CRAZY WINE TRIVIA

VALENTINE’S DAY
MATCHMAKING:
WINE & CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS
+
WINE PICKS
CRAZY WINE TRIVIA
COMMONLY ASKED WINE QUESTIONS
W NEGEEK
CHEESE
CHOCOLATE
PICK OF THE MONTH
RECIPE FOR LOVE… VALENTINE DINNER FOR TWO
WORDS FROM THE
FREE • FEBRUARY 2013 ISSUE
MILK
CHOCOLATE
VALENTINE’S DAY
MAT HMAKING:
WINE &
CHOCOLATE
PAIRINGS
People always ask for the classic
favorites for Valentine’s Day. You
won’t go wrong starting out with
bubbles. Champagne is a romantic
way to start your Valentines
celebration out right. If you want to
go all out, go for the Dom Perignon,
or the favorite of ladies worldwide,
Veuve Clicquot with chocolate
dipped strawberries perhaps. If
your beloved likes big reds, go with
Chimney Rock or the elegant lady’s
favorite, Jordan, which has beautiful
elegance in profile with a long, silky
smooth finish.
What is the best way to
win the heart of your
beloved on Valentine’s
Day? Well two things
that every lady loves
are chocolate and wine.
It’s easy to woo your
sweetheart when you
know whether to crack
open a glass of Amarone
or Riesling with that box
of dark chocolate. Here
are some perfect wine/
chocolate duos.
VALENTINE’S DAY MATCHMAKING
Everyone knows that wine is a
romantic drink that can help set
the mood for a special occasion,
especially on Valentine’s Day. So
here’s some wine advice for romantics
preparing a special dinner for loved
ones this week. The actual romance is
up to you, although the Wine Geek’s
followers have even asked for advice
on matters of the heart! Whether
you’re choosing off a list when going
out to dinner or buying a gift for
your sweetie, wine can literally be a
message in a bottle!
P2
We all love us some good milk
chocolate, and with its sweet, creamy
flavors, milk chocolate is actually
fairly easy to pair with wine. The most
famous match for any chocolate is
Rosa Regale. This Sparkling rose is
known the world over as the perfect
chocolate match. If there are nuts
involved, a nice tawny Port could
be the perfect match. If pairing
with citrus flavors you might want
to consider a nice Riesling as well
like Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling
or Hirschbach Kabinett Riesling. If
your beloved really loves the sweet,
go with what I consider to be the
best Moscato on the planet, Santo
Stefano Ceretto Moscato d’Asti from
the Piedmont region of Italy. Garnish
this sweet sweetheart with a fresh
strawberry and get ready for romance.
And if you really want to impress, you
can go all out and take your loved one
to Italy, known as one of the world’s
most romantic spots. Ok, let’s get back
to reality. Maybe stick with some wine
and chocolate.
DARK
CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate tends to be deeply
flavored but not terribly sweet.
While the percent of cocoa
naturally produces a more bitter
flavor element the higher the cocoa
percentage goes, some producers
just compensate by adding more
sugar, lending very high percentage
cocoa chocolate an intensity of
flavor that many simple dark
chocolates don’t have. This makes
dark chocolate ideal for pairing with
a nice ruby port or even some table
wines that frequently have a little bit
of residual sugar such as Zinfandel,
even ‘white’ Zin! Some good ones
might be The Federalist Zinfandel or
Seven Deadly Zins.
BITTERSWEET
CHOCOLATE
By ramping up the intensity,
bittersweet chocolate demands more
from your wine. While many people
find that table wines based on Syrah
or Cabernet Sauvignon work well
with bittersweet chocolate, I still
think you need some sweetness
to help the wine work with the
chocolate. Here a late harvest
wine works wonders! Try Tokaji,
a famous Hungarian late harvest
wine. Bittersweet chocolate is often
paired with nuts, and while some
aged spirits might be an ideal
match, if you’re looking for the right
wine you might want to consider a
sweet cherry here. The dried fruit
character and intensity of a nice
Amarone like Recchia can work
wonders with this combination.
Valentines Day is the day to
experience true romance
with your loved one. So pull
out all the stops and give
your lady what all ladies
love-Wine and Chocolate!
You are now armed with the
knowledge that will make
this Valentine’s Day extra
special for your sweetie.
Happy Valentine’s Day from
George the Wine Geek &
your Brookhaven Market
family!
Cheers!
VALENTINE’S DAY MATCHMAKING
P3
RECIPE FOR
LOVE VALENTINE
DINNER FOR TWO
Are you looking for a refined
way of telling your love that
he or she is very special to
you? Why not create a special
Valentine meal at home and
avoid the crowded restaurants?
This romantic Valentine’s Day
menu is such a treat. You start
and end your meal with a
fondue, both easy to prepare
as long as you keep stirring!
The best part of having fondue
is sharing the experience; you
can have fun choosing different
dippers and experimenting
with flavor combinations. And
did you know there’s a long
standing tradition that states
anyone who loses a dipper in
the fondue pot has to kiss his or
her sweetie?
You can start the meal with a
classic cheese fondue. This
is a great chance to share
some proven aphrodisiacs like
oysters (smoked oysters would
be wonderful), and avocados.
(For the ultimate treat, you
simply have to taste smooth,
buttery-sweet avocado dipped
into hot melted cheese!)
Fondue recipes contain wine
and garlic as well - two more
aphrodisiacs.
RECIPE FOR LOVE
CHEESE FONDUE FOR TWO
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2cupshreddedSwisscheese
• 1/2cupshreddedGruyerecheese
• 1½Tsp.flourorcornstarch
• 1/4clovegarlic
• 3oz.drywhitewine
(MUST be dry, not sweet)
• 1Tsp.lemonjuice
PREPARATION:
Coat cheeses with flour by tossing
together in a large bowl. Rub garlic on
the bottom and sides of the fondue dish
and discard, or rub garlic on bottom
and sides of heavy saucepan. Pour
wine into fondue dish and heat just
until bubbles rise to the surface. Stir in
lemon juice. Note: You must use white
wine like a Riesling or a Sauvignon
blanc in this recipe; the acid in the wine
is what helps the cheese stay creamy as
it melts.
Gradually add floured cheese, stirring
constantly over low heat, until cheeses
are melted. You may add more cheese
or wine, as needed, to reach the desired
consistency. If the cheese is lumpy, add
a bit more lemon juice and stir. Serve
with lots of dippers such as cooked
meatballs, smoked sausages, cooked
shrimp, avocado slices, apple slices,
bread sticks, and the classic: cubes of
crusty French bread.
P4
For the main course, unless your
true love is a vegetarian or vegan,
it’s hard to go wrong with filet
mignon. Here is a simple but very
tasty recipe for filet mignon that
can be served with any grilled
or blanched fresh vegetable and
your favorite risotto.
GRILLED FILET MIGNON
WITH CUMIN &
CORIANDER PASTE
Serves 6
Prep Time 10 minutes
Other time 1 hour
Cook time 12 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
• 2(6-ounce)filetmignonsteaks
• 2tsp.groundcumin
• 2tspgroundcoriander
• 2tspapplecidervinegar
• 2tspgrapeseedoil
• 1tsp.coarsekoshersalt
• 1/4tsp.freshlygroundpepper
PREPARATION:
Combine ingredients and rub onto
filets.Placeinazipper-lockingplastic
bagandrefrigerate1hour.Preheatgrill
to medium high. Grill steaks to desired
doneness. Remove steaks from grill and
let rest 5 minutes before serving.
And for dessert, what better
than the decadence of chocolate
mixed with peanut butter?
PEANUT BUTTER &
CHOCOLATE FONDUE
FOR TWO
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
• 2(1oz.)squaresunsweetenedchocolate
• 1/2cuplightcream
• 1/2cupsugar
• 4tbls.peanutbutter
• 1/2tsp.vanilla
PREPARATION:
In medium saucepan, combine
chocolate and half and half. Cook
over low heat until mixture is
smooth and blended, stirring
frequently. Add sugar and cook
2-3minuteslonger,untilsugar
is dissolved. Add peanut butter
and vanilla and stir until blended.
Remove from heat and pour into
fondue pot or chafing dish. Serve
with slices of fruit, angel food or
pound cake, and marshmallows
for dipping.
Set a beautiful little table in
front of the fireplace, dim
the lights, and you have a
recipe for romance!
RECIPE FOR LOVE
P5
OOKHAVEN
MONTH
OOKHAVEN
RGE
HE
E OF T
OOKHAVEN
RGE
MONTH
BR
E OF T
HE
NE GEEK
GEO
Sale $8.99
ELIOS WHITE BLEND
88 pts. Wine Enthusiast
Sale $8.99
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE RIESLING
Awards: 98 pts-Double Gold Medal California State Fair
Sale $9.99
Creamy dark brown color. A decadent blend of Barbera wine infused with a of rich chocolate.
Aromasofchocolatetaffy&soufflé.Silky,moderatelysweetlight-to-mediumbodyanda
meltedchocolatefrozenyogurtfinish.It’slikeamilkshakewithalittlewine!
FOOD PAIRING: Perfect match desserts, like chocolate soufflé, Hot fudge sundaes, chocolate
dipped strawberries. tiramisu or dessert just by itself. Add it to your coffee or on top of ice
cream for a tasty adult treat!
CHEESE PAIRING: Goes well with soft cheeses like triple crème brie.
WINE QUOTE OF THE MONTH
E OF T
HE
WIN
RGE
MONTH
OOKHAVEN
NE GEEK
GEO
BR
WI
“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” The poetic
wisdom of the Italian physicist, philosopher, and
stargazer,GalileoGalilei.Itallbeginswiththesoil,
thevine,thegrape.Thesmellofthevineyard-like
inhaling birth. It awakens some ancestral, some
primordial... anyway, some deeply imprinted, and
probably subconscious place in my soul.
87 pts. Wine Enthusiast
A pale straw color with aromas of citrus and melon and hints of honey and vanilla. On the palate,
this wine is crisp and refreshing with a distinct green apple finish.
FOOD PAIRING: Elios White is easy to enjoy on its own or with shellfish or white fish.
CHEESE PAIRING: Mango Stilton or Triple Crème Brie cheeses
WI
P6
WIN
WIN
Alan Rickman – As Steven Spurrier in the Movie Bottle Shock
PICKS OF THE MONTH
GEO
BR
Softripenedpasteurizedcow’smilk
brie, more butter than the single crème
50% version. Nice well rounded flavor,
mushroom aroma.
NE GEEK
Life in Provence
Double Brie Cheese
ELIOS RED BLEND
Deep red with purple hues. A red blend of Agiagofitiko, an indigenous grape used for softness
and fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon, and syrah. Medium bodied, but robust. Rich with soft, round
tannins, blackberry, plum and chocolate. Hints of spiciness on the finish.
FOOD PAIRING: Great with Roast lamb, barbeque pork, bruschetta, calamari, pasta with
marinara,sundriedtomatodishes,pizzaandchocolate.
CHEESE PAIRING: Manchego, Kefalograviera, Provalone, and Mild Cheddar.
CHEESE OF THE MONTH
2. WHY DO WINE TASTERS
SMELL WINE?
The way a wine smells can give many clues to how
it will taste, where it was made, and from what
grapes it was made. Also, your sense of smell is
imperative to your sense of taste. Most people
smell a wine because they find it pleasurable or
are interested in the connection between how a
wine smells and how it tastes.
E OF T
WI
White wines are generally made with grapes with
yellow or green skins. White wines can also be
madefromblack-skinnedgrapesifthejuiceis
separatedfromthegrapeskinsearlyenough-i.e.,
before fermentation. Red wines get their color
from being fermented in contact with the skins of
dark grapes. Rose’ gets its pink color by either a
shortcontacttimewiththeskinsofdark-colored
grapes before fermentation or by mixing finished
red wine with finished white wine. As you can
see the legs don’t have anything to do with wine
quality. They’re nice to look at and they’re a pretty
good conversation starter. But as a wine quality
indicator, I’m afraid they miss out altogether.
WIN
RGE
HE
NE GEEK
1. WHY ARE SOME WINES WHITE,
SOME RED, SOME PINK?
GEO
MONTH
This 70% chocolate provides
complex fruity notes and intense
bittersweet chocolate aromas.
GEORGE’S
WINE PICKS
BR
Green & Black’s Organic
Dark 70% Chocolate
WI
CRAZY
WINE TRIVIA
CHOCOLATE OF THE MONTH
CHOCOLATROUGE DARK RED CHOCOLATE BLEND
Awards: Silver Medal-World Wine Championships
Sale $9.99
ChocolatRougeDarkRedisafull-bodiedblendwithpinotnoir,malbecanddarkchocolate
with aromas and flavors of black cherries and dark rich chocolate.
FOOD PAIRING: Nice match with chocolate desserts like chocolate espresso mousse or
tiramisu, or entrees like Mexican food with Mole sauce.
CHEESE PAIRING: Goes well with Parmesan Reggiano or Gouda.
GEORGE’S WINE PICKS
P7
COMMONLY ASKED
WINE QUESTIONS
Q: WHY SHOULD I SWIRL THE WINE IN THE GLASS?
A: Swirlingvolatilizesaromas,andthatliberatesthewinetogiveofits’bestand
toofferaromasand/orbouquet.
WINE QUESTIONS
BROO
EK
E
GE
N WINE
K
HA
K
H
A
VE
G
GEORG
BROO
A: Very much so. Large glasses allow the wine to develop in the glass if the glass
is1/3fullforredwines.Theshapeoftheglassaffectsbotharomaandflavour.
Forredwines,uselarge-bowlglasses,forwhitewinesslenderwithtapered
opening and for sparkling flute shaped, very slender are best.
EEK
Q: DO THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF GLASSES
AFFECT FLAVOUR?
VEN WINE
P8