Terror Creek, Thunder and Lightning

Dated:  August 10, 2010

By:  Jan Littlefield, Correspondent Connoisseur

 

 

Hot days and cool rainy evenings have been the pattern since late July in Denver, a brief period known as our “monsoon season.”  Salads are de rigueur for lunch, but cooler evenings hint of Autumn, which, for me, is the beginning of soup season.  Hot days and cool evenings also bring to mind my annual September trip to visit friends in Hotchkiss, Colorado, in the West Elks American Viticultural Area (the “West Elks AVA”).  Terror Creek Winery is not only located in the West Elks AVA, but at 6,400 feet, is one of the highest wineries in the United States.

With Mount Lambourn and Landsend Peak across the North Fork Valley from the tasting room, Terror Creek commands what may be the most beautiful panorama visible from an American winery.  Hanging a little precariously from Garvin Mesa, a small vineyard is below the winery building and tasting room.  The trip up a steep and winding gravel road from the nearby town of Paonia to Terror Creek may seem to be the reason for the winery’s name, but it is actually named for the cold mountain stream that runs through the property. 

The small, family-owned winery was founded in 1993 by Joan and John Mathewson, who create wines in the Alsatian style.  Joan, the winemaker, was trained in Switzerland, and her wines burst with fruit flavors and crisp acidity from grapes grown exclusively in Western Colorado.  Known for both Riesling and Pinot Noir, Joan also produces Gewürztraminer, a red table wine, and in some years, an unoaked Chardonnay.  The Mathewsons offer tastings in either the small, Alpine-influenced tasting room or at tables under umbrellas on the spacious lawn.  Weather can be unpredictable on Garvin Mesa, but if the day is clear and warm, taste the wines outdoors for an unsurpassable experience.  If, as on one visit, bears are eating berries above the winery, tasting indoors is suggested.

The North Fork Valley is becoming the Western Slope’s foodie capital and a center for organic and sustainable agriculture.  While more than 250 miles from Denver, some of the “local” organic produce available on the Eastern Slope is from this area, including potatoes, herbs and cheeses.  With this in mind, I designed a menu that combines my desire for soup with use of produce from the Western Slope.  Since “cool evenings” are a matter of personal interpretation in August, a chilled soup fits the menu perfectly.  I chose to serve Terror Creek’s 2006 Gewürztraminer with the following menu, a good selection for an evening punctuated with heavy rain, lightning and thunder:

1.       Lightly dilled vichyssoise with a tomato and herb garnish; and

2.      Bruschetta with chevre and shrimp, tomato and mixed herb topping.

Purchased at the winery in June, the 2006 Gewürztraminer is not entirely representative of Terror Creek’s previous Gewürztraminer offerings, in that it contains 15.3% alcohol, approximately 2% higher than earlier vintages.  When discussing the wine with Joan Mathewson, she revealed that the grapes had been picked a little later than usual in a hot summer, and the resultant higher sugar content of the grapes produced an alcohol level that is more often found in dessert or fortified wines.  In keeping with her preference for Alsatian-style wines, Joan created a wine that is bone dry and crisp.  However, the higher alcohol level makes this Gewürztraminer a match to a menu that would not necessarily adapt to a more standard interpretation of this grape.

Vichyssoise, a chilled potato and leek soup, has an inherent sweetness due to slow sweating of the leeks in a small amount of butter prior to the addition of broth and potatoes.  As the leeks cook, sugars develop prominence, so I added plain yogurt to the soup after it cooled, to give it a counteracting tang and keep the fat content lower.  In addition, yogurt smoothes the pureed vegetables and binds the soup.  Traditionally, heavy cream or half-and-half would be used in the soup, a choice which can increase the level of sweetness.  A judicious addition of fresh dill fronds provides a pleasant grassy hint that does not overpower the leeks, which are the most important flavor.  Sliced grape tomatoes garnished with minced parsley lend a bit of acid and contrasting texture to the smoothness of the soup.

To add a protein component to the meal, freshly grilled bruschetta was spread with soft chevré and topped with a simple salad of diced tomatoes and chopped shrimp dressed with a rice vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette which contains chives, marjoram and tarragon from my garden.  Because fresh herbs were used, the flavor does not dominate the topping, allowing the shrimp and chevré to stay in the forefront.  The tomatoes in the bruschetta topping echo the tomato garnish of the vichyssoise.  Chevré on the bruschetta is similar to, but more assertive than, the yogurt in the vichyssoise.

Terror Creek’s 2006 Gewürztraminer is a vibrant and crisp wine that has a spicy nose, reminding me of the complex aroma of freshly ground nutmeg.  The nose is somewhat muted by the more intense alcohol heat of this vintage, but by no means does the wine smell or taste “boozy” and its consistent concentrated fruit flavor shines through.  Characteristic of Gewürztraminer, it has an unusual but fascinating peppery smokiness on the front of the palate, which later develops into a rose-tinged fruitiness of ripe apricots and almonds, as the wine fills the mouth.  Although Gewürztraminer should be served well-chilled, the effect of the higher alcohol content on the flavor seems to diminish if the wine is slightly warmer than refrigerator temperature, allowing the wine’s floral fruit flavors to bloom.

A spoonful of vichyssoise provides a smooth and rich mouthful of potato creaminess enhanced by the mild onion-like qualities of leeks.  The addition of bay leaf, dill and a bit of parsley cut the richness with slight herb notes.  A sip of Gewürztraminer clears the palate of the clinging silkiness of the soup, and yet the blending of fruitiness and acidity complements the soup’s flavors.  Another taste of soup, with a bit of the tomato garnish adds an acid component to the soup that further complements the wine.  Even though Terror Creek’s Gewürztraminer has very little residual sugar, its fruit and spice essences suggest the ripe and sweet grapes that went into its making.

Bruschetta, with its chevré spread and tomato and shrimp salad topping, provides a pleasant and crunchy textural contrast to vichyssoise, and the acidity in the tomatoes and the vinaigrette play well with the acidity of the Gewürztraminer.  Tarragon was used as the primary herb in the vinaigrette:  its slightly anise qualities and floral undertones complement the wine and echo the dill accent in the vichyssoise.  Chives and a small amount of marjoram were used to tame the aggressiveness of tarragon.  A bite of bruschetta followed by a sip of Gewürztraminer results in a crisp and spicy flavor that shows the best of the wine.

Terror Creek’s 2006 Gewürztraminer, because of the extra “oomph” of high alcohol content, is not a wine to be sipped on a hot summer afternoon.  It has lovely flavors that are best revealed when matched with complementary foods.  Because the stormy evening required that we move inside to eat and the photographing the food and wine was delayed, I discovered, by accident, that this Gewürztraminer reveals itself at a slightly warmer temperature as crisp and spicy, with overtones of apricots and roses.  Just as Terror Creek is a little off the most popular Colorado wine trail, its 2006 Gewürztraminer requires a little more work and thought when pairing with food, but the rewards are as unique as the setting in which the grapes grow.

A Midsummer’s Night’s Dry Rosé Asian Fusion

Dated:  July 13, 2010

By:  Jan Littlefield, Correspondent Connoisseur 

 

 

 

July and grilling are inseparable; however, grilling does not dictate steaks, burgers and brats.  Nor is red wine a requirement.  Light foods and lighter wines, especially on a hot Sunday evening, are a perfect combination.  Last week, before leaving for a short vacation, the thought of heating the kitchen by cooking was unappealing, yet salad for dinner seemed insufficient.  A low-fat grilled meal seemed the solution; I had already chosen to feature Garfield Estates 2009 Vin Rosé, a lovely dry, French-style Rosé.

Garfield Estates Winery is located on a 100-year old farmstead in Palisade, Colorado, in the Grand Valley American Viticulture Area (“AVA”).  Overlooking Mt. Garfield and the Book Cliffs, the scenic winery would attract tourists regardless of the quality of its wines.  However, the wines surpass the setting.  The first estate vines were planted in 2000 by owner Jeff Carr and a former business partner, and the vineyards now cover 17 acres in the AVA.  Ranier Thoma (“Thoma”), originally from Germany, is the winemaker, although it is reported that the 2009 vintages will be his last for Garfield Estates.  Thoma favors, with the exception of a dessert selection, dry wines.  Garfield’s 2009 Vin Rosé is no exception.

Made from 100% Syrah grapes, this is a dry, crisp Rosé wine in the French style.  Tasted alone, and this would be a nice wine to drink on a hot summer afternoon, Garfield’s Vin Rosé is fruity and slightly spicy, with a balanced acidity that is perfect when chilled.  It has a gentle nose, but a peppery taste on the front of the tongue, with apricot and melon notes.  Approximately 24 hours contact is allowed between the skin and the juice.  Unlike earlier vintages, the 2009 was not fermented solely in stainless steel barrels, but was also racked in neutral oak barrels for two months, to breathe and to allow richer fruit flavors to develop.  Due to the minerality of the soils in the Grand Valley AVA and the low residual sugar, the Vin Rosé has the taste of the dry, alluvial soil in which it was grown.

Planning for a hot summer evening, I chose to serve with a well-chilled Vin Rosé an Asian-inspired menu:

1)      Grilled Vietnamese meatballs;

2)     Herb salad;

3)     Bibb lettuce and rice papers for wrapping; and

4)     Nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Vietnamese meatballs are usually prepared with ground pork; credit for the original recipe is given to Binh Duong and Marcia Kiesel, authors of Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking.  However, in an effort to lighten and reduce the fat content of the meatballs, I chose to use equal quantities of ground pork and ground turkey breast.  As suggested in the original recipe, I added small amounts of cornstarch and potato starch to give the grilled meat a slightly crunchy texture.  The meat is simply seasoned with minced garlic and Vietnamese fish sauce.  Care must be taken not to over-grill the meatballs, which are so lean that they can easily dry out.  Properly cooked, they are juicy, slightly salty with the intriguing addition of fish sauce, and crunchy on the outside.

Traditionally, the meatballs would be served with “table salad,” an elaborate array of julienned vegetables, such as carrots, Asian radish, and cucumbers, as well as bean sprouts, lettuce leaves and rice papers and garnished with a variety of herbs, including basil, mint, chives, cilantro, and perilla leaves.  Nuoc cham dipping sauce, a combination of fish sauce, lime juice, minced jalapeno peppers, sugar and garlic, accompanies the table salad.  However, because I was preparing the meal for only two people, I chose to modify the table salad, combining ingredients to make an herb and vegetable salad.  Julienned in the food processor were carrots, cucumber and American radishes.  The vegetables were mixed with cilantro, mint leaves, fresh marjoram and chives, and moistened slightly with nuoc cham sauce.  The result was faithful to the flavors of the original, yet manageable for a meal for two people.  Further, neither the table salad nor the nuoc cham sauce contributed additional fat to the meal, keeping it lighter than a salad with a standard American dressing.

To eat, two or three meatballs are placed in either a moistened rice paper or a lettuce leaf; herb salad is added, and the combination is wrapped to enclose the contents and dipped in nuoc cham.  Rolls made with rice paper are traditionally further enclosed in a lettuce leaf before dipping.

A bite of meatball with table salad, accented with nuoc cham begins the meal.  A sip of Vin Rosé pleasantly matches the acidity of the nuoc cham.  The slight heat of the jalapeno in the nuoc cham is cooled by the minerality of the wine.  Serving the wine well-chilled tempers the fruitiness of the wine, but allows it to blend, not clash, with the assertive flavors of the herb salad.  The apricot and melon notes of the wine play well with the floral lime flavors in nuoc cham.  Sipped between bites of food, the pepperiness of the wine asserts itself, but in a gentler and smoother manner than the heat of the dipping sauce.  Garfield’s Vin Rosé is a perfect foil to the slightly exotic Asian flavors of the grilled meatballs and herb salad, making a refreshing and lively low-fat meal.

 

 

Better With Altitude, Italian Pinot Grigio

Dated:  June 15, 2010

By:  Jan Littlefield, Correspondent Connoisseur

 

Colorado’s winemaking history began in 1883 in the Grand Valley, at the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers which near the communities of Grand Junction and Palisade.  Farmers planted grapes because the crop did not require extensive irrigation, a benefit in a high desert area with unreliable rain.   However, Colorado was one of the first states to go dry before Prohibition, and grape vines were torn out to be replaced by peaches, apricots, pears, cherries and apples.   The Grand Valley became one of the primary orchard areas in the state, thanks to extensive irrigation canals diverting Colorado River water, and its winemaking days were forgotten until the late 1950s, when small scale wineries began to appear.  The 1970s were the beginning of the current renaissance of commercial wine making in the Grand Valley, to be followed by viticulture in the West Elks and Four Corners regions to the south of Grand Junction.  Wineries are now located throughout the state, often using grapes grown in Western Colorado.  The state now has two American Viticulture Areas (“AVA”),  the Grand Valley AVA and the West Elks AVA, each of which contain vineyards at the highest elevations in the United States, rising between 4,500 and 6,4600 feet above sea level.  Both AVAs benefit from Colorado’s reputed 350 days of sunshine, warm days, cool nights and low humidity.  Today, Colorado has over 80 wineries, all small and family-owned, many of which are attracting national notice.

I chose to begin my series of articles with one of the most recognized of Colorado’s wineries.  Canyon Wind Cellars (“Canyon Wind”), situated in the Grand Valley AVA and located near the Colorado River in Palisade, sits under the shadows of the Grand Mesa and the Book Cliffs (towering mesas of sandstones that stretch from Colorado into Utah).  Established in 1991 by Norman and Ellen Christianson, Canyon Wind today produces wines  with the assistance of Jay Christianson (the second generation of Christianson winemakers), and  the guidance of Robert Pepi, a distinguished winemaker from Napa, California.  Norman Christianson is a geologist who searched the western United States for terroir that resembled that of the Bordeaux region of France.   All of the winery’s  grapes are estate-grown in vineyards located on a bench composed of sand, alluvial debris from the surrounding cliffs, and mineral-rich soils.  Winds blow over the vineyards throughout the year, cooling the vines in the summer and providing protective warming breezes in the winter.  Unlike most of the world’s wineries, however, Canyon Wind is challenged by altitude and a shortened growing season. More precisely, Canyon Wind sits at an elevation of 4,710 feet, and has a growing season of approximately 150 days.

The wines are made with environmental concerns foremost: no herbicides are used; pesticides are organic; irrigation is accomplished by a computer-controlled drip system; erosion controls are in place; and red wines are aged in underground cellars.  Despite Canyon Wind’s location near the Colorado River, water is never abundant.  Care must be taken to conserve what is available and the vintners take measures to prevent contamination of water sources by wastewater and gray water.

Inspired by a weekend visit to Colorado’s wine county and by a brief visit of summer weather to Denver, I have chosen to feature Canyon Wind’s Pinot Grigio as my first entry on the Rocky Mountain Vine.  Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris, is thought to be a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape.While in essence the same grape, the styles vary dramatically as an Italian-style Pinot Grigio tends to be lean and light; yet a French and/or Alsatian Pinot Gris is often full-bodied and floral.  Canyon Wind produces a balanced and slightly floral Pinot Grigio with 13.5% alcohol, consistent with many Pinot Grigio wines produced throughout the United States.  The wine speaks to its terroir, reflecting a mineral presence balanced by aromas of pineapple and apricot.  Its nose is gentle but hints of spice.  Dry and with a balanced acidity, the wine calls for light Mediterranean-style foods that will not overwhelm its lively but delicate flavor.

Planning for a hot summer afternoon in Canyon Wind’s picnic area, I elected to serve:

1)      Marinated Grilled Shrimp;

2)     Summer Salad of shaved fennel, Vidalia onion and oranges in a light vinaigrette; and

3)     Mashed White Bean and Herb Salad.

My luncheon plans were led astray by a weekend of cool weather, rain and hail, but the meal was no less enjoyable served indoors.  Shrimp is an obvious choice to match with Pinot Grigio: its light flavor of the sea is complemented by the mineral aspects of the wine.  To enhance the pairing, I marinated the shrimp briefly, so as not to allow acidity to cook the seafood, in Pinot Grigio, fresh organic thyme, finely minced garlic, salt and pepper.  A grill basket allowed me to effortlessly grill the shrimp to opacity.  To add a touch of color to the plate, I served the shrimp, cooled to room temperature, atop Roma tomato “flowers.”

Fennel can be a difficult vegetable to match with wine, but Canyon Wind’s Pinot Grigio is up to the challenge.  To coax out delicate texture in a fresh fennel bulb, it is imperative to trim the bulb thoroughly to remove the tough outer layers and the stalks, which are woody and often flavorless.  I did, however, set aside the fronds for later use.   I shaved the fennel bulbs with a mandoline, which created a slaw.  Fennel requires strong accompaniments, so I chose to shave half of a Vidalia onion to add an unexpected touch of tangy sweetness.  Since I had a variety of organic citrus fruits available, the salad contains sections of sweet naval oranges and blood oranges.  The assertive flavors of the salad required only the merest hint of vinaigrette of olive oil, orange juice and minced fennel fronds.

Because of the strength of the fennel salad, I chose to match it with a mild and creamy mixture of white beans and herbs.  I slightly mashed white beans with olive oil to create a smoother texture.  To elevate the salad beyond beige bean salad, I added fresh thyme leaves, a small amount of grated Vidalia onion, and a chiffonade of raw spinach.  Reminiscent of hummus, the white bean salad, however, had a distinctive texture that contrasted with the crispiness of the fennel salad and played into the perfectly grilled shrimp.  As the salad was planned for a picnic meal, it was served at room temperature (which provided an  added benefit by allowing the beans and onions to mellow, while the spinach as a hearty green does not wilt in the vinaigrette). Given the alchemist nature of this particular salad, it is an excellent candidate for transport to summer picnic sites.

A bite of grilled shrimp begins the meal and when accompanied with a sip of the chilled wine, one discovers the mineral aspects of Canyon Wind’s Pinot Grigio.  When visiting the winery, a look over Canyon Wind’s vineyards gives a view of incomparable cliffs of layered sandstones of the Book Cliffs. When experiencing the wine, in an entirely pleasant sip, one tastes the soils in which the grapes have grown, to be finished with a lingering hint of apricots and peaches, both of which are grown within a mile of the vineyards.

A bite of fennel salad brings out the pleasant acidity of the wine.  The citrus notes in the salad and the wine achieve a balance.  I chose to include only sweet citrus in the salad, because tart citrus would over-emphasize the acidity of the wine.  The anise and onion of the salad contrast with the fruitiness of the wine, and the silkiness of the wine on the palate complement the celery-like texture of the fennel.

The intriguing combination of salad and wine is offset by the smooth blending of white bean and herbs.  White beans alone would be bland, although the texture is a welcome contrast to the crunchiness of the salad and the firmness of the shrimp.  I had originally planned to serve the white bean salad as a topping for a bruschetta, but realized that the bread would not travel well to a picnic.  Reflecting on this decision, I realized that toasted bread would add an unnecessary additional texture, and the rich mouth-feel of beans and olive oil were sufficiently complemented by the chiffonade of raw spinach, yet played into the silkiness of the wine on the palate.  The distinctive Mediterranean style of beans and fresh herbs brings out a smoothness in the Pinot Grigio and coaxes a very slight pineapple-tinged sweetness in the wine.

Driving home this evening from my weekend in Colorado wine country, I encountered rainstorms, wind, hail and even a few snowflakes (an apt summary of the challenges vintners face in Colorado).  Canyon Wind overcame adverse conditions to create a light and characteristic Pinot Grigio that is imbued with its terroir and provides a taste of cliffs, heat, summer and salads.

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