| November
04' Monthly Newsletter ~ Holiday gift time!
This Month's Wine
Food Recipe
Wine Quote
Newsletter Archives
Dear Member,
November announces the start of the Holiday Season with Thanksgiving.
Be sure to give some thought to serving your family a flavorful
Holiday Dinner with the featured Roast Turkey Breast with Thyme
Sauce recipe.
We hand-picked the bottles, assortments and 6-packs on these pages
because they are festive, distinctive and smooth. Each wine shipment
arrives as you wish, with a Holiday Gift Note that bears your name
– and it will express your message of warmth and cheer for
days and months to come.
For more information on gift memberships CLICK
HERE.
Fine Wine Travel Adventures
Now that every state in the U. S. has at least one winery, there
might be one or two for you to visit within an hour’s drive
or so. During the harvest months of September and October you
might be able to take a tour while the wines are being made. By
November things have slowed down and it's a perfect time to get
some quality time at the wineries. Be sure to call ahead to make
an appointment. Most wineries will feature a tasting of some of
their wines following the tour.
As always, any questions you may have, please feel free to call
our helpful customer service staff at 800-615-7304. You may also
email us at info@atasteofcalifornia.com.
President
Founder
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This Month's
Wines....
Symphony
by Sharon Rosenbaum, Senior Wine Buyer
Symphony is a white wine cultivar developed by Dr. Harold
Paul Olmo, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Viticulture
and Enology at the University of California (Davis). The first
wine samples were produced in 1948 and it has been the most
thoroughly tested of all new cultivars. The grape’s
ancestry is derived from crossing two French vinifera varieties
– the Muscat of Alexandria with Grenache Gris –
the aromatic Muscat character shows in perfumed yet delicate
fruit and flower aromas and a pleasant hint of bitterness;
its white Grenache parentage shows a snappy crispness that's
not common in pure Muscat. Symphony wines are unusual in that
they can maintain their color, flavor and bouquet for ten
or more years in the bottle at cellar temperature.
The Symphony grape is grown here and there in California,
but not in great amounts, and only a few producers are currently
making it as a varietal wine. Symphony wine is extremely drinkable,
lusciously brilliant and full of tropical fruit flavours.
The finish is crisp and clean. The name is said to have been
suggested by a wine scientist who, on tasting one of the first
wines, declared that it showed “a Symphony of aromas
and flavors.” Lusia Estate 2002 Symphony,
California
Total Acid: .8 g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.78 g/l
Cellaring: 1-2 years
Panel’s Notes: The Lusia Estate
Symphony is a little sassy, with floral and spice aromas.
It is slightly off-dry with a rich texture and flavors of
apple and peach that continue through a lengthy finish.
Winery Background: This Symphony is made from a
blend of various northern California Symphony vineyards.
A few of these vineyards are in Sonoma while there are also
plantings in San Luis Obispo.
Food: Perfect with a grilled vegetable
salad, a chilled couscous with spicy chicken or turkey,
and be sure to try it with the fine Monterey Dry Jack cheese.
Fleetwood Cellars 2002 Symphony, California
Total Acid: .7 g/l
Alcohol: 12.8%
Residual Sugar: 0.7 g/l
Cellaring: 1-2 years
Panel’s Notes: The Fleetwood Cellars
Symphony displays a floral nose with hints of fig and jasmine.
Flavors focus on fruit with notes of fig and ripe melon.
Winery Background: The wine is medium-bodied
with enough acidity to make the finish refreshingly crisp.
This wine should be enjoyed while young, although Symphony
can benefit from cellaring.
Food: The wine’s natural fruitiness
makes food-pairing relatively easy! Asian style dishes with
spicy chicken or seafood are great matches. Try sautéed
fresh trout with fresh light herbs. You will also find that
most cheeses will be enhanced with this wine. |
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Food Recipe
to accompany Symphony
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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Roast Turkey Breast with
Symphony Thyme Sauce
Ingredients
3 to 4-pound turkey breast
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp melted sweet butter
Symphony Thyme Sauce (below)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Fresh sprigs thyme
Symphony Thyme Sauce
3/4 cup reserved, defatted pan juices
2 tbsp cranberry juice
3/4 cup Symphony wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
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Preparation
Place turkey breast, skin-side up, on rack of
roasting pan. Combine mustard and butter. Brush turkey with
about 1 tbsp of the mixture. Roast turkey in 325°F oven.
Baste every 1/2 hour with the butter mixture and the pan
drippings as they accumulate. Turn turkey breast over after
1/2 hour. Roast until instant-read meat thermometer inserted
in breast meat registers 180°F. Allow 22 to 25 minutes
per pound. Turkey is ready at 185° F. Transfer turkey
to warm platter; keep warm.
Make Symphony Thyme Sauce: Add pan juices, cranberry juice
and wine back to pan. Deglaze pan over low heat, scraping
up browned bits. Transfer to a 1-quart saucepan and reduce
over high heat about 1 minute until thickened. Add thyme
& cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes. Strain into
sauce boat. Season turkey with salt and pepper; garnish
with thyme sprigs. Serve with sauce.
• Makes 6–8 servings •
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Quote:
I feast on wine and bread, and feasts they are.
Michelangelo
Italian Painter, sculptor and poet (1475 - 1564) |
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