Spaghetti alla Carbonara & Podere San Cristoforo, Amaranto' Sangiovese

The Wine

Podere San Cristoforo,Amaranto' Sangiovese, 2013

This wine is from a family-owned estate built in 1901. The estate is located in the (DOC of Maremma) in the south of Tuscany near the ocean. The costal location of the vineyards benefit from a cool gentle breeze that protect the grapes from the warm summer sun, optimizing ripening, and low yields'.

Diligent Viticulture is practiced, with an emphasis on biodynamic methods and most of the work is performed by hand. The 2013 vintage is described by the estate as exceptional. Wine maker Lorenzo Zonin makes this wine with 100% Sangiovese, fermented in stainless steel, then malolactic fermentation in barrels followed by10 months of aging in French oak. The wine has enticing aromatics of ripe cherry, blackberry and a note of soft rosemary and oak. 

This Medium/ light wine has fine tannins that frame flavors of dark cherry and, raspberry complemented by notes of clove, pepper, and a hint of the sea. The finish is round with balanced bright acidy leaving you with a clean pallet and a hint of lingering flavors. This wine is a very good choice for paring with many foods from medium meat dishes to robust vegetable dishes, I selected a simple easy to makepasta dish to enjoy with it and man it was good! 

This wine is a perennial winner from most reviewers and the first scores are in;WE88, ID89

The Pairing

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This flavorful easy to make dish can be served in less than 40 minutes from start to finish. Because the dish has so few ingredients be sure to use the best ingredients you can.

What you will need: 

3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

8 ounces Guanciale (Pancetta or Bacon)

1 pound Spaghetti

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 large Eggs separated

Freshly ground Black Pepper (optional fresh herbs like parsley or basil) chopped for garnish 

How to make it: 

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salts.Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and guanciale (Pancetta or Bacon), in a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan set over medium heat, and cook until the guanciale (Pancetta or Bacon) has rendered its fat and is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside (do not drain the fat). 

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the guanciale, (Pancetta or Bacon) then toss in the pasta and heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. 

Remove from the heat, add 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg whites, and pepper to taste, and toss until thoroughly mixed.Divide the pasta among four warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the center of each one, and gently drop an egg yolk into each nest. Season the egg yolks with more pepper and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano over the top. 

Serve immediately, with a mixed green salad or sautéed winter greens. 

Recipe adapted from Mario Batali

The Wine Guys

Fall has Arrived

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." — F. Scott Fitzgerald

With the change of season, it is likely you have begun to dress slightly warmer and are starting to eat slightly heartier. With these changes it is also likely you are looking a little closer at red wine to sip or accompany your meal. Here is a pairing that celebrates the end of summers bounty, and a red wine to warm you.

The Wine

Penedo Borges Reserve Malbec 2013

This wine is made from 85% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and, 5% Syrah, Maturation: 10 months in French and American oak Barrels, and 8 months in the bottle. This wine has a dark violet color, with aromas of plum, dark berries and a touch of sweet vanilla and spice. Medium in body the wine has a soft mouth feel with flavors of just-ripe dark fruits with slight spice, accompanied by a subtle coffee note and plum jam. Soft tannins lead you to a soft finish that lingers, just for a while. This is a really good wine choice to transition into fall winter, and it pairs super well with this dish.

The Pairing

Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

(Serves 4)

What you will need:

Most of the ingredients are still at local farmers markets and fresh always tastes better.

Eggplant Sauce - 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice, 2 tsp tomato paste, 1/4 cup white wine (Cork recommends UBY), 1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes(fresh or canned), 6 1/2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp chopped oregano.

For the Polenta: 6 ears of fresh corn, 2 1/4 cups water, 3 tbsp diced butter, 7 oz feta crumbled, or shredded parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper.

How to make it:

Eggplant sauce: Heat up the oil in a large saucepan and fry the eggplant on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until nicely brown. (Note: the eggplant sticks to the pan like crazy towards the end of the 15 minutes, but don't worry; it'll come right off when you add the tomatoes.) Drain off as much oil as you can and discard it. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir with the eggplant. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, sugar and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes to get a deep-flavored sauce. Set aside; warm it up when needed.

The Polenta: Remove the leaves and "silk" from each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Stand each ear upright on its base and use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels. (If you do this inside of a very shallow bowl, it might save you some cleanup time.) You want to have 1 1/4 lbs of kernels. (I don't have a scale. Six ears were great.) Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and cover them with the water. Cook for 12 minutes on a low simmer. Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid. Process them for a few minutes, to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process. Now return the corn paste to the pan with the cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to a mashed potato consistency. Fold in the butter, the feta, salt and some pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Divide the polenta among shallow bowls and pool some warm eggplant sauce in the center.

Cheers, The Wine Guys

Less is More

Inspired by a conversation I had with author Dina Rose PhD, I really do think that less can be more. Which would you rather have; a 12 oz. fairly good steak for $18.00, or an 8 oz. really good steak for $18.00? By enjoying the quality of your meal, it is likely that you will take more time and care preparing, serving and eating your meal. It’s likely that you will be more relaxed and you will eat more slowly. It’s also likely that you will sip and savor your wine over a longer period of time while having conversation with your friends and family. Less is more.

The Wine

Bolgheri Rosso is from the same region as world famous wines, Ornellaia and Sassicaia, but much, much less expensive, but delivers like it wasn’t. This Super Tuscan is made from a classic Bordeaux-style blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 20% Syrah. Deep ruby red in color, this wine has an enticing bouquet with aromas of small dark stone fruits and soft spice. Medium/full in body, this wine is smooth, with silky tannins and flavors of black cherry, dark plum and a touch of espresso that leads to an elegant lingering finish. This wine is the perfect partner for a variety of dishes, and it pairs well with the flank steak.

The Pairing

Grilled Flank Steak with Black Beans Corn and Tomatoes

I have been following and trying Chef Gina Homolka’s recipes from skinnytaste.com for about a year and enjoy this really tasty, healthy dish that’s a good example of less is more.

What you will need:

1 1/2 lb flank steak (prime grass feed), 1/2 tsp cumin, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper to taste.

For the black bean, corn and tomatoes:

3 tbsp red onion minced, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 cup, fresh squeezed lime juice, 2 medium vine ripe tomatoes diced, 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 cups fresh corn kernels, frozen if you have to, 2 tbsp finely minced cilantro, kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

How to make it:

Combine red onions, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside a few minutes. Add tomatoes, black beans, corn, and cilantro and set aside. Preheat a lightly greased grill and cook steak on high for 5-7 minutes on each side for medium. Let the meat rest about 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the beef into thin slices across the grain, place on a platter topped with the corn, black bean, tomato salad.

I serve this with toasted semolina bread and arugula drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Cheers, The Wine Guys

Everyone Loves a Bloody Mary

Just about every person I know has thought about starting their own business. It’s a dream for most of us, and a great achievement for those that do. Hoboken locals Christine Dodd and Ryan Grace followed through on their dream of creating the best Bloody Mary mix they ever had, and selected Cork Wine & Spirits to receive the very first order for The Hoboken Mary Bloody Mary mix.

I gave this paring a great bit of thought; there are so many dishes that are complemented by a really good Bloody Mary, and I knew the one I wanted to share with you most.

The Mix

The Hoboken Mary mix is made in the north, but inspired by the south. It’s Gluten free, all natural, low sodium and tastes great. The Wine Guys at Cork got to taste The Hoboken Mary, many times over the last year as it was being perfected and we think it’s the best Bloody Mary mix made. The aromatic bouquet of the mix is garden fresh with notes of just picked tomatoes, celery tops, pickled horseradish, fresh cracked black pepper a hint of lemon and N'awlins spice. When you sip The Hoboken Mary you taste fresh tomato, with enhancing flavors of mild horseradish, crushed black pepper, slight bay leaf, and a subtle, elusive spiciness that’s pleasant. This Bloody Mary mix is a dream come true for the creators and the Wine Guys at Cork are proud to introduce it to the World!  

The Pairing

 Huevos Rancheros with green Chile sauce

(Inspired by Duran’s Albuquerque, NM)

What you will need for 4 servings:

1 to 1 and 1/2 half cups Duran’s green Chile sauce,  12 ounces cooked pinto beans, 12 ounces posole, 4 fresh corn tortillas, vegetable oil, as needed to skim bottom of skillet, 8 eggs, 4 ounces shredded Mexican cheeses, 1 medium large diced tomato, 1/8th cup freshly chopped cilantro, ½ cup sour cream. 1 lime quartered, 1 medium avocado diced, (Optional: 4 flour tortillas)

How to make it:

Warm green Chile sauce, separately, beans and posole together, both on medium low heat. Turn on broiler. Quickly fry tortillas in a small amount of oil. Place each tortilla on a warm plate or shallow bowl. Prepare eggs as desired, We recommend sunny side up, easy over or poached-you will want a runny yoke for flavor. Place eggs on tortillas and smother with Green Chile Sauce, cover with shredded cheese, and put under the broiler for just a few moments to melt cheese. Add pinto beans and posole to plate and garnish with chopped tomato cilantro, diced avocado, a dab of sour cream to each plate, with a wedge of lime and serve.

(Optional: we like to serve this with a rolled warm flour tortilla to soak up the river of flavors on the plate.)

Enjoy,

The Wine Guys