Enjoying Tea & Scones

Allison at A Tasteful Garden shared a recipe for scones she found at FineCooking.com and has had success with. Her post was featured in the Foodbuzz Top 9 today.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/2210384-the-perfect-scone

She mentions the experience of having dry tasteless scones. Whether they were made poorly or day old I can certainly say I have had this experience as well. I won't even profess to have made them well, although I have only tried a couple of times.

Tea comes to mind with the mention of scones and to pay homage to this classic pairing I will offer a couple of tea suggestions and preparation tips. Several books from my reading list these, as part of my sommelier training, have information about and from tea sommeliers which is very intriguing and worth closer study.

The traditional pairing would be an English Breakfast Tea, a blend of black teas often Assam and Ceylon. Black teas should be prepared using boiling (212F) water and steeped for five minutes for a full bodied and great tasting cup of tea. I personally use a small metal tea ball with two pieces that fit together. This can be used to place the loose tea to avoid tea leave in individual glasses. One teaspoon (thus its name) per 6-8 oz cup of tea is recomended. Tea can be made in this way in a pot for multiple servings or in a single cup.

The quality of the tea used does matter, and I am not tea expert or a tea snob, so buying loose tea of this type even from the local specialty food or coffee shop should provide a better cup of tea than the mass produced selections from the grocery store. Buying from a specialty tea merchant will most certainly be better and cost more.

Another recomendation is an Oolong tea, and specifically the Ti Kuan Yin variety, which should pair well with a range of of desserts. If peaches, apricots or apples were used in the scones instead black currants this match would be further enhanced. Oolong tea should be steeped in 190F water, higher than for green & white teas, but less than black teas speaking to its position in between the two. Steeping time should be between two and nine minutes depending on variety and desired taste. Formal preparation of Oolong tea has a fifteen step highly visual and ceremonial process to it, something I aspire to see one day. Preparing as I have described here is all that is needed for enjoyment. One teaspoon per cup is the recomended measure to this type of tea as well.

Whether you are having a tea party or a nice quiet moment to yourself a nicely brewed cup of tea and a scone will definitely bring a smile.

Cheers!

--Jason

Making & Using Jalapeno Wine

A few years ago I was introduced to cooking wine by Amy at Labelle Winery in Amherst, NH. At the time she had two different cooking wines available, one made from sweet onions and one from jalapenos. Since then she has also added an heirloom tomato cooking wine to her collection. To help buyers using the wines she also has recipe cards available with suggested uses for many of her creations, including a chili recipe using the jalapeno wine. I could not resist. The wine sat on my rack until early 2009 when I used it and the recipe to make a wonderful turkey chili that I shared with some of the guys at work. The wine was not extremely hot, I could actually take a sip and taste the flavors comfortably, but the flavors it imparted to the chili were out of sight! The chili did not last long and I have often thought of it since. Thank you Amy! Check out the entire collection from LaBelle Winery at their website at http://www.labellewinerynh.com/.

Earlier this year I happened across seven pounds of perfectly good jalapenos on the reduced produce rack on the day they were packaged for quick sale. I brought them home and promptly washed them and stored them in the freezer. I then headed over to Jack Keller's winemaking site and found a recipe for jalapeno wine. Check out the recipe at http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques32.asp. The recipe targets one gallon and with 85 clean and cut jalapenos I was going to end up with five gallons!

I am on the second day of the recipe right ahead of the yeast infusion. The aroma from the bucket is strong of fresh jalapenos and the liquid is a mildly hot sweet juice. Kind of weird, but I am sure this is going to be a very good project indeed. The solution has a greenish hue, which can be seen in the picture above. I expect the finished product to be gold in color and crystal clear. (You might be wondering what is floating in the wine at the top of the picture. That is tied off portion of the nylon bag with the peppers and raisins from the recipe in it)

You may still be asking yourself, "what can you do with jalapeno cooking wine?", and what am I going to do with five gallons of it. Rest assured I have many plans for this new batch of wine when it is ready.

I plan to try it in the following ways:

• Chili
• Spicy Bloody Mary's
• Marinades for chicken & beef
• Salad dressings
• Sauces & reductions
• A little sipping perhaps, depends on how hot it is
• Who knows what else, I am taking suggestions

Cheers!

--Jason

Beverage Pairings for Everyone at the BBQ

Continuing on from yesterday's backyard party inspired recipe I found a burger that will make guests at your party smile. Today I am going to offer beverage selections for everyone at the party, including children and non-drinkers.

Jennifer at the Wuthering Iris blog shared the recipe for BBQ Chip Beef Burgers which is featured in today's Foodbuzz Top 9. Check it out at:

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/2205705-bbq-chip-beef-burgers

The burger will definitely have a spicy backbone so you will need some refreshing drinks to manage the heat.

Serving a medium sweet iced tea infused with peach will be cool and refreshing with flavors that will balance well with the savory and spicy beef. Lipton makes a powdered iced tea mix with peach flavoring. Using such a mix allows the maker to manage how sweet and strong the tea ultimately is. For kids and those with a sweet tooth who crave soda on a hot day, the Pure Cane Strawberry Lime soda from Jones Soda will provide the fruit and sweet to go very well with the burger.

Every day beer drinkers might not give too much thought to pairing specific beers with party food, but I have had so many wonderful experiences when I have that I believe it is well worth it to try. In 2007 I made a honey lemon infused wheat ale that paired very well with everything we served in the backyard that summer. I would recomend trying the Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale with this burger. This beer has gentle citrus aromas and flavors and a slight sweet taste on the finish. Another choice might the Allagash White. With aromas and flavors of citrus and spice and a mild wheat body it will be refreshing and subtle with any food it is paired with. Both of these beers are easily found in my area for between $7 and $9 for a 22oz/750ml size bottle.

Wine pairings with spicy barbeque food can be done in one of two ways. Medium to off-dry whites with fanciful aromas to tame the spice or fruity bold reds that join with the food to add more complexity to the flavors. I say serve both. Inevitably you will have guests that are more white or more red in their orientation and having both options will bring you much appreciation. When serving wine outdoors during warm weather you will want to keep an eye on the temperature even more than you might other times of the year. Red wines in particular do not taste any good when they are too cold or too warm, and too warm is especially an issue for reds with higher alcohol content. Storing wines in a bucket with ice coming 1/3 or so of the way up the bottle will ensure they stay cool but not cold. The Dr. Loosen QBA Riesling is a wonderful, approachable white wine with enough sweetness to manage any heat, but plenty of fruit flavors and aromas to be enjoyed on its own. This wine is also a steal at $13 and often cheaper when on sale. I have enjoyed a bottle of the Two Hands Angel's Share Shiraz with slow cooked spicy pulled pork and would recomend it here. This wine is very fruity and rich and is an wonderful example of Australian Shiraz. At $23 it is more expensive than my everyday choices, but a backyard party doesn't happen everyday!

Cheers!

--Jason

Summery Bean & Bacon Salad

The weather is starting to turn warm in New England and that is when I start looking forward to cold salads for lunch and as sides at backyard parties. Packed with fiber and protein this dish offers several good things all complimented with a little bacon. Who could ask for anything more?

Summery Bean & Bacon Salad

¾ lb fresh green beans

1 can red beans

1 can Garbanzo beans

1/3 cup roasted Piquillo peppers

2 Tbsp canned diced green chilies

6 slices bacon

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

Cook bacon, let cool and crumble. Chop onions and sauté them in the leftover bacon fat until golden . Let cool. Drain and rinse canned beans. Wash and remove the stems from the fresh beans. Cut beans in half. Chop Piquillo peppers. In a large bowl, combine the beans, peppers, chilies, onion. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then, pour over the beans and toss like a salad. Add bacon and lightly toss again. This salad is best chilled in the fridge for a few hours before serving or overnight. Before serving mix well.

Cheers!

--Jason

Spicy Food & Wine Parings

Sara from the OneTribeGourment blog brings us a recipe for Moroccan Style Chickpea Soup with a Spicy Harissa that was featured in today's Foodbuzz Top 9.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/2200492-moroccan-style-chickpea-soup-with-a-spicy-harissa

Pairing wine with anything can be a challenge without practice and experience, but spicy cuisine has offered me some unique experiences as I have grown to love pairing wine with food. I have found good matches for Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian and others.

My general rules are to find a wine with nice fruity and/or flowery aromas, some residual sugar to help moderate the heat and enough crisp acidity not to destroy the flavors of the food. For this dish I would recomend the Ironstone Obsession Symphony from California. This wine has the up-front aromas, is off-dry and has a slight feel of small bubbles that are crisp on your tongue. The wine reminded me of a drier Moscato which would be another wine I would recomend trying with some spicy foods although some selections are too sweet and overrun the food.

This dish is comfort food as so many cultures define it and I think this down to earth wine will both match the food and the mood of enjoying it.

Cheers!

--Jason

Lets do Spain for Lunch!

The recipe for "Basque-Style Grilled Cheese with Etorki, Piquillo Peppers, and Chorizo" from the Foodbuzz Daily Top 9 caught my attention this morning. Check it out here.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/2196438-basque-style-grilled-cheese-with-etorki-piquillo-peppers-and-chorizo

I have to admit that the most familiarity I have with the Basque people is from their riders in the Tour de France each year. I am not familiar with Basque wines as a subset of Spanish wine so I won't try to recomend a regional wine with this dish. I am recomending a pairing of Tempranillo or Rioja Crianza (Tempranillo is likely the majority grape in Rioja blends) that is on the young side. The youth of the wine should ensure the fruit flavors are present which should meld well with the spice in the Chorizo and creaminess of the cheese. Varietal bottlings of Tempranillo are often low on acid which will help the peppers and chorizo be represented well.

Cheers!

--Jason

Wine Pairing with Hummingbird Cupcakes

Natalie at Natalie's Killer Cuisine has published a recipe for Hummingbird Cupcakes. This was included in today's Foodbuzz Top 9. Check it out at

http://www.natalieskillercuisine.com/2010/04/hummingbird-cupcakes.html

Now that is a tasty dessert! My wine pairing suggestion would be a Late Harvest or Ice Wine style from the Vidal grape. I have had several of these from the Ontario, Canada and Finger Lakes, NY regions. The stone fruit (peach, apricot) and honey flavors will meld well with the banana, coconut and pineapple. The sweetness in the wine shouldn't be off balance with the sweetness in the cupcakes, but if less sugar were used (if you are concerned about such things?!?) I might suggest the Late Harvest over the Ice Wine as it might be just a little bit less sweet and not knock out the cake.

Cheers!

--Jason

Foodbuzz Daily Top 9 - http://www.foodbuzz.com/top9

Blog Housecleaning

I have been making some changes to the blog as I make it a key part of my sommelier education and training program. Hopefully I will be able to increase readers and get feeds of my blog hosted elsewhere so like minded folks might read even one article. The focus has never been just wine and the tag cloud to the right will show you how I am tagging my posts for easier indexing by topic. You will continue to see posts on food, pairing, beverages of all kinds, destinations and of course my home winemaking.

If you have suggestions for things you would be interested for me to research and post here please shoot me an e-mail (jasonphelps@yahoo.com) or post a comment. I am eager to learn about many things food and drink and helping to bring that information to others, like a teacher maybe?, is a wonderful way to sharpen my skills.

I added the Foodbuzz Today's Top 9 widget to the right as well. Foodbuzz is a social networking site for foodies, and they are kind enough to offer free widgets that link back to their user published recipes and blogs. Very cool indeed. I am always looking for new tastes and textures and I expect I will find inspiration there. One plan I have is to offer pairing suggestions for recipes/dishes that show up in the list. The recipe authors are responsible for the recipe and preparation information and I hope to be able to offer up serving and pairing suggestions to make a complete experience. I'll start this off with a selection from the date of this post (4/27). You can use the link below to find the recipe after that date, but the widget lets you scroll through all of the items being featured on a specific day.

Strawberry, Caramelized Pear & Blue Cheese Salad
http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/yu/yugoslavia/2189410-strawberry-caramelized-pear-blue-cheese-salad

Salads with sweet ingredients can be a wonderful meal or meal starter, especially with the tart flavors in the blue cheese to counterbalance the sweet. We often use this mechanism with the Strawberry wine at wine tastings. My recomended pairing for this salad would be a medium dry Riesling. The wine should not be too sweet as I would expect it will overpower the delicate sweetness in the salad; a little bit will join up with the salad quite well. A drier Riesling will work, but it might oppose the salad too much so I would be careful to select from a region that is known for a bit of residual sweetness, like the Columbia Valley in WA. For this reason I would not recomend Sauvignon Blanc which is typically dry, but I would for a salad with more vegetables and some herbs in the dressing. If you try it let me know what you think.

Cheers!

--Jason

GQ's Bucket List of Beer - One Hell of a Party!

GQ just released their "Bucket List" of 50 beers to try before you die.

http://cbs4denver.com/local/best.beer.list.2.1652138.html

A quick scan of the list definitely makes me sure that any self-respecting microbrew/craft beer lover will have already strolled down this list a bit, or should.

I have only had a couple of these, but have had many of the styles made in small batches at pub only or home settings. The range of flavors, aromas, textures and varying amounts of alcohol are sure to offer lots of unique experiences. The top six list of a good place to start, but the rest shouldn't be overlooked.

Over the weekend I put back a couple of pints of the Smuttynose Imperial Stout and IPA as well as a bottle of the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. The first and third are higher on the alcohol spectrum which lent itself to more sipping and enjoyment than guzzling. Both of the IPA's had nice fruity notes in the nose and plenty of hops, but not overwhelmingly so. The Imperial Stout was truly enjoyable. It had a nice nose and was rich with some chocolate and coffee undertones. It was creamy and light which is always a surprise for such a dark beer. Having a stout with my favorite sandwich at Biederman's in Plymouth brought back many nice memories.

Cheers!

--Jason

Malbec Lineup

We gathered some friends for a mutual birthday celebration and used the occasion to taste and compare three different Malbecs. Next month I will be making my first Malbec, and I was interested in trying several different selections and collecting feedback on the aromas, flavors and textures that I might aim to created in my own wine.

We tasted the following wines:

Bodegas Escorihuela Don Miguel Gascon Malbec Mendoza 2008 (Argentina, $14.99)
Clayhouse Vineyards Paso Robles 2008 Malbec (California, $13.99)
Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza Lunlunta 2007 (Argentia, $23.99)

The food pairings included a cheese plate containing, brie, smoked gouda and dill havarti with crusty bread, oil and crackers. We moved on to dinner of Margot's meatloaf, bacon & cheddar potato skins and broiled asparagus. Dessert was chocolate cake.

First up was the Gascon which due to lack of aeration, bad serving temperature or something else tasted flat to everyone. It presented itself with very low acidity, mild aromas and flavors and Richard comment it tasted "rusty". Pete and I returned to it later and it had opened up a bit, but still tasted off and lifeless. As I write this, the next day, I am tasting it again and it is more aromatic and flavorful, although still a bit understated. All of this suggests some air is necessary before serving this wine. This wine was underwhelming enough that no food pairing notes were taken.

Next in line was the Clayhouse, which from the very first sniff caught everyone's attention. Dark purple in color it was a pleasure to pour this wine and imagine what aromas and flavors awaited me. I found this wine a bit drier and more acidic than the Gascon, but with the intense fruit in this wine those attributes were well needed. The group shared thoughts on the fruit with my suggestion of raspberry garnering some objections. Cindy suggested black currants and Wayne added choke cherries, with currant being widely agreed upon. This selection went very well with the dill havarti for me, the spiciness of wine matching very well with the hit of dill in the cheese. I finished this bottle earlier today and found it even more pleasant with some air.

The final selection was the Catena Lunlunta. I specifically selected this more expensive wine to evaluate how price affected our experiences with the wines. The aromas of the wine were less pungent than the Clayhouse, but felt cleaner and more focused. This wine had the fullest body of the three and offered more refinement in the flavors as well. This wine was spicier than the two previous and slightly more tannic with a noticeable "teeth cleaning" sensation. It paired well with the brie matching the mild earthy flavors in the wine with the usual funky brie flavors. Wayne clearly enjoyed this bottle, specifically asking for it to be passed his way again during dinner. I very much enjoyed this wine and would buy it again for a special occasion, but I would be more apt to stock the Clayhouse as my house Malbec.

In the end the Clayhouse inspired the most conversation. Pete and I returned to it a bit later and found that although the air had helped it open, the increase in temperature made it taste harsh and hot.

This was a very fun and rewarding experience. I took a away a good impression of the range Malbec can span and a better understanding of where I can hope to take my home crafted version.

Cheers!

--Jason

Belgian Beers On Deck

I decided I would add some beer to my slate of beverages for summer enjoyment. I have brewed some amount of beer every year since 2003, but it has certainly declined in volume since I really got into the winemaking.

First up is a Belgian White made with wheat malt and infused with coriander and orange. I am using a traditional recipe and Belgian Wit yeast in hopes of sticking close to the style here. This is a lighter beer that can be enjoyed with or without food, but the citrus and spice does provide some pairing opportunity that I will not miss taking advantage of. I brewed it yesterday and it is already fermenting away happily.

Today I am going to make what I plan to call Jay's Belgian Trappist Monster. I am starting with a trappist dubble recipe that will get a secondary fermentation with two pounds of dark brown sugar and some additional Saaz hops. The Trappist/Abbey style yeast is going to go nuts with all the sugar, but you won't hear any complaints from me. I expect this guy is going to be high in alcohol, aroma and flavor. While it will definitely be enjoyable on its own I expect the food pairing opportunities, including with dessert, will abound. I'll be out in the front yard brewing this one this afternoon, so if you drive by throw a wave my way and I'll lift my glass of whatever I am enjoying as I brew!

Once tasting comes around I will post an update.

Tonight we are hosting a multi-birthday/anniversary party with and for some friends and I am using the occasion to do a Malbec tasting to get some feedback to feed into my first Malbec batches next month. I'll definitely take notes and post the feedback this week.

Cheers!

--Jason

Don't support H.R. 5034

House Resolution 5034 brought by beer & wine wholesalers nationwide is designed to ensure they are the ones who control what wines and beers are available in your state and that direct shipping is no longer permitted. This is greed at its finest. Don't let this BS shut down small businesses in our and other states and let fat cat idiots decide what we can access in our local stores and have shipped directly to us.

The video below explains this and reminds us that if we care we should act.

Cheers!

--Jason

Montreal's Food & Drink - April 2010

From the last post you can get a feel for the mission we were on to experience some of the distinctive beverage offerings found in Montreal. That mission is continued here.

Before I left for the trip I was reading a recent issue of Imbibe magazine that did a lineup of coffee stouts including the Imperial version from Dieu Du Ciel! based in Montreal. I planned to seek it out, try it and bring some home. Oddly I had forgotten when I organized the pub tour that this brewer does have a downtown location, as well as retail distribution, but had chosen locations closer to the hotel so we missed a visit. We did end up finding the beer at the IGA.

We also picked up the Rosee d’Hibiscus at the same time and sampled both at the hotel and brought the remainder home for future tastings.

Peche Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout ( 9.5% ABV)
6 pack for $14 CAD + tax

Smells like a Starbucks mocha!
Tastes like high cacao (85%+) dark chocolate
Strong smoke and coffee tastes
Triple chocolate cake with espresso dark chocolate sauce
Small sharp bubbles, but not overpowering
Will enjoy the remaining ones of these for sure!

Rosee d’Hibiscus ( unfiltered what beer infused with Hibiscus and spices, 5.9% ABV)

Pale red color
Strong floral and citrus nose
Tastes of flowers, spice and orange
Tastes like a hoppy/grainy rose wine

Next up was dinner...

Le Milsa
1445 Bishop St.
(514) 985-0777

Le Milsa is a churrascaria style restaurant with rodizio service. In Portuguese churrascaria is roughly translated as “barbeque”. Rodizio represents a fixed price offering where “meat waiters” bring various grilled meat offerings to the table until patrons signify they are full/done.

Le Milsa does not disappoint in the above definition. With ten meat offerings including, chicken, chicken sausage, pork, lamb, filet mignon, rib roast, sirloin, prime rib, strip steak, and turkey wrapped in bacon, you can be sure your cholesterol and salt numbers are going to go in the wrong direction! Served along with salad, bread, rice, sweet potato and spicy mushrooms many flavor combinations are possible.

All four of us, Margot, Gerry, Eloy and I, went with the standard menu and paired our meal with the following wines.

Bodega Norton Malbec Mendoza (vintage not acquired)
Errazuriz Estate Shiraz 2008 from Chile

The strategy I had for the wine was to have two different reds. For the first I looked for a subtle and focused wine to complement the richness of the grilled meats for which the Malbec did performed nicely. For the other I wanted a wine with more fruit and a bit of spice to counter balance the seasonings and take the flavors in another direction. The original choice was a California Zinfandel, which was not available, so the Shiraz was selected and played the part well. All of us agreed that both wines paired with the different meats differently and that all pairings were enjoyable.

One of the other experiences I was hoping for at Le Milsa was to try cachaca or a drink made from it. Without fail the Brazilian national drink, Caipirinha, similar to a traditional white rum daiquiri from the Carribean was on the menu. This drink contains cachaca, muddled lime and sugar served over ice. Somewhat sweet with good lime flavors, this drink was very pleasing and made for a great post-meal digestif.


We weren’t quite finished. With dessert, which was a choice of ice cream or grilled pineapple, we all also tried a strong coffee drink that included Gran Marnier and Crème de Cacao. Though I was originally worried that the coffee and pineapple flavors would not pair well, Margot was surprised by the perfect match due to the cinnamon coating on the pineapple. The flavors of the coffee were fantastic and its ability to promote laughter all around propelled us out on to the streets of Montreal for a brisk walk home.

Now that is making memories!

I did try a couple of other beers during the trip that are also worth mentioning.

Unibroue Ephemere - a tribtue to the green apple.

The green apple aroma was present right away and was unmistakable. It faded fast however, something I do believe to be a flaw. As for flavors I would say that my taste buds were still working, but were not picking up the fruit. It tasted like a typical light unfiltered ale without any other tangible flavors or aromas. This was not terribly memorable, but Unibroue makes many other styles I do like and will return to frequently.

We stopped at the Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington Vermont for lunch on the way home. I tried two of their house brewed beers that had unique descriptions on the menu.

Tulach Leis

Flemish style sour red ale
Fermented with Brett (also used in the Saison at Le Cheval Blanc)
Complex beer with pronounced aromas and flavors
Definitely sour and a bit yeasts
Not an everyday drinker unless this is your bag
Paired well with sweet potato fries and onion rings

Forbidden Fruit

This is big beer competition winner for them
Brewed with 500 lbs of local raspberries
Strong beer – no ABV determined
Sour mashed and oak aged
The fruit is unmistakable in the nose and flavors
Good on its own and would be good with fruit pie
No real pairing attempt was made, just enjoyed it solo

It was a drag coming home from such a whirlwind tour, but there was little choice. We have already started scheming up where we will go the next time.

Cheers!

--Jason

Montreal Pub Tour - April 2010

Our first Montreal pub tour was back in May of 2009. Here is the link to that entry and the fun we had.

http://ancientfirewineblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/beer-drinker-update-for-montreal.html

The plan this time was to hit a few new places and of course try some new beers. We ended up choosing 3 places, including Brutopia from the first trip, and tasted 12 styles of beer before the night was through.

809 Rue Ontario Est
(514) 522-0211
Sherbooke Metro Stop (Orange Line)

Le Cheval Blanc offers a combination of house brewed and unique import beers. All selections written on floor to ceiling chalkboard adjacent to the bar. The pub was nearly ½ full when we arrived around 5 PM, new patrons at a pretty good clip.

Euro feel / dark with a punk edge. Maroon and green color palette with funky feel, café or diner like with an eclectic collection of musician pictures hanging on the wall. We could not help feeling like Kerouac could start reciting at any time while the crowd snaps their fingers in approval. Our waitress with her bright red hair and combat boots made us feel surprisingly at home. Though her English was spotty and our French limited we managed to speak the language of beer quite easily!

Cream Ale ( 5.4% ABV )
Creamy – bitter + strong after taste
Smells like warm butter
“Repeat favorite in the making”
Would be great with hot buttered popcorn

Cask Drawn Warrior IPA ( 6.4% ABV )
Yeasty and hoppy nose
Served at cellar temp
Smoky, rich and strong

Margot – ”A serious beer drinkers beer; not for the faint of heart.”

A contemplative customer enters and walks right to the chalkboard
and thinks, “Maybe I will try something I have not had.”


Blonde Lager ( 5% ABV )

Sharp and refreshing
Neutral aroma
Slight citrus taste in the finish
Would be good with a slice of orange/lemon
This feels like a classic “I wanna drink beer” beer

Noire ( stout, 4.1% ABV)

Strong mocha nose
Low carbonation
Margot – “I never like dark beer, but could drink a pint or two of this”
Tastes like a dark chocolate latte
This feels like an “experience beer”

Saison Blanc ( 6% ABV)

This beer is re-fermented with the while yeast Brettanomyces
Perfect for fish, fried or not
Clove and banana nose reminiscent of other Belgian styles
This is a “pairing or food” beer
Very dry, not as rich as Belgian dubble and tripel style

245 Sherbrooke West
(514) 543-9750
Place-des-Arts Metro Stop (Green Line)

Benelux is located in an old bank with the vault used to create a more private space in the back. Definitely a place to see and be seen with a very different clientele, think younger and hipper, than Le Cheval Blanc. Busy on a Friday night after work.
We added some food to the mix here.

Tex-Mex Chicken Panini (contained mushrooms and a spicy sauce which was light). Green olives on the plate as well – it was good with crunchy bread, but not super-special. Hit the spot with and after the beers

Chips (didn’t find out if they are made on site or not). Kind of like Cape Code plain chips

Bock ( 6% ABV )
Mild nose and medium body
Somewhat earthy, a little chocolate flavor
Bitter

Olives and mushrooms paired very well with it

Lux Rouse ( Red Ale, 5% ABV)
Standard red ale.
Good but not memorable, we both agreed
Did not pair well with panini

Moonboot ( Belgian, 9% ABV )

Very clean, served in snifter so good aromas were very accessible.
Aromas and flavors were on par with typical Belgian double/triple fermented styles
Metallic smell from the glass was a little weird
The alcohol was not perceptible, but did not take long to make itself known!

1215 Rue Crescent
(514) 393-9277
Lucien-L'Allier Metro Stop (Orange Line)

Bruopia was the only stop that was a return visit. This choice was based on the solid selection from prior visits and close proximity to our hotel. It turned out that, with the exception of the Raspberry Blonde, the beers didn’t impress as much this time which might mean we would only come here to drink the selections which we know and could expect to be safe. Those are good and are worth it.

Smoked Porter
Subtle flavors, mildly bitter
Woody, reminds a bit of maple sap (not sugar)
Lighter smoke than expected
Didn’t pop, I actually didn’t finish it

Raspberry Blonde
This is our current and continued favorite in Montreal
“Will it beat the Noire?”
Smells like raspberries
Tastes of raspberries and citrus
“Raspberry lemonade OR iced tea?”
Grain and malt flavors are very perceptible and in balance

Gingembre
Smells like ginger sautéed with butter
Mild/low carbonation
Smells better than it tastes, not spicy and no perceptible sweetness
Medium dry
Better as a late drinker when unique tastes are not as crucial
Needs a little sweet and a little citrus

One observation is that the lighter beers made for better night drinking, which makes sense but was obvious in practice.

We weren't finished yet, but I'll save that for my next posting.
Cheers!
--Jason

Sommelier Away!

I met a recently certified Level 2 Sommelier last week. Thanks to Margot and her networking through Leadership Greater Manchester, we had a wonderful evening out with new friends.

Over dinner at Mangia in Hooksett we talked about wine from what seemed like A to Z. We covered making it, paring it, serving it, prices and quality, favorites, interesting regions and seeking out new styles and of course drinking it! I was also lucky enough to get some gracious feedback on the Ancient Fire 2008 Amarone #2 and 2009 Pinot Grigio. Both are drinking well right now and for a made-at-home product both seemed to be very well received.

The big outcome from the conversation was that I have decided to pursue Sommelier certification. This is something I looked into several years back, but not knowing anyone who was on the path, I had prematurely concluded that without restaurant/food service experience I would be at a disadvantage for this challenge. This myth was debunked with supporting evidence that suggested many of the people who pursue this certification do NOT in fact work in restaurants, his own story is one of a food & beverage manager for a local country club, and that with what I already appear to know I may be better prepared than I had thought. What a huge boost this was.

The next day I reviewed the curriculum available on the web site of The Court of Master Sommeliers and have already begun putting a plan to gain necessary knowledge and experience into action.

This choice sets me on a path to sit for the two days of instruction and exams to complete Level 1 in the summer of 2011 in Boston. If I feel ready sooner I could travel to another city to complete this level ahead of that schedule. Completing Level 1, and 90% of people do on the first attempt, will not earn me the title of Certified Sommelier, a designation reserved for Level 2 and above. The four level program culminates in an invitation only final evaluation that only 178 people have passed worldwide to date. With years of study (both textbook and practical, woo hoo!) ahead of me I am thoroughly excited and expect to be sharing this with all of you as willing students of science!

For now I am pursuing additional experience in the following areas:

• Worldwide Wine Regions
• Sales & Service, including Beverage Program development
• Food & Wine Pairing
• Mixology

My blog will figure prominently into this adventure as a place for me to share my experiences, recipes, pairing highlights and drinking recommendations. Of course I will still be making wine and keeping you all up to date on that, but I will be scaling back a bit in order to free up time and resources for this new challenge.

Cheers and wish me luck!

Jason

Cider Celebration

The conclusion of the Ancient Fire 2009 cider making was a gathering of friends a few Saturdays back. There was good friends, good food and of course, cider.

We sampled several of the finished ciders, including a batch made from the Rudesheimer yeast and a batch made with Traditional Cider yeast right from the spigot! We also sampled the three flavored ciders, strawberry, cherry and raspberry.

A few notes in are order to help with the reactions as described below.
All of the ciders ended up being between 8% and 10% ABV which is a bit higher than originally intended. No harm I guess…

The cider made from the Rudesheimer yeast is gold in color, has a good apple nose and is medium-dry. With plenty of apple flavor and a good balance of sweet and tart it is very pleasing to drink.

The cider made from the Traditional Cider yeast is about the same color and has a similar nose. This batch is a drier style which ends up being a bit more tart, but no less pleasing.

The flavored ciders are sweeter and were intended to have a serious infusion of fruit flavor. The strawberry appears to developed a flaw which has resulted in it being drier and flatter in taste than when it was bottled. As long as this doesn’t continue it will be drinkable. The cherry and raspberry don’t appear to have the same flaw and were both easily recognizable. The raspberry is much sweeter than the other two which serves to mask the alcohol, which may be dangerous down the line.

The response to the two unflavored styles was very positive with a pretty split decision on whether the medium-dry or the dry style was better. The flavored styles also received mixed reviews, with the strawberry being the least liked and for good reason.

We didn’t plan any specific pairings, but the hit of the evening was the candied bacon, thank you very much Cindy!, with the raspberry cider. I can’t really say much except you had to be there. It is the national food and drink pairing of Ancientfirestan, an emerging world power.

The experience of making several distinct styles of cider was truly rewarding and this reward will continue to pay off for months to come. I will not likely make cider again in 2010 and thus will have to ration it to carry its loyal consumers into the next year and next adventure.

Cheers!

Jason

A Peach Of A Wine

Last night Margot and I hosted Julie and John for another of our monthly dinner dates and I was particularly excited to plan a meal with a peach theme.

I specifically chose this theme because we had purchased a bottle of Hopkins Vineyards (CT) semi-sweet peach wine last August and had also made a similar wine of our own last summer. I was very interested in the side by side comparison.

The verdict on the side by side comparison is that Ancient Fire wins having the most peach expression and a longer and more pleasing finish. The Hopkins selection was less like a fruit wine than a heavily peach flavored white wine such as a Gewürztraminer or Vidal. While not a bad thing at all it the wine also went flat too soon and was not as reminiscent of eating a peach as our home version. The nose on the Hopkins selection was an initial give away that it might be very different, and before taking a sip I could think of several other wines that it reminded me of on aroma alone. The wine was very good and would be one I recommend, but when compared to our peach bomb it didn’t match up. The Ancient Fire selection was slightly sweeter and had peach aromas and flavors throughout. The finish was longer and actually felt a bit thicker as it coated the tongue. We will definitely make the full six gallon batch of this again come summer time. Last year we split the batch and blended some with Moscato which is quite good, but not good enough to repeat.

Both wines were paired with our meal which consisted of slow cooked Peach & Tarragon Chicken over Apricot Ginger Rice with Honey Soy Brussels Sprouts. Both of the wines fit well with the meal but the added peach flavor in the Ancient Fire selection created a more enjoyable pairing.

We have done side-by-side comparison of commercial wines with our own several times and it is clear this time we hands down favorite. Doing this has served several purposes for us including, helping us determine how close to varietal character we have come, using tasting notes of commercial wines to better understand similarities and differences we observe in our wines, and lastly because it is just so damn fun! Why open only one bottle of wine when you can open two or three or more and compare them?

Cheers!

--Jason

Spring Is On The Way

Several themes are evolving for Ancient Fire’s activities this spring. While not everything we are hoping for is likely to come to pass, more on that to follow, we are nonetheless excited.

This past weekend a lineup of twelve Ancient Fire wines were used in a tasting to raise money for the Relay For Life. Some of the selections hadn’t been tasted in a few months which ended up being particularly exciting for some of our 2008 reds that are now drinking very well. The Cab Blend and Ruby Cabernet are both showing their individual character and Amarone #2 is developing and should continue to do so for another year or more. Margot’s Symphony was the star of the day and as our youngest wine it is sure making a statement. With nice floral notes on the nose, obvious fruit flavors from the first sip, and a balance seldom found in our wines we think we have a competition success in this wine. Everyone who tried it had something, and very positive somethings, to say about this wine where other very good wines didn’t attract nearly as much attention. We raised around $350 with this event which is a nice bump for our annual Relay For Life event.

The Sake experiment was a bust, I grew other fungi than I wanted so I threw it out and will focus my efforts where I am already successful, fruit and grape wines!

Our spring winemaking plan is partially tied to receiving a shipment of Chilean grapes, which after the earthquake is no sure thing. While our supplier is proceeding with optimism they have not yet confirmed what will be available and have extended the pre-order deadline so we must wait patiently and see. If the grapes do not work out we will acquire some frozen must (pressed grapes from last year’s fall harvest) and make some of the wines in our plan, but will reserve budget for the 2010 west coast harvest later in the year.

We have also begun receiving our WinExpert Special Edition kits including the Australian Petite Verdot and the hugely popular Pacific Quartet white blend. When these get started will depend on the outcome with the Chilean grapes. Obviously we will give an update when they get going.

Otherwise we are almost done with the ciders which have also been bringing smiles for all who have tried some. Summer here we come!

Cheers!

--Jason

V-Day = Dessert Wine

Dessert Wine of four types in one day?

To pull this off you must know people who make it, make it yourself, and/or know where to buy it.

For Valentine's Day in 2010 that was a combination of all of those. We started with a brunch finisher and then went on to homemade and then to back-in-the-day Montreal with some ice wine.

At Sel de la Terre we had a wonderful brunch. We started with a bottle of Lange 2007 Pinot Gris, an excellent choice. It paired well with both barbequeued salmon and fried egg and duck confit hash. We led off with a cheese plate and goat cheese dip, great matches with the breads, apples and nuts paired with them.

The Sauternes and Late Harvest New Zealand Sauv. Blanc were kick ass! What a great way to finsh a meal.

We then returned home and indulged in a bottle of the 2008 Plum Dessert wine from our own collection. This is still drinking mighty good and won't last forever!

The final selection was the Magnotta Vidal Dessert wine from Quebec made in 2005. We bought several bottles of this to bring home in 2006 or 2007 and it is still as good now as it was then.

I had hope to write more in this entry, but it got lost in my drafts so I just decided to quickly finish it and ship it.

Cheers!

Jason

Cider Update

I am racking and back-sweetening the remaining six (of seven) carboys of cider this weekend. The first one was flavored with strawberry and has already been bottled.

I started with seven buckets of cider from Lull Farm in Hollis, NH in the first week of October. They were inoculated with 3 different types of yeast which was a new twist in my home brewing journey. Three with traditional cider yeast, two with sweet mead yeast and the remaining two with rudishiemer yeast. From the beginning there were differences in the pace of the fermentation and tastes between the evolving products.

Now at the point of preparing them for bottling the differences are very obvious and quite interesting.

A couple baseline notes. I prefer my cider without carbonation and thus I allowed the fermentations to complete and used sorbate and sulfite to retard further activity. I didn't make any cider in 2008 which is why I went nuts with 35 gallons; I hope it lasts.

As expected the traditional cider yeast yielded a dry cider which will get treated in three ways, with strawberry flavored syrup, dry and medium dry.

The sweet mead batches ended up with some residual sweetness, as expected, and will be treated in two different ways, medium dry and with raspberry flavored syrup (3 gallons). These should be a hit all summer!

The rudishiemer batches expressed a nutty flavor early on and it has remained, although to a lesser degree in the finished product. There is also residual sweetness similar to the sweet mead, which is a pleasant surprise. These batches will be treated in two ways, medium dry and with cherry flavored syrup (3 gallons). The nut and cherry flavors should meld nicely.

In the end I will end up with seven different styles that should easily be differentiated. This is by far the most interesting home brew project I have taken on to date.

Cheers!

--Jason

Ancient Fire to Attend the WineMaker Annual Conference in Stevenson, WA

In both 2008 and 2009 we have were lucky enough to bring home wine competition medals, with 17 in all as I write this.

The WineMaker Magazine International Competition is held each year, and the results are officially announced at the annual conference which we have yet been able to attend. This May we will be in making the trip and are hoping to learn new techniques, connect with others who share our hobby, drink some wine and if luck holds bring home some more hardware.

This year’s convention is being held in Stevenson Washington in the heart of the beautiful Colombia River Valley one of the most well known wine regions in the United States.

The conference combines classes and workshops with networking and finishes up with recognition for those whose wines scored highly in the competition. We are very much looking forward to clapping loudly for our peers, both those that have won medals and those who have risen to the top with best of show awards, including winemaker of the year. The swap meet on Friday is assured to be a great opportunity to share our wines with others who will also have interesting creations of their own available.

Check back soon to see what wines we will be entering into the competition and of course check back in late May to see if we were honored for our efforts again this year.

Cheers!

Happy New Year & Catching Up

I have written a few articles in the last couple of weeks on the bus or at the house in VT and am only now getting around to posting them. Ancient Fire is as busy as ever and expecting great things for 2010.

I hope 2010 bring you great things as well.

Cheers!

--Jason

Ancient Fire 2010 Plan – January 23, 2010

Chilling at the Vermont house provides plenty of quiet time to collect one’s thoughts or scheme up the next big thing.

With that in mind I have been considering what to include in the 2010 Ancient Fire lineup. Here is what is on deck so far

Winter

Finishing the 2009 batches
Three Liters of Sake from a Leener's kit

Spring/Early Summer

Cabernet Sauvignon Juice/Grape Blend
Syrah Juice/Grape Blend
Chardonnay Juice/Grape Blend
Cab/Syrah Blend
White Bordeaux (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon blend)
WinExpert Limited Edition Petite Verdot Kit
WinExpert Limited Edition Pacific Quarter Kit
Malbec all Grape double batch

Several new techniques and pieces of equipment will be brought to bear on these batches including a crusher, press and malolactic fermentation. I am reading up on the steps now and will be ready when the time is right. Let’s hope these enhancements will bring results!

We already have a new wine underway for 2010. Margot started the WinExpert Symphony kit, a blend of white grapes, which will be given a light oak treatment and is destined for the WineMaker Amateur Competition being held again this spring.

Summer

We have decided based on our experience with fruit wines that we will only make strawberry and peach again this year, and only one batch each. We have so much light drinking wines in reserve that this won’t hurt at all, and we are sure to get these right based on our track record.

Fall

When we reach the fall we are hoping to have some first hand feedback on how our new equipment and techniques have worked. With that information we will decide what to do to end the year. It is likely we will seek out some Cab and Pinot Noir grapes, but only time will tell.

Cheers!

--Jason

Cellar Update - Jan 23, 2010

The 2009 batches are slowly disappearing with some benefitting from cold stabilization and some just gently settling to maximum clearing. The following selections from 2009 have yet to make their way into the bottle:

Australian Riverland Reserve – this was Margot’s first and unfortunately we have experienced some protein haze which is being real fussy about clearing.

Elderberry Rose – this wine just needed some time to settle and clear. I allowed it to do that before I added a touch of sweetness to enhance the warm weather enjoyment. Summer here we come!

Moscato – this was one of two pails of fresh juice from the fall and since it came in late it has run longer than last year. It is ready to go, I just need to find some time.

Plum/Riesling – this was the other pail of fresh juice I split with Vincent and with the addition of the plums it required an extra long clearing time which from the looks of it has proved successful.

Peach (1/2 batch) – this was held over to blend 2 to 1 Peach/Moscato to make 3 gallons, with the last gallon of the Peach planned for a dessert wine. This plan will take shape in the coming weeks.

Hard Cider – I ended up with 7 barrels of cider and let them ferment dry and then completely clear before messing around with them. The time has arrived the first barrel has been racked, sweetened with strawberry syrup and is ready to bottle. The other six will get various treatments from slight sweetening to cherry and raspberry flavoring over the next month or so.

With that we can move on with the 2010 vintage which is expected to bring a bunch of new things!

Cheers!

--Jason

Phelps Family Christmas Eve Wine Tasting

The Phelps family decided to have a wine tasting on Christmas Eve as a gift between the 6 of us. We have all taken to the wine and food pairing challenge so this seemed like a lot of fun and a great gift at the same time. Here is what we assembled:

• Ayler Kupp altenhofchen Riesling Kabinett 2007 with marinated Strawberries & Gold Rush Bars
• Coppola Sophia Blancs de Blancs Sparkling with Brie
• EOS Moscato Dessert Wine with Goat Cheese
• Voga Italiano Pinot Grigio with Prosciutto wrapped Cantaloupe
• Connecticut Valley Winery Raspberry Dessert Wine with Blue Cheese
• 2009 Ancient Fire Amarone #2 with Parmigianino/Reggiano Cheese
• 2006 Beringer Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc with Goat Cheese & Smoked Salmon Pate
The Riesling and strawberries were left for the dessert course, so back to that in a bit.

Each of us introduced our wines and foods, talked about what we were aiming for and suggested any tasting procedures specific to the selection.

Dessert wines and cheeses of strong character are generally matches made in heaven. With two wine options and several goat and blue cheeses to try, we all spent some on those from the start. The EOS Moscato was incredible with both the goat and blue cheeses, and was the standout for me.

The Sophia Blancs de Blancs was stellar but not surprising as many small batch sparklers from the US don't get nearly enough attention. This one is even more unusual in that it is made from all white grapes where most are made from a blend or red grapes. The real kick with this selection was the cocktails we made with the marinated strawberries and syrup the next day.
The Connecticut Valley Raspberry dessert was very flavorful although not as sweet as I expected. It paired well with the pungent blue cheese as was expected and it also paired very well with the goat cheese. While we weren’t disappointed we aren’t sure the wine was as true to its style as it could be.

We discovered the Voga Pinot Grigio on a trip to Montreal. We had bought it at SAQ and took it to a wonderful BYO restaurant, L'Acadamie, for dinner along with an Amarone. The melon wrapped with salty meat was an initial question mark for me not being a melon lover. In the end the melon flavor was in good balance and the freshness of the whole package succeeded. I went back for more which I would have bet against when it was introduced.

The salmon pate, though not tried by all, was a hit with those that paired it with the Beringer Alluvium Blanc. The smoky flavor of the pate really set the stage for the smooth and oak influenced flavors of the wine. Even Margot, who was skeptical of the pairing, commented that the two went together well. Donna expressed some surprise that I brought smoked salmon anything as I have not historically been a fan. She of course loved it being more familiar with smoked salmon.

The Amore went well with the hard cheese purchased for the pairing but many preferred having it with the blue cheese originally meant for the dessert wine.

For dessert we indulged in the Ayler Kupp altenhofchen Riesling with strawberries marinated in the wine, and gold rush bars which are like a brownies with dried fruit and spices instead of chocolate. This was a perfect way to end the parade of different flavors and textures. With manageable sweetness the strawberries and bars allowed the medium dry wine to dance with them and enhance their characteristics. It was at this time we found the marinated strawberries and the sparkling wine made a great cocktail to cleanse the palate.

With this experience in hand it is clear that for those looking for something fun to do challenging themselves to a food and wine pairing should provide immense enjoyment.

Cheers!
--Jason

Holiday Wine Dinner

So Julie, Margot, John and I sat down to a nice holiday dinner on the 18th. This month was our turn to host. The menu and pairings are below. Not everything turned out as planned but we sure had some laughs over it.

Black Currant Dessert Wine
Mixed Apple Salad with Maple Caramel Drizzle paired with 2007 Hard Cider
Cider & Pepper Marinated Steak Tips Wrapped in Lettuce paired with 2007 Hard Cider
Cranberry & Cola Slow Cooked Lavender Pork Chops
and
Baked Stuffed Apples with Apple Cornbread Stuffing served with 2009 Pinot Noir
Apple Crisp served with 2007 Vidal Ice Wine

We also tried a Cabernet/Foch from an up and coming NH winemaker. We found it to be a bit fuzzy, but with great flavor. The wild Foch presentation was easily found.

The maple caramel drizzle was candy by the time it got to the table so I'll have to go back to the drawing board on that one. This bottle of hard cider was not my best, but it proved to pair well to open the meal. Everything got good reviews and can certainly say I enjoyed it all. I hadn't cooked with lavender before so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was amazing.

What a way to celebrate the holiday season!

--Jason

Rum Redux and RumBa

Rum has been on my mind since our trip to Jamaica last month. I made a rum cream after finding nothing at the state liquor stores and not wanting to buy and ship. Strong, but flavorful in all the right ways. Two new drinks go with it as well as those described in my last post on rum.

http://ancientfirewineblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/if-youre-not-drinking-appleton-youre.html

Coconut Creme

3 oz homemade rum cream
1 oz Malibu rum

Appleton Morning

3 oz homemade rum cream
1 oz Appleton Special

Meet me at RumBa! If you are into rum and from Boston you'll get this. You should get this. RumBa, the rum bar at the Intercontinental in Boston has 100+ rums ready to drink with curiosity accessible prices for the size of the drink. I tried the Cruzan Black Strap and lusted after the Appleton 21 and a host of others that will be tried before I'm gone! The Cruzan was slightly sweet and had a nice long and clean finish.

After the stop at RumBa I ordered a book on rum history which informs us of the Boston roots of the early rum business. "Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink That Conquered the World", July 2005, Charles Coulombe. This hopes to be a great read. We are already planning a trip to St. Croix to visit Cruzan!

Cheers!

--Jason

Dessert Wines

Any avid drinker can tell you the tale of when they first drank a good dessert wine. Vidal Ice Wine, Montreal QC in 2005. The honey, dried fruit, peaches and apricots left me stunned. Iced ciders, more ice wines and some Canadian whiskies were most excellent on that trip.

I had been making country and kit wines for a year or so by then, but nothing that fit with "good" dessert wine. The first dessert kit was a WinExpert Vidal wine base with a Vidal flavoring pack that added at the right time and with a little age creates a beautiful, rich delight. This wine has been tasted alongside many dessert wines and while the differences are perceptible, they are not game changing but in the most exceptional cases. My mother loved this as a birthday gift.

Since then I have made both fruit and kit dessert wines with much enjoyment. While I write this I am drinking the 2008 fresh fruit plum dessert wine which is aging surprisingly well. My notes on this wine indicate several previously unused techniques were used, acid balancing and manual degassing. Some experiences are so enjoyable learned hands on. Sweet plums with a nice tart hit are dripping with sweet juice. You want some too!

We just bottled the WinExpert Riesling Ice Wine which has a distinctive wild and profound character like many dessert, late harvest and ice wines. It needs some age before a more thorough review can be had. The glass of left over tasted great. AS/FA/VC look out!

I have a bottle of the 2009 "Super S" Strawberry Dessert wine in the freezer. The berries were picked in Londonderry at Sunnycrest in June. This wine was well cared for and has high expectations to meet. More next time.

Cheers!

Jason

Seasons Eatings & Drinkings

Last year I wrote a blog entry with some tips on Turkey Day food and wine pairing. You can find that entry here http://ancientfirewineblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/jason-talks-food-wine-pairing-november.html.

I won't repeat that advice and instead I will suggest you try some new and random combinations and see what happens. Earlier this year we had a serendipitous pairing with our Strawberry wine and Cyndi's Shrimp & Feta Zucchini, which turned out to be a lot of fun. I say try something new and you will be rewarded!

We will be making the lime/cilantro brined smoked turkey again and it will be interesting what will pair well with that. I'll let you know.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

--Jason

If You're Not Drinking Appleton, You're Just Not In Jamaica

Just back from Runaway Bay Jamaica and of course the rum was flowing as much as ever!

Appleton Rum is the signature rum brand from Jamaica and if you go, you must try it in several forms to get a feel for the versatility of the rums from this 260 year old distillery on an island know for its place in the rum trade of old.

Imbibing Suggestions

1. Rum punch with a V/X float - traditional Jamaican punch with a float of Appleton V/X aged rum.
2. Street Pharmacist (an original) - rum cream, Appleton Special (gold rum) and Amaretto.
3. Appleton Reserve 12 Year - on the rocks like a bourbon or scotch. You will find this to be a complex spirit well worth savoring. And you have to go to get some as far as I know.

In Jamaica rum is a reflection of the spirit I love as much as reggae music and jerk chicken. All three go together very well and sure make for fun times on vacation.

Cheers!

--Jason

Amenti del Vino Amateur Classic

Ancient Fire is celebrating another surprising competition result. We took 6 medals in the Amenti del Vino Amateur Classic hosted by M&M Wine Grape in Hartford, CT.

Bronze Medals

2009 Viognier
2008 Amarone
2008 Cabernet Blend
2008 Riesling/Gewurtztraminer Blend
2009 Strawberry #2

Silver Medals

2009 Strawberry #1

In a field dominated by red wines these results are pretty significant seeing that there were only 289 entries overall. We also entered the 2009 Pinot Noir, 2008 Vioginer and 2008 Gewurtztraminer/Riesling Blend which did not place.

With 17 medals to date Ancient Fire is creating quite a name for itself and receiving valuable feedback about the fruits of our labors in the process.

Cheers!

--Jason

Fighting Breast Cancer with Wine

No this isn't a science journal, and no I don't have some crackpot cure for cancer using homemade wine!

What I can tell you is that with great thanks going out to my parents, Tom & Marilyn Baziak and all of their friends we raised $867 for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer last Saturday.

We have had a annual wine tasting to raise money for the American Cancer Society since 2007 and we always have a great time. Cabot Cheese graciously sponsored us with 3 kinds of cheese, a new wine & cheese pairing guide and some give-aways. We had some drawings, Margot won the pig Snuggy, and a lot of talk about what we were up to with our wines.

We served the following tasty selections:

2008 Chilean Chardonnay
2008 White Blend #1 & #2
2009 Strawberry #2
2008 Cabernet Blend
2009 VT Dandelion
2009 Black Currant
2008 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine

The Dandelion wine was the unique wine of the day. Most people hadn't had it before so were surprised at the pleasant taste that does remind you of flowers after some consideration. It has a lot of lemon as well, which isn't bad either. The Strawberry and the Cab Blend were the big hits and we went home with only one bottle of the eight we brought between them. The Chardonnay has matured well and ended up being a nice addition as our hosts have traveled the world tasting many varieties along the way.

So in the end we are fighting cancer with wine and we can clearly say it is making a real difference!

Cheers

--Jason

Local Beer Update

I have had a few new local beers recently and wanted to share.

Some of our recent tastes were at the Wicked Wine & Beer Fest held at Mel's Funway in Litchfield. Several of the well known regional or national brewers were there, and Long Trail and Shipyard both had tasty seasonal brews. The Long Trail Imperial Porter was new for me and was one of the best all day! There were lots of Obtoberfest selections, including one from Bud that was nothing interesting at all.

Kona Brewing from HI was an interesting surprise and their Drifter will a special hops grown just for them was the most unique pale style I tried.

Local brewers Manchester Brewing, Martha's Exchange, and Pennichuck Brewing were also present. Manchester Brewing had their Naught Nancy and an Oatmeal Stout that were both top notch. Since the fest I have also had their Imperial Blonde. I liked it, but found that in the imperial styles I like the whites best, and then the real dark ones.

I also had a chance to pick up the Tripel White from White Birch Brewing in Hooksett. This beer is amazing. It had plenty of citrus, a pronounced flavor and a nice creamy texture. The bottles were hand labeled with numbered labels which should give you some idea of the time spent crafting these brews.

Cheers!

--Jason

Local Fruit Wines

Strawberries, peaches, pears and plums.

We have made or are in the process of making wine from all of those fruits grown by farms in town. Much love and thanks go out to Sunncrest, Elwood and Macks for the wonderful products we have acquired so far this year. The wines are better than ever! If you haven't visit any of their farm stands or U-Pick locations you should and often.

I wrote an earlier blog on the strawberry wine and will only follow that up with feedback that it is the best in 4 tries.

The peach wine has a beautiful orange/gold color and a subtle nose of peaches. We have some blending plans for this wine which I will write more about in time.

The pear wine is still fermenting and so far is looking good, but more time and clearing is required before its future self starts to shine through.

The local plum crop this was beaten by weather and as such the quantity we got will be blended with Riesling juice to make a full batch. More on that one later as well.

We also have hard cider on deck, but have not yet decided on who to source it from.

Cheers!

--Jason

Strawberry Wine

I have become known for my Strawberry wine, one could be known for worse things I imagine, which has become a driver for me to improve future batches.

Early this year we made a batch from frozen berries as we have in past years. The color was similar, although a bit more red, still a light shade and very transparent. The aroma and flavor were also similar, howevera slight bitter aftertaste has been noticed in this batch. While not much of an improvement, no loss either.

During strawberry season here in Southern NH we picked 38 lbs of berries and used about 34 for a batch of wine. About 4 lbs were used in a syrup for flavoring after the wine was stabilized. For this batch the color is much deeper, darker and reminds you of what you see when you look at a ripe berry. The aroma and flavor are much enhanced and the bitterness is not present as far as I can tell. The wine is smooth and medium-dry so it should appeal to a broad audience, unlike our past berry batches that tended to be on the sweet side.

I'll be popping bottles of this at upcoming parties so nobody should be fearful they will lose out. I also added some sulphite at bottling to help with preservation and longevity so if you don't see us soon you also should have no fear.

Having been docked in competition for aroma and color with my strawberry wines, I expect this batch will fair much better.

Cheers!

--Jason

No Reservations, No Complaints

Margot and I have been watching the marathon of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations today. While I have seen the show before I never sat down to really watch the show. While the marathon offers visits to a long list of destinations one in particular caught our attention due to a curious drink that was mentioned.

Red wine and cola?

I did a quick web search and found that it is called Calimixo in several countries, including Spain.

On the show it was demonstrated at 7 parts red wine and 3 parts cola. We found a bit more cola enhanced the drinkability, but having traveled to other countries to find their Coke products to be a bit sweeter we aren't surprised.

When I first saw it I wasn't sure what to think, but knowing I had at least one bottle of red wine to spare I was sure it was worth a try.

With a near 50/50 blend the drink is smooth and flavorful almost like a low sugar root beer. Make no mistake, it goes down easy and it has plenty of alcohol so it stacks up quick!

The Rust Belt (Baltimore, etc) episode is on now so I need to go and turn my attention back to the TV.

Cheer!

--Jason

Cellar Update

The second half of 2009 is well underway, although I didn't take a noticeable summer break this year as I have in the past. The fresh fruit from the local farms is rating very highly from the tastes so far. Strawberry and Peach with Plum and Hard Cider on the way. We have so much to celebrate this fall!

A new Viognier, Bordeaux Blend and Exotic Fruit Zinfandel from kits are also underway. We have some blending plans for the fall and will let you all know about those in time.

We have tasting this week with friends over at Salon Outlooks. Check us out Tuesday night from 6-9 at the Londonderry location on Sheffield Rd.

We are also gearing up for out annual cancer fighting wine tasting in September. We have so many resveritrol particles and so little time to cure cancer!

Cheers!
--Jason

CT Wine Trail

Last weekend Margot, Tim, Abby and I checked out 4 wineries and a wine bar in western CT. What fun! The weather was great and the travel wasn't bad, but on to the reviews.

Overall each winery had some unique offerings, differing styles and lots of traffic. The wine quality was good, but uneven; something we know well and can understand the challenge of. One major point I have made so far offline is that while Chardonnay was prominent, I couldn't appreciate any of it. Too acidic and too dry. I am not starting or continuing a stylistic debate, but I wonder if making it is worth it? Even the dry blends with other wines took those other wines down a notch.

Other whites offered some very drinkable wines, several fruity and dry, and several indeed semi-sweet or dessert style. I know semi-sweet is a technical definition with a range of residual sugar possible, but for tastings with normal folks it can be a bit misleading. Several wines had deep flavors and clean finishes and gave us much inspiration and enjoyment. We picked up semi-sweet Seyval, Peach, and a dessert wine.

For red wines there were lots to choose from and from a wide range of varietals. Foch was prominent and was of similar quality to those we have had from NH, a couple were served too cold or too warm which did not help a brief evaluation. We had cheese with several flights and several cheeses were dead on matches with the wines. Picnic Red and the Beemster X-O at Haight-Brown was phenomenal. I had Chambourcin for the first time at CT Valley and was quite surprised at the complex flavors. Our hosts and I had a lively conversation about potential food pairings after hearing they have tried without success. I suggested lavender chicken which I plan to make in the fall. We bought a whole bunch of reds including a port, the Chambourcin, and Picnic Red.

We also sampled several dessert wines, but more on those after we drink the ones we brought home…

The Bosc wine bar was a lot of fun. There was live music and as the weather was in our favor, we sat outside! Wines by the glass aren't cheap and bottle prices for the regular wines offer no bargain until you get into the higher prices. Unique wines from around the world are pretty deep, but only for those with deep pockets. The apps were good and the company was top notch so no worries here.

Cheers!

--Jason

Weekend Update

Wine stories from the weekend.

The 2008 Strawberry, 2008 Amarone #2 and the 2009 Pinot Grigio paired well with the pig roast crowd. The Strawberry lasted longer than 3 minutes, but not by much. The rich Amarone was excellent with BBQ food.

The 2009 Strawberry and 2008 Viognier well very well received at Phil and Meredith's Pampered Chef party. The dessert synched up well with the Strawberry wine, which didn't last two hours. The 2008 Viognier has matured so well from an underwhelming wine early on. Good thing I haven't been swilling it.

The 2009 Pinot Noir went into the bottle today. It is a bit hot, but will mellow with some age. It is rich and not overly assertive and should age well.

A new batch of Bordeaux blend was started today. Anurag and I talked winemaking as we bottled one and kicked off another. If these are as good as the 2007's are now in 2011, we will all be very happy!

Cellar Update

We just racked up about 80 bottles of 2008 and 2009 wines from recent bottlings. Check the slideshows for pictures of the cellar in various states. Good stuff, too.

The Cabs are drinking well, but certainly need more time.

Amarone #2 is better than the first one, but time will help here as well.

Anurag and I are going to start a batch of a nice Southern French red blend this weekend.

I've been watching the Tour de France this month and thinking about making a white Bordeaux style blend. I have had only a few, and most were well worth it.

The new kitchen has wine storage and will be used during the parties and holidays to keep the fridge full. We are so looking forward to sharing these creations with everyone as we host in the coming months. Wait until you see what we are going to have fermenting and aging when you come...

Cheers!

--Jason

Amarone Update

I returned to Amarone again in 2008 with the award winning 2007 version on my mind. We ended up doing two. I had originally thought two barrels of 50/50 blend, but we held off. The first is a Mosti Mondiale All Juice version with some oak and long aging, almost 1 year. The second version is a Mosti Fresco Fresh Juice product, also with some oak but with two less months of aging.

The 2007 winner had a deep purple color, powerful nose and pronounced banana flavors. It was recognizable from the aroma alone, and did not last long!

The first 2008 batch was tight and focused, but lacked the aromatic punch and flavors of the earlier. It was strong and pleasant to drink so we figure some aging will help. This was bottled in early 2009.

The second 2008 batch is better, with more aromas and the desired banana flavors, albeit not as strong still. The wine is very rich and with some aging will mellow a bit. The high alcohol is there and the wine is very dark. I bottled this on July 19th.

Both wines are going to make for good competition fodder next year and should be drinking well at that time.

Cheers!

-- Jason

Triple Threat

Yesterday we ended up opening 3 bottles from the Ancient Fire line, a 2009 Strawberry, 2009 White Blend RG and a 2007 Columbia Valley Riesling. What an amazing flight they ended up making!

The Strawberry was gone in under 3 minutes! This wine is a our flagship wine. This wine is our fan favorite. The smell of the Strawberry wine permeated an area around the folks with cups full. The flavor is subtle, but you sure know what you are drinking.

The White Blend RG, Riseling/Gewurztraminer, was a huge hit as well. We contrasted it with the 2007 CV Riesling which was much drier in its older age. All three went very well with backyard BBQ food on a hot day.

Thank you to Missy and Steve for the great time.

Cheers!

--Jason

The Error Of My Ways

Sometimes we all have to admit that we don't have our eye on the ball.

Not only has it been almost 3 weeks since I last posted, sorry the kitchen re-model is still going on, but I recently brought what I thought were homemade beers to a friend's place only to offer cranberry hard lemonade and root beer. How did this happen?

In 2004 I started this adventure making beer. I quickly moved on to wine and have been consumed by that almost exclusively since. I do make some beer and other fermented beverages each year, but not much anymore. The exception is hard cider, but the way I make it it turns out like a lower alcohol apple wine so the similarities make it work.

The last two years of beer and other products got jumbled up in the basement, mislabeled or not labeled and thus I thought something was one thing only to find out it wasn't. While not the end of the world it certainly made me think I ought to tighten up my game.

I am in the process of sampling each box and determining what the remaining bottles are filled with. For those of you I will be visiting soon, rest assured you will get what I say it is!!

Cheers!

--Jason

On Newsstands Tomorrow!!

I’ve never been interested much in getting in the local news, but with our recent competition successes and overall fun making wine at home maybe I should. Margot facilitated contacting several local media outlets and the Derry News will have an article on the front page of the lifestyles section in tomorrow’s edition.

My early release copy brought me great joy as the pictures and the article were larger and displayed more prominently than I expected. It is a great article and should be a great way to spread the word about the fun we are having and how it represents locally made and grown, a wonderful NH tradition. I will post an online link when it becomes available.

Cheers!

--Jason

BBQ Smoker Experiment

We converted a dead gas grill to a hardwood/charcoal smoker this weekend.

4 lbs ribs, 1 lb chicken and 1/2 lb steak tips later I think we got it.

The smoky flavor was what we drool over when you can get it. Many more times are needed to perfect the technique.

--Jason

On a roll!

Another martini from the weekend was:

1 measure lime vodka
1 measure vermouth (and/or triple sec for more orange)
1 measure OJ

shake over ice and serve in a martini glass

Cheers!

--Jason

Apple Martini Recipe

The new crowd pleaser, the Apple Martini is not original, nor homemade, but is hot nonetheless.

1 measure vodka (green apple flavored if available)
1 1/2 measure sour apple pucker liqueur
1/2 measure sour mix

shake over ice and serve in deep martini glass

Cheer!

--Jason

Black Currant Dessert Wine

So there will be 3 distinct versions of the Black Currant wine.

2 btls 1/2 Black Currant & 1/2 Cab Blend
15 btls 100% Black Currant
4-5 btls 100% Black Currant Oaked Reserve

The richness of the flavor prompted us to try some port-style variations. Either way they will need certain bottle aging and will ultimately be fantastic with a cheese plate!

Cheers!

--Jason

Ancient Fire Martini Night

This past Friday Margot and I were experimenting again with martinis and put together an original worth mentioning. And best of all it contains some award winning Ancient Fire wine!

Devil's Kiss
1 measure Pomegranate Vodka
1 measure Ancient Fire Strawberry wine
1 measure sweet Vermouth
1/2 measure Grenadine
Shake well with ice and serve in a martini glass with a lemon twist

With a deep red color and sweetness from 3 ingredients this drink is powerful but very drinkable.

Cheers!

--Jason

Dandelion Wine Experiment

Two weekends ago I picked about 4 quarts of dandelion flowers with spontaneous enthusiasm of making a batch of dandelion wine. I have never made it before, have only had a very little bit in the past and was not sure what to expect.

The dandelions were recovered from the lawn at the VT house where no chemicals, etc are used so they should be as organic as something that is fed by the rain in the Northeast can be. That is an absolute requirement otherwise bad things can result.

The experiment is going along well, with about 1 gallon total fermenting. The recipe I used called for citrus and the intermediate result is a citrus tasting wine with interesting grassy and floral notes. Only time will tell.

Cheers!
--Jason

The WineMaker International Results Are In!

Ancient Fire took 3 medals for 4 submissions.

Gold - Cabernet Franc Ice Wine
Silver - Viognier
Silver - Golden Plum Dessert Wine

Thanks to all of you for supporting me for another successful year.

The full results can be found at the link below.

http://www.winemakermag.com/competition (Search the PDF for Jason Phelps to find the listings)

Cheers!
--Jason

Beer Drinker Update for Montreal

We just got back from 3 days in Montreal and part of plan was to sample the local and big brand Canadian brews. We sampled a decent selection of styles and from one perspective they can be categorized into two classes, local microbrews and microbrew styles distributed by the big brand companies we all know.

On the local microbrew front we found two locations that craft the beer on site and serve it from the bar and in the restaurant in the same location. Both are on Crescent Street which is where the food and drink action is based on our experience. We have eaten on St. Denis as well, but the scene on Crescent was more lively.

Brutopia has been around since the mid-90's and has a straightforward location from which to serve their excellent brews. We tried the Raspberry Blond, Belgian 9% and the Java Stout. Margot clearly preferred the Raspberry Blond, but could appreciate the Belgian as well. The Belgian was the best beer I had all weekend and I had several to confirm this finding. A full bodied beer with a good head and strong aromas, it would be tough competition for many carefully crafted beers. The Java Stout was very good, with strong aromas of chocolate and coffee, but I felt it would be better served with a second fermentation and paired with a rich chocolate cake. The complement there is subtle, but I stand by it. The Raspberry Blond was a typical blond ale with a strong assertive berry aroma and hint of fruit acids in the finish. There were a whole bunch more we could have tried, but we need to check in elsewhere so time was short. We will be back and I would recommend this as a must go for anyone wanting to check out the Montreal microbrew scene.

Les 3 Brasseurs on Crescent is one of the Canadian locations of a French chain which is well known for good handcrafted beers and tasty pub food to go with. We tried the sample which includes their white, blond, red and brown ales in cute little snifters that amplify the aromas. All of the beers were tasty, with the white and red being the consistent favorites. Belgian white style beers seem to be of new popularity in Montreal (I might have missed this on past visits, please don't take offense) and the lot of them are pretty similar, unfiltered, with strong spice and citrus aromas and served with a slice of orange. The red tasted a bit of honey and had medium body and a clean finish. The blond and brown weren't uniquely notable, but worth the sampler size. The food in this joint was very good as well and the service was fast, although they weren't busy. We would recommend a stop here as well.

Another local item was the Du Minot sweet cider. I ordered this after dinner at Hurley's (see my next blog post for more info on where we ate) and very much enjoyed it. Du Minot is produced in Quebec about an hour south of Montreal. If you are a cider drinker and can find it on the menu or in store it is worth the time.

Now on to the beers from Molson, Unibroue and Anheuser-Busch. Molson, as you may well be experienced, makes a whole bunch of beers with wide distribution and great quantities. I didn't have any of those this time around. I do like the Molson XXX mostly because it is 7.3% alcohol and has some character for a big production item. Rickards is a microbrew styled line produced by Molson and is worth a look. We tried drafts of the White and the Honey Brown and found both quite pleasing. Neither was as good as the local items above, but that is to be expected. If you are in town and want something more than Molson Export or Molson Ice, Rickards might be the choice. They make a Red and Brown as well. Molson also has an interesting offering called Molson Dry which appears to be 10.1% alcohol, but it appears to be a kicked up version of their standard beer and I couldn't bring myself to try it.

Unibroue is well known for their strong beers, with several at or above 8-10% alcohol. These were the first of the strong Canadian beers I ever had and in some ways is what keeps me coming back. We can get these in the states, but it wasn't until recently I started seeing them show up in the places I normally bought beer. I only tried one selection of theirs this time, the Blance de Chambly, another white ale. Once again this was unfiltered, with good aromas and flavors making a nice paring for a bacon cheese burger. If you are looking for something to give you a good kick try Fin du Mond or Maudite, both of which are 9% and remind you they are in the room.

Anheuser-Busch is the importer of a Belgian brown ale named Leffe which I found in the grocery store and thought I would give it a try. If you like Belgian brown ales or want to appreciate strong aromas and flavors in something new try and find Leffe. I haven't seen it in NH so far, but it may be out there.

All in all we achieved what we set out to do, but we are very sure we only scratched the surface based on the recommendations we got as to where else we should go and what else we should try. Montreal, we will be back, be ready...

Cheers!

--Jason
http://www.les3brasseurs.ca/eng/our_famous_beers.php
http://www.duminot.com/cider-mill.htm
http://www.brutopia.net/brutopia.htm
http://www.unibroue.com/products/bieres.cfm

Another month has flown by. I have been busy with wine stuff, but so many other things that getting to the blogging definitely didn't get the time.

The spring wines are coming along well. The Strawberry is in the clearing stage and is trending to be the best yet. The CDP and Pinot Noir are both coming along nicely and will need some more time before they will be ready for the bottle. The Pinot Grigio is ready to be stabilized and is going to plan, but I don't have a good read on the taste yet. The Black Currant desert wine is stabilizing now and will take some sweetening to balance the high, and unintended, alcohol content.

I bottle the first Amarone from last year this weekend. With a few months of age any bottle shock should fade and it should be drinking well from there. The other reds are still aging, but should head into the bottle in the next few weeks.

The white blends (Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Niagra in two combinations) have both been bottled and are already being enjoyed. Slightly sweet with good aroma and flavor I certainly am glad I exercised patience with them, they are better than expected.

Well, I'm off to take a walk with the dog and then back to business with a few of the wines needing attention this week.

Cheers!

--Jason