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October 04' Monthly Newsletter ~ Holiday gift time!
This Month's Wine
Food Recipe
Wine Quote
Newsletter Archives
Dear Member,
Yes, the 2004 Holiday Season is only a couple of months away.
The time when you like to share a delicious wine with your family
and friends. Why not get a head start at gift giving with gift
memberships. 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.
Be sure to look in our on-line store for quantity discounts!
Wines as low as $5.99 per bottle when you purchase 6 bottles
or more.
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. 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....
Cabernet Sauvignon
by Sharon Rosenbaum, Senior Wine Buyer
One of the first red grapes curious wine tasters experience
is Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only is it a strong factor
in France’s world-renown Bordeaux region, but across
the globe it is the 3rd most widely planted red wine grape
following Grenache and Merlot. It is planted everywhere
where the goal is to produce premium wines. Cabernet grows
as far north as Canada and the Ukraine as well as the
hot-house areas of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Even
Zimbabwe in southern Africa now has over 100 acres.
On its own, this grape, like all the other thoroughbreds,
shows a wealth of flavors. Green bell pepper or green
olive flavors are typical of grapes grown in cooler areas,
black currant fruit flavors are characteristic in the
warmer regions. In Bordeaux, sometimes you can taste tobacco
and chalky notes. When blended with Merlot, it can make
red wines of great structure and balance as well as age-worthy
complexity.
Calderwood 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, San Luis
Obispo
Total Acid: .66 g/l
Alcohol: 12.9%
Residual Sugar: 0 g/l
Cellaring: 2-3 years
Panel’s Notes: The color, aroma and flavors are
concentrated with notes of berry, cassis, herb and spice.
Well-balanced wine with opulent fruit on the restrained,
mid-length finish.
Winery Background: Calderwood Cab is made from well
regarded San Luis Obispo vineyards. A balance of oak
and steel fermentation gives the wine its soft, vanilla-scented
flavors and the intense fruit.
Food: Enjoy with roast leg of lamb. pork satay, a satisfying
beef/vegetable stew and of course, chocolate! Try this
with a creamy brie or other semi-soft cheeses.
Keeler Ridge 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central
Coast
Total Acid: .674 g/l
Alcohol: 13.4%
Residual Sugar: .015 g/l
Cellaring: 1-2 years
Panel’s Notes: This is a richly textured wine,
offering aromas of black currant, ripe plum, spices
and cedar. The flavors focus on black cherry and anise,
inegrated into a silky finish.
Winery Background: An award-winning wine from the Station
K vineyard. The winery pumped the juice over the must
to extract more color and flavor from the grapes. This
adds to the high quality of this vineyard’s fruit,
even though it is quite expensive to do.
Food: Naturally you can serve this with roast lamb,
but also try it with BBQ dry-rubbed pork shoulder or
grilled duck breast. Creamy cheeses are best.
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Food Recipe
to accompany Cabernet
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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Leg of Lamb with Mustard-Garlic-Rosemary
Marinade
Ingredients
1 leg of spring lamb (about 4 pounds),
trimmed
4 medium cloves garlic, quartered
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary,
or 1 tsp crushed, dried
Salt to taste
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Preparation
Place lamb in shallow glass dish. Using the point of
a sharp paring knife, cut 16 slits, evenly spaced, throughout
the meat surface; tuck a garlic sliver in each. Sprinkle
meat lightly with pepper. Combine oil, wine, vinegar,
mustard and rosemary in a small bowl; whisk until thickened
and blended. Pour over lamb, turning to coat all sides.
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Drain lamb well,
reserving marinade; bring meat to room temperature,
about 1/2 hour. Place lamb, fat-side-up, on rack in
roasting pan. Roast in preheated 350°F oven for
about 11/2 hours, or until meat thermometer, inserted
into meat (away from fat and bone) registers 145 degrees
for medium-rare. Baste with 1/4 of the marinade four
times during roasting. Remove lamb from oven; let stand
5 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Makes 6–8 servings.
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Quote:
Good friends, go in and taste some wine with me;
And we like friends will straightway go together.
William Shakespeare: Julius Ceasar
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