WINE WITHOUT BOOZE? WHY?

Take too much fun from the fun bank at Thanksgiving? With more holiday revelry coming up, I have three little words: alcohol-free wine.

The notion of tinkering with perfectly good vino makes true wine lovers blanch, but alcohol-free wine has some advantages over its boozy cousin, including far fewer calories: about 15 to 25 calories for a 4-ounce glass, compared with about 90 for a glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol-free wine also should confer some of the health benefits one gets from moderate regular-wine consumption,The same antioxidants found in regular wine also exist in alcohol-free wine if the same grapes were used. These polyphenols -- which fall under the broad umbrella of antioxidants -- include the almighty resveratrol, a compound in red wine that's been receiving recent media attention. Typically, alcohol-free wine is made by extracting the alcohol through a filtering or vacuum process, while leaving the other components intact. By law, the wines must be less than one-half of 1% alcohol. While it does appear that alcohol in moderation decreases the effects of cardiovascular disease, it can also increase your calorie intake; triglycerides, which is another blood lipid; your blood pressure; and possibly your cancer risk. You have to look at the total picture. And the public is buying it. Ariel Vineyards sold 1.2 million bottles of alcohol-free wine last year. Alcohol-free-wine drinkers include pregnant women, designated drivers and people who need to abstain for medical reasons or simply don't like alcohol. Someone with a long history of wine drinking who tries these products won't exactly be seeing stars. It's hard enough to find a really great, rich, soulful Cabernet or Chardonnay with the alcohol, and it's almost an impossible challenge to deliver a really great Cabernet or Chardonnay without alcohol. Alcohol is important to the roundness and richness and sweetness of wine.

But there are a few out there and one of the best I have tasted is Ariel. Ariel has the distinction of producing the only dealcoholized wine to win a gold medal at a formal competition against regular wines. Sure, it was in 1986 at the Los Angeles County Fair, but, still, the wine must have been the Secretariat of the bunch. There is also Fre which makes a pretty tasty sparkling wine.

PROSECCO, ITALY'S SPARKLING JEWEL

The veneto's ubiquitous Spumante, Prosecco grapes sometimes with small amounts of Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio added. The best of the Prosecco grapes undoubtedly come from vineyards just north of Venice in the rambling hills between the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Traditionally, the sparkler was rather soft, slightly sweet and only slightly fizzy. Today most examples are dry and fully Spumante, though still more fruity and less dramatically crisp then Champagne. Prosecco is not made by the Champagne method, but rather by the Charmat process, in which wine undergoes a second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles. In late afternoon virtually every bar in Venice pours glass after glass of Prosecco, which the civilized Venetians consider Ombrette, a pick me up. Such is the fame of Prosecco that it is now the second leading Spumante in Italy after Asti. Prosecco is mainly produced as a sparkling wine in either the fully sparkling (Spumante) or lightly sparkling (Frizzante) varieties. A still wine (tranquillo) is also  made from the Prosecco grape- it amounts to only 5% production and rarely exported.
In Italy, Prosecco is enjoyed as a wine for every occasion. Outside Italy, it is more often drunk as an aperitif, much like Champagne. Like other sparkling wines, Prosecco is served chilled. Since Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle and grows stale with time, it should be drunk as young as possible and preferably withing 3 years of it vintage, although high-quality Prosecco can be aged for up to 7 years. Compared to other sparkling wines, Prosecco is low in alcohol about 11 to 12% by volume. The flavor of Prosecco has been described as intensely aromatic and crisp with great flavors of apple, pear, peach and apricot. Most Prosecco variants have intense primary aromas and are meant to taste fresh, light and comparatively simple.
So the next time you want to kick off a celebration and want a new and inexpensive alternative to Champagne, reach for that bottle of Prosecco and see why many worldwide love to toast with a glass of this Italian Jewel!!

SLOOP BETTY INFUSED VODKA DINNER

Last night, I went to Sloop Betty Infused Vodka dinner at Sobo's winebeerstro in Salisbury, MD. I have been to many cocktail and wine pairing dinners before, but this one worked especially well. Why? Because it's Vodka, unlike stronger flavored booze like Tequila or Scotch, Vodka is more adaptable to the ingredients surrounding it-both in drinks and pairing it with food.

The Vodka used for this dinner was a hand-crafted Vodka from Sloop Betty at Black water Distilling. Owners Chris and Jonathon Cook and partner Mark Troxler are passionate in producing Vodka in a fine style made from Maryland-sourced and other select ingredients. Sloop Betty is Certified Kosher and they are working with Maryland Organic Certification Program to obtain recognition. OK enough of my jibber jabber lets get down to Vodka and food.

Once again Chef Frank Dubinski has blown my palette out of control with his creative and artistic food pairings for this event.

First Course- SCALLOP CEVICHE- scallops/ cucumber, onion & bell pepper/ rice wine & Citrus vinaigrette with avocado

Infused Vodka- Cucumber & onion

Cocktail- BETTY'S SQUEEZE- Cucumber Infused Vodka, Tonic and lime

The vodka was smooth and clean with a nice easy finish. Good balance of cucumber and onion flavors that were not overpowering.

Second Course- BLT PRAWNS- Bacon poached prawns/ smoked tomato-horseradish puree/ cilantro-lime vinaigrette/Crispy Prosciutto

Infused Vodka- Bacon, Lime and tomato

Cocktail- BLOODY BETTY MARY- Sloop Betty BLT infused Vodka, Bloody Mary mix, Old Bay and lime

The Vodka had aromas of smoked Gouda with flavors of lime and a little earthy. Great smoky flavor with a crisp cilantro on the prawns.

Third Course- PETITE NY STRIP STEAK- Peppercorn melange/ parsnip puree/ arugula/ pink peppercorn butter

Infused Vodka- 5 pepper

Cocktail- RED HEADED BETTY- Sloop Betty 5 pepper infused vodka, Grenadine, lime

The Vodka was hot hot hot!! Wonderful amounts of pepper and the jabanero really jump out in this one. The Steak was one the most perfectly cooked Ive had. Juicy, Warm and full of butter and pepper. (This was my favorite pairing of the night)

Fourth Course- APPLE CREPES WITH CALVADOS BUTTER SAUCE & PORT GLAZED GRAPE TART WITH PECAN CRUST

Infused Vodka- Starburst flavored ( apple, Pineapple, Grape and Strawberry)

So when your in you favorite liquor store look for Sloop Betty Vodka, if you cant find be sure to ask them to order some, you will not be Sobo's and see what creations The Chef has come up with and enjoy some of the great drink creations they have on the menu. Cheers

www.sloopbetty.com, www.southernoysconcepts.com

COFFEE AND FOOD PAIRING: A NEW TREND

     Coffee pairings are getting to be a major trend. Thanks to the increased availability of high-end coffee and chocolates, you can go beyond classic coffee pairings with the decedent combination of coffee and chocolate (with or without cooking up a storm). As robustly flavorful, mood-altering substances, it's no wonder that coffee and chocolate are so popular around the world. In many cases, they pair fantastic together. But there are many other wonderful pairings for coffee. From breakfast to dessert, coffee is a delicious drink to sip with food.

FRUIT PAIRINGS- fresh fruits and fruit based sweets can offer a lighter, healthier options for some coffees. Just be careful not to overdo the sour tones in the pairing.
     Berries: Kenyan and Haitian coffees are great with any berries, but Yemeni and Jamaican coffees are even better.
     Stone fruit: Fresh or baked are delicious with Tanzanian or Haitian.
     Tarts are a well match for a nice medium bodied Brazilian.
BREAKFAST FOODS- Light balanced flavors of most Central American coffees are ideal for many breakfast foods, including: crepes, eggs, bacon, omelets with mushrooms or Quiche.
MEATS: its pretty much straight forward, whatever coffee you cook with you should drink the same one.

In these difficult economic times, coffee pairings are an interesting different thing chefs can do to entice diners to come out for something new without breaking the bank, also many coffee houses are doing great things with coffee and food pairings. So get out to your local favorite spot and see what they have in store.

Here is link to one of my favorite Coffee houses
www.sbycommongrounds.com

GRAPE AND GRAIN

     Man has been accorded by a kindly nature four stout companions to sustain and console him on his terrestrial pilgrimage. They are wine, spirits, fortified wines and beer. These drinks provide the solace, relaxation and stimulus that a man needs if he is to complete with equanimity his arduous and often arid journey. The golfer standing  on the 18th tee gathers his strength at the prospect of cooling Gin and Tonic or Beer that awaits him whether or not that final putt has won him the game; the businessman exhausted at the end of the day by the noise of the telephone and the people around him anticipates the first cool sip of the Martini when he reaches home.
     The Highball, the cocktail and the glass of beer have helped so many of us to unwind, to make the transition from one kind of moment to another, totally different one. Wine, on the other hand, fills a somewhat different aspect of our need. It is for a different time, a different place from the stronger beverages. Wine may safely be said to be more subtle. For wine enormously enhances the pleasure of the table. "A meal without wine is a day without sunshine" is a famous French saying. A meal accompanied by wine is taken slowly; it  has to be, since wine must be sipped. It should not be quaffed. And there  should be a long pause between sips, so that the bouquet can linger on the palate and the wine can spread its beneficent warmth through every vein and nerve cell; you are in no hurry to take the next mouthful; you let the magic of that last sip remain. And as you are in no hurry to eat or drink, you have time to talk and wine aids the digestive process, from the very fact that it prevents hurried eating.
     Although there are many reasons why a man could wish to have lived in another century rather than in our own, none of them concerns wines and spirits. There has never been a time such as the present when those who wish for alcoholic beverages have had such a variety of choice. The best of everything is available. We have only to decide how to make good use of it.

CHEDDAR CHEESE AND WINE

 I'd like to talk to you about pairing wine with cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese was originally made in Great Britain, but now it's made all over the world. It's one of our most popular cheeses. Cheddar cheese is one of the few cheeses that really goes best with red wines. Cheddar cheese has a distinctive, sharp, tangy flavor and a rich taste that goes well with the fuller body of red wines. For the perfect cheddar cheese and red wine pairing, try it with a fruity red wine, like Malbec from Argentina, Shiraz from Australia or a Merlot from anywhere in the world. It also goes well with Carmenere from Chile or Pinot Noir. For a different type of cheddar cheese and red wine match, try cheddar cheese with a sweet red wine. It may sound a little strange, but it may make for a perfect dessert course and a cheese and wine pairing in this way. The perfect sweet red wine to go with cheddar cheese for dessert might be a Ruby Porto, or a late harvest Zinfandel. The little bit of salty tang in the cheese will contrast perfectly with the sweet flavor of the wine and give you the perfect ending to any meal. So try cheddar cheese with any red wine, including a sweet one

PAIRING PORT

This versatile dessert wine pairs well with everything from cheese to chocolate.  Port is an ubiquitous part of fine dinning during the holiday season, but this long-lived dessert wine rarely garners much fanfare in the United States. Yet for lovers of big bold wines, Port is an obvious next step once the dinner plates, and their accompanying table wines, are cleared away. While sipping a glass of Port can certainly be considered dessert in and of itself, Port’s various styles match well with many foods. This largely attributed to Port’s sweetness and its high alcohol content, from 19% to 21 %, which allows it stand up to strong cheeses and to desserts with more assertive flavors. The classic pairing for vintage Port is Stilton, the rich and earthy cow’s-milk cheese from England. Virtually any type of blue cheese is happy alongside Port, ranging from a creamy Bleu d’Auvergne from France to a crumbly Cashel Blue from Italy. Looking beyond blue cheese, aged cheeses can also make successful pairings with Port. Try aged cheddar or an aged Parmesan for cheeses with powerful flavor profiles to match the concentrated dark fruit flavors found in Port. Echoing Port's fruit and nut flavors with the original product is another option, as dried fruits and berries and a wide range of nuts are also complementary. Fig paste and quince paste are two typical accompaniments for cheese, and both offer concentrated fruit flavors and a touch of sweetness, as does Port. Apple or mince pies, as well as the dried and baked fruit and nuts in the holiday fruitcake, also pair well with Port, particularly the lighter style tawny Port.