Tips for COOL Weather Cooking & Hearty WinesWhen the weather gets cold, it is the perfect time to warm yourself up from the bottom of your toes with hearty food (and wines)!
This past weekend, the leaves continued to fall in my yard and when you stepped outside you really wanted to have a jacket on. As a kid I always remember in this time of year my mother would start up something delicious on the stove or in a crock-pot that would slowly cook all day long sending delicious aromas around the house. Whether it was a hearty chili, vegetable soup, pot roast or beef bourguignon, the smell itself was a joy, but the hearty fare was even more satisfying on those cold fall nights. When you are getting ready to make your next home cooked meal remember these great pairing tips for hearty wines and foods:
1) Cooking with good wine is not a sin… if you go to the store and buy the best cuts of meat you can find is it fair to take out a bottle of wine that you would rather not drink to use while you are cooking? I give you an emphatically no answer, you don’t need to raid your cellar for the best you have to offer, but look towards your great value wines that you would serve at a dinner party to cook with, these will compliment your fare without breaking your budget.
2) Using the same wine to cook meats and sauces as you serve on the table with dinner is a great pair. On Saturday my wife made a delicious set of Boneless Short Ribs that absolutely melted in your mouth. The recipe called for a hearty red wine (Shiraz, Zinfandel or New World Pinot Noir) to pair with and be used in the preparation of the dish, I selected one of my favorites in our Aussie portfolio, the 2004 Silver Wings Vincenzo, an old-vine blend of Shiraz and Mourvedre from North Eastern Victoria.
As a foodie himself I am sure Keith Brien, owner of Silver Wings Winemaking would be happy to hear that Megan and I were cooking with his Vincenzo, but only if we saved enough to also pair it with the actual meal later… long story short we did and it was amazing! Upon cooking the short ribs in the rich sauce and reducing it down when you tasted the Vino with it at the dinner table it brought out a bit more spice and a loving familiarity with the food that can’t be matched. Try this one to impress your friends and pour with your meal the same wine that you used in preparing it with.
3) Add a bit of a rich red wine to your chili... it gives it a nice kick without turning your creation hot or alcoholic. Most people put enough hot things in their chili (peppers, seasonings, Tabasco sauce, etc…) that you don’t want to add wine to make your chili ev
en hotter, but what this can do is add a bit more of a richness and elegance to the meat in the bowl. If you want to go even further, brown cubed steak in red wine, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to add to your chili. The sauce soaks up a nice flavor from the wine and imparts it right back into the chili base. I have got my recipe all lined up for football next weekend, a hearty chili with a secret ingredient, the 2007 Caligiore Reserve Bonarda, I might just get an MVP trophy from my friends for this one!Enough tips for now; I can’t give away all of my secrets in one blog!
Ciao!
~CJC
Today’s Cribb Note – Watch out Malbec Producers… Caligiore Organic Wines from Mendoza, Argentina was just awarded an amazing 91 Points – “Best Buy” from Wine & Spirits Magazine for the 2008 Reserve Malbec and 88 Points “Best Buy” for the equally fetching 2008 Staccato Malbec / Cabernet Blend, outstanding scores for wines that retail for $14.99 and $9.99 respectively.
Keep up the great work Gustavo, you are truly making artisan, organic wines!
Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - General Manager
Marquee Artisan Wines - http://www.marquee.com/
Blog – marqueewines.blogspot.com
Marquee Wines
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