A Four-Course Meal with Sip and Puff

Last week, while on vacation in shoreline Connecticut, my family and I hosted good friends Don and Irving, proprietors of Butternut Farm in Glastonbury, CT, for dinner. I grew up working on Don's farm, and whenever I'm back in Connecticut I always end up working a day or two in the field or in the barn. Don is also a great cook, and I've gleaned a lot of cooking knowledge from him. He's cooked personally alongside Julia Child; and over time I've picked up some techniques and tips from him and so I knew that I had to pull out all the stops to make a delicious meal.

I settled on a four-course meal complete with three different kinds of wine. Since I really like spice, I wanted to form the meal around the main course - an Indian dish called rogan jhosh. It's a curry dish made by combining boneless lamb shoulder in with lemon juice, garam masala, Madras curry, and chilies. The first course, a cheese and mascarpone plate, would serve to keep the guests happy and occupied while I prepared the second - a Persian barley soup called ash-e-jow - and the main course, the rogan jhosh. For dessert, I planned on serving peche Melba - halved fresh peaches, poached in a vanilla syrup, and served over ice cream and topped with a pureed raspberry sauce.

And so we had to have wine with each course, right? Now, you can't just go to the store and randomly buy three wines and call it a day. To bring out the best flavors, and to complement the meal, I had to figure out what wine flavors / vintages work well with the foods. Then, of course, I had to go out and get a good example of that vintage, buy all the stuff, plan the dinner, cook everything in proper order,  and serve everything, then clean up. No biggie, right?

The first course was cheese, crackers and basil served with an herb and white mascarpone dip. I served wheat crackers, colby jack cheese, and dill Havarti cheese. Had I thought of it, I would have served some Camembert or D'Affinois. My brother Dan artfully arranged the plate-and-napkin centerpiece.

For the wine, I chose a 2006-vintage Banfi Rosa Regale sparkling red wine. I chose this because not only did I need something light and bright to serve with the cheese, but I also wanted something that had some sugar to it.The wine itself was delicious - very light and sugary, with just a hint of effervescence that made it a pleasure to drink. There's lots of fruit flavors in there, chiefly strawberry, but took on a polished finish. It was served extra-cold, and I really enjoyed the levity of it, especially as a beach afternoon drink.

The wine may have mellowed out a bit with age, since it's 8 years old at this point. I'd imagine newer, younger wines would be a little fresher and brighter. Still - it was great. The guests loved it and it kept them occupied while I got to making the second and third courses.

I'm serving a dinner with a South Asian / Middle Eastern flair; for the soup, I'm serving a thick barley soup called "ash-e-jow." It's made with barley, tomato puree, sauteed onions, and chicken stock. I pan-fried the barley first, to crisp it up, before mixing it in with the other ingredients.

Stirring the lamb. Onions are sauteeing while the ash-e-jow is reducing. 

Onions, bay leaves, garam masala, lemon juice, and some tomato puree are all simmering

At this point, while the food is cooking, let's talk main course wine. 

Since the rogan jhosh is going to spicy, strong, and hearty, I knew I'd want a strong red to stand up to that spice. I could have chosen a Malbec, a Cabernet, or perhaps a Pinot Noir. Don and I discussed the main course, and he offered to bring the main course wine. He settled on a  2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Parnell Estate's Alexander Valley vineyard. I popped it in the fridge for a few minutes, then cracked it open and poured it to let it breathe while I set the table for the soup. 

Ash-e-jow  is served, Cabernet Sauvignon is breathing, and guests are still out on the porch enjoying the ocean view. 

So the wine is poured, the soup is plated, and the guests are moseying on in from the porch, I figured it's time to sneak back to the kitchen to sample the wine. As you can see, it's got a cool purple color when candled.

I was really struck by the smoothness of this wine. It had a nice woody aroma, one that suggested perhaps a stronger tannic flavor background. Nope, it was smooth and crisp with some dark fruit flavors with a perfect hint of spice. Super! I didn't want to drink too much, because I had to finish cooking the curry and serve. But I knew the strength, flavors and the smoothness of the wine would complement the curry nicely. 

Dinner is served! I made a zillion cups of rice.

The soup turned out great (but could have used more chicken stock.) Everyone loved the wine, and once the rice was finished, I served the curry and the garlic naan. We burned through that delicious Cab, and so I had to dip into our reserve of a divine bottle of Montesierra tempranillo. The meal was great as was the company!

...and now for dessert. I've always wanted to try my hand at Peche Melba, which is a dessert made by poaching fresh peaches in a vanilla-infused simple syrup, then serving them over vanilla ice cream drizzled with fresh raspberry puree. I admit that I, with the help of my aunt Jayne, made the peaches earlier in the afternoon to save time. Skinning poached peaches is also a pain in the ass, so thanks to Jayne for doing that. 

Oh, yeah!

And for such a dessert, like many, I choose port. I'm a big port fan. Port, also known as "porto," is a kind of fortified red wine made in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It's sweet and is usually served as an apertif. It's higher in alcohol - usualy 19% - 23% ABV - due to some special techniques used when making the wine (including the addition of aguardente, a brandy-like distilled grape spirits.) I've had numerous ports, mostly in the $20 - $25 range. They can get expensive, though - my favorite port, a Cockburn's 20-year tawny, happens to be the most expensive bottle of wine I ever purchased. But there are a lot more affordable options, including tonight's: Fonseca Bin No. 27.

This is a great house port that I've enjoyed for years and years. It's inexpensive enough to drink every day, but sweet and refined enough to bring out for guests. I really like the sweetness, the nice deep blackcurrant flavors, with a super velvety texture. Don't drink too much - it's only meant to be sipped.

Peche Melba served! The amount of Port in our glasses is a little excessive, but it was tasty!

There you have it - a four course meal, Sip and Puff-style. I hope to be making more dinners like this for the blog, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading!

The Alchemist Brewing Co. - "Heady Topper" American double India pale ale

Hi all,

Today's review is actually a video review! I'll be reviewing, live, The Alchemist Brewing Co.'s "Heady Topper," an 8% ABV American double India pale ale. 

Thanks for Fritz Moritz for the beer, and my brother Dan for the camera work, although the tripod did most of the work :)

Also, I have no idea why Blogspot necks down the resolution on this video...just make it full-screen, I think my camera shoots in 720p natively.

Beer Flash: Boston Brewing Co.'s Sam Adams Brick Red

Hello from Boston! I was up recently at Fenway with my folks to watch a Red Sox game, and of course when we hit the bar beforehand, I naturally ordered a Sam Adams Brick Red. You can't get Brick Red anywhere but Boston; it's brewed specifically for area restaurants and is only available on draft. Whenever I'm in Boston, I have to have it!

Brick Red is a great session ale. Totally delicious, nice caramel malt tastes with a good balance of bitter hops to keep it interesting. I like it! I wish they bottled it so I could have some at home.

Stay tuned for more posts - I've got a rather involved post coming about a 3-course meal I'm about to make. Stay tuned!

Overshores Brewing Co. - "Tripel Brun 2014" Belgian strong dark ale

I must admit, I'm a huge fan of Belgian and Belgian-style beers. From Chimay to Fin du Monde to Hoegaarden, there are quite a range of delicious, unfiltered ales perfect for a summer day or a warm spring evening. Orval Trappiste is a perennial favorite. And so I'm always on the lookout for new Belgian beers to try.

This is one such beer, made by East Haven, CT-based Overshores Brewing Company. I had never heard of it when I lived in Connecticut, but determined to sample a local beer, I grabbed this from my hometown Whole Foods in Glastonbury, Conn. As you can see, it's a 22 oz. bomber topped with a muselet cork labelled "Tripel Brun" and weighing in at 9.5% ABV. It cost $12.99. 

According to their website, the Tripel Brun is made with "Caramel and Munich malts with our Belgian base malt and Belgian yeast." And so having read this, I assume that it's a moderately-strong Belgian ale, similar to the Chimay Cinq-Cents. 

But the visual and olfactory clues tell another story. The eye is a pale brownish-red, but relatively clear with lots of bubbles and very little head. Lots of fizz, which is certainly something I was not expecting. 

The beer smells of sugar, strong malts, and sugar with a significant apple cider aroma. Nice! Dan and I are definitely intrigued. 

The beer is a rusty red when candled - not entirely translucent, either. The taste is also unexpected - but delicious. There's a Belgian taste for sure, but the beer is way maltier than expected. It's also fizzy and light, but with good strong sweet flavors. It's really not like anything I've tried before. 

In conclusion, this was a great find with a delicious, unexpected taste that carries very well. It's sweet, bready flavors and apple cider notes make for a delicious fall beer. Plus, the alcohol content holds flavors well too, so I'd surely be happy having this again and again. 

Schmaltz Brewing Company - He'Brew "Jewbilation Reborn" American strong ale

Today’s beer is one my brother Dan picked out. He’s been urging me to check out kosher brewery Schmaltz for at least a year now; I’ve not yet been able to find any of the beers he’s suggested (although Schmaltz is readily available.) For our vacation enjoyment, he did pick up a 22oz bomber of Schmaltz's milestone 17th anniversary ale (which is coincidental, since this post is a milestone as well...it's my 100th post to this blog!!)

This beer is the first brewed in Schmaltz's own space - for 17 years, they contract-brewed in other breweries. They finally bought their own space in Clifton Park, NY, and made this brew as an anniversary offering.  It's a special creation, made with 17 different kinds of malts and 17 different kinds of hops. And if that wasn't enough of the number 17, they also made it highly alcoholic - it weighs in at a whopping 17% ABV. Yes, 17% ABV. This beer is three times stronger than most beers, and 1.5 times stronger than many wines. The only other beer that I've had that comes close to this in terms of alcohol content is the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.

So we’re dealing with a super-strong mix-master ale. Dan, my mother and I cracked it open and girded ourselves for battle.

The nose is very sweet – like a dark rum cake. Pretty sugary on the nose.

The eye – the beer’s appearance – is black with a khaki-colored head that dissipates quickly. Watching the head subside shows how high-gravity this beer is – pour it out, and the beer separates from the foam very quickly. It is a deep brown when candled. 

The taste starts out with cream soda flavors and develops into a very strong, dark beer with toasted wood flavors. The flavor profile is rather interesting – it’s got mostly heavy, sweet malts that make for a strong and heavy beer. The hops – 17 of them, evidently – are well-hidden. There are some moderate alcohol flavors, cloaked well in the variety of tastes in the beer. The finish is sweet and strong, and lingers for some time.

I liked it. I would certainly grab one again, if not to lay down, to try with friends. Certainly this beer will age nicely. It's pretty much as strong as they come and as such the taste is centered around the unusually-strong flavor profile which may not be suitable for novice beer drinkers. But I'm certainly glad I tried it!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - "Jack & Ken's Sierra Thirtieth Anniversary" black barleywine ale

Today's beer is something truly special - a 2010-vintage black barleywine ale that I've been cellaring for four years. It's Sierra Nevada's 30th anniversary black barleywine. Originally weighing in at 10.2% ABV, this beer is probably closer to 13% now, having cellared and fermented for four years.

This beer was brewed in 2010 to celebrate Sierra Nevada's 30th anniversary. According to the label, it's brewed in collaboration with Jack McAuliffe and New Albion Brewery, based in Sonoma, CA. It's a barleywine, which as noted last May, is a kind of ale originating in England and possessing a higher-than-usual gravity. Today's beer is a "black barleywine," which like a black lager, just means that the beer is darker (but not necessarily heavier) and takes some bitterness from hops, not burnt or toasted malts.

The beer is a deep brown, almost black, with a root beer-colored pour. The nose is of chocolate and roasted malts, but with an edge of sweetness.

The taste was surprising - very smooth and sweet, close to Uinta's "Baba" black lager - but much stronger. The beer has a faint chocolate taste, coupled with warm, deep malts and strong hops flavors. It's very milky with no carbonation tastes at all and no suggestion of its higher-than-usual alcohol content. The finish is one of strong toffee and wheat flavors, capped by a smooth and deep aftertaste that lingers. Throughout the entire experience, this beer has been milky smooth with no hint of bitterness or any objectionable flavors. It's pure and perfect from start to finish.

I suspect this beer has mellowed significantly in the four years I've had it. My brother Dan, with whom I sampled today's beer, totally agrees. He bought one in California when it had just been released, and remarks that the taste of today's beer is much mellower than when he tried it new in 2010.

So the aging time has certainly polished the flavors and made the beer smooth and deep, and definitely a pleasure to drink. Buying beer such as this and laying it down to age for some time can pay dividends, for sure - in this case, it's turned a delicious beer into an amazing, milky masterpiece. Unfortunately, you'll likely never find this beer, given that it was only brewed once in 2010. A specialty beer shop, such as Seattle's Bottlewerks, may have such a beer, but I suspect it would cost you double or triple what I paid for it. As for me, I'm glad I saved it until now. It was great!

Southern Tier Brewing Co. - "Warlock" pumpkin imperial stout

Greetings from vacation! Congress is in recess until September, so I'm visiting my folks up in Connecticut for a while, and I'm taking some time to drink great beer and write about it. Today's beer is one chose by my brother Dan, who's out here for vacation as well. It's Southern Tier's imperial pumpkin stout, Warlock. You may recall my intense devotion to all things Southern Tier; I've posted beers from them numerous times (Southern Tier also holds the distinction of making one of my favorite beers, the Pumking imperial pumpkin ale.)

The Warlock, an 8.6% imperial stout, is made with pumpkins and spices. The Warlock also falls in Southern Tier's Blackwater Series of dessert beers.

The beer pours dark, but has an interesting root beer / Coca-Cola color when held to the light. It's a deep reddish-brown color, which is rather interesting. The nose is of pumpkin and spice, rather aromatic at first but then dies down quickly. 

The taste is similar to Pumking, with strong, warm malts and spices. It has a thicker, almost-syrupy consistency, with warm pumpkin pie flavors developing midway through. The finish is smooth and alcoholy, with lots of tasty spice flavors.

It's definitely close to Pumking, which I love. But the Warlock is sweeter and smoother and less carbonated. Dan bought two of these, and I'm going to cellar one until next year. I'd suggest you serve this very cold - I had it when it had only been in the fridge for a few hours, and hadn't dropped down to temp. I imagine the flavors might open up a little more once you drop the temp down and then let it bounce back.

Anyways - more reviews to come this week. Rather than blowing up your inbox, I may post a few then send out a digest email at the end of the week. Stay tuned!

Aia Vecchia - 2011 Lagone "super Tuscan" (Italy)

Today's review is of an Italian blend that's been hanging around my cellar for a few years, courtesy of friend and wine merchant Charles Bissell. I served this wine when I had some friends over for dinner; I made pan-fried pork cutlets battered with lemon juice, flour, and cracked black pepper.

The Aia Vecchia winery is a relatively new winery located in Tuscany, Italy. Their website touts the "wonderful climate" and "cool spring breezes" of Tuscany; I don't know how much wine they've had while writing that because when I was Tuscany, during the spring, it was so hot I felt like I'd melt into the ground.

Anyways, since I don't review Italian wines too often (I'm a French red man, myself), it bears discussing a bit about Italian viticultural naming conventions. This wine is indicated as Toscana IGT, which stands for Indicatzione Geografica Tipica. Remember what I said in previous posts about the protected labels? IGT is Italy's version of France's AOC or the US's AVA. It's like a trademark for wine, so when you're drinking a true Toscana IGT you know you're getting the real deal from Tuscany, produced under a certain set of regulations.

This wine is what vintners call a "super Tuscan" - that is, a blend of various Tuscan wines into one blend. It can be made from any number of Tuscan wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, or Merlot, and even some rarer, non-Itlaian grapes like the French Bordeaux varietal Petit Verdot. Today's wine is 60% Merlot, with a smaller contribution of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

According to Wine Spectator, a "super Tuscan" is a term coined by Tuscan wine producers who wanted to escape the restrictive legal rules surrounding Chianti production, and to create a blend using a variety of non-canon grapes. They needed a term "to distinguish their wines from the inexpensive, low-quality wines that were associated with the term vino da tavola, or "table wine", that they were [otherwise] forced to put on the label." 

Some of these wines can get pricey. I believe I spent around $24 for this bottle; some fine "super Tuscans" can push $250. But anyways - the wine:

Look at that red color! There was a noticeable aroma of alcohol and berry flavors right in the glass. I did the usual thing, and let it sit for a few minutes in the glass to it can open up. I'm also amending a previous habit - in the past, I used to uncork the wine, pour a little out, and then recork it and gently give it a few shakes before repouring. I'm now told that method is only good for certain wines, since shaking in that manner could disturb the delicate sediments of some wines. So, I didn't shake this wine, I just let it open up in the glass.

I really like how ripe the wine tastes. Lots of full flavor here, no thinness whatsoever and no overpowering alcohol flavors. It's got a good balance - not like the overly-berry R|Collection field blend (although that was good in its own way!) but also not thin or acidic. The finish has a nice little bite of tannins that I like as well. The flavor is nicely balanced, and I found it paired well with the meal I served. This is my first adventure into an Aia Vecchia wine, but I'm sure to seek it out again. In fact, recently at a work happy hour, I tried a Vermentino by Aia Vecchia and really liked it.