Before heading north to the Finger Lakes, all I heard was Anthony Road, you need to visit Anthony Road. So I did. ARWC is located on the upper western shore of Lake Seneca about 10 mile south of Geneva. A note of personal interest is the vineyards were first planted in 1973, the year I got married. Wine production started 16 years later in 1989 in a small barn that the owners had. The owners names were Martini. Funnny, how you can get great wine from a "Martini"! ARWC has a very spacious tasting room, very bright and inviting with lots of windows that overlook their beautifully landscaped gardens.
Riesling was the wine of note. This was a stellar year for Rieslings in the Fingerlakes region, and I can tell you personally they were deliciously flavorful.Fresh peach, melon and pear characters in this slightly sweeter Riesling. Great served chilled before dinner with appetizers or with spicier dishes.ARWC won the 2009 Govenor's cup for their 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling and are now sold out.
BUT, I have a passion for CabFranc and theirs was outstanding. ARWC has an 07 CabFranc/Lemberger that my son-in-law Josh had been urging me to taste. I was not disappointed. This was a full bodied red with characters of dark fruit, such as cherry and blackberry and a smooth velvety mouth feel, a bargain at $18.00.
These are only two of the 20 selections that were available to taste. Next stop Glenora Wine Cellars.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Roasted Pork with Pears
Looking for a good recipe to usher in the New Year? This recipe is courtesy of William and Sonoma's Alpine Cuisine Recipe Collection. It is a Delicious and impressive main course for autumn or winter. Here, a boneless pork loin is stuffed with a flavorful herb-and-garlic mixture, then roasted with fresh pears and leeks. A creamy mustard pan sauce adds the finishing touch to this succulent dish. When pairing a wine with this dish, one might choose to pick up the citrus effect of the pears by selecting a Sauvignon Blanc such as nice chilled Kim Crawford. Or those that prefer a red wine, the sage and earthy elements would pair well with a California Merlot or Pinot Noir.
And since we are talking about ringing in the New Year, try a chilled Moscato d' Asti for an aperitif. After the meal is served, you might offer a nice Spanish Cava or a French Cremant d' Alsace instead of traditional Champagne. Happy New Year!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed roughly chopped fresh sage, plus whole sage leaves for roasting
3 whole garlic cloves, plus 2 cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 Tbs. olive oil
1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 lb., halved horizontally
3 ripe red Anjou pears, halved lengthwise
4 leeks, white portions only, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. In a mini food processor, process the parsley, chopped sage, whole garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil until a fine paste forms. Spread the mixture on the cut side of one half of the pork loin, then place the other half on top. Tie the roast together with kitchen twine and tuck whole sage leaves underneath the twine. Season the roast with salt and pepper. In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the pears, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Place the leeks, cut side down, in the pot in a single layer. Set the pork on top and place the pears along the sides of the pot. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the leeks and pears to a platter. Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and discard all but 2 tsp. of the fat. Warm the reserved fat in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add the broth and pan drippings and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pork into slices and arrange on the platter. Pass the sauce alongside. Serves 8 to 10.
And since we are talking about ringing in the New Year, try a chilled Moscato d' Asti for an aperitif. After the meal is served, you might offer a nice Spanish Cava or a French Cremant d' Alsace instead of traditional Champagne. Happy New Year!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup packed roughly chopped fresh sage, plus whole sage leaves for roasting
3 whole garlic cloves, plus 2 cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 Tbs. olive oil
1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 lb., halved horizontally
3 ripe red Anjou pears, halved lengthwise
4 leeks, white portions only, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. In a mini food processor, process the parsley, chopped sage, whole garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil until a fine paste forms. Spread the mixture on the cut side of one half of the pork loin, then place the other half on top. Tie the roast together with kitchen twine and tuck whole sage leaves underneath the twine. Season the roast with salt and pepper. In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the pears, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Place the leeks, cut side down, in the pot in a single layer. Set the pork on top and place the pears along the sides of the pot. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140°F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the leeks and pears to a platter. Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and discard all but 2 tsp. of the fat. Warm the reserved fat in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add the broth and pan drippings and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pork into slices and arrange on the platter. Pass the sauce alongside. Serves 8 to 10.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Fingerlakes, NY
Seems like so long ago the first of October. Six of us decided to take a long weekend and head to lake Seneca in New York. We stayed at the north end of the lake in the town of Geneva at Belhurst Castle. www.belhurst.com When you arrive, the Hotel / Castle is breathtaking with the trees changing colors and the lake in the background. The hotel is equipped with a large main dining room that is dark wood, a large lounge with a sunken bar that looks out on the lake with a huge fire place that invites you to sit all day and sip wines from the Belhurst winery. Step out their front door and into another door and you enter their gift shop and tasting room. We sampled and purchased several bottles of the Belhurst Merlot.
We spent two rather full days on Lake Seneca visiting fourteen wineries. Yes that was seven per day and involved a lot of spitting. In some of my following posts I will talk about specific wineries. There are many tasty wines from this area and they are not all Reislings either.
We spent two rather full days on Lake Seneca visiting fourteen wineries. Yes that was seven per day and involved a lot of spitting. In some of my following posts I will talk about specific wineries. There are many tasty wines from this area and they are not all Reislings either.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
One of my favorite California Vineyards.
The Rombauer Story...
Wine is a product of nature. But nature is rarely under its very best conditions. Most of the time very good wine is the product of nature being gently guided by the hand and wisdom of man. Guiding the land through its cycles from dormant vines in winter sleep, through the growing season, the wine making, aging, and finally bringing the finished wine to the table. The balance between the product of nature and the guiding of the hand of man, is the essence of the finest of wines and the philosophy here at Rombauer Vineyards.
Rombauer Vineyards was founded in 1982 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer and sits on a tree covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley. The winery features caves that extend for over a mile into the hillside. The caves provide a constant temperature and humidity which result in optimum conditions for aging our wines.
Rombauer wines are consistently ranked high in the wine trade journals. Many of the finest restaurants throughout the country include Rombauer wines on their list and feature them by the glass. The joy of wine is something that's important to Rombauer. Whether you are a collector of fine wines or like to have wine with food, wine is something that truly should be enjoyed. Rombauer Vineyards puts a lot of hard work and tender care into making drinkable wines. Because wine is a simple product to enjoy, emphasis is given to taking the mystique out of enjoying fine wines.
Their emphasis on the joy of wine comes from the heritage of the Rombauer family. Koerner's ancestors made wine in the famous Rheingau region in Germany and his great aunt, Irma Rombauer, wrote the book The Joy of Cooking. Hence their focus on wine as complements to good food and good friends. Every family member is actively involved in the day to day operation of the winery from selecting grapes for the winemaking process and getting the wine to market.
They produce several varietal wines, such as Carneros Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Estate Grown Zinfandel from the vineyard below the winery, and a blended reserve wine called Le Meilleur Du Chai, which means the Best of the Cellar. At Rombauer Vineyards, "we take the time to hand craft and nurture our wines". Season after season, year after year, we're pleased to say the fruits of our labor have paid off... where it counts – in every glass of Rombauer wine.
Wine is a product of nature. But nature is rarely under its very best conditions. Most of the time very good wine is the product of nature being gently guided by the hand and wisdom of man. Guiding the land through its cycles from dormant vines in winter sleep, through the growing season, the wine making, aging, and finally bringing the finished wine to the table. The balance between the product of nature and the guiding of the hand of man, is the essence of the finest of wines and the philosophy here at Rombauer Vineyards.
Rombauer Vineyards was founded in 1982 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer and sits on a tree covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley. The winery features caves that extend for over a mile into the hillside. The caves provide a constant temperature and humidity which result in optimum conditions for aging our wines.
Rombauer wines are consistently ranked high in the wine trade journals. Many of the finest restaurants throughout the country include Rombauer wines on their list and feature them by the glass. The joy of wine is something that's important to Rombauer. Whether you are a collector of fine wines or like to have wine with food, wine is something that truly should be enjoyed. Rombauer Vineyards puts a lot of hard work and tender care into making drinkable wines. Because wine is a simple product to enjoy, emphasis is given to taking the mystique out of enjoying fine wines.
Their emphasis on the joy of wine comes from the heritage of the Rombauer family. Koerner's ancestors made wine in the famous Rheingau region in Germany and his great aunt, Irma Rombauer, wrote the book The Joy of Cooking. Hence their focus on wine as complements to good food and good friends. Every family member is actively involved in the day to day operation of the winery from selecting grapes for the winemaking process and getting the wine to market.
They produce several varietal wines, such as Carneros Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Estate Grown Zinfandel from the vineyard below the winery, and a blended reserve wine called Le Meilleur Du Chai, which means the Best of the Cellar. At Rombauer Vineyards, "we take the time to hand craft and nurture our wines". Season after season, year after year, we're pleased to say the fruits of our labor have paid off... where it counts – in every glass of Rombauer wine.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tarara
What a beautiful setting for a winery. Leesburg Va, Loudon County boasts of several great places to sit and sip wine. One of my favorites is Tarara located off Rte 15 in Leesburg. Tarara hosts music festivals and wine festivals in a setting that is so relaxing. You can bring your own chairs or sit on their large deck and look out at the beautiful fall colors as you enjoy a bottle of Cab Franc or any other of their delicious wines. Become a member of their wine club and enjoy free admission to their events as well as tastings in the "Upper room".
When you get there tell them, The Wine-Teacher sent you.
Also see: www.wine-teacher.com
When you get there tell them, The Wine-Teacher sent you.
Also see: www.wine-teacher.com
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