Check out my monthly wine review for my friends over at Life in Abruzzo, published 2 August 2010.  If you enjoy summer BBQs Italian style, then this wine is for you!

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I think whether or not you consider yourself a wine aficionado there will always be bottles that you remember, and for me one of these is the Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.  Whilst I have not enjoyed this label for a long time, when I did the other day it immediately conjured up memories. This wine is one I have shared with many friends & family, and being able to enjoy it again (on my birthday!) not only brought a smile to my face but it solidified its place in my “got-to-have” wine list as a must.

If there is one thing that I think sets Abruzzese wines apart from other regions in Italy it’s drinkability. Take it from someone who has been drinking wine longer than I would like to admit, Abruzzo is often overlooked in comparison to Tuscany (for example); but this charming and rugged province rarely produces a bad bottle. The Montepulciano grape is a sturdy one, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is dry, slightly fruity, and while usually consumed young has softer tannins (in my personal experience many people are turned off by super-tannic wines, and most winemakers will tell you if something is too tannic then it needs to remain in the cellar for sometimes up to ten more years).

The Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from its inception was a great idea: bring great quality to wine lovers without costing them a fortune (a bottle retails between US$9 to US$12 depending on the vintage). Located at the foothills of the Gran Sasso mountains, this wine was named after the small town of Capestrano which is home to a unique microclimate of warm days and cool nights. Between the favourable growing conditions and the care used to produce this wine, it is an excellent representation of the Abruzzo-Molise tradition.

A beautiful plum colour in the glass, this 2007 wine is rather forward in its aromas of spice, dark plum, black raspberry, and other earthy notes. It does not require much aeration, but like most red wines, will benefit from it. On the palate it could almost be described as resembling fresh jam due to strong notes of dark berry balanced by natural acidity and fairly medium tannins. Black raspberry dominates the finish, but some of the spice and robust earth that first hit the nose round everything out quite nicely with each and every sip.

If you are looking for a wine that will hold up against strong foods (i.e. wild game) and grilled meats (particularly good for the summer barbecue season), then the Capestrano is an excellent choice. In very typical Abruzzo fashion I shared a feast of lamb, grilled sausage, and veal with my family, and the wine most certainly held its own. Whenever I think of this wine I can’t help but compare it to an old friend; it’s dependable, fair, and even after an absence, treats you so well you can’t ever imagine spending time apart again.

Question: My wife and I love Moscato and so far all other wines taste like vinegar.  Can you recommend something similar? — Jacob Krell (@jakrell on Twitter)

Answer: If you two have been drinking Moscato, then you had Italian Muscat grapes, but many people don’t realize this grape is grown all over the world.  It’s wonderfully sweet and floral and besides wine these grapes are also commonly made into raisins, so chances are you’ve eaten them, too.

I should have inquired, but chances are you had the frizzante, or sparkling version of Moscato and not the fortified version.  The fortified version is much, much sweeter and generally has something added in to make it darker and more brandy-like.   If looking for an alternative to Moscato I think there are two ways to go: Cava and Prosecco.

Cava for one is finally starting to gain prominence outside of Spain and that’s a great thing because if you like sparkling wines with notes of ripe fruit, this is not only a safe bet, but an inexpensive one.   Cava can be a sparkling white or pink wine and is produced according to varying levels of dryness with options like semiseco (medium) and dulce (sweet) if you prefer your wine to be sweeter.  I rarely see good Cavas on the shelf for more than $20 per bottle, so it’s definitely a great bargain.  Two of my favourites are Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad and Cava Reserva Brut “Vega Barcelona”.

As much as I used to fancy myself a champagne snob, I have to say that I would take a good Prosecco over true champagne any day!  (Maybe that’s just the Italian in me talking….)  Now the trick here is that Proseccos are labeled in their level of sweetness just like champagnes are, so don’t be fooled when you see “extra dry” on the label because that actually means extra sweet.  Although they can vary in price just like regular wines, there are many good ones out there than won’t break the bank. Mionetto il Prosecco is on my list as a regular to keep in the house and it’s usually in the $12 to $15 range. If you want something sweeter then I recommend Drusian Extra Dry Prosecco with its lovely hints of honeysuckle.

**TIP: If you choose to try Prosecco I have an old Italian trick for you that also looks cool, too.  Take regular white grapes and put them in your freezer until frozen and to keep your Prosecco extra chilled while it’s in your glass, put in a couple of the frozen grapes: they will not only help keep it cold as you drink it, but it helps preserve some of the natural flavours of the wine as it aerates.

As always, this is my monthly wine review for my good friends over at Life in Abruzzo.  Go check them out to learn all about “L’regione verde di Europa!”

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I will be the first to admit I had not heard of Villadoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine until I was shopping around for something worthy of a review, but as you will soon see, I think I stumbled on the surprise of the month.

Like many wines from the rustic Abruzzo landscape, Villadoro’s deep ruby hues are a tell-tale sign of rich soil, but that’s where the commonality to other wines of the region ends.   Immediately to the nose I knew this was going to be unlike others I’ve sampled because it did not have that typical fruit-driven scent.  In fact, there was a strong smell of smoke and slight spice and that was all prevalent within seconds of pouring my first glass.

The Villadoro was nothing like what the label had described since it said the wine should be fruity when it was anything but that. To the contrary, it was on fuller-bodied side for an Abruzzo wine and gave off great notes of smoke and spice.   there was fruit present on the palate, it was prevalent in the finish and was predominately that of black cherry and deep berry which was a great transition from a somewhat bold beginning. I thought this bottle was playing tricks on me because it was such a departure from the average regional wine and how the Montepulciano grape tends behave. Even after a few glasses and much breathing, the Villadoro still did not act as “fruity” as the label wanted me to believe and it was almost like drinking a baby Negroamaro from Puglia.

In an extreme case of happenstance, pairing this wine with food was nothing short of serendipitous.  My latest food obsession has focused on Croatia thanks to a friend from a small town that during his youth was actually part of Italy.  I specifically went to a market in search of Balkan goods and the wine was a perfect match for some ajvar spread on a rustic bread and ćevapčići (pronounced “chee wap chi chi”), which is basically Croatia’s answer to the hamburger. Combine small, grilled pieces of spicy beef on bread plus ajvar – a tapenade of tomato, eggplant, garlic, vinegar, and paprika – and it’s as if this dish was made for this unique wine.   Assuming you cannot find Croatian delicacies near you, do not hesitate to have this wine with meat dishes or pastas. In my opinion the Villadoro would be an amazing compliment to one of Abruzzo’s signature dishes of strozzapretti with a wild boar ragú.

Taking into account all the wonderful surprises this wine provided me in the course of an evening one might think I could not have been any happier, but I saved the best for last: I managed to find a magnum of the Villadoro 2007 for US$11.99! With all these good things stemming from just one bottle of wine, there is no excuse why you should not have this in your home.

Check out my monthly wine review for my lovely friends over at Life In Abruzzo.  This review was originally published on their website on 18 May 2010.

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If you have experience with Abruzzese vintners then you know that the name Farnese is associated with bargain wine. Do not be alarmed by the moniker of “bargain” because inexpensive wines these days rarely mean poorly made, but rather affordable and ready to drink.

In 1582 Princess Marguerite Farnese fell in love with the town of Ortona. Sandwiched between the Adriatic and the Maiella Massif, the Princess adored the landscape so much she did what any royal would have done: she purchased the entire town. Farnese commissioned a palazzo and lived there happily in her own slice of paradise, but thanks to her and her family’s cosmopolitan nature, Farnese wine became respected and was found on banquet tables of European high courts. Although the Farnese family has not owned the label for generations, their successors in pure gratitude have kept the name and adapted the old world traditions to modern day.

As a wine lover I found this 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo to be more medium in body, but while sharing two bottles with my family over dinner some argued it approached the low-end of the full body scale. To the nose there is that mark of any good Abruzzo wine – ripe raspberries – and along to follow were definite hints of dark raisin and a distinct creaminess that prevents the fruit from seeming too sharp. To the palate the berry permeates almost throughout but as it fades there is the slightest hint of licorice before giving way to the unique infusion of French Oak.  (Farnese wines are cured in French and American oak barrels.)

This particular wine seems to be made with meat in mind because it pairs extremely well with salamis, as well red meats. My family and I enjoyed the first bottle over some antipasti plus polpettini in a fresh tomato sauce with shavings of parmigiano and my brother’s favourite, arancini. As we continued onto the secondi piatti the Farnese transitioned nicely to compliment osso buco and veal chop alike.

While being a delightful wine for its stability, I will warn those of you with a honed palate that this Montepulciano will bore you if you are looking for sophistication.  It is still a great bottle and a terrific buy, so if you are looking for a wine everyone would love for an event or are new to the wine world, this is a great place to start. With a price tag of roughly $8 — $10 (£6-£8) per bottle in stores ($30/£15 in a restaurant), the Farnese Montepulciano is an easy win and one of those labels that should always be on your wine rack.

This article comes from one of my favourite series in the New York Times, “The Pour” by Eric Asimov.  Read below about what unique wine retailers are doing here in NYC with what I’m doing with cigars, except they’re involved with one of my other guilty pleasures!

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New Wine Shops in New York Put Patrons at Ease

IT’S Friday night at Alphabet City Wine Company on Avenue C, and the juice is flowing. Two customers lounge on well-worn black vinyl chairs in what could pass for a graduate-school living room. Four more stand in front of a makeshift bar. Music streams from vintage KLH speakers, and Keith Beavers, one of the owners, is deep into his spiel.

“Forget about the word ‘super-Tuscan,’ just try the wine,” he tells a couple at a rustic wood table as he pours a 2006 Montaperto from the Tuscan producer Carpineta Fontalpino into their glasses. He’s gesturing now as if he is at the pulpit, emoting to the masses, not just the six customers in his shop.

“The super-Tuscan idea is so misleading,” he said. “Now everybody thinks super-Tuscans are these big huge things, but this is smoky and smooth, with a subtlety and complexity.”

Sold!

Wherever interest in wine is rising, spirited voices in new shops like Mr. Beavers’s are preaching the pleasures of good bottles. Eric Ambel, a musician and record producer who shops regularly at Alphabet City, likened the staff there to the clerks at record stores he frequented in the 1980s. “They have the same knowing enthusiasm of the guys who tracked your penchant for Pacific Northwest garage rock or pre-CBS Telecaster hillbilly music,” he said.

Like those stores of old, these new wine shops sustain self-reliant souls burning to share their passion for wine. In the process they are extending and improving this country’s wine culture. They stimulate discussion, make more good bottles available to more people and, most important, offer by far the most useful resources for increasing the American public’s confidence in its often uneasy relationship with wine: attentive ears and friendly voices.

Americans today are bombarded with opportunities to learn about wine. New books approach the subject from every conceivable angle, culinary schools offer classes at all levels, and the Internet, well, it just won’t shut up. But the most influential voice many people will hear belongs to their local retailer.

Good wine merchants, like smart sommeliers, are part psychologist and part clairvoyant. They must listen carefully to translate the often inchoate desires of their customers into fulfilling wine experiences. Mr. Beavers puts it slightly differently.

“I’m just a wacko,” he said. “I love getting questions from customers, and I just try to bring wine down to a human level.”

The recent vintage of shops can be found in pockets of wine enthusiasm around the country, including DomaineLA in Los Angeles, Terroir Natural Wine Merchant in San Francisco and CoolVines in Princeton, N.J. But enthusiasm seems to burn hottest in New York City.

Some merchants, like Mr. Beavers, are bringing their messages to neighborhoods that have never enjoyed the benefits of a good shop. Brooklyn’s small fleet of boutique wine shops has grown in the last few years to include Dandelion Wine in Greenpoint, Thirst Wine Merchants in Fort Greene, T. B. Ackerson Wine Merchants in Ditmas Park and Juice Box Wine and Spirits in Windsor Terrace. In Dumbo, Blanc & Rouge opened in 2000, but in the last few years, under new ownership, it has significantly increased its selection and Web presence.

In Queens, Table Wine recently came to Jackson Heights while Long Island City has gained Vine Wine and Hunter’s Point Wines. And in Manhattan, by no means under-served by great wine shops, the armada has grown not only to include pioneering outposts like Frankly Wines in the triangle below Chambers Street, September Wines on the Lower East Side and Pasanella & Son near South Street Seaport, but shops devoted to single specialties, like Chilean wines at Puro on Grand Street, Spanish wines at Tinto Fino in the East Village, Italian wines at Enoteca Di Palo in Little Italy and California wines at California Wine Merchants in the financial district.

The proprietors of these shops believe it’s crucial to alleviate the anxiety of selecting a bottle. Lily Peachin, who opened Dandelion Wine in Greenpoint almost two years ago, called upon her years working as a bartender to help avoid the sterile atmosphere she finds in too many shops. At Dandelion, she went after a lived-in look, adding art and antiques, and placing a few barstools on the worn, crooked floor.

“I wanted to be kind of a non-wine shop wine shop,” she said. “There’s soul here. You can tell good times have been had in the shop. You get that in restaurants and bars, but a lot of wine stores lack that.”

It is important for her that her customers feel relaxed as they browse. As a bartender, she knew her customers’ names and what they drank, and the value of the buyback in inspiring loyalty. She hopes to create the same relationship with her customers at Dandelion.

Of course, décor rarely matters to the committed or even the novice wine drinker if the wines are not inspiring. Ms. Peachin offers some excellent selections at a price range she tries to keep low in deference to her neighborhood. She has terrific lambruscos from Lini and good California gamays from Edmunds St. John, and for the adventurous, Cheville de Fer from Les Vins Conté, a fine, funky côt, or malbec, from the Loire Valley.

Like almost all these shops, Dandelion emphasizes small producers rather than big brand names. It’s a little less mainstream than Table Wine in Jackson Heights, where the guiding principle is simple: every meal can be enhanced by a bottle of wine. And Dandelion is not so esoteric as Thirst Wine in Fort Greene, which sells only bottles that fit the philosophy of what it calls “slow wines,” made as naturally as possible.

None of these shops would dream of selling, say, Yellow Tail, the Australian mega-brand that has come to represent the sort of soulless mass-production bottles that people who care about wine are unlikely to find interesting.

“Our store is based on old-school human dialogue and developing trust,” said Jonathan Walton, who works at Thirst in Fort Greene. “If someone asks for Yellow Tail, we’re not judgmental about it. We ask which one they’re looking for and offer a few other options.”

Those options might include a few small French producers in the Rhone Valley or Languedoc. Michael Yarmark and Emilia Valencia, the couple who own Thirst, were inspired by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, the retail shop in Berkeley, Calif. The owner, Kermit Lynch, is the pioneering importer who specializes in small, independent French producers, and Thirst carries many of Mr. Lynch’s selections.

Like the record stores of yore, most of these shops treasure their independence, both in terms of tastes and in their distance from the large mass-market distributors. Almost all, for example, refuse to post shelf-talkers, those little marketing aides supplied by distributors that include a score and a blurb from some nationally known critic. Instead, they write their own. They are fiercely partial to their own taste while recognizing the realities of a difficult economy and the spectrum of public tastes. And, all things being equal, their sympathy for the underdog is palpable.

“I like to buy wine from people who actually grow the fruit and make and bottle the wine,” said Paul Huston, an owner of Hunter’s Point Wines and Spirits in Long Island City. “Over 90 percent of the stuff in here is actually grown by the people whose name is on the label.”

Mr. Huston, a restaurant veteran whose résumé as wine director includes Scalini Fedeli and the not-to-be-forgotten Arcadia, opened his shop in late 2006. While he recognizes that the public craves cheap wines, he has been unwilling to curtail a more ambitious vision. His front room is tightly packed with excellent inexpensive selections, but in the expansive rear of the shop he sells far more, including older vintages from France, California and Italy.

“Right now the lower end is crucial,” he said. “But if they don’t see that we really know what we’re talking about, that we offer a depth of vintages and a wild selection of spirits, then we can’t compete.”

Christy Frank, who opened Frankly Wines just over two years ago on West Broadway in Manhattan, was more interested in coexistence than competition. Just a few blocks away are well-established shops, including Tribeca Wine Merchants and one of the city’s leading stores, Chambers Street Wines.

Ms. Frank, who left her job with a wine distributor to spend more time with her husband and children, had visited hundreds of shops and had a precise image of how to fill her 320 square feet.

“I wanted a generalist shop, crammed with everything you might find in a good textbook on wine,” she said. She does not try to outdo Chambers Street in areas in which it excels, like Beaujolais and the Loire. But, textbook in mind, she offers excellent educational packages, like a case of wines that illustrate the different meanings of the term “dry.”

“We listen and ask questions, like, ‘Do you mean creamy, buttery dry or grapefruit dry,’ ” she said. “We take the time to help them understand what they really want so they can ask more definitively.”

Small shops like Ms. Frank’s are built on customer service, with the aim of encouraging return visits and, ultimately, building a cherished corps of regulars. This requires not just tolerance but an eagerness to discuss any aspect of wine, approached from any angle.

“I don’t consider any question stupid,” said Mr. Beavers of Alphabet City. “The anxiety of walking into a wine shop is uncalled for.”

Wine is, after all, about the pleasure it offers. Sometimes, it’s in the glass you’ve poured for yourself, but as any host will tell you, more often it’s what you have poured for your guests.

“What I find most fulfilling is not the big dollar sale but watching the incremental jumps that customers make as they elevate their interest,” said Mr. Huston of Hunter’s Point. “Sometimes you can make a small difference in somebody’s evening with the right bottle. I have no loftier ambition.”

A Tour of Wine Shops Across Three Boroughs

Manhattan

ALPHABET CITY WINE COMPANY 100 Avenue C (Seventh Street), (212) 505-9463. Good inexpensive selection, sold with enthusiasm.

CALIFORNIA WINE MERCHANTS 15 Bridge Street (Whitehall), (212) 785-7285. Not quite all California, but almost.

ENOTECA DI PALO 200 Grand Street (Mott Street), (212) 680-0545. From all over Italy, with love.

FRANKLY WINES 66 West Broadway (Warren Street), (212) 346-9544. Tiny shop, packed with choices.

PASANELLA & SON 115 South Street (Peck Slip), (212) 233-8383. Excellent, wide-ranging options.

PURO 161 Grand Street (Centre Street) (212) 925-0090. Chile specialist: part wine, all promotion.

SEPTEMBER WINES 100 Stanton Street (Ludlow Street), (212) 388-0770. Small but excellent.

TINTO FINO 85 First Avenue (East Fifth Street), (212) 254-0850. Superb and all Spanish.

Brooklyn

BLANC & ROUGE 81 Washington Street (York Street), (718) 858-9463. Excellent, wide-ranging selection, high end to low.

DANDELION WINE 153 Franklin Street (India Street), (347) 689-4563. Warm, inviting Greenpoint spot with much to choose from.

JUICE BOX WINE AND SPIRITS 1289 Prospect Avenue (Greenwood Avenue), (718) 871-1110. Excellent resource for Windsor Terrace.

T. B. ACKERSON WINE MERCHANTS 1205 Cortelyou Road (East 12th Street), (718) 826-6600. Necessary addition to Ditmas Park.

THIRST WINE MERCHANTS 187 Dekalb Avenue (Carlton Avenue), (718) 596-7643. In Fort Greene, an inviting array of naturally made wines.

Queens

HUNTER’S POINT WINES AND SPIRITS 47-07 Vernon Boulevard (47th Avenue), (718) 472 9463. Manhattan-scale selection in Long Island City.

TABLE WINE 79-14 37th Avenue (79th Street), (718) 478-9463. Welcome, friendly addition to Jackson Heights.

Below is a list of all the nominees under the large category of “Restaurant and Chef Awards.” A special congratulations goes out to an old amiguito in Washington, DC, José Andrés and to Nat Sherman customer & cigar lover Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery!!

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Restaurant and Chef Awards

Winners will be announced on May 3, 2010

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Presented by Mercedes–Benz
A restaurant opened in 2009 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Bibou
Philadelphia
Chefs/Owners: Pierre and Charlotte Calmels

Flour + Water
San Francisco
Chef/Partner: Thomas McNaughton
Partners: David White and David Steele

Frances
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Melissa Perello

Locanda Verde
NYC
Chef/Owner: Andrew Carmellini

Marea
NYC
Chef/Partner: Michael White
Partner: Chris Cannon

RN74
San Francisco
Chef: Jason Berthold
Owners: Michael Mina and Rajat Parr

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.

José Andrés
Minibar
Washington, D.C.

Tom Colicchio
Craft
NYC

Gary Danko
Restaurant Gary Danko
San Francisco

Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles

Charles Phan
The Slanted Door
San Francisco

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.

Amanda Cook
CityZen at
Mandarin Oriental
Washington, D.C.

Michelle Gayer
Salty Tart Bakery
Minneapolis

Kamel Guechida
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Nicole Plue
Redd
Yountville, CA

Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate
Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD

A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.

Babbo
NYC
Chef/Owner: Mario Batali
Owner: Joseph Bastianich

Boulevard
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes
Owner: Pat Kuleto

Daniel
NYC
Chef/Owner: Daniel Boulud

Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL
Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Owner: Pardis Stitt

Spiaggia
Chicago
Chef/Partner: Tony Mantuano

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD

A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Tom Douglas
Dahlia Bakery, Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Lola, Palace Kitchen, Serious Pie
Seattle

Pat Kuleto
Boulevard, Epic, Farallon, Jardinière, Martini House, Nick’s Cove & Cottages, and Waterbar
San Francisco

Keith McNally
Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar
NYC

Richard Melman
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Chicago

Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurant Organization
Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Presented By Stella Artois
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.

Alinea
Chicago
Chef/Owner: Grant Achatz

Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas
Chef/Owner: Joël Robuchon

La Grenouille
NYC
Owners: Charles Masson and Gisèle Masson

Michael Mina
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Michael Mina

Vetri
Philadelphia
Chefs/Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD

Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least 5 years.

Merry Edwards
Merry Edwards Wines
Sebastopol, CA

Paul Grieco
Hearth
NYC

Garrett Oliver
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, NY

John Shafer and Doug Shafer
Shafer Vineyards
Napa, CA

Julian P. Van Winkle, III
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Louisville, KY

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.

A16
San Francisco
Wine Director: Shelley Lindgren

Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN
Wine Director: Andy Chabot

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO
Wine Director: Bobby Stuckey

Jean Georges
NYC
Wine Director: Bernard Sun

Restaurant Gary Danko
San Francisco
Wine Director: Jason Alexander

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented by Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival and Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Timothy Hollingsworth
The French Laundry
Yountville, CA

Johnny Monis
Komi
Washington, D.C.

Grégory Pugin
Veritas
NYC

Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon
Portland, OR

Sue Zemanick
Gautreau’s
New Orleans

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

Presented by Visa Signature®
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Each candidate may be employed by any kind of dining establishment and must have been a working chef for at least the past 5 years. The 3 most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Michael Carlson
Schwa
Chicago

Koren Grieveson
Avec
Chicago

Arun Sampanthavivat
Arun’s
Chicago

Bruce Sherman
North Pond
Chicago

Alex Young
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve
Alexandria, VA

Jeff Michaud
Osteria
Philadelphia

Peter Pastan
Obelisk
Washington, D.C.

Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia

Bryan Voltaggio
Volt
Frederick, MD

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Isaac Becker
112 Eatery
Minneapolis

Gerard Craft
Niche
St. Louis

Colby Garrelts
Bluestem
Kansas City, MO

Alexander Roberts
Restaurant Alma
Minneapolis

Lenny Russo
Heartland
St. Paul, MN

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern

Wylie Dufresne
WD-50

Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune

Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park

Michael White
Marea

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier
Arrows
Ogunquit, ME

Peter X. Kelly
Xaviar’s at Piermont
Piermont, NY

Michael Leviton
Lumière
West Newton, MA

Tony Maws
Craigie on Main
Cambridge, MA

Marc Orfaly
Pigalle
Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Naomi Pomeroy
Beast
Portland, OR

Andy Ricker
Pok Pok
Portland, OR

Ethan Stowell
Union
Seattle

Cathy Whims
Nostrana
Portland, OR

Jason Wilson
Crush
Seattle

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)

Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Los Angeles

Jeremy Fox
Ubuntu
Napa, CA

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Matt Molina
Osteria Mozza
Los Angeles

Michael Tusk
Quince
San Francisco

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Zach Bell
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court
Palm Beach, FL

Scott Boswell
Stella!
New Orleans

John Harris
Lilette
New Orleans

Christopher Hastings
Hot and Hot Fish Club
Birmingham, AL

Michael Schwartz
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Miami

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, GA

Sean Brock
McCrady’s
Charleston, SC

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
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As if I couldn’t be any more proud to be Abruzzese via my maternal Grandfather, the owner of a wonderful website–Life in Abruzzo–contacted me recently and asked me to be a guest writer for the webzine and travel guide.  Once a month I will be providing wine reviews of various bottles from the region and below you will find my first which was published earlier today.

In between my monthly reviews please go and check out Life in Abruzzo both on the website and follow them on Twitter for the latest updates on all things Abruzzo!

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With multiple estates mostly concentrated in Teramo and Chieti, this specific Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was first produced in 1981 when Gianni Masciarelli decided to enter the wine business and follow his passion. Containing grapes from his estates in Teramo and Pescara, this wine is deep ruby red in colour and was rather surprising to me in how it delivered.

To the nose this wine seems intensely fruit-forward with discernable notes of raspberry and cherry, yet in its early delivery the expected bouquet was not what I got, but rather I tasted more tobacco and earth than the berries I smelled moments before.  This wine is somewhat deceiving in that respect. Another unexpected occurrence here was how long it took this wine to open up: I always let red wines breathe but this one took an exceptionally long time to reach its full potential.  It seemed so light and once it finally opened up after about twenty minutes I finally started to taste some of the plum and berry notes I figured I would be tasting from start to finish.  Other notes present besides the aforementioned are red currant, which along with the smoky tobacco hints made for a nice balance overall.

This is a great wine to keep around as something to enjoy a glass of while relaxing at home, but I do not think it has a lot of pairing options.  Since this wine is in the light-medium range in body, it is best enjoyed with cheeses such as Fontina Val d’Aosta, a young Pecorino (no older than 8-14 months aged), or one of my personal favourites, scamorza.  Each of these cheeses will bring out the earthier notes in this wine that are faint in comparison to the fruity notes and will balance well with the wine overall.

If you would like to pair this with a meal, lightly seasoned pork or lamb will be most suited and if they are grilled even better.  I myself prepared some pork and once the wine opened up the two worked together brilliantly.

This wine is actually meant to be enjoyed young according to its maker, and I can see why: since I only had access to a 2006 one can tell that its individual essences become very blurred over time and therefore lose their respective intensities.  A great bargain, this wine retails anywhere between USD $8 — $13 per bottle (depending on the vintage), so buy plenty and drink often!

Well we finally got a massive snow storm here in NYC and let me tell you it’s not pretty.  (I know all of you in the mid-Atlantic are probably laughing since you now have roughly 2′ – 3′ on the ground, but the point here is snow stinks.)  I wound up taking a personal day from work since I knew it would be dangerous to run around in the weather, so with my inability to smoke cigars in my apartment because of my pets, I used my time wisely by cooking…a lot.

I really love food and can’t hide that from anyone.  As corny as it may sound I come from a culture where food is not only considered an art, but it’s an important way that people express affection for one another. It never ceases to amaze my Boyfriend how much I enjoy a good cigar, glass of wine, or a great meal: he winds up just staring at me and chuckling because it’s apparently rather visible when my tastebuds are happy.

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Many of you have asked me via Twitter for recipes since I often tweet about food I cook, but alas I’m old-school: I either make recipes taught to me by family or chef-friends, or usually I just make them up and go by feel.  (Yes; I’m one of those people who does everything from scratch the way my Grandmother taught me!)  I’ve actually attempted to write out recipes but it’s rather arduous and kind of difficult to come up with measurements if they never existed in the first place; what I can do though is give you an easy-to-do version of some things I love to make so you can re-create them at home.

I think I’ll start with a simpler version of what I made yesterday that is actually a great meal to make for you or your families when you don’t have a ton of time to spare: Chipotle Pork Tacos with Negros

Ingredients

–1 can of Goya black beans

–4 or 5 large cloves of garlic, chopped

–1/4 of a sweet Vidalia onion, chopped

–ground pork (size determined on number of people, but min. 1/2lb)

–1 bottle of Goya Chipotle Mojo

–fresh corn tortillas

–Sargento shredded Mexican cheese medley

–shredded cabbage (Dole Cole Slaw package works great)

–1 cup red wine

–1 bottle of an ale of your choice

–a few strips of smoked bacon

To prepare the black beans

         –First take the bacon and start to cook it in the microwave for two minutes to partially cook it and have it sweat out some fat and sodium.  Once cooled off, roughly chop up the bacon and put it in a small saute pan with the chopped onion.  Put in enough beer to cover all contents of the pan, add the garlic, and let simmer on medium heat until the bacon is cooked thoroughly and the onions get soft.

        –Once the bacon, garlic and onions are cooked, drain them from the excess beer and put into a pot with the black beans and let cook on low heat until ready to serve. Remember to stir the beans every once in awhile so they don’t cake up.

To prepare the slaw

       –Take out however much you think you will need based on the number of people being served. In a small saute pan lightly cook the shredded cabbage in red wine to “pickle” it on low heat. Cook for a few minutes and then immediately remove from pan and throw into an ice bath to prevent the cabbage from still cooking and losing its crunch. Remove from the water bath and let drain on a paper towel on a plate until ready to assemble the tacos.

To prepare the pork

       –Remove the pork and begin to brown the meat in a large saucepan. Once the meat is about 75%-cooked, cover it with the Goya Chipotle Mojo and simmer on low-to-medium heat until the meat is cooked and most of the mojo has been absorbed.

To assemble the tacos

       –First heat a small pan and when it gets really hot, begin to brown/heat up the corn tortillas individually. Grab a pair of tongs and when they start to bubble after a minute or so, turn the tortilla over until it bubbles again and remove from the heat. (Do this continually until you have enough tortillas for the meal.)

        –Lay the warm tortilla flat on the plate, spread some slaw in the middle and on top of that some chipotle pork and finally some cheese.  The heat from the tortilla and the pork will actually melt the cheese a bit & the slaw will provide a nice crunch for texture *Remember not to overstuff the tortilla because you will need to fold it and pick it up to eat it!*

        –Put some black beans on the side and you have a great Yucatecan-inspired meal that’s quick, full of flavour, and actually somewhat healthy!!

      I’m going to start off by saying that I am not a fan of drinking Port. It’s not my style and it’s not something my palate is accustomed to having grown up in a family that is Hell bent on medium-bodied dry red wines, but the pairing of both this specific wine and cigars is one that has been around for generations. 

       Thanks to the success of my first three pairing articles on Stogie Review, I’ve decided based on questions and comments that so many people are curious about Port and therefore I’d step up and write yet another article making all of you think I’m probably an alcoholic. (Ha….)

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        Port is known by a variety of monikers depending on what languages you speak, but no matter what you call it, it is a fortified wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley. For all of you that are not total wine geeks, here’s some trivia you can throw out at your friends the next time you’re dining and talking after-dinner drinks: fortified wine is simply a wine to which a distilled beverage has been added before the fermentation process is complete, therefore killing the yeast and leaving behind a sizeable amount of sugar (and much more alcohol than that bottle of Chianti you polished off earlier during your primi piatti).

         Commonly served as a dessert wine, Ports are thicker, richer, sweeter, heavier and with an alcohol content of around 20%. Although Ports are being made in other parts of the world now, purists will tell you the real stuff of course comes from Portugal and it can be divided into two generic categories:

•  Wines that have matured in sealed glass bottles, with no exposure to air, and experience what is known as “reductive” aging. This process leads to the wine losing its colour quite slowly, resulting in more smoothness on the palate and being less tannic.
• Wines that have matured in wooden barrels, whose permeability allows a small amount of exposure to oxygen, experiencing what is known as “oxidative” aging. They too lose colour, but at a much faster pace. If red grapes are used, in time the redness lightens to a tawny colour – these are known as Tawny (or sometimes Wood) ports. They also lose volume to evaporation, leaving behind a wine that is slightly more viscous and intense in delivery.

           I think what might be the best way to go is to provide all of you with the most simple rule of all when it comes to pairing Ports with a cigar: since Port wine is naturally quite sweet, do yourself a favour and avoid smoking anything light/sweet because you won’t be able to enjoy it once the thick wine coats your palate. Honestly, grab a medium- to full-bodied cigar that not only has fairly prominent spice notes, but is balanced with woodsy essences. Remember that many maduro cigars also have some bittersweet chocolate and dark coffee notes to them as well and this allows the Port to work with the cigar and not against it, providing your palate with a very well-rounded flavour profile and therefore experience.  

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       Everyone laughs when I tell them this little anecdote, but part of the reason why some consider cigars and Port a  natural pairing is due to one name: Fonseca. This story is like trying to figure out which came first with respect to the chicken and the egg since there is no paperwork authenticating one or the other, but the Portugese Fonsecas are heralded for their wine, while next door the Spanish Fonsecas are known for cigar tobacco. No one knows which technically came first and it’s a point of contention for both countries (in polite conversation, of course.) 

       Although Ports are not for everyone, if you’re at all curious because you’ve never tried, go for it and grab a nice cigar based on my simple guidelines above and hopefully you will enjoy an entirely new experience!