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May 04' Monthly Newsletter ~ Chardonnay
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Fine Wine Adventures
This Month's Wine
Food Recipe
Wine Quote
Newsletter Archives
Dear Member,
This month we present two wines – a white produced from Chardonnay
grapes and a red from Pinot Noir grapes. Both of these classic grape
varietals have their beginnings in France’s famed Burgundy region,
where they are known as “cold–climate grapes.” Successfully
transplanted to the cool–climate vineyards of California,
with their diverse soils, both varietals have proven themselves
to be ideal for producing high quality wines. Enjoy!
As we move through the spring months and begin the summer, it is
always nice to plan dinners, weekend outings, barbecues –
to share with family and friends. And it’s a good idea to
have a few extra bottles of your favorite wines on hand as well.
Take a look inside for some great savings.
This month’s selection, Chardonnay, is sure to please family
and friends. Our California selections, Granite Ridge and Wild Lake,
will give you, your family and friends great pleasure. We’re
also featuring two California Semillon/Chardonnay wines, Frill Neck
and Karumba. We have Pinot Noir from Valley of the Moon and Halstead
Vineyards as our new Connoisseur’s Selections. These two Pinot
Noir wines are delicious pleasures from Sonoma County and Napa Valley.
We hope you enjoy these wines!
Fine Wine Adventures
Red White & Blush: A Celebration of American Wine, Cleve-land,
OH – Saturday, June 12, 7:00 - 10:00 PM. Over 200 wines will
be presented at Eastlake Stadium. Mingle with winemakers and delight
in a variety of tasty hors d’oeuvres. Info: wviz.org …
20th Annual KCBX Central Coast Wine Classic, Avila Beach, CA –
July 15–18, 2004. Wine tastings, dinners, symposia, auctions,
featuring the wines, cuisine and lifestyle of San Luis Obispo and
Santa Barbara Counties.
Info: centralcoastwineclassic.org …
The 24th Annual Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food, “Cinema
Varietal – Take 14”, July 15–17, 2004. Main Sonoma
wine event includes wines from all fourteen wine growing appellations
in the county. Info: www.sonomawine.com or call 805-239-8463.
President & Founder
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This Month's Wines....
Chardonnay
by Sharon Rosenbaum, Senior Wine Buyer
At about 343,000 acres, Chardonnay is the world’s 8th
most widely planted grape with California alone growing a
third of the total. In the US wine market, Chardonnay is far
and away the leader in terms of volume of sales and, among
all the major white grape varieties grown in California, it
fetches the highest prices.
What makes Chardonnay so special? Experienced winemakers
can “layer” a Chardonnay with classic wine handling,
giving it more complexity. The most flavorful ones, for example,
savor a sojourn in small French oak barrels. The grape doesn’t
have a lot of intrinsic flavor: some say citrus, apple-pie
or tropical fruit, so it reacts well to barrel contact with
its lees while aging. This adds texture and enhances the wine’s
flavors (called “sur lie” ageing).
Granite Ridge 2003 Chardonnay, California
Total Acid: .62 g/l
Alcohol: 13.2%
Residual Sugar: .07 g/l
Cellaring: 1-2 years
Panel’s Notes: A classic Chardonnay of straw-gold color,
offering aromas and flavors reminiscent of apple and peach
with notes of tropical fruit.
Winery: Partial oak aging creates a supple, full flavored
wine. Stainless steel fermentation adds notes of citrus to
the long crisp finish.
Food: Enjoy on its own or with grilled fish and light pasta
dishes. Fine match with a creamy brie.
Wild Lake 2002 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara
Total Acid: .68 g/l
Alcohol: 12.6%
Residual Sugar: .75
Cellaring: 1 year
Panel’s Notes: This wine displays bright California
fruit in a creamy textured package. It is balanced by a subtle,
yet crisp, clean finish.
Winery Background: A stylish expression of Santa Barbara,
an appellation renowned for extraordinary Chardonnay (and
Pinot Noir) produced in the Burgundian tradition – hand
harvesting, gentle pressing and oak aging.
Food: A terrific partner with shellfish or creamy risotto.
Try with roast chicken and an aged goat cheese.
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Food Recipe
to accompany Chardonnay
by Camille Stagg
Camille Stagg is a food, wine and travel journalist and author.
Her latest book is "The Eclectic Gourmet Guide to Chicago"
(Menasha Ridge Press). She was food editor of both the Chicago
Sun-Times and Cuisine magazine. |
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Chicken with Asian Pesto
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (5-to-6-ounces each),
halved
2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Asian Pesto, divided (see below)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese, divided
For the Asian Pesto:
1 cup fresh minced cilantro
3/4 cup fresh minced Asian basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 medium cloves garlic, quartered
11/2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp Oriental sesame oil
11/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
5 green onions, thinly sliced
Chicken stock
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Preparation
Place cilantro, basil, ginger and garlic in blender or food
processor container; process until finely chopped. With machine
on, gradually add oils and vinegar; puree until smooth. Stir
in green onions and a little chicken stock to thin mixture
to desired consistency. Store, covered, in refrigerator up
to 10 days, or freeze.
Makes about 11/4 cups.
• Makes 4 servings •
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Quote:
"WIne makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant,
every day more civilized".
Andre L. Simon: The Commonsense of Wine
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