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Meursault Mondays

My very good friend Dawn and I used to work together every Sunday and Monday at 56 Degree Wine. We still get  to see each other every now and then, but I wanted to write a little something about a memory that’s very near and dear to both of us… Meursault Mondays. It started out one summer Monday in 2008 when a very good customer came to the shop to chat with Chris about some wines that he wanted to purchase. Chris chose several different Village and Premier Cru Meursaults to show him. The customer purchased his wine, and ended up with 3 cases plus a bottle. He then decided to open one of the bottles right there, to share a taste with Chris. Dawn and I arrived moments later, and we were greeted with a glass each. Meursault for breakfast – any day!!!!!  Upon the customer’s departure, he left the open bottle of Meursault behind. We ran out to give it to him, and he waved his hand to us saying “You girls enjoy!”  After that day, every Monday was referred to as “Meursault Monday.” Even if we were sampling Bordeaux. Even if we were sampling Brunello, Even if all we had to drink was coffee. It was always Meursault Monday for me and my Dawn-y. So I just thought I’d post some of my favorite wines here – all enjoyed in the company of my friend Dawn. (Along with some of the unreal pairings that I’ve been lucky enough to experience!)

img-display2000 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Rioja Reserva – (Here’s what 56 Degree Wine has as the description) Like the great producers in Burgundy, Robert Ampeau and Camille Giroud, Lopez de Heredia holds their wines back and only releases them when they are deemed “ready to drink”. The 2000 Bosconia is pure Rioja, conjuring thoughts of a great Pomerol. Supple but still primary, there is a bevy of dried cherry, leather, licorice and spice. Long finishing and in no danger of fading any time soon, enjoy this classic wine anytime over the next ten years.

PaellaI have savored the Rioja above on its own, but it shined when paired next to Paella Valenciana!

2005 Richard Leroy Anjou Sec Les Noels de Montbenault – (Here’s what 56 Degree Wine wrote about it) This is such a great wine that we couldn’t pass it up. Richard Leroy makes handcrafted wines in extremely small lots. We love the non-oxidative style of 100% Chenin Blanc. Very fine and very flavorful, the use of older oak is apparent showing richness without wood domination. Fruit forward, zippy acids, tropical tones, mango carmelized apples and a long textured resolve. Just enough sweetness to easily handle spicy dishes. Wonderful!

ScallopsI love this wine with seared scallops over a microgreen salad with fennel and citrus tarragon dressing. This is equally lovely with Thai take out!

2006 La Peira En Damaisela Obriers de la Peira Languedoc -  (Here is 56’s description) A deeply fruited and unique blend of 65% Cinsault and 35% Carignan, this wine represents some of the best juice I’ve ever tasted from the Languedoc.  Sweet mixed berries, hints of cloves and cassis with a freshness and verve that make this wine so easy to love.  The fine balance and lingering floral note that caresses the palate after the wine dissipates is really striking.  Utilize this Cellar Defenderâ„¢ anytime a juicy red is needed between now and 2012.107596_116

This was fabulous with braised short ribs or braised lamb shanks over truffled polenta.

Last but not least, every time I open a bottle of Meursault, I will think of Mondays with Dawn. Here is my all time favorite producer and one of my all time favorite White Burgundies! Perfectly paired with lobster – either elegantly or casually prepared. My favorite is the classic lobster roll. Made elegant by pairing with this!

353502006 Domaine Albert Grivault Meursault Les Perrieres 1er Cru – (As per 56 Degree Wine) The Perrieres ramps up the beauty until it is almost unbearable. Owning 1.5 hectares in what is recognized as the best 1er cru site in Meursault, the 2006 version is full of amazing fragrance of spiced pears and fresh baked bread. Superb cut and balance form the basis for the tangerine, orange peel, crystalline citrus and stupendous length. This wine has excellent aging potential and is best enjoyed now through 2018.Lobster Roll

LOOOOOOOVE IT!!!! Cheers, Dawn! 🙂 xoxo

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THE Wine List

I realized today that I’ve barely spoken about wine in my recent posts. Perhaps because I feel like there is so much to write about? Every time I step into work at 56 Degree Wine, I am greeted not only by a refreshing burst of cool air (the temperature in the shop is ALWAYS set to 56 degrees F) but also by floor stacks of new wines that I will surely learn about that day. Each week, we  get new shipments of wines from our suppliers. And each week has in store a whole new lesson in my ongoing course that is my employment at the shop.

No matter who my 56-er is that day (by “56-er” I mean 56 Degree colleague)… I can be sure to get the education that I crave! Every Monday, Jay and I enjoy comparing notes of the wines that we’ve recently tasted. If I have a question about Burgundy or Spain, I go to Joe, the wine director. If I am stumped on a classification of Riesling or a region in Germany, I go to Tim, the store manager. And if I have a question about pretty much ANYTHING wine related, I go to Chris, the owner. He not only answers my question, but then takes me on a geographical journey of the region, then googles the specific winery, and usually ends with personal photos of him drinking that exact wine. Seriously – am I lucky or am I lucky!?

And the greatest part of these 56 relationships… when I invite these guys over, I cook, and they bring AWESOME wines! So, needless to say, most of the times that I have experienced ethereal wine pairings, my 56-ers have been in attendance. So I’m sure you can understand the excitement I felt to be part of a wine dinner that none of the aforementioned crew was at. It was a Friday evening at the end of March (i.e. beginning of Spring.) Not only did I take notes like a librarian, but I followed up with the hosts of this magnificent dinner party to email me the wine list. They were kind enough to do so.

Before I reveal THE WINE LIST (which is TOTALLY what I refer to this list as) I want to also mention that the food that we were served this evening was MAGNIFICENT! We started off with a gorgeous plate of artisanal cheeses and flatbreads as well as some delicious mushroom tartlets. Our first course was a beautifully prepared halibut atop earthy lentils and the dish was topped with a grape tomato butter. The second course was a fennel, blood orange, and goat cheese salad. The main course revealed “melt in your mouth” braised short ribs over a celery root puree (yum!) and the dessert was a decadent piece of chocolate cake. THE WINE LIST needed to be this great to stand up to the amazing food!!

1999 Leroy Bourgogne Rouge (appetizers)
2005 Bachelet Monnot Puligny Montrachet Les Referts (appetizers)
Margaine Rose Brut Champagne (when we were first seated at dinner)
2006 U Baccan (Bruna is the producer, from the pigato grape indigenous to Liguria) (with halibut and salad)
1990 Ch. Ducru Beaucaillou (short ribs)
1990 Ch. L’Angelus (short ribs)
1991 Ridge Montebello (after the short ribs)
1994 Dominus (sometime after short ribs and before/during dessert)
1988 Ch. Climens (during/after dessert)

Thank you to my friends that threw this amazing dinner party! And thank you to my 56-ers because without your knowledge that you’ve graciously shared with me, I would not have appreciated this incredible spread! CHEERS!!!

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Blue Hill in Basking Ridge – Part Two

Please make sure that you read this entry after reading “Blue Hill in Basking Ridge, Part One.” Oh, and yes – my husband will most probably remind me that this post is waaaaay too long – so please forgive – but you foodies and wine lovers will understand why! Ok, so I know that the title of these entries is quite a statement. But I stand behind it 100%. All they (and by they I mean the “friends that will remain nameless”) needed was the vast (and gorgeous) farm outside their window showcasing the most delectable seasonal produce to compare to the real thing… Seriously. The only thing that I was regretful about that evening was the fact that I didn’t bring my camera with me. So, folks, you’ll have to settle for the google’d image that I have of the “juice” that we fueled up on when we first arrived.2008_08_08-Kachumber

We started out with the most refreshing cocktail – a take on the Kachumber Cooler served at Tabla Restaurant in Manhattan. Mind you, I could have consumed 3 or 4 but I was aware that many wines were going to be showcased throughout the evening. So I stopped at one. Cucumbers, lime, cilantro, and hot peppers were among the many flavorful ingredients that this libation consisted of. Delicious! The cocktails were accompanied by two tasty snacks – acacia roasted almonds and coriander scented gougeres. The almonds were absolutely delectable – and I continued to eat them as I remembered my mother telling me that 7 almonds a day helped your brain grow (something I never questioned but now tell my daughters as well – go figure!) The gougeres were so perfectly done – crispy on the outside encasing a tender puff of deliciousness. The coriander in the gougeres complemented the cilantro in the cocktail quite harmoniously.

Shortly after practically licking the plates clean (no joke!) we sat for our first course. Our friends had been teasing about the fact that they were saving their magnum of Robert Sinskey’s 2007 Pinot Blanc for us. So when I saw the bottle appear from the fridge, I knew that it was time to get serious and make my friends proud. Oh and we did. The reason? Not only the exquisite qualities of the wine, but the incredible pairing that was so well thought out! They presented to us Hamachi Carpaccio with Lemon and Scallion Oil and along side was a slaw of Carrot, Radish, and Scallion. The fish was sliced perfectly thin, the colorful oil was dropped in just the right spots, and the sides of the plates were flanked with tobiko on one side and FRESH wasabi on the other creating a gorgeous plate. Sorry – no photo… It’s almost a tease, I know. The fish was incredibly fresh, and the produce used in the dish had just been purchased at a local farmers market. The fresh wasabi was almost sweet. The plate was perfection. And the wine… so perfectly balanced with citrus, floral, and mineral tones. The perfect wine for the course!

We then proceeded to devour our next offering… Cold English Pea soup with Grilled Sea Scallop. Fresh, shelled peas, broth, and salt are what brought the soup to life. It was incredible. No adulterations, no enhancements. It was just fresh and beautiful; bright green and delicious; the perfect summer soup. And on top was the perfect grilled scallop. I recall my friend as he was searing the scallops say that he didn’t see any water sputtering out when the first sea scallop hit the pan. Not only did the sea scallops have the perfect crust on them, but they had the purest flavor of the sea. Our friends then mentioned that the secret was to buy really fresh fish from a trusted source. Their source (and now mine) is Metropolitan Seafood. The wine that we paired with this was the 2005 Domain Bzikot Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres. It has a lush, rich, and full textured appeal with a beautifully balanced minerality that paired really well with both the scallop and the pea soup.

The next course resulted in yet another clean plate (not at all embarrassing – I enjoyed my food!) Yukon River King Salmon and Sweet Corn Risotto with Goat cheese and French Sorrel. The salmon was cooked perfectly, flaking at each segment. The fresh corn was the perfect reminder of what month we were in, and the lemony sorrel imparted the most delicate flavor to the entire dish. What a unique combination of ingredients – and it all worked so well with the 2004 Robert Sinskey Three Amigos Pinot Noir. Delicious!

The final savory course was a tribute to the end of the sour cherry season. Stunning presentation, Pork Tenderloin with New York Sour Cherry Gastrique with Roasted baby beets, baby carrots, and baby turnips. Again, our friends visited the local (and metro) farmers markets to get the most unique and seasonal ingredients. The baby vegetables were acquired through a purveyor in NYC that sells them almost exclusively to some of the big name restaurants in the area year round! It was quite the extraordinary course. Sour cherries are so versatile, and when utilized properly in savory dishes, bring out the wonderful flavors of all the paired ingredients. The sauce was savory while making me wish that I had brought a sour cherry tart for dessert! Exquisite. The wine that they paired with this course was the Sinskey 2004 Vandal Vineyards Pinot Noir. Another amazing pairing. While both Pinot Noirs showcased incredible complexity and character, the Vandal Pinot emanated cherry notes on the forefront with a silky smooth finish. This made for the final “epiphany” pairing of the evening!

The menu was so well planned, so incredibly executed, and so amazingly tasty! I’m starting to think about my menu for when they come over next… perhaps I’ll need a few months to prep!! To “My friends that will remain nameless:”It was an honor to dine with you and to be your guests. THANK YOU again! Here’s to many more tasty memories together! Cheers!!!”

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Blue Hill in Basking Ridge – Part One

Yellow Bean and Watermelon Radish Salad I love food… plain, simple, approachable food… in it’s most unadulterated state… fresh, seasonal, and delicious. These words define the way I love to cook. Fresh ingredients taste their best when only a slight amount of seasoning is added. I want to taste the flavors of the actual main ingredient come to light… rather than the douse of spice or flavoring that has been added to it. This is why I try my best to support our local farmers and buy seasonal ingredients as often as possible. (By the way, the image above is a delicious way to use fresh, summery ingredients. I used watermelon radishes as I found them at the farmers market in the early summer. Click on it for the link to the recipe!)

There was a time when it didn’t matter how expensive the entrees were, or how elaborate the wine list was when choosing a dining venue. Fortunately (for the practical me) those days are long gone, and now I look for places that are inspired by the seasonal flavors that I speak of above. Local venues are always a plus, and in addition to everything else, being a BYO is usually a deal breaker. More than half the bill can go towards beverage consumption, and that just makes me angry.

But…. when there is a restaurant that far surpasses others with their dedication to supporting local, sustainable, and incredibly fresh ingredients (i.e. farm to table restaurants,) I always give them a second glance (even IF their wine list is beautiful but oh so pricey!) Oh and how thrilled I was when Blue Hill at Stone Barns came into my research. I feel so lucky to say that I’ve had the opportunity to dine at Blue Hill twice in my life – once last year in the early spring, and once in the summer. Both times, I (and the group that I dined with) ordered the Farmers Feast – a tasting menu of sorts showcasing the incredible bounty that the chef had decided to dedicate the meal to that day. The menu changes daily, and the tasting menu is catered around the diner’s dietary preferences. This is really not a tasting menu – it is an experience. I will elaborate on my favorite dining “experiences” in a later post. But I had to mention Blue Hill today as I write about the dinner that I had over the weekend.

Blue Hill in Basking Ridge…. Now before all you locals go and google where Dan Barber’s new location is… please read on! For the sake of keeping my dear friends’ phone from ringing off the hook after reading this post, I will abstain from mentioning their names. These dear friends that I speak of invited me to one of the most memorable meals of my life – at their home in Basking Ridge. They are two of the most generous individuals that I have ever met, and I feel very lucky to have shared this culinary experience with them. We share 2 major common interests, which I assume you can figure out just by reading this! I will elaborate on our exquisite dining experience in my next entry as my husband once advised “if you have to scroll more than once to read a post on a blog, it’s too long!”