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Food! Glorious Food! Hic!
May. 21st, 2014 07:18 amJack Monroe's broad bean salad recipe
What Are You Drinking?
Let the author and bartender Rosie Schaap make you a custom summer cocktail.
Summer’s Winners: 20 Wines for $20
By ERIC ASIMOV
Domaine Chahut et Prodiges Vin de France La Mule 2011
Another Loire gamay, grown on limestone and clay in the Touraine, this is pure deliciousness: fresh and vibrant with sweet fruit flavors, yet dry and thoroughly refreshing.
Jenny & François Selections
New York
Émile Hérédia/Domaine de Montrieux Vin de France Point G 2011
Gamay from another point of view: While Beaujolais is known as the home of the gamay grape, excellent gamay is produced in the Loire Valley, too. The producer, Émile Hérédia, says this wine will age well, but it screams to be consumed right now. Juicy, bright, earthy and slightly funky.
M.F.W. Wine Company/T. Elenteny
New York
Thierry et Pascale Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2012
The white Burgundy section of the chardonnay galaxy emphasizes texture and stony mineral flavors over scads of fruit. This bottle is a textbook example of a basic Bourgogne Blanc, creamy yet zesty and refreshing, not especially substantial yet with enough intrigue to invite repeated sips in search of the mysterious flavors at the heart of good white Burgundy.
Vineyard Brands
Birmingham, Ala.
Domaine Rimbert Saint-Chinian Le Mas au Schiste 2009
An old favorite that’s always luscious. This blend of syrah, carignan and grenache offers aromas of herbs and olives, but it’s from a ripe year, and so the dominant flavors are of bright red and black fruits. It borders on jamminess, but it’s so finely balanced that it stays lively and refreshing.
Jenny & François Selections
New York
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina 2013
Txakolina is the national drink of Spanish Basque country, where a vast amount is consumed every summer. This particular version is from the Getaria region, where the Txakolina tends to be slightly fizzy and low in alcohol, encouraging plenty of thirst-quenching chugging. The Ameztoi is fresh and slightly briny, with flavors of lemon and lime. It calls out for sardines, anchovies and all manner of seafood.
De Maison Selections
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV
This standard-bearer for moderately priced California sparkling wine impresses year after year. Those sensitive to sweetness will note a discernible dosage, making the wine a bit out of step as sparkling wines have become drier over recent years. Yet it is impeccably balanced and refreshing, with flavors of citrus and yeast, perfect for sipping on the deck, if I had a deck.
Broc Cellars Sonoma County White Zinfandel 2013
Broc Cellars, Turley Cellars and a few other California producers are rewriting the script for white zinfandel. Rather than a cloyingly sweet “blush” wine that discerning drinkers may, with shame, remember enjoying in their formative years, this tangy, peppery, dry, low-alcohol rosé is a wine that connoisseurs will want to show off to their friends.
La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva 2007
Viña Alberdi is a great value in Rioja from an old-school producer that still ages the wine before releasing it. It’s well shaped and structured with classic Rioja flavors of spicy red fruit framed by the mellow vanilla of American oak. I’m not usually a fan of okay wine, but in traditionally made Riojas, softened by a few years of age, the flavors just fit.
Michael Skurnik Wines
New York
Bohigas Cava Reserva Brut Nature NV
Among the world’s sparkling wines, cava, the Spanish version, can offer some of the worst values (for cheap but vapid mass-produced cava) and some of the best, for carefully made wines like this one from Bohigas. It’s light, frothy, zesty and fresh, with a cloudlike purity that demands refills. Shrimp and oysters, please.
Polaner Selections
Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2011
Vernaccia is almost a generic name for a number of different white grapes in Italy, but only one, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, has gained any measure of renown among Americans. Usually, the wines are forgettable, but the 2011 from Montenidoli is an excellent example from this often insipid genre, with depth, presence and texture. It’s surprisingly golden, with a deeply floral aroma and plenty of citrus flavors.
Artisan Wines
Norwalk, Conn.
Wilfred Rousse Chinon Les Puys 2009
Cabernet franc from the Touraine comes in many guises, from light and frivolous to serious and age-worthy. This is on the playful side: fresh, juicy, spicy, yet with enough of a tannic spine to suggest that it’s not to be trifled with. No matter, it’s luscious and enticing right now.
Savio Soares Selections
Manhasset, N.Y.
Vittorio Graziano Lambrusco Emilia I.G.T. Fontana dei Boschi 2010
I am in love with Lambrusco, and wines like this small-production beauty are the reason why. Unlike the sweet mass-produced Lambruscos, the Fontana dei Boschi is dry, with flavors of earth, herbs and red fruit, and just 12 percent alcohol. It’s made by Vittorio Graziano, one of the true artisans of Lambrusco, and it’s absolutely refreshing, perfect with salumi.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
Montesecondo Toscano Rosso 2012
This wine may not carry the Chianti imprimatur, but it’s a classic Tuscan sangiovese blend and absolutely delicious. Its flavors of bitter cherry, mint and earth, with a slight mouth-puckering tannic quality, induce you to keep drinking. It makes me hungry for grilled burgers.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
C. von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Mosel Riesling Feinherb 2012
Between dry German rieslings and the exquisitely balanced but sweet kabinetts and spätleses lies the nether world of “feinherb,” which in the German scheme of things means not “medium sweet” but “medium dry.” Whatever. This is predominantly dry with a hint of sweetness, a vivacious expression of Mosel riesling that is a mere 11 percent alcohol.
Loosen Bros. U.S.A.
Salem, Ore.
Dirler-Cadé Alsace Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes 2011
Perhaps rightly, silvaner (or sylvaner, as it’s often labeled in Alsace) receives little attention. It’s often a relatively neutral grape with little of interest in the way of flavor or texture. But well-made versions like this from Dirler-Cadé can be delightful warm-weather quaffs. Its delicate floral and herbal flavors, lightly fruity and lightly savory, are perfect for an outdoor lunch and whiling away the afternoon.
T. Edward Wines
New York
Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
One of the tricks of finding good-value wines is to search lesser known appellations. Yet year after year Montinore Estate manages to issue a Willamette Valley pinot noir that is not only affordable but captivating. The 2012 is light, balanced and deliciously inviting, with bright cherry fruit. It’s not a blockbuster, and doesn’t pretend to be profound. It’s simply just right.
Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2012
No season is complete for me without nebbiolo, and among moderately priced bottles few do it as well as Produttori del Barbaresco, one of the world’s greatest wine cooperatives. The 2012 is tannic, of course, but not aggressively so, with flavors of dark fruit and flowers, a suggestion of tar and bright citrus highlights. It’s delicious, but do serve it with food.
Vias Imports
New York
Cà de Noci Emilia Bianco I.G.T. Querciole 2012
Cà de Noci Emilia Bianco I.G.T. Querciole 2012
And now, from the unconventional side, I present this lightly sparkling wine that is not only bone dry and delicious but would also go beautifully with all sorts of foods. It’s made from the rarely seen spergola grape, and is funky and earthy, with a gritty yet inviting texture that comes from prolonged maceration of the white grapes with their skins.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
Julien Guillot Chénas Ultimatum Climat 2012
Simply gorgeous Beaujolais, lively and fresh with beautiful, bright berry fruit, an underlying hint of citrus and a touch of bitterness that makes it deliciously drinkable. Why “Ultimatum Climat?” The wine was originally made to commemorate Ultimatum Climatique, a 2009 conference on climate change.
Fruit of the Vines
Long Island City, N.Y.
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2012
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2012
For years, Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat has been doing wines his way, whether fashionable or not. Having morphed from young rebel to inspirational veteran, he continues to make wines that, at their best, are graceful and restrained. This chardonnay encompasses flavors that are earthy and tropical. It goes down easy.
Beyond Pretzel Logic
By JEFF GORDINIER
Keep Your Head on Lazy, Hazy Days
By ROBERT SIMONSON
A well-conceived, well-made beer cocktail can be a wonderful thing.
RELATED COVERAGE
Ready to Roll With the Punches
By MARIA NEWMAN
For conversation, conviviality and convenience, a bowl or pitcher of punch does the trick.
Recipes:
More Than the Cherry on Top
RELATED COVERAGE
What Are You Drinking?
Let the author and bartender Rosie Schaap make you a custom summer cocktail.
Summer’s Winners: 20 Wines for $20
By ERIC ASIMOV
Another Loire gamay, grown on limestone and clay in the Touraine, this is pure deliciousness: fresh and vibrant with sweet fruit flavors, yet dry and thoroughly refreshing.
Jenny & François Selections
New York
Émile Hérédia/Domaine de Montrieux Vin de France Point G 2011
Gamay from another point of view: While Beaujolais is known as the home of the gamay grape, excellent gamay is produced in the Loire Valley, too. The producer, Émile Hérédia, says this wine will age well, but it screams to be consumed right now. Juicy, bright, earthy and slightly funky.
M.F.W. Wine Company/T. Elenteny
New York
Thierry et Pascale Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2012
The white Burgundy section of the chardonnay galaxy emphasizes texture and stony mineral flavors over scads of fruit. This bottle is a textbook example of a basic Bourgogne Blanc, creamy yet zesty and refreshing, not especially substantial yet with enough intrigue to invite repeated sips in search of the mysterious flavors at the heart of good white Burgundy.
Vineyard Brands
Birmingham, Ala.
Domaine Rimbert Saint-Chinian Le Mas au Schiste 2009
An old favorite that’s always luscious. This blend of syrah, carignan and grenache offers aromas of herbs and olives, but it’s from a ripe year, and so the dominant flavors are of bright red and black fruits. It borders on jamminess, but it’s so finely balanced that it stays lively and refreshing.
Jenny & François Selections
New York
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina 2013
Txakolina is the national drink of Spanish Basque country, where a vast amount is consumed every summer. This particular version is from the Getaria region, where the Txakolina tends to be slightly fizzy and low in alcohol, encouraging plenty of thirst-quenching chugging. The Ameztoi is fresh and slightly briny, with flavors of lemon and lime. It calls out for sardines, anchovies and all manner of seafood.
De Maison Selections
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV
This standard-bearer for moderately priced California sparkling wine impresses year after year. Those sensitive to sweetness will note a discernible dosage, making the wine a bit out of step as sparkling wines have become drier over recent years. Yet it is impeccably balanced and refreshing, with flavors of citrus and yeast, perfect for sipping on the deck, if I had a deck.
Broc Cellars Sonoma County White Zinfandel 2013
Broc Cellars, Turley Cellars and a few other California producers are rewriting the script for white zinfandel. Rather than a cloyingly sweet “blush” wine that discerning drinkers may, with shame, remember enjoying in their formative years, this tangy, peppery, dry, low-alcohol rosé is a wine that connoisseurs will want to show off to their friends.
La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva 2007
Viña Alberdi is a great value in Rioja from an old-school producer that still ages the wine before releasing it. It’s well shaped and structured with classic Rioja flavors of spicy red fruit framed by the mellow vanilla of American oak. I’m not usually a fan of okay wine, but in traditionally made Riojas, softened by a few years of age, the flavors just fit.
Michael Skurnik Wines
New York
Bohigas Cava Reserva Brut Nature NV
Among the world’s sparkling wines, cava, the Spanish version, can offer some of the worst values (for cheap but vapid mass-produced cava) and some of the best, for carefully made wines like this one from Bohigas. It’s light, frothy, zesty and fresh, with a cloudlike purity that demands refills. Shrimp and oysters, please.
Polaner Selections
Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2011
Vernaccia is almost a generic name for a number of different white grapes in Italy, but only one, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, has gained any measure of renown among Americans. Usually, the wines are forgettable, but the 2011 from Montenidoli is an excellent example from this often insipid genre, with depth, presence and texture. It’s surprisingly golden, with a deeply floral aroma and plenty of citrus flavors.
Artisan Wines
Norwalk, Conn.
Wilfred Rousse Chinon Les Puys 2009
Cabernet franc from the Touraine comes in many guises, from light and frivolous to serious and age-worthy. This is on the playful side: fresh, juicy, spicy, yet with enough of a tannic spine to suggest that it’s not to be trifled with. No matter, it’s luscious and enticing right now.
Savio Soares Selections
Manhasset, N.Y.
Vittorio Graziano Lambrusco Emilia I.G.T. Fontana dei Boschi 2010
I am in love with Lambrusco, and wines like this small-production beauty are the reason why. Unlike the sweet mass-produced Lambruscos, the Fontana dei Boschi is dry, with flavors of earth, herbs and red fruit, and just 12 percent alcohol. It’s made by Vittorio Graziano, one of the true artisans of Lambrusco, and it’s absolutely refreshing, perfect with salumi.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
Montesecondo Toscano Rosso 2012
This wine may not carry the Chianti imprimatur, but it’s a classic Tuscan sangiovese blend and absolutely delicious. Its flavors of bitter cherry, mint and earth, with a slight mouth-puckering tannic quality, induce you to keep drinking. It makes me hungry for grilled burgers.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
C. von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Mosel Riesling Feinherb 2012
Between dry German rieslings and the exquisitely balanced but sweet kabinetts and spätleses lies the nether world of “feinherb,” which in the German scheme of things means not “medium sweet” but “medium dry.” Whatever. This is predominantly dry with a hint of sweetness, a vivacious expression of Mosel riesling that is a mere 11 percent alcohol.
Loosen Bros. U.S.A.
Salem, Ore.
Dirler-Cadé Alsace Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes 2011
Perhaps rightly, silvaner (or sylvaner, as it’s often labeled in Alsace) receives little attention. It’s often a relatively neutral grape with little of interest in the way of flavor or texture. But well-made versions like this from Dirler-Cadé can be delightful warm-weather quaffs. Its delicate floral and herbal flavors, lightly fruity and lightly savory, are perfect for an outdoor lunch and whiling away the afternoon.
T. Edward Wines
New York
Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012
One of the tricks of finding good-value wines is to search lesser known appellations. Yet year after year Montinore Estate manages to issue a Willamette Valley pinot noir that is not only affordable but captivating. The 2012 is light, balanced and deliciously inviting, with bright cherry fruit. It’s not a blockbuster, and doesn’t pretend to be profound. It’s simply just right.
Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2012
No season is complete for me without nebbiolo, and among moderately priced bottles few do it as well as Produttori del Barbaresco, one of the world’s greatest wine cooperatives. The 2012 is tannic, of course, but not aggressively so, with flavors of dark fruit and flowers, a suggestion of tar and bright citrus highlights. It’s delicious, but do serve it with food.
Vias Imports
New York
Cà de Noci Emilia Bianco I.G.T. Querciole 2012
Cà de Noci Emilia Bianco I.G.T. Querciole 2012
And now, from the unconventional side, I present this lightly sparkling wine that is not only bone dry and delicious but would also go beautifully with all sorts of foods. It’s made from the rarely seen spergola grape, and is funky and earthy, with a gritty yet inviting texture that comes from prolonged maceration of the white grapes with their skins.
Louis/Dressner Selections
New York
Julien Guillot Chénas Ultimatum Climat 2012
Simply gorgeous Beaujolais, lively and fresh with beautiful, bright berry fruit, an underlying hint of citrus and a touch of bitterness that makes it deliciously drinkable. Why “Ultimatum Climat?” The wine was originally made to commemorate Ultimatum Climatique, a 2009 conference on climate change.
Fruit of the Vines
Long Island City, N.Y.
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2012
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2012
For years, Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat has been doing wines his way, whether fashionable or not. Having morphed from young rebel to inspirational veteran, he continues to make wines that, at their best, are graceful and restrained. This chardonnay encompasses flavors that are earthy and tropical. It goes down easy.
Beyond Pretzel Logic
By JEFF GORDINIER
Keep Your Head on Lazy, Hazy Days
By ROBERT SIMONSON
A well-conceived, well-made beer cocktail can be a wonderful thing.
RELATED COVERAGE
Recipe: Fade to Black
Recipe: Slow Clap
Recipe: High Five
Recipe: Jardin Fresca
Recipe: Yukon Cornelius
Ready to Roll With the Punches
By MARIA NEWMAN
For conversation, conviviality and convenience, a bowl or pitcher of punch does the trick.
Recipes:
Brunch Punch
INGREDIENTS
16 ounces (2 cups) gin
16 ounces (2 cups) Campari
16 ounces (2 cups) white vermouth
48 ounces (6 cups) freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (juice of 5 fruits)
Sliced cucumber and orange, or other citrus, for garnish
PREPARATION
1. In a large pitcher, combine all the liquids; stir gently. Float some of the wheels of cucumber and oranges on the punch. Ladle punch into rocks glasses filled with ice, and garnish with cucumber and orange.
Afton Club Punch
INGREDIENTS
4 lemons
3/4 cup white sugar
16 ounces (2 cups) genever
16 ounces (2 cups) chilled German (or other) riesling, not too sweet
16 ounces (2 cups) chilled sparkling water
Nutmeg for garnishing
PREPARATION
1. Make the shrub: Peel lemons with a vegetable peeler, avoiding pith. Juice lemons and set juice aside. Place peels and sugar in a Mason jar, seal and shake. Leave jar in the sun for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Add reserved lemon juice and shake until sugar is dissolved. Will keep for several days refrigerated.
2. In a gallon bowl or pitcher, combine shrub (peels and all) with all the liquids; stir gently. Add a 1-quart block of ice (made by freezing a quart container of water overnight). Grate nutmeg on top and ladle into small serving glasses.
Chairman’s Reserve
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces (1 cup) cucumber juice, from about 1 1/2 cucumbers
24 ounces (3 cups) coconut water
8 ounces (1 cup) white rum, preferably Banks 5 Island
3 ounces Frangelico
Cucumber slices for garnish
PREPARATION
1. Juice the cucumbers, skin and all, in a juicer, food processer or blender and strain. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and add a block of ice. Ladle into cups; garnish with cucumber slice.
YIELD 14 3-ounce servings
More Than the Cherry on Top
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