Misiones de Rengo Sauvignon Blanc 2009

This wine is normally a summer wine. Misiones de Rengo is a well known and well regarded wineyard from Chile and it produces exceptional wines. This particular one is not so exceptional (unlike the better positioned Riserva). Anyway, it's a good drinkable Sauvignon Blanc.

The color is light yellow, more like veeery light yellow. The taste is the same: very light, no hints of citrus fruit or grape or quince. More hints of hay and wild flowers. Nice aroma, goes with pasta, fish, ... maybe a Caesar Salad.

I drank it chilled and combined with some mineral water in a wonderful White Wine Spritzer. A Votre Sante! 

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Predella 2009

I bought a bottle of the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Predella 2009 for using it in my Osso Buco Milanese recipe (about half a bottle of it). Of course, the other half a bottle ended up in my glass. 

It was just to be used strictly for cooking purposes, as it is priced under 10 dollars per bottle.

And indeed, it's not a great and noble wine, but I think I discovered the best value for money wine in Romanian supermarkets today.

It is soft, table wine by definition, with smells of wood, berries, leather. No nasty aftertaste. Totally drinkable. So, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Predella is my recommendation for under 10 dollar wines this winter.

Osso Buco Milanese

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-5 tablespoons olive oil (can use lard or fat rendered from ham); 
• 3 cross cut veal shanks (bone included);
• 2 medium onions;
• 2-3 cloves garlic;
• 1 can pealed tomatoes;
• 50 gr. tomato paste;
• 1-2 medium carrots;
• 1/2 celery root;
• 1 parsnip;
• 1/2 red bell pepper;
• parsley, time, sage (preferably fresh);
• 500 ml red wine (drinkable, dry);
• 1-2 bay leaves;
• salt & pepper.

FOR RISOTTO: 2 cups round grain rice, 1 onion, stock, Parmesan cheese, butter, olive oil, s & p.

HOW TO COOK:

First brown the (well seasoned with salt and pepper) veal shanks in olive oil or pork fat in a Dutch oven type pot, on both cross cut sections. Some people cover the meat in a layer of white flour first. It works just fine without.

Take out the meat and chop up the onions and garlic, then throw them in the same pot to sweat and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Stir well, and after 5 mins. put in the tomato paste and stir another 5 mins. Poor in 300 ml of wine. Drink a glass yourself.  Put the shanks back into the pot and poor stock or water in until it just about covers the meat. Add the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and let simmer for an hour.

Add the carrots, celery root, parsnip, red pepper sliced, parsley, time, sage, bay leaves. Add another 200 ml wine. Add more water if the fluids in the pot have reduced under the level of the meat. Simmer for another 2 hours. After that extract from the pot the celery root, parsnip, bay leaves and throw them away.

If the stew has turned into a nice smelling thick sauce, the meat falls of the bone and tears easily  when you try it with a fork, than it is ready.

Serve with any carbs you like (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, polenta etc.) I served it on some milanese risotto, made with the ingredients shown above. It was sensational. Enjoy!

No Reservations Paris

I simply cannot believe to what amazing heights of knowledge and epicurean artistry have some people arrived to.

Anthony Bourdain rounds up his 100 episode achievement of the show No Reservations with a trip to Paris. Be sure to check out episodes 2 and 3 also. 

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Roze 2009

Fruity! That is the defining word: fruity! It is a light and thin roze for lazy afternoons and warm summer evenings with friends over a very light dinner of sea food or even desert.

Light in color but not bland, with hints of strawberry, cherry, some spices. A slight note of sweetness, but just enough as not to get you discouraged after the first glass. 

Strong recommendation for women. Goes well for men, too. Do not mach it with game or dishes with sausage or heavy sauces. Works with fruit and maybe a cheese platter. Also goes with fish and blue cheese dressing salads.

I personally had a glass with a plate of chicken rice pilaf garnished with lots of chilly pepper. Went very well.

The Tulip

How's about these single serve plastic glasses of wine!? Well, they are PET, to be correct. They serve them sealed, like a yogurt can. Well, ...I guess I don't mind that much as long as the content is decent and draws people toward drinking the right kind of alcohol. I mean, let's drink less beer and spirits and more wine. Ooops, let me hide the beer from my desk...It's been a hard day and all...!:-)

They call them "The Tulip". Well, let's just say that glass does it better for me.

Anyway, check them out! At least they are weird!

Pinot Noir Halewood

Plain nose, kinda medicinal smell, but not to pregnant. Strong, good color, ruby red, even a bit darker than that. Excellent taste...for my taste! I made a word joke! It isn't pregnant in any sense. It is well balanced, just half way between sweet and half dry. Aftertaste doesn't bother me at all, which is a great thing, because even in some of the best regarded wines I don't like the aftertaste. Oh,... well, in some of them.

Not one of the greats, but totally drinkable. Absolute GREAT price to quality ratio. Espresso Style recommends Pinot Noir from Cramele Halewood.

BYZANTIUM Cabernet Sauvignon

It has the specific character of the cabernet sauvignon grape, although I wouldn't quite say it's one of the greats of its kind.

Not exceptionally deep smell, nor very diverse. A touch of forest fruit. strongly aromatic, very non alcoholic smells, velvety.

A little peppery at first taste, pleasant, round, somewhat soothing, for me. Nice wine for tired afternoons. Had it with some white Rockford cheese. Very nice and one of the better quality for the price supermarket wines of Romania.

Brunello di Montalcino - Torre delle Grazie

Am cumparat anul trecut in decembrie o sticla de Brunello di Montalcino - Torre delle Grazie. Nu am reusit sa gasesc nici un fel de referinte despre producator, dar se pare totusi ca este vorba de regiunea corecta: Montepulciano, Toscana, Italia.

Sticla asta va merge la colectie, dar vreau sa incerc cat de curand acest mult la moda Brunello di Montalcino. Poate am sa iau unul de la Banfy! Sunt curios cum e....Da, ma scuzati, nu am baut inca vin din Toscana. Nici macar chianti classico. scuze, din nou.