This month,we have a Syrah and a Sauvignon Blanc from Tallulah, a small Sonoma County winery; a Tavel rosé from Mordorée; and a Dolcetto from Italy.
First off is Tallulah's La Femme D'Argent Farina Vyd. Sauvignon Blanc,
a unique Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the Farina Vineyard on Sonoma
Mountain, fermented in neutral French oak barrel. It begins with a
complex and bright nose of minerals, lemon curd, orange blossom, key
lime and honeysuckle. The rich and elegant mouth-feel and a palate of
grapefruit, crushed stone and green apple conclude a wine of quiet
intensity and unique style.Tallulah is small-lot production of vineyard-designated Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Sauvignon Blanc. Sourced only from the most sought after terroirs in Northern California and Southern Oregon, utilizing carefully selected vineyards, artisanal winemaking and minimal oak to maximize purity of fruit and expression of soil.
Tallulah's Shake Ridge Ranch Syrah Amador County is from a vineyard owned by famed Napa Valley viticulturist Ann Kraemer, (Shafer, Paul Hobbs, Cain and Calera), Shake Ridge is quickly gaining recognition for being an exception to the overly ripe, candied style often associated with Amador County. An even bodied/balanced wine with primary flavors of blackberries, lilac, jasmine, white pepper, fennel pollen and boysenberries.
Then there's my favorite rosé every year - Mordoreé Tavel rosé,
a luscious organic and biodynamic rosé of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and
Clairette that Robert Parker gave 90 points. The wine has a very
complex nose with flowers, red and white fruits aromas. Round, full
bodied with a long lasting aniseed and fruity finish. Pair with cold
meat and delicatessen, poultry, white meats, grilled meats, fried fish,
fish soup, pastas, pizzas and all Asian foods.
Finally there's Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba,
a killer Dolcetto that parker described as "possessing awesome richness
in its dark fruit, along with mineral and balsamic nuances that add
complexity. This powerful, poised wine is especially generous in this
vintage. It is a very serious Dolcetto. 90 points" Recipes:
For the Sauvignon Blanc: Chicken Salad serves four
Simple things are often the hardest to make come out right. Each choice you make in the preparation has an impact on the final outcome. What is that impact? Why do I do what I do? Here is a chicken salad recipe/reflection that I hope will help you improve your own version. I offer chicken salad this month because it seems like the perfect picnic food to go with the Tallulah Sauvignon Blanc, a perfect picnic wine.
- 1 chicken (broiler, 4-5 pounds)
- ½ red onion
- 3 stalks of green onion
- 1-2 stalks of celery
- 1 red pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Pepper
The key to chicken salad is to properly roast and cool a whole chicken. This will yield savory, moist meat that is then enhanced by the dressing.
Take one chicken ( I like Smart chicken brand, Empire Kosher chicken, and Marys natural. Hoffman game birds is the very best around, but you have to go the farmers market to get these. I know that Smart, Marys, and Hoffmans are all air- dried after slaughter rather than thrown into ice water to cool. This yields a much tastier chicken in my opinion. If all else fails just try to get the most free-range chicken to you can.) Season it liberally with salt ( are you using Kosher salt or Sea Salt? You should) and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about an hour. Preheat your oven to 375-400.
Roast the chicken breast side down for about 30 minutes and then turn and roast for 30-45 minutes till done. This really depends on how big a chicken you get. I generally test by pulling on the leg and when it gives and breaks out of the meat it is done. (There are those people who advocate turning it on it side, and then the other side, and the basting. I am not convinced yet that all this extra work yields a better chicken. Turn the chicken breast side down and let it rest. All this turning and fooling around is to get the juice into the breast meat where it will be reabsorbed and so not turn out dry. When the chicken is cool, refrigerate.
Take the chicken out of the fridge and place on cutting board. Be sure to scrape any juice that has congealed back into the pan. Lift off any congealed fat so that all that remains is the juice. Use a spoon and a paper towel to get as much off as possible. Place the juices into a sauce pan and reduce down to about ¼ cup. ( If juices are lacking you can stretch it with a bit of low sodium chicken stock from a can, unless of course you have some homemade lying around!) Let cool and when the meat has been prepared, pour it over. This will give the salad more chicken meat flavor. Take the skin off the chicken and discard. Peel the meat off the bones being careful to catch any small bones, cartilage, or gnarly gristly pieces. Take a knife and rough chop the meat into the fairly uniform size pieces.
Place in a bowl, add stock reduction.
Dice ½ small red onion, 3 stalks of green onion, 1 red pepper, and 1-2 stalks of celery. Add to the chicken. Add mayonnaise to taste which means that everybody has a different level of wetness that they like. Just add it a little at a time until it is there. Season with salt and pepper. If it tastes flat, squeeze a ½ lemon into the mix. Chopped parsley also looks nice in the salad.
Refrigerate. The flavor will develop as it sits so it is nice to prepare this several hours ahead.
For the Rosé Yellowfin Tuna with Avocado and Piment D'Espelette serves two
Here is a tasty offering from Paula Wolfert's Cooking of Southwest France (a must have cookbook!) that is perfect for summer. Eat this dish on a warm evening on the patio with a bottle of the always delicious Mordorée Tavel and you might hear Mediterranean waves lapping in the distance (actually, you can hear the waves much clearer after a second bottle).
- ½ pound sushi-grade yellowfin or ahi tuna, in one piece
- 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
- 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and diced
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 1 good pinch of ground piment d'Espelette or other moderately not red pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted pine nuts
- 1 ripe avocado peeled
- 2 large opal basil leaves
Gently toss the grapefruit, limejuice, salt, piment d'Espelette, remaining oil, and toasted pine nuts without breaking the grapefruit chunks.
Quarter the avocado or, if desired, thinly slice. Tear basil into small pieces. Thinly slice the tuna. Arrange the avocado and tuna on 2 plates. Spoon the citrus vinaigrette with the chunks of grapefruit over the tuna, scatter basil on top, and serve at once.
Store the piment d'Espelette in the refrigerator.
Opal basil is intensely flavored and colored deep purple. It is available in Asian markets.
For the Dolcetto: Chez Panisse Pasta with Roasted Eggplant (Serves four)
Here is a nice summer pasta that takes advantage of eggplant and tomatoes in season. Enjoy with this month's Vajra Dolcetto.
- 1/2 pound pasta such as linguine
- 1 large eggplant, or two smaller Japanese eggplants
- 1/2 lb white button mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (or 3/4 shallots, finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- A dash of sherry vinegar
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1/3 cup shaved ricotta salata cheese
- Salt and pepper
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to instructions on the box. Drain, but retain a few tablespoons of the water.
Heat a large skillet to medium. Pour in the other 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until it's soft and starting to color. Add the garlic, cook for about a minute until fragrant, and then deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry vinegar.
Add the eggplant and mushrooms to the skillet along with the diced tomatoes and the pasta water. Add the pasta and season with salt and pepper. Stir in half the ricotta salata cheese and half the parlsey. Divide between bowls and garnish with the rest of the ricotta salata and parsley.
For the Syrah; Grilled Lamb Shoulder with Herb Aioli serves four
A rich complex syrah such as this month's offering from Tallualah needs little more than a piece of grilled meat to strut its stuff. This recipe enhances the chop with a bit of herbed aioli. I would enjoy some grilled zucchini and eggplant to round out this meal. Call us when it's ready!
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 lamb shoulder chops (each about 10 ounces and 1 inch thick)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Preheat grill to medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve with aioli and lemon wedges.
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