cork'd content: seasonal wine drinking

My love for Cork'd is old news by now but I'm about to give you even more reason to get amped up about it. We're going to be streaming some of their kick butt content on Eat and Greet to beef up our wine expertise. Because nothing is cooler than being able to drop wine knowledge at your next get together. I know this to be true.

If you haven't joined Cork'd yet, get on it, homeslices. It's a fantastic wine-lovers community and nothing but good things will come out of getting on board. I can promise you that.

And so, without further ado, let's dive straight into the first of what I hope will be many, Cork'd articles. Cheers.



Seasonal Wine Drinking: Spring Time Wines to Pair with Raw Foods

By Jon Troutman, Senior Editor, Cork'd

Are you a seasonal wine drinker? What I mean by that is, do you tend to drink certain wines or wine styles during certain times of the year? When Fall is in the air and the evening temperatures begin dropping, many make the transition from refreshing, summer sippers to more bold, full flavored wines that complement colder weather cuisine. Is there anything more comforting than a blood-warming Chateauneuf du Pape or Brunello di Montalcino served alongside a plate of roast short ribs and root vegetables?

My favorite season cuisine is this time of year. The temperatures steadily rise, the sun sets just a little bit later with each passing day, and our favorite dinner spots offer Al Fresco dining. With the spring season, my stomach starts growling as though it were possessed with a laser beam focus…

My tummy wants it raw – and I’m not talking about a wrestling program every Monday night. I’m talking about pure, fresh, unadulterated foods. These are foods that are clean, served the way that nature intended them. The ingredients show the merit of their quality and quality alone, not the manipulation of cooking and molecular gastronomy used by many master chefs.

With the windows cracked and raw foods on the table, you can wipe your brow and focus on choosing a wine to serve. I’m going to steer you in the right direction with a handful of wine categories that aren’t to be ignored with Spring in the air.

Sparkling Wines: The very best will feature pure, clean fruit flavors that are as pure as the food you’re serving. At the same time, the wines will offer up high acid levels that leave your palate feeling refreshed and cleansed. Sushi at the table? Bring on the bubbles! Nuanced, subtle and refreshing flavors are characteristics which make a good Cava fit for Sashimi Salmon and Champagne a match for Ahi Tuna.

Loire Valley Whites: Made predominantly from two grapes, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, these wines often have a brightness and delicate quality matched only by your backyard’s sprouting Lilacs. A spring salad with a light vinaigrette dressing screams…. read more on corkd.com…

weekend dinner party

As evidenced here, here, here, and here, I'm a pizza lover. And c'mon, who isn't? It's the perfect blank canvas that can be translated across any and every cuisine imaginable. And while there's a whole lot of absolutely nothing wrong with the classic Margarita (and a personal favorite, I might add) I find it kind of thrilling to step outside the pizza box (so bad that was GOOD) and try something different. Push yourself in the grocery store. Explore other options. Close your eyes in the produce department, spin yourself around (it helps to have a companion here), pick something up, and run with it.

Don't you dare run out of the store with it. I meant it in a strictly metaphorical way. This blog in no way, shape, or form, promotes shoplifting. Only culinary creativity.

Pizza dough, although readily available at almost all grocery stores and pizza joints (don't forget that tip!), can sometimes make it difficult to try out a number of different toppings and flavor combinations in one evening. So my solution for that is Naan Flatbread. It's miles, and miles, and miles better than, ugh, that Boboli stuff and they're particularly great for small kitchen cooking as you can throw these into a toaster oven if you don't feel like firing up the oven.

Possibilities, as expected, are endless. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite along with some fantastic wine pairings thanks to Jon Troutman, Senior Editor of Cork'd.com and a certified sommelier who explains why the pairings work:

naan pizza with camembert, arugula salad, and proscuitto

"Pinot is so food friendly as it is, and the earthy quality that Oregon's Pinot so often has would match up really well with the Arugula."

naan pizza with minted ricotta and balsamic glazed shallots

"Barbera. I think Barbera is my number one option for Pizza of any kind and the high acidity, low tannin levels would do really well with the Balsamic."

naan pizza with cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion, and dill

"This Naan made me think of breakfast, and when I think of breakfast, I think bubbles. Cremant de Bourgogne is a category of sparkling wines that I've really been into lately, and would work well as a less expensive substitute to Champagne."

I'm weary you'll never trust my wine pairings again since I've now supplied you with the incomparable knowledge of a professional. But he's just that. A professional. And even he would recommend us to trust our own palettes when it comes to wine. But, hey. If and when I can get Jon in here to help steer us in the right direction, well, I think we'll all gladly and gratefully take the help.

Back to the pizza. For the first option, I'd use garlic Naan as the base. Turn the oven up to 400F and top the Naan with a few slices of Camembert (or Taleggio, my favorite). Throw the pizza in and allow the cheese to gently melt. Keep an eye on it. This will take no time at all. Once melted, top with some baby arugula that's been lightly tossed in a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette and a few slices of thinly sliced prosciutto (go for the domestic, it's less expensive), or not for your vegetarian guests.

The second pizza will require you to make some balsamic glazed shallots. I'd recommend making these the day before, just to get it out of the way. Use this recipe by Ina but use balsamic instead of red wine vinegar. Warm up the Naan base (plain or whole wheat could be lovely with this flavor profile) in the oven for a few minutes and then top with ricotta that's been seasoned well with salt and pepper and plenty of fresh chopped mint. Chop up the balsamic glazed shallots and thoughtfully top the pizza with them. Done and gorgeous.

Lastly, the smoked salmon pizza: Spread some cream cheese or creme fraiche on a well-toasted base and top with smoked salmon, razor thin slices of red onion, and some fresh dill. A squeeze of lemon and a dusting of freshly cracked pepper and this pizza is good to go. (Talk about an impressive and totally easy brunch option too, by the way.)

All three of these can be served room temperature which means you'll have plenty of time before guests arrive to assemble them and throw them in the oven, and put on your Heavenly Hostess Cocktail Apron. And, when your guests ask what they can bring, delegate out the wine pairings listed above and your party is well on it's way to flat out, flatbread perfection.

Enjoy!

Oh, and here's your playlist: http://sets.songza.com/set/eat-and-greet

bubbles, grub, cork'd, and icswi

A sparkling wine tasting with accompanying food pairings for free? FREE?! Promises of lamb neck ragu*? Free?! Looming illness or not, I was undoubtedly going to be in attendance for yet another Cork'd Tasting. Giddy up.

So up and over to the Roger Smith Hotel we went last Sunday for this special little event hosted by the ICSWI, the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational and led by Alva Johnson, Laura Maniec (one of 16 female Sommeliers in the world and the wine director of the B. R. Guest restaurants), and Jon Troutman of Cork'd. As a total amateur in the world of sparkling wines, I was ready and beyond willing and excited to learn as much as I possibly could from the arsenal of experts around me. Oh, and eat and drink my face off amongst fabulous company. Did I mention it was free?


The first pairing was Fish Tacos (and chips and guacamole) with a Champagne I most unfortunately did not note the name of. My apologies. Laura mentioned that while most would typically gravitate towards a margarita or corona with lime, the beauty of this champagne pairing is how much straight up lime zest comes through on the palette. It cut beautifully through the seriously spicy yet creamy guacamole and added just the right amount of piquant and vibrancy to the grilled fish. Flavor wise, this was a no-brainer pairing and one that should be considered as an option more often.

Next came the real show stopper of the night. Rosé and ribs. Who knew, right? Let me just spell this out for you: smoky, sweet, perfectly charred and meaty ribs (I forgot how much I love me some BBQ ribs) matched up with a light, fruity, and slightly floral rosé with strawberries on the nose for days? I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go for that beer the next time I'm presented with a big ole platter of BBQ ribs. I'll be waiting to be served a glass of NV L. Aubry Fils Champagne Rosé Brut. You're looking at a convert. This was absolutely divine. And kind of thrilling, really.

Bill's Burgers. Ever had one? This was my first go around at the burger from the place that I can practically see out my window at work. And while they had certainly been sitting out for far too long, I didn't seem to have any problem polishing most of mine off. And with some fries to boot. I was rocking quite the bottomless pit. But when you're matching it up with NV Paul Berthelot Champagne Brut Réserve you can't help but be dumbstruck by the seemingly lavish yet approachable fabulousness of it all. Burgers and champagne? I mean give me a break. Genius, really.

What's even more ridiculous about it all was the price tag on these bottles. Not a single one was under $50 and all generously poured for all of us extremely lucky attendees. Can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday night? No. You really, truly can't.

*You should have seen the look on my face when the news broke that we would not be served the lamb's neck ragu over gnocchi. But that frown was quickly turned upside down when half a grilled fish taco came my way, thanks to a super generous Troutmonster. What lamb's neck?