From time to time, finding the perfect gift means being able to laugh at one’s self. One of our magnet lines is perfect for that smile, “She was two drinks away from proving his mother right!”
For those easily offended, go ahead and make the rest of the world smile in satisfaction!
Lodi Valley of California has a long and mostly understated history in the wine world. During prohibition, many of the vineyards in Lodi Valley shipped grapes around the nation with instructions on how to prevent your grapes from turning into wine.
During the course of history, the vineyards survived to a ripened age of maturity while remaining under the radar of the world. Today Lodi Valley is putting themselves back on the map with the help of stellar wines from Wineries such as the Michael David Winery. MDW consistently produces wines that are huge and hypnotic maximizing the power of the fruit in the bottle.
Once you try MDW’s product, you’re certain to continue seeking it out. On June 06, 2012 we will host a reception in our little shop featuring Michael David Winery with a representative from the winery and a selection of their wines. We will tempt your senses with the Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite-Petit, Incognito White, and Earthquake Zinfandel to mention a few.
If you’re interested in creating a new addiction to some mighty fine wines, drop us an e-mail at Chrstopher@christopherswineandcheese.com and we’ll get back with you to make the necessary arrangements for a reservation for that Wednesday night!
I recently stumbled upon this article on the blogsite Cheese 101 and found it fascinating and informative. I wanted to pass this information on to you as you so you would never fear to buy and cut the cheese at home!
by marcella on Apr 1, 2012
Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk. The Oxford Companion to Food defines lactose as “the main and almost the sole sugar in milk…composed of the simple sugars dextrose and galactose.” The Oxford Companion goes on to describe how lactose is digested: “Splitting lactose into these two sugars is the first stage in digesting it, and is done with the aid of the enzyme lactase.” (1)
As lactose ferments during the cheese making process, it is converted into lactic acid. When this occurs, the separation of curds from the whey begins. This happens naturally in raw milk; however, pasteurized milk does not contain the necessary bacteria to cause consistent fermentation. Most cheesemakers rely on starter cultures with bacteria to start and control the process. Most of the lactic acid stays with the whey. The small amount left behind with the curds further dissipates as the cheese ages.
Cheeses aged more than six months contain such an insignificant amount of lactic acid as to be considered “lactose-free”. Many cheese makers advertise their cheese as “Naturally Lactose-Free” including Oltermanni Baby Muenster from Finlandia and many of the Gouda-Style cheeses made by Beemster.
Because lactose is a sugar, on the ingredient label of cheese, if the amount of sugar listed is “0″, then you can be assured that the cheese is indeed lactose-free. Several cheeses advertise themselves as “Lactose-Free”
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that one animal’s milk is easier to digest than another. For example, one cup of cow milk contains 11 grams of lactose and one cup of goat milk contains 9 grams of lactose.
Some people who believe they are lactose-intolerant are actually allergic to milk; however, the term lactose-intolerant has gained so much in popularity that many confuse the two conditions.
(1) From: http://www.netplaces.com/cheese/cheese-nutrition/what-about-lactose.htm
Christopher’s Wine & Cheese is on the grow again! We’re about to start a re-set of our floor space to accommodate you and your wine and culinary needs more thoroughly again! Every year about this time, we explore new products and concepts to help make our little shop a bigger, more exciting adventure for you to explore your palate with!
Within the next month, we will be locking into a new product line that promises to be among the most exciting things for people who enjoy not only wine, but food as well! In the same breath, we’re exploring doing cooking demonstrations with wine makers showing both the food loving aspects of the wines and how we go about matching the wine to the food and the food to the wine!
All in all, things are cranking up and the azaleas and rhododendron are cracking the hold winter had on the mountain; inspiring us to provide you a better experience with every visit to our little shop of Wine, Cheese, and Food… keep an eye on what we’re doing as soon we hope to be announcing some exciting events to take place here at the best little wine shop on the mountain!
-Christopher
Christopher’s Wine & Cheese is on the grow again! We’re about to start a re-set of our floor space to accommodate you and your wine and culinary needs more thoroughly again! Every year about this time, we explore new products and concepts to help make our little shop a bigger, more exciting adventure for you to explore your palate with!
Within the next month, we will be locking into a new product line that promises to be among the most exciting things for people who enjoy not only wine, but food as well! In the same breath, we’re exploring doing cooking demonstrations with wine makers showing both the food loving aspects of the wines and how we go about matching the wine to the food and the food to the wine!
All in all, things are cranking up and the azaleas and rhododendron are cracking the hold winter had on the mountain; inspiring us to provide you a better experience with every visit to our little shop of Wine, Cheese, and Food… keep an eye on what we’re doing as soon we hope to be announcing some exciting events to take place here at the best little wine shop on the mountain!
-Christopher
Castelo Branco
Castelo Branco (Portuguese: Queijo de Castelo Branco) is a cheese named after the city of the same name in Portugal, the chief city of the district where it is produced. The cheese is made from milk produced by either a goat or a ewe, and has a soft texture. Typically, the cheese takes 40 days to mature when made with goat’s milk, and 50 days when made with ewe’s milk. The fat content is around 45% and the cheese is usually a close-to-white color.
Ca' Momi Merlot
Merlot has never been among my favorite wines. My dislike of merlot stemmed from the fact when I started trying wine out, The California Wine Industry had just received acclaim for their merlots with comments reflecting the delicate fruit driven wines that were lightly oaked in American Oak to enhance the spice and enhance the boldness of the wine. Holding true to the American Mindset, if a little oak was good, a lot bigger oakiness must be better. I tried merlot and could not taste the wine because of the splintered wood sensation on my tongue.
That bias on my part has survived in spite of finding some wonderful merlots over the years. I am always a bit skeptical of the merlot wines and cautiously try them, finding myself delighted when I find one that actually fits the varietal profile with subtle nuances that dance on the palate with glee.
Ca’ Momi Merlot from Napa, California may be among the absolute best merlot wines I have tried in the last ten years. The bright crisp cherry dominates the wine’s profile from start to finish with light boysenberry acting as the backup singer. Light bright peppery spices from mid-palate to the finish demonstrate restraint of oaking, but dominate enough oaking to keep this merlot from becoming flabby in the mouth. The finish has an essence of coca blended in the spice making you want to take another sip, just to be sure this merlot is really as good as it seems.
For pairing, I would seek out a wild mushroom risotto rolled in a soft burrito with seared flank steak strips. The creaminess of the risotto and boldness of the meat will certainly bring out the best characteristics of this wine!
Guinea Fowl with Maple Onion Glaze
Having grown up in a rural area, we had a lot of food stuffs available to us that are often considered “exotic” or “unusual by the masses. Guinea fowl falls into that category, they are rather fascinating creatures and will certainly keep a yard free of insects providing rich eggs with yolks that are second to none! The best thing being a delicate dark poultry meat that anyone willing to explore their palate is certain to fall in love with! I promised you in the previous post describing Delta Luna’s Carignane a roasted Guinea Fowl recipe, here it is!
INGREDIENTS:
1 guinea fowl
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 TBS unsalted butter
3 TBS olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup or dry white wine + ¼ cup
½ cup of pure maple syrup
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Rinse bird inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt, pepper and thyme. Heat 1 TBS of butter and 1 TBS of olive oil in a dutch oven until hot. Add the bird and brown on all sides, deglaze with ¼ cup of wine. Place in the oven and roast with lid on for about 1 hour.
In a hot skillet, add remaining butter and olive oil. Saute the sliced onions, stirring constantly over medium heat, until onions are brown (about 10 minutes). Deglaze the pan with beer or wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Then add the maple and heat until the liquid thickens. Reserve and toss with the bird once cooked to serve. Serve immediately.
Guinea Fowl
Delta Luna Carignane
Delta Luna is a new line of wine to our shop. We have enjoyed their wines so much we have worked to entice them to attend the 2012 Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival!
Their wines tend to be medium to fuller bodied with fairly classic profiles. Today I’m taking a look at the Delta Luna 2009 Carignane. Originating from the Aragon region of Spain, this grape grows rather happily in the Mediterranean-light climate of Lodi with hot days and cool nights.
The Delta Luna Carignane has a rather refractive appearance in the glass as the light dances through the garnet colored gem in the glass. The aromas of light mocha and cassis predominate yielding to a light bing cherry aroma. As it crosses the palate, the bold acidity transforms into brilliant cherries and raspberries transforming into a brilliant leathery spice on the finish. This carignane is a delight, but on the softer side of the carignanes I have tried over the years; a good introduction to those folks afraid of bold grapes usually!
Because of the bright acidity, I would recommend you have this wine over dinner with friends you want to impress. The perfect pairing for me would be an orange glazed guinea fowl with a side of root vegetable hash topped with a soft fried egg. I’ll post those recipes in another posting,
Pot Stickers
Ingredients
recipe tools
ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE:
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook until leeks begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger and cook, stirring, until cabbage is soft, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in the carrot and shrimp. Allow the filling to cool.
Transfer cabbage mixture to a mixing bowl and work together until fully incorporated. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
To make the potstickers, lay a wonton wrapper on the work surface and put about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center. Dip your finger in a little water and wet the edges of the wonton wrapper; this will help the potsticker seal when cooking. Bring the outside edges of the wonton wrapper together over the filling and press it together to form a pouch. Continue with the remaining wrappers and filling.
To cook the potstickers, heat the remaining oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Place all of the potstickers upright in the pan and cook, without disturbing them, until browned on the bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and immediately cover. Allow the potstickers to steam for about 3 minutes, then remove the skillet lid. Continue cooking until the water is completely evaporated.
Transfer to a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: about 1/3 cup
For your wine pairings, this recipe is fairly soft on the palate and a softer wine is recommended typically. Should you opt to add a bit more ginger and a pinch of white pepper, I would recommend pairing a dry Riesling from the white wines. If you’re more like most of my friends and really want a red wine that will pair well, I recommend finding a well balanced Petite Sirah.
Christopher's Wine & Cheese Shop
SocialVibe