Go-To-Wine-Tuesday

La Pietra di Tommasone Bianconella Bianco

I’ve recently moved into the city, so staying on a budget has become a more active part of my life than ever before. I’ve had to become a little more creative and thrifty with my money, especially when it comes to eating out. And to do that four little letters has meant big savings to me—BYOB. I love wine, but I learned this past weekend you don’t have to give up your favorite things just because you’re on a budget!

This weekend was a real test to my spending will power. I was meeting my college roommates in Philadelphia for the weekend, and going out to dinner was definitely on our list of things to do. It was the perfect opportunity to try a BYO and new bottle of wine—and choose both a location and a wine that stayed within my budget. The restaurant of choice was this little sushi place down the street from my friend’s apartment, and being that I work for IWM, the choice of wine was in my hands. Christy Canterbury, our Director of Wine Acquisitions, was nice enough to suggest a relatively new, price-conscious bottle for me to bring: La Pietra di Tommasone Bianconella Bianco. (Sadly, it’s only available at our store, not our website.)

Sushi was the cuisine, so I knew a white wine would work perfectly. Over dinner I made sure my friends contributed their thoughts on the wine, because I believe trying new wine is not just about the taste but also about the experience. Although my friends are not wine connoisseurs, they definitely enjoyed the lightness of the wine. My friend Meaghan tasted a hint of apricot and peach with a lingering dry finish. My other friend Kelly commented on how refreshing it went with her sashimi dish. I personally loved the combination of the wine with my vegetable dumplings and California roll. And for $15/bottle, you can’t beat it.
What’s better than good food, great friends, and money in your pocket? Not much.

Two Takes on Tuscan Bread

From my own traveling, I’ve learned that every place has a specific cuisine or beverage that all tourists must try at least once before leaving. In Gruyere, it’s the fondue. In Barcelona, it’s the paella. New Orleans has shrimp and grits, and, of course, you’ve never really been to New York until you’ve tried the pizza.

This commonplace holds true for the small Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano. Embodying the charm of a traditional town of Toscana, Montepulciano is known for its “big” Sangiovese-based wines and delicious, yet simple, food.

Most of Montepulciano’s traditional dishes encompass fresh, local ingredients—and this combination of locality and seasonality means really spectacular cuisine. However, as much as it’s known for its lamb stew and pasta with rabbit—and Vino Nobile wine—Montepulciano is particularly known for its bread. When searching for a great summer recipe, one dish in particular caught my eye: panzanella. A very easy dish, panzanella combines everyday ingredients—and in doing so, it gets its nickname of “leftover salad” or “bread salad.” Panzanella is mostly made of cubes of bread that are combined with ripe tomatoes, peppers, basil, onions, a touch of mint, olive oil and traditional seasonings. I could see this dish as an accompaniment to a hearty steak on the grill with a delicious glass of any of the region’s wines, especially a nice Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

My interest was also piqued by another traditional Tuscan dish called Ribollita. This dish also focuses on the Ciabatta bread of the region, but it serves as a comfort food and is soaked in bean soup and often topped with freshly squeezed olive oil. I thought it would be perfect on a cold, rainy day, perhaps complemented by a glass of Il Macchione Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a full-bodied wine that would go nicely with such a hearty soup. I’d also add some slow roasted meat to add a little more substance and flavor.

This summer, I sadly don’t have any trips planned. Therefore, I’m traveling to Montepulciano through some traditional recipes and wine in the comfort of my own home. It’s the next best thing to being there.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Wine Fit for the Barbie

Readers of Inside IWM know that I—and other IWM colleagues—are using this blog to write about our ongoing journey of wine discovery, especially finding tasty wine pairings for unusual foods. This weekend, I found inspiration in the beautiful weather. There is nothing like a good, old-fashioned barbeque to kick off the summer, and to most Americans, that means popping open an ice cold beer to accompany that hot dog or cheeseburger. While I don’t believe that this earnest American tradition necessarily needs changing, I was curious how a glass of wine might work with the quintessential summer meal. Not only was I wondering about the taste of the wine-and-BBQ combo, but I also was curious about how this divergence from the norm would affect the over all mood of the cook-out.

My test-tasting menu consisted of your traditional barbeque staples: hamburgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, and grilled chicken, with all the anticipated accouterments of potato salad, corn on the cob, and my mother’s famous baked beans (whose recipe she generously let me share below). I thought that this lighthearted dining experience called for a simple yet wallet friendly wine. Therefore, I figured it would be a great weekend to try the Quattro Mani Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008 (one of IWM’s best everyday drinking sellers, which I have been dying to try).

Being a red, the wine went really nicely with my hamburger, and it complimented the baked beans quite well. I admit that it failed to give me that great thirst quenching “ahh” feeling an ice cold beer usually provides. However, everyone noted the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’s versatility and agreed that it complimented the meat and sausage very well. All in all, serving wine with the BBQ seemed to have a neutral effect on the summery mood. Put one check in the wine plus column, one in the minus, and a note to myself that there’s no reason why I can’t serve both beer and wine to cover all my gustatory bases.

My mom’s basic baked beans:

1- 40 oz. can Hanover Baked Beans

½ cup butter

1/3 cup ketchup

¼ cup molasses

1 onion

Sautee onion in butter until tender. Add cooked onion and remaining ingredients to slow cooker, cook 3-5 hours on high.

**Adjust the flavorings as you like, and for those folks who aren’t watching their cholesterol, add 1 lb. cooked bacon because it’s delicious.

Making a Better Mimosa

Taking a Lemony Twist on a Brunch Favorite

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to explore a special pairing for a special brunch. Being as my mother is so unique, I wanted to experiment with a new twist on an old brunch favorite: the mimosa.

First I decided on my menu, which I based on mom’s favorite breakfast treats. I prepared a crustless gruyere and garden vegetable quiche, a mixed berry salad, roasted potatoes, turkey bacon, assorted breads and muffins, and my mom’s absolute favorite dessert, lemon bars. I wanted something bubbly and festive to accompany my meal. My mother has a penchant for sweet citrus flavorings, so I thought I would use this predilection of my mom’s as a springboard of inspiration for a fabulous mid-morning cocktail.

I stumbled across Tyler Florence’s Champagne Lemonade on the Food Network website; it seemed to be the missing piece to my brunch puzzle. I had a bottle of Col Vetoraz Prosecco di Valdobbiandene NV on hand, so I was sold. Although some people might consider a recipe like this one sacrilegious because it taints the pure flavors of the wine, I saw it as an intriguing opportunity to combine this softly, crisp sparkling wine with a burst of lovely lemon.

My mom’s love of sweetness, lemons, and bubbly meant that the combination was a huge success; however, you should adjust the ratios according to your taste. Personally, I preferred a ratio of ¾ Prosecco to ¼ of the lemon mixture. This enables the wine’s delightful effervescence to shine through and keeps this lovely cocktail fresh, light and non-syrupy.

A perfect drink for a perfect mom, and a perfect way to show my mom how much I care. I love you, Mom!

Sweet Successes in Wine and Food Pairing

Riesling works its magic

As I sat pondering the subject of my next post for Inside IWM, I began to realize that for me a hands-on experience is always the best teacher. Therefore, I am planning an interactive approach to my wine journey, and as I write here, I’ll be incorporating what I would like to call a “Wine and Dine Journal.” Not only will I look at wine on its own, but also I’d like to experiment with my own pairing curiosities—and perhaps dispelling some wine myths along the way.

This past weekend was a perfect time for me to conduct my first food and wine pairing experiment. The difficult task of choosing a wine for Indian food fell to me when a few of my friends and I had made dinner plans to visit a BYO Indian restaurant. After doing a little research on the website “Matching Food and Wine with Fiona Beckett” and discussing the topic with a few of my coworkers, I realized that pairing a wine with Indian cuisine was going to be quite a challenge because of the food’s varying degrees of spicy and sweet. In addition, looking to the actual culture of India wouldn’t provide any help, for Indian traditions don’t feature wine.

After much back and forth, my co-worker Kerry Jo and I decided on a bottle of 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Kabinett. I myself had never previously tried this wine, but Kerry Jo assured me it would be delicious, though she was also curious to see how it would pair with an Indian meal.

For my entrée I ordered chicken that had been marinated in some mild chilies, herbs and spices. Although the chicken wasn’t “burn your mouth” spicy, it certainly had a bit of a kick. To my delight, the German Riesling we had chosen went wonderfully with it. I enjoy a sweetness to my wine, so the Riesling was quite the treat. It tasted delicious on its own, it cut the spiciness from the sauce, and its sweetness didn’t overpower the spice.

Overall, I would consider this pairing quite the success. Even a few of my white wine skeptic friends were pleasantly surprised and gently converted. I look forward to more successful moments like this one, but I also welcome the challenges that this journey will take me. Hands-on learning, after all, teaches through both its sweet successes and its horrendous failures.

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