You've Got To Taste This

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "I'm having a party. How much wine should I buy?" And with entertaining season approaching, I thought it was the perfect time to talk about wine for a crowd.

Here is an average guide of how much wine to buy for a dinner party and a cocktail party. One (750mL) bottle of wine yields about 5 glasses of wine.

Dinner party: 4 guests per bottle. (To slow down the flow of wine at a dinner party make sure there is water on the table so the guests have something to sip on besides vino.)

Cocktail party: 2 guests per bottle for a four-hour party; for an afternoon party plan on 3 guests per bottle. (When guests serve themselves you’ll be amazed at how fast the wine goes.) If you really don’t want to be caught running out, plan on 1 bottle per person (and then you can enjoy any leftover wine yourself!).

If you know your crowd, then buy according to taste. But if you’re planning to drink with unknowns, plan on more people drinking white than red. Generally it’s 60/40 white to red, but again, it depends on if you’re serving roast lamb or grilled fish or hosting an appetizer and wine party.

            Two tips to remember before you hit the wine store:  If you’re having more than 6 guests, think about buying by the case. You’ll save at least 10 percent in most wine stores. And remember, it’s always better to have too much than too little; nothing kills a party faster than the booze running out.

         Finally, one other question people often ask: Do you have to serve the bottle of wine that you got as a hostess gift? In a word, no. It’s a gift, not a demand. If it goes with the meal, then open it up. But if it’s something special that you want to savor or it just doesn’t fit the party or the menu, smile, say thank you, and stash it in the pantry.

Even the most dedicated wine lover can end up with a half bottle of wine at the end of the night. So should you toss it or keep it? If you can make a small effort, just keep it. But if it’s going to sit on a warm kitchen counter for a few days, toss it. Here’s a little science before I get to the “how-to’s.” Wine “goes bad” once you pull the cork because of oxygen. The second oxygen hits the wine, it starts to, well, oxidize. You can slow down the process but you’ll never completely reverse it. That said, you can keep a bottle for a few days without it turning to vinegar. After a week, it’s time to toss it. (And I mean toss it; contrary to popular belief, cooking with spoiled wine will not add flavor to your dish.)

 

Wine gas: Inert gas will keep your wine fresh for days. (Inert gas is essentially pure air that contains no oxygen, and it prevents oxidation of the wine.) The two most common brands, Wine Life and Private Reserve, come in cans that feel empty. But really the gas inside is lighter than air and replaces any oxygen left in the bottle with the gas, preserving the wine. Just spray and re-cork and the wine will stay fresh for at least a few days and up to a week (and some say up to a month). You can find both brands in wine shops and online for around $10 a bottle; one bottle should be good for about one hundred uses. If you want be fancy about it, there is a “wine preservation steward” that replaces the oxygen with argon gas that sells for around $200 and keeps wine fresh for up to three weeks.

Wine vacuum: A vacuum pump draws out any oxygen in the bottle and seals it, preserving the wine for 2 to 3 weeks. You just place a stopper over the top and pump out the oxygen. They cost anywhere from $10 to $50. (But a vacuum won’t work on sparkling wines.)

Half bottles: An easy and cheap way to preserve your wine is to pour it in half bottles (375mL) and recork or use a wine stopper. The size of the bottle eliminates excess oxygen. Our winemaker friend swears by it. (For even fresher wine store the half bottle in the ‘fridge; see below.)

The refrigerator: Several winemakers I know stick recorked, half-empty bottles of wine in the fridge, both whites and reds. It slows down the deterioration of the wine. Just pull reds out of the fridge about an hour before you want to finish the bottle.

Bubbly: Obviously Champagne and sparkling wine pose additional problems given the CO2 involved (it’s impossible to preserve all those bubbles), but an inexpensive Champagne stopper will keep it overnight. Any longer than that just cook with it; leftover Champagne makes a great white sauce for chicken, fish, or pork.

Screwcap: If the bottle has a screwcap instead of a cork, you're one step ahead. A good screwcap actually preserves the wine better than a cork ever could. So once you unscrew that top, just screw it back on tightly (and even better, stick it in the ‘fridge) and enjoy the wine for up to a week.

 

Whether you’re celebrating a momentous wedding anniversary, a cornerstone birthday, or just in need of a really sophisticated bottle of red to impress your guests here are three beautiful California wines that will make a great addition to your collection. After sampling around 50 different bottles of wine during my Wine Country visit I picked three of my favorites. I know you will fall in love with their vintage finesse that pairs well with any occasion.

Silver Oak Cellars, 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The complex flavor of this elegant wine selection lends aromatic hints of black plum, soy sauce and rose petals completed by a smooth finish. Silver Oak Cellars blends prior to barreling in American oak barrels to achieve the rich flavors of fruit before the oak element harmonizes the wine’s character. If stored properly this wine can be enjoyed up to 15 years.

Cook with: Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs with Dried Apricots

Cakebread Cellars, 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros, Napa Valley

I always tell loyal white wine drinkers who want to expand their palates and drink more reds to start off with a Pinot Noir. Pinots are great transitions because they are seductive wines with ripe tannins and graceful fruity flavors. Cakebread Cellars is a distinguished winery that constructs many quality selections. The Pinot Noir Carneros hosts a silky, medium bodied taste with aromas of black cherry, raspberry, and lavender. To develop additional complexity, store this wine for 3-5 years longer.

Cook with: Pinot Noir Risotto With Rosemary Chicken

Duckhorn Vineyards, 2006 Napa Valley Merlot

The Duckhorn Vineyards Merlots are white house worthy and have been featured at many presidential luncheons and dinner parties. Notes from the winemaker: “This Merlot offers a rich texture, ripe tannins and seamlessly integrated French oak. On the palate, polished flavors of red cherry and raspberry are accented by an enticing layer of graham cracker piecrust.” I look forward to a perfect, chilly fall evening when I can curl up next to a cozy fire pit with a few close friends and open this standout vintage selection. 

Cook with: Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

  This past Friday we had an absinthe tasting in order to experience for ourselves this legendary drink. (Hey, somebody's got to do this kind of work!)  Until recently, my only knowledge of absinthe was that it was illegal, it caused hallucinations, and it was in a few Impressionist paintings. Turns out, only one of these things is true--the one about the paintings. 

Although I had some sort of vague notion about artists and authors on the West Bank sipping on absinthe in cafes while they created masterpieces, I really didn't have any facts until I ate lunch a few months ago with Ted Breaux,  creator of Lucid absinthe and one of the people responsible for making absinthe legal again in the United States. Ted filled me in on the fascinating history and legends surrounding absinthe, and told me all about the production of Lucid absinthe in France.  
  
I am particularly fond of the whole process of making an absinthe cocktail as it involves special glasses and cool spoons over which you place a sugar cube and drizzle cold water. For more details, see How to Make an Absinthe Cocktail.  We had mixed reviews in our tasting group, but we all agreed that it's pretty potent. It does have a very high alcohol content, and  a very "herby" type of flavor, with strong notes of fennel and anise.  Some people said it tasted like licorice, but I really picked up on the fennel.   The flavor is kind of growing on me, but I can see that this is something you might have to develop a taste for. Since it's so strong, it's supposed to be diluted with water, or used in another cocktail recipe. We also tasted an absinthe Bloody Mary, which was pretty popular.   The strong herbiness of the absinthe was great with the spiciness of the tomato juice mixture.

The brand of absinthe Ted makes and the one we tasted is from Lucid, and they have a number of other recipes for other absinthe cocktails. Our friend Ashley in the Oxmoor House Test Kitchens developed a recipe for Lemon-Absinthe Sherbet that sent us all over the edge it was so good.  If you're skeptical about trying absinthe, you should try this recipe and you'll be a convert for sure!  I am now officially obsessed and eager to learn more about this spirit. Let me know if you've tried it and what you think. 

This afternoon, I met my Mom and Grandma for lunch at The Spiced Pear Tearoom in Birmingham, Alabama.  The Spiced Pear is a lovely ladies' lunch spot located in a cute cottage style home, complete with pink shutters. The quiche was delicious, the tea flavorful (Carmen Miranda=pina colada, more or less), and the atmosphere, a just-right mix of charming and fun.

Indulging our hankering for sweets with a spot of calorie-free and delicious tea, our trio of ladies enjoyed a perfectly pleasant afternoon lunch break, which reminded me of the last time I'd had afternoon tea.

My Mom was big on taking our family to see parts of the world that were foreign to my native Florence, Alabama roots. On one occasion, we spent a week in Vancouver, venturing out to Victoria Island one day for, you guessed it, high tea.

The foursome on that trip included my parents, my brother, and myself.  As you might guess, my Dad and brother had minimal interest in high tea, and really had no idea what it was.  After enjoying tea and delicate sandwiches loaded with cucumber and spread, my brother asked Mom, "When are we getting lunch?"  Needless to say, at $25 a person, this was lunch.

That tearoom may have been too much for the rookies that my brother and I were back then, but it seems that in recent years, tearooms have been popping up in historic downtown areas, offering a location for Red Hat society meetings, showers, birthday parties, and even etiquette lessons.

Tell me, do you take your tea more often these days?  I only wish I'd gotten a pot with a little caffeine in it.  It's time for my afternoon nap!

Anyone who likes wine knows the name Mondavi. But fewer people know the other Mondavi – Peter Mondavi, brother of Robert Mondavi, the famed Napa Valley vintner who put California wines on the map. Their father Cesare Mondavi bought the first winery in Napa, Charles Krug, in 1943. Years later when Robert Mondavi left to start his own winery a few miles down the road, Peter remained at Charles Krug. Today Peter is still running the winery along with sons Peter Jr. and Marc. I visited with Peter Mondavi, Jr. at the winery on a beautiful September day and tasted some of their delicious wines (the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon were standouts). They’ve been busy replanting vineyards and shifting the focus to Bordeaux-style blends. The lineup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel is made from grapes grown right on their 850 acres. The expansive tasting room is welcoming, surrounded by vineyards and the historical buildings, with knowledgeable staff who love nothing more than to talk wine. Don’t miss it on your next trip to Napa. Besides the tasting room you can order the wines online or find them in fine wine shops and select restaurants.

Peter Mondavi, Jr.’s wife Katie is an accomplished cook and parted with a true wine country recipe, Salmon and Pasta (serve with the Charles Krug-Peter Mondavi Family Napa Valley Chardonnay, of course).

Katie Mondavi’s Salmon and Pasta

Makes 4 servings

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 lemons, sliced thinly
1  bunch of green garlic or green onions, washed, trimmed and sliced into 1” lengths (or 1 small onion, sliced thinly)
1-1/2 to 2 pounds salmon filet, cut into four equal portions
1 cup Charles Krug-Peter Mondavi Family Napa Valley Chardonnay

8-10 ounces pasta of your choice

1/3 cup green or black olives, or a mixture, pitted and quartered
salt and pepper

Olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375ºF and bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

Drizzle half the olive oil into a baking dish just large enough to hold the salmon, but not too big. Set aside four lemon slices for garnish. Layer half the remaining lemon slices and half the green garlic (or onion) in the bottom of the dish.  Add the salmon atop the lemon and green garlic, then layer the remaining lemon and green garlic over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.  

Add chardonnay so that it comes about halfway up the salmon. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through.

About 15 minutes before the salmon is done, cook pasta al dente in boiling water. Drain and keep warm. 

Remove salmon pieces to a warm plate and quickly strain poaching liquid, reserving the green garlic or onion. Boil the liquid in a large skillet over high heat until it is reduced by half. Gently toss the liquid with the cooked pasta, olives, reserved green garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide onto four plates, top with salmon and serve garnished with lemon slices and a drizzle of olive oil.

Very rarely do I order martinis. I'm a cheap date, so plant a cold beer on the table in front of me, and I'm as happy as a clam. However, some friends and I went out for Happy Hour drinks the other day after work, and I felt like being crazy and ordering the house martini.

As we sipped our fruity concoctions, we went around the table sharing "favorite drink" stories, so I just had to tell them about "The Best Martini I Have Ever Had in My Entire Life."

The best martini I have ever had in my entire life was...drumroll please...a Key Lime Pie Martini.

A year or two back, I was out for dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. (I was with my family -- who was footing the bill. You don't honestly think my tiny college income would have allowed fancy steakhouse dinners, do you?)

Anyway, someone recommended the Key Lime Pie Martini, and it was out of this world. Since then, I've tried to figure out what made this drink so delish. There are a lot of variations of the key lime martini floating around the internet, but vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and heavy cream seem to be the agreed-upon main ingredients.

And the real key to this martini's star quality is to coat the rim of the glass with graham cracker crumbs. Wow. Seriously, wow. 

Sadly, I read somewhere that Ruth's Chris no longer lists their Key Lime Martini on the menu (but that you can still get it if you ask your server), but why pay for an expensive martini out when you can make your own at home?

This Key Lime Pie Martini recipe from Coastal Living looks spot-on. Give it a sip, and let me know what you think!

Go here for even more dessert recipes!

That's in my humble opinon, of course (or IMHO, for you avid texters and forum posters out there).  But seriously, this protein powder is really good.  My husband and I have been on a healthy eating and exercise mission for about 3 months now, as we both had put on some marriage and baby weight!  Our weekday meals feature fiber-rich carbs up until lunch; chicken, fish, and green veggies at dinner; and LOTS of protein shakes throughout the day.  As anyone who has done a lot of protein shakes knows, they can get old fast. 

However, Brent's good friend (and world-class power lifter) turned him to the American Whey Double Dutch Chocolate Supreme protein powder, and we haven't looked back.  This powder mixes very easily and the taste does actually resemble real chocolate.  We drink ours with plain water, but I imagine that mixing with milk instead would be positively divine, as protein shakes go.  Plus, the brand name gets a little giggle out of my pun-loving nerdy side!

I've just finished reading Julie & Julia (the book about the woman who spent a year cooking all of the recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and is now a movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams).  While the book did not really inspire me to do any French cooking, it did make me want to drink a gimlet.  Throughout the book, Julie and her husband Eric have quite a fondness for this cocktail, but they make theirs with vodka instead of gin.

They are missing out, in my opionion, as there's nothing quite as refreshing as a gimlet made with some really good gin.  One of my friends just gave me a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin, and you can make a mightly fine gimlet with this mighty fine gin!  If you're making one, it's a really good idea to use premium gin because the only ingredients in the cocktail are gin, lime juice, and a twist of lime.  

Normally I lament the end of summer because it seems like the end of the season for drinking gin and tonics, my favorite cocktail.  I'm now thinking that I'll switch to gimlets because somehow they seem right year 'round.   Julie Powell certainly seemed to think so! Of course, you do have so many great options when it comes to gin: gimlets, gin rickeys and martinis!  Check out all your options and browse our gin recipes.  Let me know if you have any favorites.   I'm feeling inspired to have a cocktail party now that I have this lovely bottle of gin.  

France, Italy, Australia, the U.S.: these are just a few countries represented in the wine aisle of your local wine store. But lately when I'm looking for an interesting new white wine, I look to Greece. While historically Greece has made some pretty mediocre wine, Greek winemakers have stepped up their game and are turning to both indigenous and international varietals to produce high-quality wines. (The climate is the main reason: 300 days of sun, varied soils, and the proximity to the sea--in Greece you’re never more than two hours from the water--are a grape's paradise.)

International varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier, are being grown alongside the indigenous varietals like Assyrtiko, Moschofilero, Agiorgitiko, and Mavrodaphne. It's the indigenous varietals that are the most interesting; grapes that are found only in Greece produce fabulous, food-friendly wines. Many winemakers have devoted their efforts to dessert wines, producing late harvest wines as well as fortified wines, which are some of the best in the world. There are 300 wineries in ten wine regions. My favorite wine from Greece is the fragrant, medium-bodied Moschofilero, a fragrant, lively white that is fantastic with seafood and Greek food, of course.

The most well-known Greek producers include Boutari, Evharis, Tsantali, Gaia Estate, Sigalas, Porto Carras, and Xerolithia, and a good wine store should be able to help you find at least one of these, and the online wine store wine.com carries a few as well. Three smaller producers are worth seeking out: Biblia Chora is a small winery producing organic wines in Macedonia while Katogi Strofilia produces excellent reds, whites, and rosé, and Alpha Estate is making some tasty reds. Prices for Greek wines usually start around $14, so give the big boys of France, Italy, etc. a break and try something from Greece instead.