This month, we present three staff and store favorites and introduce a wine that we hope will become one as well.
First off is Walter Hansel Sauvignon Blanc. Walter Hansel was a lifelong wine enthusiast who had the vision to plant his estate's original 250 vines in 1978. Today, Stephen, Walter's son, has taken up where his father left off, pursuing his vision of producing world-class wines from the Russian River Valley. At Walter Hansel Winery, the emphasis is on low yields (a miniscule range from 1.5 to 2.7 tons/acre) for greater complexity. All of Steve's fruit is hand-harvested, and it is re-examined again at the winery. Hansel makes an average of 9 total passes through each vineyard. Each pass is time consuming and expensive but Stephen feels the vine rewards him with more concentrated flavors.
The winery uses only natural yeast during fermentation. Fining and filtration are minimal. Stephen decided to produce Sauvignon Blanc mainly to bridge the gap between Chardonnay releases. The grapes come from a source less than a mile from the Hansel vineyard in the Russian River Valley. 100% stainless steel fermented with no malolactic fermentation. It was cold stabilized only to 46 degrees to maintain racy acidity.
We've been presenting Unti Vineyards' wines for many years in the wine clubs, and this month we present - Unti Rosé - a blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre from biodynamically farmed vineyards. This wine is 77% Grenache and 23% Mourvedre from new vineyards planted in 1998 to Grenache Noir clones purchased from Tablas Creek and Alban Vineyards. Biodynamic. 
These clones, selected from Chateauneuf du Pape, give darker color and better structure than the majority of Grenache planted in California. When Unti first started making Rosé, it was as a bi-product of making a more intense and structured red, using a technique called saignée, or bleeding juice from the tank. Now they produce 85% of the Rosé by directly pressing Grenache and Mourvedre grapes. In order to make a Provencal-style Rosé that is not dark hued or tannic, they limit skin contact to a couple of hours. The wine is fermented completely dry, and kept in a stainless steel tank until bottling. The malo-lactic fermentation was inhibited to preserve natural acidity. Mourvèdre is a key component to making this a complex Rosé.
Next up is Unti Segromigno Segromigno is the name of a village located near Lucca, from where the Unti family emigrated. While Segromigno is in Tuscany, this wine is a blend resembling Rosso Piceno, a wine from Le Marche and can be any blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano. 2008 Segromigno is a blend of 92% Sangiovese and 8% Montepulciano, The Sangiovese in this wine is quite fruity and juicy. Montepulciano adds color, body and an interesting chocolate component. Biodynamic
Finally, we present Stone Edge Farm Surround Cabernet Sauvignon, a tasty Sonoma Valley Cab/Merlot blend (23% Merlot) from Organic vineyards. This wine was blended from lots from three small vineyards in Sonoma Valley as well as lots from our Stone Edge and Mount Pisgah estate vineyards. All of the vineyards are farmed organically by Phil Coturri, and meticulously groomed to produce small crops of intensely flavored grapes.
The 2006 growing season began with bud break about two weeks later than normal due to heavy spring rains. Summer temperatures were modest, with one ten-day hot spell in July that occurred before the grapes had colored. The remainder of the ripening season was relatively cool and sunny, leading to long hang times and excellent flavor development. Harvest was one to two weeks later than usual, but the excellent October Indian summer weather brought the grapes to full maturity. Crop levels in our vineyards were 1.9 to 2.6 tons per acre.
This deep red wine has complex aromas of cassis and cedar, with shadings of mushrooms and subtle herbs. It is rich and full bodied with a velvety supple texture and lingering finish.
Recipes:
For the Sauvignon Blanc Halibut Sashimi, Pickled Celery and Sea Salt Serves 4
This is a fantastic first course for an elegant dinner that has only one requirement-that you use the highest quality halibut you can find. Freshness is paramount for this delicate, but very flavorful recipe.
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
pinch of red chili flakes
1 cup celery batons
2 celery ribs, washed, pealed and sliced thin on a slight bias
1/4 cup yellow celery leaves, washed
2 cups frisée, washed and pickled
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon piment d'espelette
12 oz halibut sashimi
4 red pearl onions, peeled and shaved thin on mandolin, rings separated
4 capicola, thick slices, julienned (also known as coppa*)
Sea salt
High quality extra-virgin olive oil for serving
To pickle celery batons, heat together the vinegar, black pepper, sugar, salt, and chili flakes just until it comes to a simmer. Lay the celery batons into a flat container and pour the hot pickling liquid over. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until cool. Transfer to refrigerator to chill through.
Place the frisée in some of the pickling juice from the celery batons and allow to sit for 15 minutes, then toss with the sliced fresh celery and yellow celery leaves, and with just enough of the olive oil to coat, the piment d'espelette and just a touch of salt. Lay the salad out in long lines onto chilled plates
Thinly slice the sashimi and lay over the salads. Scatter the pearl onion rings, capicola, pickled celery batons, and sea salt over the sashimi in turn. Finish with a liberal drizzling of olive oil over each dish
*Capicola, or coppa, is a traditional Neapolitan Italian cold cut (salume) made from pork shoulder or neck, and dry-cured whole. The name coppa is Italian for nape, while capicola comes from capo—head—and collo—neck—of a pig. The Neapolitan Italian spelling, "'Capocollo'". Available at specialty butchers.
For the Rosé: Pasta Salad Niçoise Serves 6
Here's a great dish that does double duty: it can be dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. It's delicious served slightly warm or chilled. For the best taste and texture use tuna packed in oil from a quality brand such as Ortiz. It's much better than the chunk light in water. A finish of briny olives and capers and a fresh vinaigrette make this dish feel like springtime on the Mediterranean coast.
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces cavatappi pasta
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 6-ounce cans solid white tuna in olive oil, drained
1 red bell pepper, trimmed and cut into 1-inch slivers
2 radishes, sliced very thin
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 hard boiled eggs, cut into 4 wedges each
Make garlic oil by heating 2 tablespoons oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Let cool.
To a pot of rapidly boiling, liberally salted water, add green beans. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and rinse with cold water. Drain.
Cook pasta in the same pot until al dente, a few minutes short of package directions. Drain.
In a large bowl make vinaigrette by combining garlic oil, 4 tablespoons oil, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, salt, and pepper; whisk well. Add pasta, beans, bell pepper, radishes, tuna, olives, and capers. Toss gently to coat all ingredients with vinaigrette. Garnish with the cooked eggs.
Segromigno: Roast Pork with Rosemary, Roasted Carrots and Spring Onions Serves 8
This is a simple rustic dish, dressed up with a little aged balsamic that picks up on the sweet, juicy, concentrated fruits of the wine. Serve with some soft polenta, risotto or mashed potatoes for a more substantial meal.
5 pound boneless pork loin
Olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
6 rosemary branches
30 baby carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs of thyme
18 small spring onions
Sea salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons butter
Aged balsamic vinegar for serving
Preheat oven to 250°.
Rub a 5–6-lb. boneless pork loin with olive oil and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the chopped fresh rosemary leaves.
Lay the rosemary branches on top of roast, then tie up roast with kitchen twine.
Put roast into a heavy roasting pan and brown on all sides on top of stove over medium-high heat, then roast in oven to an internal temperature of 150°, about 2 hours. Set roast aside for 20 minutes before carving.
Peel the carrots, then trim them leaving an inch of the green top. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, then the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, rolling the carrots so they color on all sides, until they are golden about 5 minutes. Add the butter and thyme, and continue cooking until the carrots are tender. Keep warm.
Clean the onions by trimming all but 1 inch of the green tops. Split the onions lengthwise, then trim the stringy bottoms, leaving just enough of the base to hold the onion together.
Place the onions in a single layer in a large baking dish. Season the onions and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the herbs, cover with foil and roast in a 300F oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and add the butter and continue to raost a further 10 minutes, basting every few minutes until the onions are brown and glazed.
Slice the pork and serve with the roasted vegetables and balsamic on the side.
Cabernet: Hangar Steak with Warm Bulgur Salad serves 4-5
Here is a great recipe from Chef Mark Sullivan of The Village Pub and Spruce fame.
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One 2-pound hanger steak
1 1/2 cups bulgur, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 large white onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a small bowl, mash the garlic, cumin, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper with 2 tablespoons of the oil; rub all over the steak. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a medium baking dish, mix the bulgur and cinnamon. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the boiling water and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed. Fluff the bulgur with a fork, then cover and keep warm.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and turnip, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until just softened. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables and liquid into the bulgur with the lemon juice, parsley, mint and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
In an ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the steak and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak and serve with the bulgur salad.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
