Chevres

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  October 2009

  Marques de Arienzo Rioja Crianza 2005

  Snoothrank: Starting at $11^.99

  What a FIND! Fantastic old-world Rioja style wine. 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano & Mazuelo. This had a wonderful nose of sweet leather, white pepper, some dried fruits, like fig and a little bit of dried leaves. Flavor of currants, oak, vanilla spice. Lovely tannins that balanced out... Read moreWhat a FIND! Fantastic old-world Rioja style wine. 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano & Mazuelo. This had a wonderful nose of sweet leather, white pepper, some dried fruits, like fig and a little bit of dried leaves. Flavor of currants, oak, vanilla spice. Lovely tannins that balanced out well with food. I paired it with some whole-wheat pasta with melted chevre, asparagus played off the herbaceousness of the wine, and some garlicky chicken mixed in enhanced the body. Intensely drinkable! Dry and silky.    (hide)

  Wine review by Natalie Kronick

  
  
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  May 2009

  Lucas Vineyards Gerwurztraminer 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Bold floral nose gives way to light, delicate lychee and grapefruit on the palate with a clean, dry finish. Great with a plate of carnitas or a nice local chevre!

  Wine review by titannic

  
  

• July 2008

  I thought I would follow the trends in some of the recent blog posts here on Snooth to talk about pairing food and wine. But first, a couple of apologies before I begin. First for not sharing this sooner with all of you and not ordering you to visit the website of fellow guest... Read moreI thought I would follow the trends in some of the recent blog posts here on Snooth to talk about pairing food and wine. But first, a couple of apologies before I begin. First for not sharing this sooner with all of you and not ordering you to visit the website of fellow guest blogger, Kirstin Jackson, author of Vin de la Table. Vin de la Table is home to one of the most delicious subtitles in the blogosphere - Ambrosial Adventures in Wine and Food Pairing. If there is a chef's table in heaven, I imagine each meal crescends with Ambrosia and a glass of d'Yquem. A little over a month ago, I sent Kirstin an e-mail asking for her advice on what I should pair with Pinot Noir. My tasting group had decided to taste 2006 Pinots that were made by the hands and palates of those in the group. Being one of a couple in the group who is not making Pinot, I was partly responsible for some food stuffs to enjoy at the tasting. Our tastings are typically accompanied by a platter of local meats and cheeses. I was hoping to break the pattern with some more substantial victuals, so I reached out to Kirstin who wrote back with the zeal of a gastronomical prophet, owner of an enlightened sense of eating and drinking. Her suggestions below. But first, my second apology. With the Nation's holiday two days away, it would have been worthwhile to make 4th of July BBQ pairings a post. However, there are some moments when wine just doesn't work. And the 4th of July BBQ is one of them (add the Memorial Day BBQ and the Labor Day fete). While I am at it, let's say that wine and sporting events don't work either. Sometimes you have to look that label in the face and just say, no. Go on, disagree all you Cabernet and Hamburger converts, you Zinfandel and Ribs lovers. Change my public opinion, I welcome it. Without further ado. Pairing Pinot...My notes are in brackets after successfuly attempting these pairings at the tasting and at home. "Sautee 'wild' mushrooms with butter, parsley, salt and pepper, and a little finely chopped shallot or garlic. Place on top of a crostin - a rustic baguette toasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. Risotto with Truffle oil. Blanched fennel with brown butter and parmesan. Wild rice with mushrooms or mushroom, risotto balls. [Pinot Noir has the ability to take on, as the French say, les gouts de terroir, the tastes of the earth. Mushrooms are regularly described as a flavor profile for Pinot. These above are classic aperitif pairings and more.] [Local plug] If you are near the Oxbow Market or Fatted Calf Charcuterie, any of their pates would be perfect with Pinot. [An acidic wine will help elevate the palate pairing with flavorful and texture driven pates. White wine or sweet wines are common pairings, but the acidity in Pinot will work wonders as well.] Cheeses: Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk (triple cream, cow's milk), Cypress Grove Fresh Chevre (goat), a Gruyere or Comte (cow). [Kirstin breaks the wine and cheese pairing rule by offering a goat's milk cheese, the Chevre, which can have an acidic/tart bend that doesn't play well with Pinot. Try it yourself. The answer always lies in the mouth of the beholder.] Meats: Roast chicken, roast pork loin, carnitas (swear!). Seared duck breast or Peking duck, Prosiutto. [The one pairing I have yet to try is the Carnitas. But because of Kirstin's emphasis, I will, promise!] Let me know if you'd like any other ideas. I'm glad you asked!" I am glad I asked too. I hope you all enjoy these options and report back when you have. Happy Fourth of July. Dan Petroski is Assistant Winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Napa Valley. Dan has an MBA from New York University and worked as an Ad Exec in New York for several years, before switching it up and trading his suit for a move out west.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Pairing Pinot by Dan

  
  

• May 2008

  After a blind(folded) tasting, no one debating whether Lacrima's delicious or complex. It's clear by this point that it's one hell of a grape. Rather the question is, what color is Lacrima? Swirl it around in the glass, and it evokes scents normally devoted to Gewürztraminer.... Read moreAfter a blind(folded) tasting, no one debating whether Lacrima's delicious or complex. It's clear by this point that it's one hell of a grape. Rather the question is, what color is Lacrima? Swirl it around in the glass, and it evokes scents normally devoted to Gewürztraminer. Lychee. Roses. Swirl the glass again and the orange blossom and peach scents released will convince you that you're drinking muscato. Suddenly, you detect the pungent scent of dried strawberries. Then, actually sipping the wine provides you with floral notes, berry rich acidity and... light tannins? Translating to tear in Italian, the red grape Lacrima is an ancient varietal indigenous to the Marche region of Italy. It's traditionally produced in the "governo Toscano" method, which is a second fermentation most often including the must of dried or partially dried Lacrima grapes. Some Lacrimas also go through carbonic maceration. After fermentation, Lacrima is treated like any other red wine, consumed in Italy, and some are sent to the rest of wine drinking world. Once it arrives in the new world, however, few know what to do with it on the dinner table. With characteristics ranging from rose and orange blossom to peach and dried strawberries, the grape does not immediatelydirect itself to one particular food. Without such direction, I would do one of a few of things. 1. Drink it with fresh chevre or mildly aged goat cheese. The Lacrima would bring out the fresh lemony and floral nature of the vibrant cheese and the chevre would know to leave well enough alone and let Lacrima be the star. 2. Sip the Lacrima with a crisp, roast chicken. Simple, and juicy on both the food and wine end. 3. Enjoy the wine with a cooked tomato dish with lighter meats like pork, veal, or chicken, or fresh fish. Herbs like rosemary and sage won't compete with the floral flavors in the wine with fish or light meat or poultry. 4. Go the distance with artisan salamis. Fennel salami, sopresetta, coppa, drooling,......The juicy, bright acidity wine would highlight the luscious fattiness in the meat.. Even if you haven't tasted Lacrima, as I hadn't a month ago, what would you imagine eating it with? Kirstin Jackson Ellis works as a wine bar manager and wine and food consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about wine and food pairing at Vin de La Table, her luxurious and lighthearted blog.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Lacrima by Kirstin

  
  

• April 2008

  I just google my favorite cheese. My new discovery, as I mentioned, is Vella's http://www.vellacheese.com/ Pretty expensive online, just need to find friends to share with :) The ones I tried and loved were the dry aged jack which I use like parmesan and the sharp white cheddar! I... Read moreI just google my favorite cheese. My new discovery, as I mentioned, is Vella's http://www.vellacheese.com/ Pretty expensive online, just need to find friends to share with :) The ones I tried and loved were the dry aged jack which I use like parmesan and the sharp white cheddar! I have also discovered "Laura Chenel's Chevre" - pure goat milk cheese, it is also very yummy! Nothing like cutting up a few of these with apple, nuts, "Girl and the Fig" dried fig compote, and a great port! - okay now I've gone and made myself hungry!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Crottin de Chavignol Cheese &... by oceank8

  
  

• April 2008

  The dear Crottin de Chavignol, which first saw the light of day in the 16th century, was named "animal poop" or "dung" in honor of its similarity in size and shape to French horsey droppings. That is how you know it's good. Because, unlike the American dish, "shit on a shingle" that... Read moreThe dear Crottin de Chavignol, which first saw the light of day in the 16th century, was named "animal poop" or "dung" in honor of its similarity in size and shape to French horsey droppings. That is how you know it's good. Because, unlike the American dish, "shit on a shingle" that is fortunately served in even rarer instances than its distant cousin, green jello with canned fruit and mayo, people all over the world still eat this cheese. To make this Crottin, cheesemakers take the whole milk of the famed goats in the area and ladle the smooth liquid into its tiny molds. The milk stays in the mold from twelve to twenty-four hours, where it starts to take it's "Crottin-like" shape. The wrinkled, rippled surface develops on the cheese after it's removed from the mold, salted and ripened from 10-12 days in a dry environment. Fresh or fully mature, le Crottin de Chavignol exists in multiple forms that can soothe the dairy pains of many a particular cheese-eater. At different stages in its life, it seems to morph into entirely different types of cheese. Ranging from white and butter-colored when young to gray or off blue when older, and it's texture respectively alternating from crumbly and lush to thick and hard enough to employ as a door knocker when one's knuckles grow weary, le Crottin is a shape shifter. With bright, herbaceous and lemony flavors, le Crottin can be enjoyed shortly after its creation as a spreadable or melting cheese . It is white or slightly yellow now, and soft and crumbly. One of the favorite ways to eat this Crottin young is warmed over toasted bread in a Chevre Chaud Salad in Parisian bistros. Later, as it matures- sometimes as soon as a month or so after it arrives in the U.S., it develops a firmer texture that allows the cheese to be grated or sliced. This is the time to Introduce this Crottin "of a certain age" grated over gnocchi, or sliced atop artisan salumi with tarragon in a crusty baguette. When young, le Crottin screams for a Sancerre, or other bright, fresh Sauvignon Blancs. But at this early stage it really pairs well with anything. As it ages, try it with another wine from the Loire Valley, where the cheese is made. Try it with a Cabernet Franc- the red grape of the region, or with a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray. Another good match is a Grenanche based wine. Fair warning: when young, notre petit Crottin can stand up to a Pinot Noir, but when it ages, it becomes a tad to strong for the delicate grape. Next time: possibly another adventure in really specific cheese and wine pairing. Kirstin Jackson Ellis works as a wine bar manager and wine and food consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about wine and food pairing at Vin de La Table, her luxurious and lighthearted blog.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Crottin de Chavignol Cheese &... by Kirstin

  
  

• February 2008

    We get a lot of wine pairing advice requests at the wine shop/wine bar where I work. Besides drinking wine on the cheap, it's my favorite thing about the job. Cheese questions (what do I serve with Manchego or fresh chevre) are especially prominent. Then, of course, there... Read more   We get a lot of wine pairing advice requests at the wine shop/wine bar where I work. Besides drinking wine on the cheap, it's my favorite thing about the job. Cheese questions (what do I serve with Manchego or fresh chevre) are especially prominent. Then, of course, there are the seasonal requests. In the summer, people ask what to serve with grilled chicken, corn on the cob, or hot dogs. Around Thanksgiving, people wonder what to drink with turkey and sweet potatoes. And just to mix things up, our customers sprinkle in an odd question or two (what do I serve with a spicy, red pepper lasagna with tofu béchamel sauce over fake chicken with pork). But within the last few months, one wine pairing request in particular has surfaced the most among our lovely guests. It has nothing to do with béchamel or BBQ or spiced side dishes. Instead, it has to do with meals served earlier in the day. People want to know what to pair with their breakfast eggs. Be assured that I understand my dear wine drinkers. One can only drink coffee for so long before it seems dull. Overbearing. Heavy. I'm surprised that we lasted this long. But hold on to your pajama pants, I have an answer. Sparkling wine. I prefer Champagne myself, which is only made in the Champagne region of France, from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grapes. I mean, sure, I'll happily sip Prosecco or Cava with lunch or mixed with orange juice, but breakfast eggs seem to call for something a bit more spectacular. As breakfast IS the most important meal of the day, the one that sets the tone for the following hours, it makes sense to go big. Go French. Go elite. Wear a cute little apron while scrambling the eggs. One of my favorite egg breakfasts, pictured above, is an egg sandwich that my husband makes. His father makes it for him when we visit, and if we have a son, he will probably make it for his loved ones too. Champagne is the perfect match for this sandwich. Rather than overwhelming the lush filling like dark, thick coffee would, the bubbles cut some of the fat from the oozing cheese and buttery bread and highlight the overall breakfast egg experience. It's fabulous, and I bet that any egg dish, omelette, quiche, or frittata that you serve will be made more spectacular too, by Champagne, at breakfast time. Also works for breakfast at dinner. Kirstin Jackson Ellis works as a wine bar manager and wine and food consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about wine and food pairing at Vin de La Table, her luxurious and lighthearted blog.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Breakfast Wines: Drinking... by Kirstin

  
  
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  October 2007

  Leclerc Briant les Chevres Pierreuses NV

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by Olivier

  
  
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  March 2007

  Leclerc Briant Clos des Chevres Pierreuses Premier Cru NV

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by mark

  
  
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  March 2007

  Leclerc Briant Clos des Chevres Pierreuses Premier Cru NV

  Snoothrank:

  Very fine mousse of bubbles. Some yeast. A good champagne from a single vineyard. 33% split of each of the 3 grapes.

  Wine review by Philip

  
  

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