Herbed Lamb

Ingredients:

1 butterflied leg of lamb (5-6 lbs.) or 12 loin lamb chops
6 tablespoons of butter
Chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, mint, parsley) for garnish

Marinade:

1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons mint leaves
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper

Directions:

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Place lamb in nonreactive baking pan, cover and marinate over night.

Mix the reserved marinade with with 6 tablespoons of soft butter. Set aside. Grilled the lamb over medium heat to medium rare (140 degrees). Place a dollop of butter on each lamb chop or dot over the leg of lamb. Sprinkle lamb with the chopped herbs for garnish. Serves 6 people.

Wine pairing choices:

White: Domaine Lafage Cote Este 2008
Red: Chris Ringland Shiraz 2008

The Forgotten Grape

On occasion there are wine grapes we forget about as they are often used more as blending grapes versus stand alone grapes. This week I had the pleasure of opening a bottle of wine from the Bandol region in France produced by Tardieu-Laurent. The grape used in this wine is Mourvedre which is most often seen combined with Syrah and Grenache in the Rhone Valley as well as in Spain where it is known as Monastrell and in Australia where it is known as Mataro.

Mourvedre is a thick skinned grape that loves warm windy locations and therefore does quite well in Bandol which is along the Mediterranean coast of France. It is a picky grape and difficult to grow as it requires just the right amount of sunshine and rain. The Bandol climate is not only perfect, but the soils are also well-balanced with limestone, sand/gravel, and clay. This allows for proper drainage and ripening resulting in wines with great finesse.

This is one of the most elegant and stylish wines that I have had recently. As you swirl your glass, aromas of blackberries, flowers, and an earthy/smoky scent wafts through the air. The flavors that come from the 40 year old vines are complex and layered. There is a sophistication about this wine that kept my attention. With every sip I contemplated and wondered how this wine will develop further over the years. Elegant yet powerful, the Tardieu-Laurent Bandol 2005 offers immediate gratification, but for the connoisseur their is further delight in cellaring this beauty for a decade.

Scallops w/Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

12 Sea Scallops

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 tablespoon butter

1-2 tablespoons chopped mint and parsley for garnish

Directions:

Rinse thoroughly and dry the scallops. Sprinkle scallops with cracked pepper. Heat oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute scallops 2-3 minutes per side until nice and brown. Remove and keep warm.

In the same saute pan on low heat, saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add orange juice, soy sauce and grated orange peel. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and then add the butter. Return the scallops to the pan. Place scallops on plate, drizzle with glaze, and garnish with mint and parsley.

Serves 2-3 people.

Wine pairing choices:

White: Vila Viniteca El Perro Verde, Rueda 2007

Red: Yealands Pinor Noir, Marlborough 2008

The Other Italian White Wines

Spring is in the air and our palates crave lighter food and lighter wines. Lighter does not, however, mean no flavor. As the 2nd largest wine producing country, Italy has an enormous amount of distinctive, quality white wines that go well beyond Pinot Grigio. Let's take a trip through the region and learn about the other fascinating, classy whites from Italy.

Starting in the north in the Piedmont region we have Gavi which is made from the Cortese grape. It produces dry, crisp, mineral-ly wines with pleasant aromas and flavors of citrus, apple, pear, flowers, and honey. Gavi is named after the town of Gavi. Many high quality Gavi's are compared to white Burgundy. Here is an excellent example: Stefano Massone Gavi Vigneto Masera 2008.

Staying in the Piedmont region is little known Arneis which literally means "rascal" as it is a difficult grape to grow. It is commonly found in the hills of Roero and produces a medium bodied rich and viscous wine with peach, pear, flowers and almond flavors. A superb bottle to try: Fratelli Giacosa Roero Arneis 2008.

Moving to the Veneto region in northeastern Italy is Soave made from the Garganega grape with some Trebbiano and Chardonnay added. The wines from the oldest zone on hillside vineyards are referred to as Soave Classico and tend to be the most interesting. They are characterized by gentle acidity and a floral fragrance. Soave in Italian means "smooth". A beautiful choice is: Suavia Soave Classico Superiore 2008.

Heading south to central Italy is the famous wine of the Popes, Orvieto made from Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto grapes. The slightly warmer climate and the chalky limestone soils produce interesting wines that are crisp, vibrant and fruity with excellent style and concentration. Orvieto is named after the village near where it is produced and is nicknamed "sun of Italy in a bottle". A classic consistent value: Antinori Orvieto Classico Campogrande 2008.

As we take a journey further down the coast to the Campania region that includes Naples we come across full-bodied, full-flavored and complex Falanghina, a very interesting historic grape with real personality. The fresh citrus fruits and tropical flavors abound with mineral notes and a clean, savory finish. A notable one from the region: Terredora di Paolo Falanghina Irpinia 2008.

Traveling to the warm, tropical climate of southern Italy is the ancient Sicilian white wine Grillo, the wine of Julius Caesar. It is an important grape used to make Marsala, yet produces golden colored, crisp, zesty, wines with an almond sweetness. A lovely representation is: Terre del Grillo 2007.

Facebook Exclusive

We are very excited to present our first ever exclusive Facebook offering! The wine we have available for purchase is featured in the top 10 of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2009. It is a gorgeous wine available only to our Facebook fans. It is a steal for under $30!

We are one of the only (if not the only) retailer in Connecticut offering the wine at this time. If you are interested in finding out the name of our “mystery wine” become a fan of Ancona’s Wine and Liquors on Facebook. Click on our “Discussions” tab and leave a comment on the ‘Exclusive Wine’ topic. We will send a Facebook message directly to you revealing the wine.

Join the fun! Become a fan today!

Click this link to be directed to our Facebook fan page.

Wine That Needs a Weeks Time

On February 16th I opened the wine and it had some nice red fruit, plum and black currant aromas and flavors with an herbal backing. However, the tannins still seemed a bit powerful and the wine a little austere. My husband and I each had a glass and then re-corked it and put it in the fridge. Upon returning from vacation on February 25th we let the wine come to room temperature and then poured a glass. Voila! Now this was much better! The tannins softened, the fruit was more expressive and the acidity was in balance. There seemed to be a complex bottle age bouquet--the smells that come from gradual oxidation--versus just grape aromas. A smoky, cedar, earthiness developed in the wine as well as more refined fruit flavors.

In summary, sometimes you can speed the aging process of a young, tannic red wine by opening it, re-corking it and placing it in a cool, dry environment for a week. A fun and informative experiment is to taste a wine each night over a 5-7 day period and record notes on color, aromas, and flavors to see how the wine changes over time and with oxygen exposure. Pick up a bottle of the Argiano NC and see for yourself.

Lamb Chops w/Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

6 Loin Lamb Chops

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons course salt

1/ 2 teaspoon black pepper

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cups red wine

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped mint for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Mix the olive oil and spices into a paste. Rub onto the lamb chops and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Saute lamb chops in olive oil on medium-high heat. Pan sear the lamb chops 3-4 minutes per side. Remove lamb chops and place on a baking sheet. Let sit while making the wine sauce.

In the same saute pan on low heat, saute the garlic and shallots for 2 minutes. Add wine to deglaze the pan (scrape up brown bits). Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beef stock and simmer 7-10 minutes to reduce and thicken. Add butter and keep warm until lamb chops are finished.

Put the lamb chops in the oven to finish cooking for 4-5 minutes. Place lamb chop on plate, put sauce on top and garnish with chopped mint. Serves 3-4 people.

Wine pairing choices:

White: Domaine Lafage Novellum Chardonnay 2008

Red: Bodegas Borsao Crianza 2006

Rosa's Righteous Ribs

Rosa's Righteous Ribs, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

My wife and I love ribs and we're always looking for new ways to prepare them. About 6 months age our friend Rosa shared with us her favorite rib recipe and it quickly became our favorite rib recipe. The best part of this recipe is that it extremely simple. Try it next time your in the mood for ribs and let us know what you think of the recipe.

full rack of baby back ribs
olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
oregano
thyme

Place ribs on a large platter. Sprinkle top side of the ribs with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Make sure to use enough of each so that the whole top side gets treated. Let the ribs marinate all day or overnight in the refrigerator.

Prepare the grill by preheating all burners. Once the grill is hot turn down the outside burners to medium heat and turn off the center burner(s). Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grill (where the burner(s) are off) cook for 20-25 minutes. Flip ribs and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

That's it! ENJOY!

On this particular night I paired the ribs with one of Jolly Pumpkin's Biere de Gardes "Fuego Del Otono". Her are my tasting notes:

Pours a hazy dirty orange with fluffy white head. Nose is intense. Tart fruit with complex spices, damp earth, vinegar, yeast, madeira - different but very inviting. The mouth feel is thin and crisp. Flavors follow the nose nicely with a tart/sour canvass splashed with dark fruit, oak, cinnamon, clove. This beer drinks more like a wine than a beer and countered the ribs salty/dry spice flavors nicely.