Rosé and peppercorns, a unique pairing coming together for spring

Blending trials begin this time of year, once the wines have settled down post-fermentation and the flavors are beginning to develop. Spring is on it's way and beautiful crisp whites and rosés will be released. I think of spring lamb, Easter and rosé to celebrate Spring.

Lots of my friends ask me 'how do you know what you taste in wine?' 

I have been tasting some Rosé blending trials this week. What a delight! The bright watermelon and cherry fruit with texture and weight from the red grapes. mmmm... so quenching! One thing I noticed in my trials was that a touch of heat emerged in some of the blends. This warming heat created was different from the heat of the alcohol in the wine, but rather a spiciness from the grape source. It made me think about the warming heat and sensation from some of the herbs that I've been cooking with lately, sage and rosemary. A pepper derivative that warms the wine and food.  I wanted to learn more about pepper to better describe it in my wine and food.  So, I did some research...

• Pepper bushes grow similar to grapevines, on trellis. The berries are harvested at different times with different processes to produce the different color of peppercorns with varied flavor profiles.

• Green peppercorns are harvested mid way through berry maturity and have a slightly mild flavor with less heat.

• Black peppercorns are harvested just before the berry is ripe, drying to a black color. Very aromatic with the most pepper heat.

• White peppercorns are harvested when the berry is ripe, but are soaked in water to shed their husks and dry to be white in color. This is a more complex flavor with a soft, lingering, and penetrating heat.

• Pink peppercorns are harvested when the berry is ripe and come from a different type of tree than the others.  Since the white and pink peppercorns are harvested at full berry maturity, the flavors are milder and more sweet. Birds love eating ripe berries in the vineyard and in pepper growing farms. The sweeter the berry, the more the birds eat. Thus, making the white and pink peppercorns more scarce and expensive. Good to know!

Now, back to the Rosé... The blend that showed this warmth could be described by hints of white and pink peppercorns- the kind which are ripe with a bit of pepper that lingers and adds warmth to the wine. I can't wait to pair some of the wines with a bit of fresh cracked pink and white peppercorns. Another pairing in the making!

Herbed goat cheese medallions

Try these goat cheese medallions for a warm and creamy salad topper. Yummy!
All you need is goat cheese, herb blend, and Panko or bread crumbs.
To make your own herb blend try combining your favorite dried herbs like: Rosemary, Tarragon, Dill, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, Basil, Parsley and more...

An inspired pairing with Sage and Cabernet Franc

Sage is a beautiful herb to grow in your wine garden. It's so flavorful and pairs well with pork, lamb, and winter squash.  I also add it to soups and stuffing. It's a component to my herb paste for lamb and pork. Here, we add it to a quick brown butter that flavors pasta or kabocha squash.

Sage contains cineol, camphor and pinene. These components bring a 'warm' sensation to the flavor of the herb and pair beautifully with wines that have a complementary warm profile- usually derived from the pepper family,white and black pepper, or even paprika. For big full flavor dishes I pair Cabernet Sauvignon, with it's bit of paprika heat. While touring wine country, some friends and I discovered a Cabernet Franc from El Dorado that had beautiful hints of warm pepper from Sage. I couldn't wait to pair this wine with sage brown butter over gnocchi. To add interest to the dish and highlight the herbal aromatics of the wine, I will add a touch of culinary lavender to the gnocchi water while cooking.

Sage Brown Butter and Lavender Gnocchi

Ingredients:

6 T salted butter
4 sage leaves, torn to release essential oils
1 package gnocchi prepared by instructions (I usually make my own, but this is simple and delicious)
1 t culinary lavender
5 T Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Begin cooking gnocchi per package instructions. Add culinary lavender to water while cooking.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium heat until browned on the edges.
3. Add sage leaves
4. Remove from heat
5. Toss over gnocchi and add Parmesan cheese

Serve with Cabernet Franc and enjoy with a warm winter fire

Rosemary: A fun pairing for weeknights

Rosemary is another one of my go-to herbs in winter. Rosemary is a member of the mint family and also contains limonene, which has an orange flavor.  It still looks beautiful this time of year and secretly flavors many dishes that even kids love.  I have included one of my favorite kid friendly recipes that was inspired by Giada de Laurentiis. I've put my own twist on this favorite and pairings to match.

Savory and Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1/2 C agave syrup
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C Braags Amino Acids
10 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 garlic cloves
10-12 Chicken drumsticks
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

Combine the balsamic vinegar, agave, brown sugar, Braags Amino Acids, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, plastic zip lock bag.

Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the agave and the brown sugar.

Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the chicken from the bag and place on baking sheet. Bake until carmelized, about 35 minutes.

Place the marinade in a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Drizzle the marinade over the chicken and place on a platter to serve. Top with sesame seeds and parsley.

This is a fun dish for all ages. I look for a wine with the same personality to accompany the flavors.  Some of my favorites are Italian Sangiovese, Rose of Cinsault, and American Grenache.

Winter

 Our girls are busy composting for our spring vegetable and herb gardens.  I'm looking forward to planting our garden later this winter and early in spring. For now, I've been using the sage and rosemary that does quite well outside my kitchen door. It holds up in winter, blooms beautifully in the spring, and the deer don't eat it! In winter, many of my dishes are flavored with these herbs. I love the bold flavors that they add to winter vegetables and hearty roasts. Both Sage and Rosemary have warm characteristics that pair well with red wines and a cozy fire. You can find these herbs in seed form or buy a small plant to get started (I recommend the latter). Winter can be a great time to get these herbs going while there is water for their root development in preparation for the summer heat. Sounds like a good weekend project to me! Once you have your herbs, I will be posting some recipes to get you warmed up this winter. I've got to get back to tasting wines this afternoon.  Ciao

Citrus Season

These lemons were given to me from a friend's family tree and they have been inspiring me all week.  They are perfect for a salad that's always on my table, Kale Caesar.  Everyone loves eating Kale when it's prepared in this salad and many versions have popped up on trendy restaurant menus over the past few years. The most important part about preparing it is the order of operations. Pretty similar to most of my winemaking techniques, actually. Follow these steps in this order and enjoy a salad that celebrates the winter season of Citrus.

Kale Caesar

3 C finely chopped Kale with stems removed
3 T olive oil
1/2 t sea salt
2 cloves pressed garlic
Juice from half of one lemon
3 T grated Parmesan cheese

1. Make the dressing as far ahead as possible. This could mean 10 minutes or overnight. The longer it develops flavor is best. If 10 minutes is all you have, then add more garlic and salt.

2. Blend together Olive oil, pressed garlic, and salt. Stir and let sit.

3. Add dressing to Kale and toss thoroughly.

4. Add juice from half a lemon and toss thoroughly.

5. Add Parmesan cheese and toss.

Since this salad is a staple at our table, occasionally I like to mix it up and add pomegranate seeds or avocado. Pumpkin seeds and local mandarins would be great too. Topped with bacon would be delicious for an afternoon football game with the guys.

The Citrus in this salad is so vibrant that it really livens the earthiness of the Kale. Which brings me to wine pairings.

This time of year I walk through cellars full of citrus aromas from the new vintage. Citrus is one of the components that dominates very young wines after fermentation, especially whites. After time, the high note of lemon or grapefruit, even blood orange, dissipates and further aromas of the wine emerge. Wines that are bottled early retain a prevalent citrus component. It's so refreshing, crisp, and delicious. Look for a new release wine to pair with this salad in the coming months. Some producers are already bottling their 2013 whites for release. If you can't find one, check out the Southern Hemisphere for their 2013 bottlings. Sauvignon blanc, stainless fermented Chardonnay, and white blends are most common to find early. Rose should be released soon too!