Happy Easter & Happy Passover

The WIne

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“La La” Grenache rosé 2017, By A-Frame Wine Company

Influenced by the wines from Southern France and Spain, A- Frame wine company, is creating spectacular wines in the higher elevations of Santa Barbara County. This beautiful pale salmon colored wine was sourced from "Black Oak" and "Watch Hill." Vineyards known for ideal growing conditions for Grenache Noir grapes. The grapes for La La were harvested early in the morning of the September 25, 2017 and brought straight to the winery (preserving the freshness of the fruit) then lightly pressed. This wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel tank and aged on fine lees until bottling on February 15, 2018. When I tasted this wine with the Cork Team, it became one of my top picks for 2017 roses from anywhere, it’s bright and a little bold yet balanced, with notes of strawberry melon, mingling with citrus, soft floral notes and clean minerality. The wine is mouthwatering and full of flavor that’s completed by fresh acidy giving you the desire to take another sip, almost before you have finished the first taste. This wine is great on its own, but it’s great at contrasting most any light to medium fair.

PS: Cork is one of a very few places you can buy this anywhere in the United States.  At $24.99 it is worth every penny.

The Pairing

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Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Asparagus

What you will need:

1/2 cups butter, melted and hot

2 tablespoons lemon juice, hot

4 tablespoons water, hot

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs

2 English muffins spilt and lightly toasted / or a Matzo Brei if celebrating Passover

See link to recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/matzo-brei

12 spears asparagus, blanched

4/6 ounces Scottish smoked salmon

How to Prepare it:

Place a large pot of water on one burner over medium heat for the poached eggs. On a separate burner, bring some water in a double boiler to a boil, reduce the heat and let water stop boiling. Place the egg yolks in the top of the double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot water, whisk until the sauce begins to thicken again. Repeat 3 more times. Whisk in the lemon juice. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the melted butter. Season with the dill, salt and pepper and set aside. Crack an egg into a bowl, swirl the water in the first pot and pour the egg from the bowl into the water and repeat for another egg. Let the eggs cook until the whites are set but the yolks are not, about 2-3 minutes and fish them out. Repeat for the remaining 2 eggs. Place the English muffin or Matzo Brei on a plate, top with asparagus, smoked salmon, poached egg, hollandaise and garnish with dill. Recipe adapted from closetcooking.com

Cheers and Happy Easter & Passover!

The Wine Guys

Happy Passover

Kosher wine is getting better and better every year. Our job of selecting kosher wines is made a little easier because like last year, Cindy Altberger arranged it so we could tasted a bunch of new wines with a group of parishioners from The United Synagogue of Hoboken. Thanks Cindy and all of you who helped us to make a great selection of kosher wine at Cork

Wine is an important part of a Seder meal during the celebration of Passover signifying the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Four cups of wine are poured and drunk in accordance with four promises made by god found in Exodus, "I will take you out Egypt,” "I will save you from Egyptian slavery”, “I will redeem you with my power”, "I will take you as my people”.

This wine will go with just about anything and it was a popular choice during the tasting

The Wine

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PSAGOT Rose’ 2016

This is a wine that comes from vineyards are planted on ancient limestone terraces at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level in the northern hills of Jerusalem. Made from a blend of 49% Merlot, 36% Petite Sirah, and 15% Shiraz. This wine has a beautiful blood orange, tinted pink color with inviting aromas of melon, wild strawberry, and soft notes of limestone.

Medium /light in body this wine has a clean bright attack with layered flavors of tart golden apple, and undertones of strawberry and rhubarb with subtle minerality that leads you to a lingering crisp finish. We are going to sell this wine for as long as it lasts and you will be able to find it in or kosher selection or the international the rose section all summer.

The Pairing

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Beet and Horseradish Cured Salmon

What you will need:

6 ounces horseradish, grated fresh, or prepared, well drained

1 salmon fillet, about 3 pounds, skin on

1 pound red beets, raw, peeled and grated, juice included

1 large bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt (See note.)

¼ cup cracked black pepper.

How to prepare it:

If using fresh horseradish, peel, cut into chunks and process in a food processor, using the steel blade. Do not grate it by hand; the fumes will be overpowering. Drape the food processor with a damp towel and carefully crack the lid, under the towel, to absorb the fumes.

Remove pin bones from salmon and set aside. In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, combine horseradish and remaining ingredients, wearing gloves to avoid turning your hands purple. Choose a nonreactive pan that is just large enough to hold the salmon fillet or line a pan with plastic wrap. Drizzle a little of the beet mixture on pan and place the salmon, skin-side down, on top. Cover the flesh with remaining beet mixture, making it thinner on tail and belly section and thicker everywhere else. Cover with plastic wrap, place another pan on top, and weight with cans. Cure in refrigerator for 3 days. Gently scrape off beet mixture and discard. Cut salmon in thin slices and serve. Whole fillet, well wrapped in plastic, will last 1 week refrigerated.

(Note) Kosher salts are made through different processes, and as a result differ in weight. The kosher salt tested was Diamond Crystal; Morton weighs almost twice as much, so use less, about 2/3 cup.

Recipe adapted from nytimes.com

Happy Passover,

The Wine Guys

Passover and the Significance of Wine

Wine’s symbolic significance during the Passover Seder, is observed in Jewish households around the world. During a Seder dinner, each adult, (Grape juice for kids) drinks four cups of kosher wine, representing the redemption of the Israelites from slavery under the Egyptians. Four cups of wine are drunk as part of 15 rituals practiced during a Seder dinner. Kadesh, a blessing over wine and the first cup is drunk. Maggid, the telling of the Exodus story (the longest section of the Seder) the second cup is drunk. Barech, grace after meals, and the third cup is drunk, and a cup is poured for the prophet Elijah. Hallel, singing psalms of praise, and the fourth cup is drunk.

The Wine

Celler De Capcanes, Peraj Petita 2014

A great example of today’s “Kosher for Passover” wine. By marring modern and traditional wine making techniques under the strict supervision of the, Orthodox Union, this blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Tempranillo, 15% Merlot, 10% Syrah, comes from the first winery in Spain to produce a kosher wine in the 20th century. Malolactic fermentation and 8 months of Sur-Lie aging help to give this wine it’s easy to drink chartered. The wine is partly aged in French and America oak barrels for ten months, adding complexity and a subtle oaky note. Beautiful raspberry ruby in color the wine offers aromas of cherry, raspberry, and soft herbal notes. Medium in body with fine tannin structure that has just the right amount of grip, this wine has flavors of earth red berries accented by minerality and slight cinnamon like spice that lingers in the finish. This is a really good wine for paring with food and the fact that its “Kosher for Passover” is bonus. You will find this wine in Corks Kosher and Spanish selections

Thank you to the members of the United Synagogue of Hoboken who helped Cork curate our kosher selection, during a tasting two weeks ago, as this wine was one of the favorites. 

Traditional to the Seder table is the Seder plate, made up of
Zeroah, a lamb's shank bone symbolizing the ancient Passover sacrifice,
Beitzah, a roasted egg symbolizing the temple sacrifice and the continuing cycle of life.  Haroset, a paste of fruit and nuts symbolizing the mortar used to build the pyramid of the pharaohs. Mar'or, a bitter herb (like horseradish) to represent the bitterness of slavery.Karpas, a green vegetable (usually parsley) representing spring. A bowl of salt water to dip the karpas symbolizing the slaves' tears. In addition to the traditional Seder plate here is a great recipe to include in your Seder celebration.

The Pairing

Wine Braised Brisket with Tart Cherries

What you will need:

1/4 cup matzoh cake meal

Kosher or fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (6- to 6 1/2-pound) first- or second-cut beef brisket

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

16 medium shallots (about 1 pound); peeled, leaving root ends intact

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups Pinot Noir

2 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) dried tart cherries

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 whole star anise (see Cooks' notes)

2 pounds young, slim carrots in bunches (not pre-cut variety), peeled

Special equipment: A nonreactive large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan.

How to prepare it:

Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together matzoh meal with 1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoons fine) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pat brisket dry and dredge in matzoh mixture, shaking off excess. Set the roasting pan across 2 burners and in it heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Brown the brisket (fat side down first if using first cut) on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to a large platter or rimmed baking sheet. If necessary, add remaining tablespoon oil, then reduce heat to medium, and cook shallots, turning occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, and then stir in chicken stock, cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, star anise, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt). Bring to a simmer and return brisket, fat side up, to pan. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil, and braise in oven for more 2 hours.

Meanwhile, blanch carrots in a 3-quart pot of well-salted boiling water. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry. Add carrots to roasting pan (after meat has braised for 2 hours), then cover again tightly with foil, and continue to braise in oven, until meat is fork-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.

If serving soon, transfer meat to a cutting board and let it rest, loosely covered, 15 minutes, then slice meat across the grain. Skim off any excess fat from surface of sauce, then discard star anise, and season to taste with salt. Reheat sauce, and then return sliced meat to sauce to reheat before serving.

Serve meat with sauce and carrots on a large deep platter. Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

L'chaim, The Wine Guys