Wines feature in today’s show:

• 2008 Some Young Punks The Squid’s Fist  (~$22)
• 2009 Some Young Punks Passion Has Red Lips  (~$22)

Synopsis & recommended food pairings from The Som:

There were two things about this episode I want to discuss in more detail but didn’t fit it in on time.  Sorry Bovee, but it bugged me when you said, “Not the greatest wines ever but good enough.”  I am not a huge Australian wine fan, and many of them bore me to tears.   But in my opinion, and for the price, you will not find much better that these two.  If they cost much more, they would sit on the shelf and rot…cool label or not.  In other words:  there is great value here, and that is how I choose to look at it.

Bovee said something else that reminded me of something Robert Marx (my MT Global distributor guy) said.  Robert said, “I have found that most people purchase them for their own personal use.  Maybe some save it for a party, but many have drank them and come back for more.”

That is my experience as well.

Let’s talk food now -

The Squids Fist has brighter fruit and more intense acidity, but still fairly full bodied.  Put that all together and let the dogs run wild.  Honestly, you need to make the food to fit the wine.  I did this roasted lamb recipe the other day and used a Crozes-Hermitage.  It worked well, but I could see the Squid’s Fist blowing it all away.  The Passion Has Red Lips is completely different, and there is little subtlety involved.  Big, fat, and greasy, you should enjoy it with steak, pot roast, or even stuffed pork chops.  Then you can eat hearty and discuss the killer labels.

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Wines featured in today’s show:

• Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2009  (~$17)
• Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2008  (~$17)
• Sur de Los Andes Bonarda  2007  (~$15)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

I mentioned in the show that those Argentineans love their beef and their red wines reflect it, so I’m sure I don’t need to insult your intelligence and give you a recipe.  Steak, roast, prime rib…whatever;  it will go well.    The Torrontes, however, has such unique and interesting qualities that perhaps we should break it down a bit and see if we can come up with a perfect partnership.

It’s on the fuller bodied side of medium for sure and definitely has some weight to it.  The acidity is there but not the first thing you notice (like you would with a Sauvignon Blanc).  The nose has a decided Gewürztraminer note to it (rose soap, oily, perfumed) but there seems to be a bit more honeydew melon involved as well.  The word “richness” comes to mind.  I would use this wine with fish, and one of my favorites is Halibut.  It’s dense, meaty and takes to the flavors it’s cooked with very well.  Here’s a great grilled halibut recipie that should go nicely.  In fact, the recipe calls for Gewürztraminer…which you could easily substitute with a Torrontes.  (Remember: cook with the wine you intend to drink.)  This recipe has sweetness from the sautéed peppers and a touch of heat from the black pepper.  The weight of the dish is a nice match with the weight of the wine.

One other thing:  Torrontes would be a very good Thanksgiving wine!

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Wines featured in today’s show:

• Colores del Sol Malbec 2008   (~$11)
• Robert Mondavi Solaire Cabernet Sauvignon 2006  (~$16)
• Vino Con Brio Matzin Zinfandel  (~$18)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

It shouldn’t be hard to figure out what to pair with these wines.   If you’re still struggling, we recommend you don’t compound the issue by drinking alcohol.

When I make steak, I usually prepare it like I did for the show.  I love the touch of heat combined with the caramelized sugar.  They provide great balance and can make even an average cut of meat seem pretty special.

Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper.  Add a pinch of hot red-pepper flakes to both sides and then sugar.  Don’t be stingy but you also don’t want heaps of white sugar on your meat…believe me.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and poke fork holes in the meat to help tenderize and get some of those spices and oil deep inside.  Let it sit at room temp for at least 15 minutes, then throw those babies on the grill for 4 minutes per side over med-high heat.   Remove from the grill, place on a plate, then cover well with aluminum foil for 5 minutes to let those juices flow back into the cooked sections, as well as to let the meet cook just a bit further.   Now you’re ready for one helluva steak!

When discussing wines like Bordeaux, Burgundy or Cahors, you must remember that these are the names of distinct wine regions whose boundaries have been delimited by French law.  There is a town called Cahors in Southwest France and the surrounding wine growing areas get to be labeled as “Cahors” on the wine label if they stick to the proper grapes and in the proper percentages, the proper minimum alcohol level, grape yields permitted by law, etc.   This applies to all French wine regions.

Outside the wines we featured in the show, there are many that have well know grapes hidden inside.  If you are enjoying a wine from the northern Spain region of Rioja you are drinking the grapes of Tempranillo, probably some Garnacha  and a couple of other varieties blended in.  Do you love white Burgundy?  Know what you’re drinking?  Chardonnay.   How about red Burgundy?  It’s Pinot Noir.   Man, I do love a glass of Chablis with my oysters.  Chablis is the region in France but the grape they use is Chardonnay (usually unoaked).   I know many of you adore a nice Chianti, especially when accompanied with a nice juicy T-bone or perhaps some fava beans.  Well, the primary grape in Chianti is Sangiovese.

Featured in today’s show:

• 2006 Château de Parenchère Bordeaux Blanc Sec from France
• 2003 Château Lalande Listrac-Medoc from France
• 2004 Château Eugénie Cahors from France

Recommended food pairings from the Som:

• Crack open the oysters ’cause Château de Parenchère is coming to town.  Oysters are briny, salty, viscous and the most fun thing you can put in your mouth (insert joke here.)  The acidity, slight citrus kick (like squirting lemon on your seafood) and “minerally” edge of the wine would be a nice match with your oysters on a warm afternoon on the deck with friends.  I’m jealous already.

• A juicy steak, perfectly prepared, will rock the house when paired with the Château Eugénie from Cahors.  I will now give you my easy but preposterously nummy steak recipe:

• Take the steak cut of your choice; be it a top sirloin, New York strip, rib-eye…doesn’t matter
• Liberally salt and pepper the steak on both sides
• Sprinkle both sides lightly with red pepper flakes
• Sprinkle both sides heavier with sugar
• Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on both sides
• Turn the steak over and rub one side in all the oily, sugary, peppery goodness on the plate, thenturn it over and do the same
• Cover and let stand at room temp for half an hour
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• On the stove top, heat oil in an oven proof frying pan.  Carefully put the steak in the pan, let  it sear on one side until red juices begin to appear on the top on the steak.  Flip the steak over and let it sear for about 1 minute.  Put the pan with the steak in the oven and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.  Serve with a juicy, earthy Malbec based wine.   Hey…how about a wine from the Cahors region of France?  Great idea!