Happy New Year!

10 things I'm looking forward to in 2010:

1 - Fidelitas turns 10 in 2010! No better way to celebrate than with 10 great events.

2 - Getting married! Ben and I are making it official in June 2010 (this is not one of the 10 events).

3 - An opportunity to thank everyone who has been faithful, loyal and true to Fidelitas in our 10 years as a winery.

4 - Red Mountain: We have four Red Mountain AVA wines being released with our 2007 reds. And, while our vines won't be ready this year, I love watching their progress in our estate vineyard on the mountain.

5 - My new home. We've been here for four months now, and it really feels like home. Now I just have to start construction on a wine cellar somewhere...

6 - Parties at the tasting room: our 2nd Feast of St. Fidelis, the End of Harvest Celebration and a few more fun surprises to be announced.

7 - Parties away from the tasting room in some fun, exciting venues. Again, more to be announced.

8 - Friends, family and wine club members. I can tell that I'll have plenty of all three in 2010.

9 - My health. I'm a firm believer in red wine having health benefits.

10 - The wines! I already mentioned the four Red Mountain wines, but we have some awesome releases coming up that I am so excited about. Also, with the scores we received last year, I'm pretty sure the only place to go is up!

Red Wine Appetizers, Part Three

I really can't believe it's taken me this long to get all of these recipes posted. I apologize...we hosted the party, then came Thanksgiving, then I travelled to Red Mountain for 11 days the day after Thanksgiving. I just got back last night, and was so happy to see my puppy and my house again!

So finally, the ending portion of recipes for a party that pair well with red wines.

(I also just realized that I forgot to add the "why it works" segment to the recipes posted last week. I've amended those recipes with added pairing points.)

Asian BBQ Chicken Skewers

makes about 30 skewers

Try with the 2007 Fidelitas Malbec
INGREDIENTS
for the sauce
1 c hoisin
½ c sweet chile sauce (Mae Ploy is my favorite)
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs water
2 tablespoons ginger, finely minced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
for the skewers
4” bamboo skewers (about 30)
3 lbs chicken tenders, cut into small chunks
2 tbs vegetable oil
¼ tsp each: cardamom, cinnamon, ground ginger
Salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS

Soak the bamboo skewers in a shallow baking dish filled with water.
In a blender, combine all ingredients for the bbq sauce. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small saucepan. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened. This part can be made a day in advance. Slowly reheat before serving.
Preheat the oven broiler. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil with the cardamom, cinnamon and ground ginger. Add the chicken tenders, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Thread the chicken onto skewers, about three per skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Broil the chicken until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes, turning once.
Remove the skewers from the oven. Brush them liberally with the bbq sauce before transferring to a serving platter. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.

WHY IT WORKS: The Fidelitas Malbec is another wine that is nothing but fun to pair with food. I think that it more closely resembles a French Malbec (vs. those from South America) in that it has ripe fruit and full flavor, perfectly balanced by spice and a medium-full body. The tannins are not overwhelming and the acids are in balance, making this a great food wine. I chose chicken skewers for two obvious reasons - they are easy to make and are a great finger food. I chose an Asian BBQ sauce to compliment the ripe fruit (pluminess in the wine and pluminess in the hoisin) and the exotic spice notes (I really get some pungent cardamom and clove the aromas of the wine).

Chocolate Bark with Walnuts and Cherries
INGREDIENTS
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Melt the chocolate according to package directions.
Once melted, stir in the walnuts and cherries and coat with the chocolate.
Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then freeze for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer, break (or cut) into chunks and serve.
WHY IT WORKS: I personally am not a red wine and chocolate fan. There are so many things wrong in the basic wine/chocolate pairing that will ruin both a good glass of wine and a nice piece of chocolate. However, I think that there are a few pairings that can work in this arena. Bittersweet chocolate is definitely the best option. I doesn't have the sweetness that can make a wine taste sour like some other chocolates. Adding walnuts adds a tannic component while the cherries are a nice compliment to the ripe fruit in most red wines. These little chocolate chunks, along with those dates I mentioned earlier, were two of the easiest things to make and brought in the most compliments. Funny how that works sometimes...

Red Wine Appetizers, Part Two

First, I apologize for the huge delay between appetizer posts. Thanksgiving and my trip to Red Mountain got in the way. So, on to the recipes: I have a few to start with now and promise the remaining recipes soon.
The biggest hit of the night was the easiest to make. Take small-medium sized, pitted California dates and cut a small slit vertically to open them up. Cut a small piece of parmigiano-regiano to fit inside of the date. Wrap very thin slice of prosciutto (we used about a third of a piece per date) around the date and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 450 for about 10-15 minutes, turning once. Serve hot. One of Ben's friends popped this into his mouth and proclaimed, "I think this is the best thing I've ever eaten!"

Sliders with Caramelized Red Onions, Gruyere and Arugula
makes 24 sliders
Try with Fidelitas eight Red Wine
INGREDIENTS
3 red onions, sliced
3 lbs ground beef (80/20)
2 tbs dijon mustard
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 tbs olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
6 oz gruyere, cut into squares
arugula
24 small dinner rolls (we used the Hawaiian rolls, which were actually great with these)
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the red onion and slowly cook until caramelized (about 30 minutes).
Prepare a bbq to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, gently mix the beef, mustard, thyme, garlic and 3 tbs of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Shape into 24 patties, about 1 ½ - 2 inches in diameter.
Brush the grill with additional olive oil. In batches, cook the sliders on the bbq, for about 5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. Reserve in a warmer or low-heat oven. Toast dinner rolls on either the grill or under a broiler.
To assemble, place a slider on each roll, top with a piece of gruyere, then the caramelized onions and finish with a few leaves of arugula.
We did put out a few condiment dishes with ketchup and good mustard, but people seemed to be pleased with the sliders just as they were…
WHY IT WORKS: I've said it before, and I'll say it again - beef and cab just work. It's a matter of the fats complimenting (and calming) the tannins in the wine. However, I do get tired of fiddling with different steaks, etc, so wanted to try something new. The sliders are made with a fattier ground beef that not only helps to hold it all together, but also tastes soooo good with a young cabernet sauvignon, such as the eight red. The thyme and arugula compliment those earthy and peppery notes, while the gruyere and caramelized onions layer on richer elements to go with the dark fruit of the wine. And - sliders are so fun for parties. They were definitely the first thing to disappear from the table.

Eggplant and Bell Pepper Bruschetta
Try with the Fidelitas Red Mountain Cabernet Franc
INGREDIENTS
2 tbs olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 globe eggplant, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 baguette, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the red onion and cook until soft, then add the eggplant. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, then add the peppers. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the peppers become soft. Add the cardamom, thyme and fennel, then the red wine vinegar. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly.
Toast the baguette slices under the broiler. Assemble on a platter and top each slice with a heaping amount of the eggplant and pepper mixture.
If I were to do this recipe again, I think that I would add a bit of chevre to each slice of baguette before placing under the broiler - I think it would add a little something special to the dish.
WHY IT WORKS: I really wanted a vegetarian dish to serve, and since the cabernet franc doesn't have those demanding tannins, this was a natural selection. I mentioned in my post earlier about cabernet franc that the earthy, spicy notes are great for peppers and spice. The eggplant added a nice, earthy component and the hint of fennel really brought out a similar note in the wine. The splash of red wine vinegar is key, lifting the flavors of the dish, but also elevating the acid level to meet the bright flavors of the wine.