Your Guide to Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wine
We don’t see a lot of Merlot on the No Spoof Zone since most of it is, well, spoofulated. The Domaine de la Patience Merlot is an exception however. Lyle practically forgot what real Merlot smelled like until now.
Lyle has two words for this wine: Needs Chicken. All wines should be food wines, but this one in particular is improved with the right food – If you’re looking for a wine to drink on its own, you might want to look elsewhere. Also, see why you need that second sip when judging a wine.
Here is our second recipe from 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love that author Jill Silverman Hough wanted to share with our readers for summer.
Steak Salad with Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Dijon Vinaigrette
Pair with Zinfandel
From “100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love” by Jill Silverman Hough (Wiley, 2010)
You can definitely enjoy red wine with salad, especially if it’s a hearty salad like this one, where although the portions are light, the flavors are bold. Ingredients that help make the bridge to Zinfandel include not only the grilled steak but also the bright vinaigrette, playing off the acid in the wine, and the slightly bitter radicchio, playing off the tannins.
Serves 6
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, whisking to dissolve the salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside. (You can prepare the dressing up to 3 days in advance, storing it covered in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving.)
Use a vegetable peeler to cut the cheese into thick shaves (you should have about 1/3 cup). Set aside. (You can shave the cheese up to a day in advance, storing it covered in the refrigerator.)
Prepare the grill to high heat and lightly oil the grate. Sprinkle the steak with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the greens, onion, and radicchio with about half of the dressing. Arrange the mixture on a platter or on individual plates, dividing it evenly.
Cut the steak across the grain diagonally into thin slices. Arrange the steak and tomatoes over the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.
Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved.
Evan Spingarn explains why some red wines should be served chilled and that when it comes to spicy dishes “the heat overwhelms the meat.” Also find out why wine bars should constantly sample bottles of wines they serve by the glass.
The other week we reviewed 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love and the author, Jill Silverman Hough, wanted to share some recipes with our readers that would be great for summer. First up is her Cold Peach and Mango Soup Shooters which she pairs with a Gewürztraminer.
Cold Peach and Mango Soup Shooters
Pair with Gewürztraminer
From “100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love” by Jill Silverman Hough (Wiley, 2010)
This soup is just charmingly fun. It’s pretty, it’s tasty, and it’s easy to make. A gulp or two, served in a little glass, makes for a quick, refreshing treat.
For best results, make it in the summer when fresh peaches are in season. In a pinch, you can use frozen fruit, but make sure it’s unsweetened.
Serve the shooters at a standing-and-eating sort of party or as an amuse-bouche between courses. You can also serve the soup as a first course, which would be a great way to kick off a summery dinner party. If that’s your plan, double the recipe for six one-cup servings.
Makes 12 shooters (1/4 cup each)
Zest the limes. Set the zest aside. Juice the limes to yield 3 tablespoons of juice. In a blender or food processor, combine the lime juice, peach, mango, buttermilk, orange juice, salt, and cayenne and process until very smooth, scraping down the jar or bowl as necessary (you may have to do this in batches). Transfer the soup to a container and chill for at least 2 hours. (You can prepare the soup up to 3 days in advance, storing it covered in the refrigerator.)
Taste, ideally with your wine, and add more lime juice and/or salt if you like. Serve the soup chilled, each serving garnished with a cilantro leaf and some of the lime zest.
Food and Wine Tip:
If your fruit is particularly sweet, you might notice that the soup makes your wine seem a little sour. To fix this, just add more lime juice, a teaspoon or two at a time, until the soup and the wine nicely complement each other.
Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved.
German Pinot Noir gets a bad reputation but Friedrich Becker has been turning that around and paving a path for acceptance. Seventy percent of it’s grapes come from Alsace, and thirty percent from the Pfatz, but it’s still labeled a German wine. Find out why Lyle loves this Pinot Noir.
