Wines featured in today’s show:

• Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc 2008  (~$11)
• Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo 2006  (~$28)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

C’mon…Sauvignon Blanc is one of the great food paring “cheater” wines of all time.    So, when in doubt suggest a Sauv Blanc.  The fuller body, bright acid, and tell-tale grapefruit notes work well with so much stuff that you really can’t miss.  Fish, fried chicken, shrimp, oysters, grilled pork chops; you get the idea.

Nebbiolo on the other hand, is so unique that it can only be great if grown in a small are in Northern Italy.  When was the last time you drank an awesome Nebbiolo from Napa or Sonoma or Greece or Tuscany or France?  It does not happen.  Great Nebbiolo’s are grown in Piedmont, Italy;  PERIOD!

That being said, what shall we enjoy with one of the great grapes of the world?  How about his unreal first course of Risotto al Barolo courtesy of Mr. Batali?   Then work your way into a fantastic grilled rib-eye with miso butter.

Can you imagine?  Rib-eye, miso butter, and Nebbiolo?  YOU WIN!

Featured in today’s show:

• Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2008  (~$11)
• Burgáns Albariño 2007  (~$13)
• Benziger Carneros Chardonnay 2007  (~$17)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

• We started off the show talking about Bovee’s pairing of stuffed mushrooms with a Sauvignon Blanc.   I was going to give you that recipe, but found a similar one that I think would take you to the next, more delectable level.   This recipe replaces the dubious artichoke with LOBSTER!   I’m already planning to make this one later in the week.
• This would be the perfect trout recipe to match with a Spanish Albarino.  Light, herby and grilled.  Exactly as they would serve it NW Spain.  Medium bodied, complimentary flavors, and just enough acidity and fresh fruit notes from the wine to cut through the smokiness of the grilled fish.   I cannot wait till spring!
• As we discussed in the show, a New England Clam Chowder should pair well with an oaked chardonnay.  Why?  Lets break it down.  Clam Chowder is full bodied, heavy (potentially), creamy and, if you think about it, not really about intense flavors.  I mention that because, as you may notice in the show, the spice of the barrel aged chardonnay actually adds flavor to the chowder.   One of the first rules of wine pairing is matching the “weight” of the dish to the “weight” of the wine.  A fuller bodied dish asks for a fuller bodied wine or the wine just gets lost.   A dish that is cream based asks for a wine that has enough acidity to cleanse the palette of all that cream and prepare it for the next bite.   “Hello well made Chardonnay!”  Now, there are a few other wines that fit that bill, but today is about the Benziger Chardonnay.  Here is a lighter take on New England Clam Chowder that I have made which works VERY well with something like the Benziger.  Let me know how you like it.

New England Clam Chowder Recipe ala Jeff  (Serves 4)

• 1 cup clam juice
• 48 topneck clams, well scrubbed
• 3oz bacon, diced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 lrg potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup light cream
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Place the clam juice in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the clams and cover.  Stir after 5 minutes, then again after 10 minutes, watching for any calms that open.  Using a slotted spoon, move clams to a large bowl as soon as they open.  Remove the meat from the shells, and set the meat aside.  Strain the clam cooking liquid through a colander lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth (look at a fabric store).
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, cook the bacon for 5 minutes over moderate heat until lightly browned.  Add the onion, and cook another 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Add the cooking liquid, potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the bacon and onion.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender….again, about another 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, coarsely chop the clams.
4. Add the milk, cream and clams to the pot.  Bring to a simmer.  Season, and ladle chowder into soup bowls.  Serve with bread and crackers on the side.

Thanksgiving Dinner Wines

With the holiday upon us, we thought it prudent to suggest a couple good wines to pair with your feast!

Quick Show Note:

We were testing some new microphones. They really helped with the sound issues we were having, but they were highly sensitive and picking up sounds we normally wouldn’t wish to share (gulping and such). They were also picking up on some interference as well, so sorry for any static you may pick up on in the show audio. We’ll be working on perfecting our sound in the coming shows.

Featured in today’s show:

• 2007 Casillero del Diablo Reserve Gewurztraminer from Chile
• La Madone Gamay sur Vulcan from Cotes du Forez in France (sorry…couldn’t find a website for them)
• 2007 Ventisquero Pinot Noir from the Casablanca Valley in Chile

Recommended food pairings:

Thanksgiving is not the time for subtlety in wine. There is zero subtlety in a Thanksgiving dinner and the wine needs to mirror that. Thanksgiving is one of the few times you need to think about what is on the plate as a whole. There are too many flavors and too many styles to match a dish to one specific item. A “wine that goes with turkey” does not cut it.

• One of the first food and wine pairing rules is match the “weight “of the food with the wine beverage of your choice. It’s like drinking a glass of water with beef stew, or drinking a Porto with your Chef’s Salad…neither of which is very appealing.
• Thanksgiving dinner has a tendency to be on the salty side. High tannin wines (Cabernet, Syrah, Tannat, high end Petite Sirah, Nebbiolo,) can make saltier food and the wine taste bitter. Stick to fruity, full flavored, low tannin red wines like a Gamay (Beaujolais), a California Pinot Noir, or maybe a lower alcohol (13-14.5%) Zinfandel or Dolcetto. For whites, think about a full bodied, slightly sweet grape like a Gewürztraminer or Riesling, especially from the Alsace region of France, or a moderately oaked California Chardonnay.

What am I going to serve with MY Thanksgiving dinner, you ask?

• Chateau Valmer Vouvray: a full bodied, slightly sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire region of France
• Firestone Santa Rita Valley Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara (nummy)

Here’s some great tips and techniques for preparing your bird.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Som