Dec 01 2010

Simple is Good

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Thanksgiving has come and gone leaving its aftermath of leftovers in the refrigerator, holiday decorating and shopping to finish and for many, an insurmountable backlog of work waiting in the office.   Surfacing for air the week after Thanksgiving may be an accomplishment in and of itself without trying to dream up an involved food and wine pairing.   Turkey is the last thing that many want at this point (for those that do want to see what to do with your leftovers please search last year’s post-Thanksgiving articles on the web site).   Yet given the simultaneous dust settling after Thanksgiving and the whirlwind of activity for the upcoming holidays, something simple and affordable in the food and wine department might add a much needed element of comfort this week.

Many wineries make one wine that is its more affordable offering.   Simply because the price tag is less does not mean that the quality is necessarily lacking.   While the mind immediately leaps to various white and rosé wines that fit this price bracket, there are red wines to find as well that fall under $20 a bottle yet have structure, depth and a straight-forward good quality that pair well with simpler culinary fare.   Steltzner Vineyards (“Steltzner”), most notably recognized for its Pinotage and Malbec, bottles a fun rustic Claret that can be found for under $20 which given that its composition of Stags Leap fruit makes it even more of a terrific bargain find.

Claret red wine, (a term coined by the English) includes Bordeaux grapes and there is great latitude in its making as there is no legal definition in the wine world for “claret”.  Technically the terminology is derived from the French clairet  which is to describe a winemaking process which falls somewhere between the consistency of a red wine and a rosé.  Ultimately the Claret is supposed to be a lighter and refreshing red wine as the fermenting wine is drawn off after very short skin contact.   This will, however, largely depend on the vintner’s style.

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Steltzner is loyal to incorporating structure into its wines to the point that it should be recognized as part of its brand.   Even though its Claret is under $20, Steltzner did not abandon its commitment to structure.  Consisting of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2007 Claret wine is spry with notable (yet manageable) tannins and offers flavors of bright cherry and red plum fruit with a softer yet readily noticeable structure.   2007 was a fantastic year for big bold fruit, so this vintage of Steltzner’s Claret may have received an extra boost from Mother Nature.   Taking in the bouquet, the nose is enchantingly greeted with rich notes of plum, spice and a hint of red cherry and rustic Old World imagery is evoked.

Given that the Claret is a lighter version of other Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon blends, a wider range of food pairing is possible.   Since the wine is not heavily inundated with tannins, the fat content in the paired food can be less.   Certainly you could pair this wine with the traditional simple steak off the grill or cheeses, but it can also easily pair with pasta or ratatouille dishes.   Taking this into account, this week’s menu hosts:

·         Baked Garden Vegetable-Beef Multigrain Rotini

A glutton for home-grown produce, I made sure to freeze portions of zucchini from the garden which are terrific for quick ratatouille or pasta dishes in the late fall or winter months.   Using zucchini and a combination of Carmelo and Black from Tula heirloom tomatoes from the garden, sliced baby Portobello mushrooms are added with multigrain rotini to bake with cooked crumbled ground beef in a medley of roasted garlic and patio picked oregano and sweet basil.  Ultimately topped with grated fresh mozzarella, this pasta bake fills the kitchen with simple warm comforting aromas.

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Pick up some crusty rolls from a local bakery to warm in the oven and serve alongside.

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When paired with the wine, the dish brings forth compatible simple rustic flavors to personify the notion of comfort food.  A dish and a wine which are equally affordable and provide guiltless enjoyment.  Simple?  Yes.   But sometimes simple is necessary, merited, warranted and just merely desired.   Cheers!

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