Tendrils, and Dill-Cucumber Sauce  serves 6
Here is a dish just bursting with the green taste of Spring. I think think this would be delicious with the taste of Summer that is Mick Unti's rose...Enjoy

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 2 1/2-pound center-cut wild salmon fillet, skin and pinbones removed
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Brush small rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet. Mix orange juice and lemon juice in small bowl; pour over salmon. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over salmon; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Broil salmon, without turning fish over, until just opaque in center, watching closely and turning baking sheet once for even broiling, about 12 minutes. Using 2 wide spatulas, transfer salmon to platter. Surround with Peas and Pea Tendrils with Lemon Dressing. Serve with Dill-Cucumber Sauce.

Peas and Pea Tendrils with Lemon Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups shelled fresh peas or one 10-ounce package frozen petite peas, unthawed
• 8 ounces pea tendrils, cut into 4-inch lengths

Whisk oil, lemon juice, and sugar in small bowl to blend; set dressing aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add fresh or frozen peas and cook 3 minutes. Add pea tendrils; cook 1 minute. Drain well. Return vegetables to pot; add oil-lemon dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Dill-Cucumber Sauce

• 1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup 1/2-inch cubes unpeeled English hothouse cucumber
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Preparation Blend dill, cucumber, shallot, and cayenne in processor until cucumber is finely chopped; transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in mayonnaise and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



With the Zinfandel  Baked Ham with Mustard-Red Currant Glaze and Rhubarb Chutney
serves 8

• 3/4 cup red currant jelly
• 6 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 9-pound fully cooked bone-in ham (shank or butt end)
• 1 bunch watercress
• Rhubarb Chutney

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Whisk jelly, mustard, and ginger in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat.

Trim any tough rind and fat from upper side of ham, leaving 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat. Using long sharp knife, score fat in 1-inch-wide diamond pattern. Place ham in roasting pan. Bake 1 hour. Brush top and sides of ham generously with some of glaze. Bake until thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham registers 140°F, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes and tenting ham with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove ham from oven; let stand 15 minutes. Transfer to platter. Garnish with watercress. Serve with Rhubarb Chutney.

Rhubarb Chutney

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
• 4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb (from 1 3/4 pounds rhubarb)
• 3/4 cup dried currants
• 4 green onions, chopped

Stir first 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Add rhubarb, currants, and green onions; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is tender but not falling apart, about 4 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Discard cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate chutney until cold, at least 1 hour. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Bring to room temperature before serving.


With the Rhône Blend: Pork Chops With Miso Sauce
Yield 4 servings
Here is a recipe from Mark Bittman that is easy and quick to make on a weeknight. For the pork, I prefer a bone-in chop, from the rib end of the loin if possible because I love the gnawing of it. Boneless steaks from the loin or tenderloin can be substituted, as can many cuts of beef, like rib-eye, strip or skirt steaks. Just remember to reduce the cooking time slightly. Red miso, which is actually brown, is best for this dish. I think this will be delicious with this month's Cuvée Le Bec from Beckmen. You can use a bit for the sauce and drink the rest with dinner!

Ingredients

• 4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops, each about 6 ounces
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 cup sturdy red wine, like Cotes du Rhone or cabernet sauvignon
• 2 tablespoons red miso
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped shiso, basil or parsley, optional

Method
1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chops. Sprinkle them with a little salt and a lot of pepper. Brown them on one side 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side until chop is firm and nearly cooked through, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove to a warm plate, and turn the heat to medium.
2. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of meat that have stuck to the pan, until the wine reduces by about half. Turn heat to low, and add miso; stir briskly until smooth (a wire whisk will help).
3. Taste the sauce, and if necessary, add more pepper and salt. Spoon sauce over the chops, garnish with herbs if you like, and serve.Miso is a superb thickener: whisk it into a small amount of liquid and it creates a rich, creamy consistency. When you add it with a little wine to the juices in a saute pan after searing a pork chop, it becomes a great sauce with almost no work.

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