Wine Beneath The Palms

Watermelon, mint and sweet bubbly: sweet!

Last week I offered here an “Indoor Picnic” menu; its dessert was watermelon balls mixed with chopped mint, placed in a big martini glass and covered by sweet sparkling wine. The bubbly suggestion was a sweet, sparkling red wine from Italy from the grape called brachetto d’acqui, which is available in supermarkets and wine shops.
     “The dessert was outstanding; we’ve had all our friends try it,” e-mails Barb from Coral Gables.

     “Do you have a name for it?” asks Ben Neji, at the Wine69 shop on Biscayne Boulevard. “Did you use melon or watermelon?”

     Ben, I used watermelon with this because it’s the quintessential picnic melon. Also, it seems to be more porous and better able to absorb the sparkling wine than firmer melos.

     But I use other melons for my traditional Christmas day brunch salad. I ball green melons and yellow melons, drop in some blueberries, add some mint and a bit of orange-flavored Grand Marnier liqueur.

     As for a name for the watermelon dish, I don’t know, Ben.

     Anybody have any ideas?

A wine for anything you want to grill

    

    OK, so despite the heat, I’m reconciled that the Fourth of July holiday is the peak grilling weekend of the year. So here’s my list of a wine to go with almost anything you might decide to grill.

 

· Grilled oysters, clams, shrimp – a muscadet from France’s Loire Valley; it’s light and dry, so it’s the perfect shellfish wine.
· Grilled vegetables, from onions to eggplant, summer squash, carrots, scallions, fennel – sauvignon blanc; it has an herbal, even vegetal taste that’s a nice match.
· Grilled fish -- pinot grigio; it’s crisp and light, just the thing.
· Grilled chicken breast, skin off – pinot grigio here too; for lightness.
· Grilled blackened fish or chicken – a fruity red shiraz; here you have to match the spices rather than the meat.

 

· Pork or beef ribs with barbecue sauce – zinfandel; it’s American and patriotic, and it's spicy to go with the sauce.
· Grilled hot dogs – champagne; I always remember that Jimmy Buffet’s restaurant in Key West used to offer a hot dog for $100, and, for another dollar, a bottle of Dom Perignon; can’t beat that.
· Grilled hamburgers – a fruity merlot if you use ketchup, a high-acid chianti if you use mustard; if you use both, have a glass of each. I’m sort of kidding here, but I’ve seen wine writers seriously propose that you have to match the condiment rather than the meat.
· Grilled New York Strip – a big California cabernet sauvignon; the king of wines with the king of meats.

 

· Grilled fruit – for dessert you can grill slices of pineapple, plums, peaches, even bananas, as long as you keep a close eye so they don’t burn; pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re in heaven; the matching wine is a sweet, late-harvest dessert wine made of sauvignon blanc and Semillon.

Consumer org lists calories, alcohol of drinks

            Did you know that Amstel Light has 3.5 percent alcohol, while a regular Budweiser has 5 percent? Or that a 1.5-ounce shot of Capt. Morgan’s Original Spiced rum has 86 calories, while a shot of Seagram’s Gin has 120?

            There are a number of surprises in a chart titled Alcohol Facts just released by the Consumer Federation of America.

            The Washington-based consumer group is putting out the list because it says the federal government has failed to do so despite 30 years of prodding.

            “We think this is important information, and consumers don’t have it now,” says CFA spokesman Chris Waldrop.

Let's protest the heat with an indoor picnic

   

     As you know, because I complain about it so much, one of my pet peeves is Madison Avenue PR firms that think this is the nicest time of year, weatherwise, for the whole country. Now it has been decreed that Saturday is the date for the Great American Backyard Campout. The idea is to keep you at home so you don’t use gas.

     But for Florida, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, at least, that’s like promoting skinny dipping in Minnesota in January.

     In protest, I’m declaring Saturday the day for the Great American Indoor Campout. Or, I guess, Campin.

     I’ve devised an indoor cookout. Or in. Recipes for outdoors foods cooked in your 68-degree kitchen. I made this a week or so ago, and it was a hit.

     First, indoor barbecued ribs. You sear some ribs on all sides, cover them with dark beer with a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of nutmeg and simmer them slowly for an hour. Then you slather them with your favorite barbecue sauce and put them under the broiler long enough to caramelize.

     Second, potato salad. Simmer two pounds of potatoes for 20 minutes, cool, peel, cut up and slather with a cup of mayo and half a cup of sour cream. Add a 3-ounce jar of that pretty orange salmon roe caviar, mix and garnish with chopped scallions.

     Corn on the cob: Easy. Cover ears of corn with cool water, bring to a simmer, turn off and wait 10 minutes. Done.

      Dessert: Watermelon as usually served is too messy for indoors. So, instead, you take a baller to carve out watermelon balls, mix in some chopped mint, put them in large martini glasses and cover with ice-cold champagne or sparkling wine. Even better, use a sweet, red sparkling wine like the Italian bubbly called Brachetto d'Acqui, maybe a Rosa Regale by Banfi.

     What to drink with all this? More of that icy cava. Maybe a nice Freixenet Cordon Negro, at about $10 a bottle.

     It’s a guaranteed hit. And you didn’t break a sweat.

     Winefriends, do you have a good indoor picnic recipe? Send it in. Click on the “comments” icon below. And tell us what to drink with it.

Drink a good wine lately? Tell us

 

Drunk any good wines lately?

Well, don’t keep them all to yourself.

Do what your mother always told you.

Share.

Tell us the best new wine you’ve discovered lately. And tell us what you like about it. And, of course, the price.

Just click on the “comments” icon below.

Tastings resume at Jimmy Cefalo's in the Grove

    Fans of ex-Miami Dolphin, current sports broadcaster and wine fan Jimmy Cefalo will remember that when his wine shop was located near The Falls shopping center, he held regular wine tastings with some pretty unusual, top-flight wines. Now he’s restarting those tastings at his new Cefalo’s Wine Cellar in Coconut Grove, which opened about a year ago.

     The first is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fri., June 20, at 3540 Main Highway.

     For $30 fans get a $20 card to use the Enomatic tasting machine plus free pours of Italian wines hosted by Julie Mushett of Vinifera Imports.

    These are some unusual wines, including the 2006 Prosecco “Millesimato” Soligo; 2006 Fiano d’Avellino, Roca de Principe; 2006 Morrelino d’Scansano, Castello Romitorio; 2005 Nero d’Avola “Chiaramonte” Firriato; 205 Primitivo Rosa del Golfo; 2004 Chianto Classico Fontodi and 2003 Barbaresco “Nubiola” Pellissero.

     Tasters may take home the Zafferano glass they use at the tasting.

     Oh, and Jimmy will be there talking football and wine.

    Call 305-971-2400, e-mail Brenda@Cefaloswine.com.

More underappreciated wines

 

     More reader response to my request for the most underappreciated wines in the market.

     “Another Iberian Peninsula export that is possibly underappreciated is the sparkling wine from Catalunya (mostly) called cava,” says Gregg Rocket. “Catalans use the same method for making champagne and use Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes to produce a sparkling wine that is tasty and refreshing and often much cheaper than the French champagne. Our favorites include Juve Camps Reserva de la Familia, Segura Viudas and Anna de Cordoniu.”

      I agree, Gregg. I like to add a little orange juice to cava to make a mimosa. It’s very nice stuff.”

Virginia wines arrive in South Florida

     Few American history classes teach it, but English settlers in Virginia established an enlightened vinocracy; a 1624 law actually required that 20 grape vines be planted for each male colonist over the age of 20.
     Still, even Thomas Jefferson wasn’t able to overcome environmental problems like mildew to establish a viable wine industry there.
     That’s changed.
     Ozzy Riverol at The Wine Shoppe, 1706 S. Red Road, Miami, is holding a tasting of Virginia wines from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fri., June 13.
      Featured are the wines of Kluge Estate Winery, including the 2004 Kluge SP Blanc de Blancs, a chardonnay sparkling wine; 2005 Albemarle Rosé, of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec; 2003 Albemarle Simply Red, of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and merlot; 2002 Kluge New World Red, of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc; and Nonvintage Kluge Cru, an aperitif made of chardonnay grapes fortified with brandy and aged in Jack Daniels barrels.
      Call 305-267-9921 or see www.the-wine-shoppe.com

Question: Are bad sommeliers a menace to wine?

Today’s Question of the Week: Are bad sommeliers a menace to society?

     One would think so based on this article in London-based Decanter magazine titled “Christopher Hitchens launches vitriolic attack on sommeliers.”

     It quotes American wine author Hitchens: “The vile practice of butting in and pouring wine without being asked is the very height of bad manners. Not only is it a breathtaking act of rudeness in itself, but it conveys a none-too-subtle and mercenary message: ‘Hurry up and order another bottle.’ “

     Now, I love sommeliers. They’re fellow hedonists, always ready to schmooze about the glories of wine. But I have seen the occasional one going around the table filling everybody’s glass to the brim.

     This makes it impossible to swirl, and it tends to empty the bottle, pressuring the host to buy another, even if some of the diners aren’t finishing their overfilled glasses. And it’s hard to tell them to stop it without creating a fuss, which can put a damper on a nice meal.

     Wine fans, read the whole article and tell me what you think.

     Sommeliers, how do you react to this?

     Click on the "comments" icon below.

Question of the week: What are you drinking?

      Question of the week: What are you drinking these days? Now that so much of your paycheck goes into groceries and filling your SUV, are you trading down in wine?

     A new Nielsen study says wine sales are still rising in 2008, but much more slowly than last year. And the biggest drop in growth is in the $15-a-bottle-and-up category.

     Are you finding some gems for less than $15? If so, share the wealth. Tell us what you’re drinking. Tell us the price, and how they taste.

     Click on the “comments” icon below.

Seeking low-acid wines? Read on

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

     Reader Diane Smith e-mails: “Are there any wines that do not contain any or very low acid content? I can't drink carbonation, beer or wine. Any suggestions on wine would be appreciated. Thanks.”

     Thanks for the question, Diane.

      First, only champagnes and sparkling wines have any significant carbonation, so they’re pretty easy to avoid.

     Second, about a year ago I wrote a wine column about acid in wines. Here's part of what it said:

    * Red wines tend to be lower in acid than whites.

     * Dry wines tend to be lower in acid than sweet wines.

     * Wines from warm areas like Chile, Australia and Central California tend to be lower in acid than wines from cooler areas like Mendocino, Germany, Alsace, Champagne, Northern Italy and such.

      Here's the longer version, for those who are interested:

      All grapes produce fruit acids -- tartaric and malic -- as they develop. In cool climates, acids are higher; in warm climates, acids are lower. After fermentation, winemakers put many white wines and most red wines through a second process called called malolactic fermentation to produce the rich, round wines Americans love. This converts the sharp malic acids into softer lactic acids similar to those in milk.

     When the wines are finished, their acids are measured in two ways -- total acid (TA) and pH. Here's how they work:

     * TA or Total Acid (the higher the TA, the higher the acid):

          -- 1.0 grams per liter (g/l) is too high; the wine is tart and sour.

          -- 0.4 percent g/l is too low; the wine is flat and bland.

          -- A typical California wine is around 0.6 percent g/l.

     * PH, another way of measuring acid, works in reverse -- the lower the pH, the higher the acid:

          -- A pH of 4.0 is too high, meaning too little acid; the wine is likely to spoil.

          -- A pH of 3.0 is too low; the wine is tart.

          -- A typical California white wine has a pH of about 3.4; a typical California red has a pH of about 3.6.

     Sometimes you'll find these values on the back label. If not, you can Google the winery's website, look for "tasting notes" or "technical data" and find the acid values.

         Anybody else have a question?
        Want to make a comment?
        Want to tell about your latest favorite wine, your fabulous wine trip?
        It's easy: Click on the word "comments" below.

Posted by Fred Tasker at 05:17 PM