Taco Night Meets it’s Match in Rose of Cabernet

Many times when we think “food and wine,” we think special occasion or fancy dinner party. But the truth is, pairing food and wine is just as important with a simple week night meal.  And tonight is Taco night! Barbecue chicken tacos to be exact and this recipe could not be any easier – trust me.

True, a good Mexican beer would be a perfect accessory for tacos, but if you’re not a big beer drinker, Starmont Merryvale Rose Of Cabernet is perfect! The Starmont Rose is such a causal, easy-to-drink wine; cool and refreshing, fruity with vibrant acidity. Like many Roses, this wine is very fruit forward with hints of rhubarb, strawberry, raspberry and even cotton candy.  To mimic those flavors and really bring them to life, why not top your creamy, spicy chicken with a cooling fresh, fruit salad.  Taco night will never be the same again.

Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed; white and dark meat shredded
2 cups barbecue sauce (use your favorite brand)
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
1 cup fresh raspberries, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 lime
Choice of hard or soft taco shells

1. Add barbecue sauce and shredded chicken to a saucepan over low heat. Cover and allow everything to heat through, about 5 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl , add strawberries, raspberries, jalapeno and mint.  Sprinkle with lime juice. Mix until well combined. Set aside and let the flavors marry for about 5 minutes.
3. Build your tacos! Chicken first and then the salsa on top. How easy was that?

4th of July Picks: Charles & Charles Rose and Red Wines

It was June of 2009, Al and I were in the midst of a road trip across the country (10,000 miles to be exact) on a venture that would end in our new home – Naples, Florida. Along the way we had stopped at multiple vineyards, wine stores and wine bars doing ‘research’ for our new business venture…Decanted. We found hundreds of great small production gems and value wines along the way in Napa, Sonoma, Oregon, and Washington. But we never expected to find our favorite wine of the trip – Charles & Charles Rose (2008) –  in Louisville, Kentucky.

We stopped in Louisville for the weekend to meet up with my sisters and her boyfriend at the time (will be become her husband this weekend!) After some research, we decided on an impromptu gourmet dinner at the highly recommended Proof on Main. It was hot and we were all tired from a day at Churchill Downs, so we decided on a crisp and light rose to start the evening. The waiter’s suggestion turned out to be a good one, and four bottles of it later we had bought out the restaurant of its supply.

Charles & Charles is a joint venture between two of our favorite wine makers – Charles Smith and Charles Bieler – made from 100% Syrah grapes from the vineyards of Columbia Valley, Washington. Smith has described the wine in past vintages as a “crisp, jolly rancher.” This vintage? Smith says, “Remember Jolly Ranchers? Hold that thought…grab a bottle of this wine, open, pour, sniff, swirl, taste. Now…dontchya think that this wine is the way-evolved, been-around-the-world-a- few-times, insouciantly hip, cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow, casually bad a** son of Jolly Rancher? Yeah, we thought so, too.” We don’t think there is a better way to describe the wine, or the winemakers. That refreshingly bad a** approach to a style of wine that has maintained an inferior reputation for a number of years in the U.S., gives us hope for the future of rose.

I often tell people there are a lot of things that go into how good a bottle of wine is. And for those bottles of 2008 in Louisville it was a combination of discovering something new, a great wine, great winemakers…but most likely it was the situation and the people. In 2009, we were slightly disappointed by the wine not living up to our insane expectations (how could it?) However this vintage, 2010, is our favorite to date.  Complex yet crisp, I haven’t found a domestic rose that can top it. Al and I actually fought over the last glass the other night, which rarely happens. Oh yeah, and if I forgot to mention…it’s only $13.

And for those non-rose believers, we have a new addition to the store…Charles & Charles Red. A blend of Cabernet and Syrah, the project uses some of the very best grapes from the Wahluke Slope and delivers a slamduck table wine at an affordable pricepoint ($13).

Chill Out with Summer’s 5 Most Refreshing Wines

Things have been heating up in Florida and across the country lately. When temperatures start to spike into the 90′s I’m not apt to open that heavy bottle of Cabernet or Zinfandel. So here are a few of my new favorite summer wines, which also conveniently pair extremely well with summer cuisine (can you say grill?)

Best Light White: Pascual Toso Torrontes, 2009
From: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape(s): 100% Torrontes
Price: $13
Torrontes is my new favorite white wine, but boy am I picky when it comes to the bottle. I’ve seen it made it two distinctive styles: light & crisp (like an Italian Pinot Grigio), and more full-bodied and floral. I’m a sucker for big flavors, so I prefer the second style. This grape evokes such a fresh finish while maintaining strong flavors of honeysuckle through the front and mid palette. It reminds you of almost a oaked chardonnay – in a good way – but it’s not aged in oak, probably indicative of both the terrior and the varietal characteristics. Fantastic wine at a great price point.
Pair with: Chicken in a BBQ or cream sauce

Best Unique White: Austrian Pepper Gruner Veltliner, 2008
From: Austria
Grape(s): 100% Gruner Veltliner
Price: $18
When it comes to warm weather there is only one thing I crave…fish, and lots of it. Raw fish, grilled fish, smoked fish. You name the style, and I’ll eat it. Problem? I like my fish with a little kick. Weather it’s a cayenne rub on the grill or wasabi on my tuna I just need a little spice in my life…and spice is not often a friend to wine. Except in Austria (and Germany). If you are looking for a wine to subdue those spicy flavors in your life, this is it. Some lesser Gruners often have an overwhelming ripe green apple flavor to it. While that is on of the true characteristics to the wine, there should be more depth than just biting into a Granny Smith. This wine adds some pepper and lavender notes to the bright green acidity typically found.
Pair with: Tuna with a wasabi-mayo sauce, Mahi tacos blackened in a spicy rub

Best Rose: Starmont Merryvale Rose of Cabernet, 2009
From: Napa Valley, California
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $18
I’m happy to report that in 2011, we as Americans accomplished two important feats in the wine world. 1. We were able to drink more wine than the rest of the world. 2. We FINALLY got rid of that horrible stereotype that all rose is White Zinfandel. As we see sales of rose grow, we are continually looking for innovative styles to entice our palette. New to use this year? A rose made of 100% Cabernet….mmm. The Starmont has flavors reminiscent of its big brother – plums, dark cherry, cocoa, cassis – but maintains the light and bright feel of the rose style. This is truly a red drinker’s rose.
Pair with: Rack of ribs drenched in your favorite sauce

Best Unique Red: Simonsig Pinotage, 2007
From: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape(s): Pinotage (cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut)
Price: $20
I’ll admit, until about one month ago I thought less of Pinotage…and people who drink Pinotage. I had never tasted one that could count as an ok beverage, let alone a good wine. Simonsig proved me wrong. Flavors of bright red fruit and spiciness on the finish. Would I drink it everyday? No, but it’s a hell of a wine with a grilled pizza.
Pair with: Grilled pizza preferably meat based with a sauce with a kick

Best Burger Wine: Tarima Monastrel, 2010
From: Jumilla, Spain
Grape(s): 100% Monastrell
Price: $10
Let’s face it, I own a wine store, I get to sample a lot of wines in a lot of price points. When I sit down at night for dinner, there are not many times when I grab a $10 bottle. I don’t think of myself as a snob, but more as an opportunist. Who knows when all the premium wine could disappear…I should drink it now! This is my exception. Soft and smooth, flavors of grape, licorice and a little strawberry this sucker has fooled multiple wine lovers in blind tastings. Drinks way above its price point.
Pair with: A nice, juicy burger