Tag: Wine

I Love Italian Regional Cuisine – Pairing Calabria Cuisine With Red Wine

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Calabria is the toe of the Italian boot. It is located in the southwest corner of Italy, with 500 miles of coastline on the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Tyrrhenian Seas. This region has belonged to so many other countries over the years, leading to quite a variety of local specialties. When you taste the delicious local food you wouldn’t think that Calabria’s soil tends to be poor.

Alici a Beccafico (Anchovies Beccafico style) is considered a main dish, but some people prefer it as an appetizer. Others avoid anchovies altogether; I think they are missing out on many tasty, albeit salty, dishes. You start preparing this dish by gutting the anchovies and soaking them in a dry white wine. Then you stuff them with a combination of stale, crust less bread garlic, grated Pecorino cheese, and some spices. Then you fry them. Suggested wine pairings include Sangiovese-based wines such as Chianti DOCG from Tuscany.

Calabria is known for great vegetables. Make sure to try Melanzane Fritte con Mozzarella e Olive (Fried Eggplants with Mozzarella and Olives). In addition to the title ingredients this recipe calls for tomatoes, onions, herbs, and spices. As always, salt the eggplant to remove the bitter juices. Even if you are not a vegetarian you’ll enjoy this dish with an Italian Pinot Nero or one of the many Barbera DOC wines from Piedmont.

Costolette d’Agnello alla Calabrese (Lamb chops Calabrian Style) is easy to make and simply delicious. Besides the chops you’ll need ripe tomatoes, an onion, green olives, sweet peppers, olive oil, and some spices. Once you’ve prepared the veggies, this recipe is fairly quick. Suggested wine pairings include Chianti DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, or Brunello di Montalcino DOCG from Tuscany, and Barolo DOCG from Piedmont.

Cinghiale all’Aspromonte (Wild Boar Aspromonte style) is a local specialty. Hang the boar saddle, remove the rind, finely chopped bay leaves, oil, salt, and pepper and cook on a spit meat, basting it with the juices until done. Somehow, I don’t think making this delicious dish is as simple as it sounds. Enjoy with a Vino Nobile di Montalcino DOCG, a Cabernet Sauvignon based Super Tuscan from Tuscany, a Barbaresco DOCG, or Barolo DOCG from Piedmont.

Capretto Farcito (Stuffed Spring Kid) is an unusual but delicious local specialty that is often served at Easter. The meat is boned and then stuffed with pasta and the giblets and baked. Enjoy this dish with an Aglianico del Vulture DOC from the neighboring region of Basilicata, a Taurasi DOCG from Campania, or a Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG from Umbria.

How to Build a Wine Rack

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Whether you are an avid wine connoisseur or a normal wine drinker, an alcohol rack will help you manage your collection easier. You can also use your wine rack to properly store your spirits so that it will not be wasted.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE A WINE RACK

The materials that you needed for your project are wood stock, one by two strapping stock, tack nails, bolts, carpentry glue, screws and nails.

TOOLS

The tools that you needed to for this endeavor are saw, drill with bits, tape measure, hammer, pen and paper.

STEPS IN BUILDING YOUR WINE RACK

One of the first things that you should know before beginning your project is where you will place it. If the standard rules regarding alcohol storage are followed, it should not be constructed near doors and window, in an area where there is a high degree of humidity and in a place where there is sunlight. One of the most well-known variations of alcohol racks are table top racks. They can be place in alcoves and in the top of cabinets.

For this rack variation, you need to use a thin wood stock. Sizes differ for this variation but it is recommended to use one inch deep and two inches wide. Determine what will be the height of your creation and create 2 pairs of legs. With the help of a stock, decide the length and width of the set-up and create the cross braces and holders needed.

For a 6 wine bottle rack, you need to create sixteen braces-twelve for the alcohol bottles and a pair of braces for the ends for additional support. Installing the braces can be accomplished in three different ways: using nails, screwing and using a drill. Carefully connect each part and make sure to place a cross brace for additional strength.

If you are making it in a wine cellar, it needs to be constructed near a power outlet. It should also be made above ground so that it will not be affected by the moisture in the ground. The main difference between a bigger rack and kitchen bottle rack is that this will be installed to the wall for additional support.

Create thick posts for it and a single two by four stock with cutouts for the wine bottles. Make clamps for the bottle support. Do this for one portion and then make it as a reference for how many wine bottles that you needed.

Racking Your Homemade Wine

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Racking your homemade wine is vital to producing a high quality product. Don’t be put off by the term, though. When winemakers rack their wine, they are simply transferring it from one vessel to another. A typical batch of homemade wine will be racked at least 2 times, and can sometimes need to be racked up to 4 times.

The most important aspect of racking wine is to leave the sediment behind. This will help the wine clarify and can also prevent the wine from picking up unwanted flavors and odors that can come from sitting too long on the sediment.

When to rack your wine is an important consideration. When you start a batch of wine, the initial fermentation will be very vigorous as the yeast consume the sugar in your must and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide. This is called primary fermentation and usually takes 5-7 days. Approximately 70 percent of the wine’s fermentation will take place during this stage.

After primary fermentation slows down, your wine can no longer protect itself from contamination and needs to be protected by an airlock. This is the first racking, and a simple siphon method through a flexible food grade plastic tube will accomplish it. Gravity does all the work, so carefully place your primary fermenter a couple feet off the ground and start the siphon process.

There are items available to assist with racking. One is called a racking cane. This is a rigid piece of plastic about 2 feet long. One end is specially made to sit on the bottom of the vessel while not drawing excess sediment into the tube. You can get by without one, but it’s a great tool to have in your wine making toolbox.

For the first racking, try to leave as much sediment behind as possible. If a little is transferred into your secondary fermenter, don’t panic. It’s not as important on the first racking, so get as much liquid as you can.

The second racking should take place after your fermentation is complete. This can be a week or two or even 6 or 8 weeks, depending on how your fermentation progresses. This time you can be a little more careful about leaving sediment behind, even if it means losing a little liquid. Again, the same procedure as above applies. Start a suction and let gravity do the work for you. Don’t forget to put the airlock right back on the wine, as exposure to air will oxidize your wine.

The third racking should take place after your wine has completely cleared. Remember, it will not clear in the bottles so be patient with this step and don’t rack until you’re sure it’s as clear as it can be. Leave every bit of sediment behind during this racking. This is also the time you can add Sodium Bisulfite to the wine. This will drive off any excess oxygen that was created during racking.

Racking is an important step in homemade wine making. The better you understand and perform this vital step, the better your finished product will be.

Plum Wine For Ripe Plum Flavor

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Flavor of fruits, especially that of ripe plums is the favorite one of all. However, season for plums is limited, and you will have to wait for another season. Still, there is a way to help you taste the ripe plums, that is plum wine.

 

The plum wine that we are talking about is seldom mentioned by professional wine aficionados because this wine has not been created with wine grapes. There are some people who will let you know that even though plum wine is not considered as a true wine, it does have a lovely flavor and you can even make this wine at home.

 

For this reason there are quite a few plum wine recipes that can be found on the internet. These recipes can range from the simple plum wine recipe to the highly complex looking plum wine recipe. For these plum wine recipes you should have some ripe plums that have a rich taste to them. There are a few other items that you will need to have when you start making your plum wine.

 

The main ingredients for a good plum wine include ripe plums, tannin, yeast, water, sugar or light honey, yeast nutrient, Champagne or Montrachet yeast, peptic enzyme and Campden tablets to kill off any excess bacteria that could be present in the plum wine. Once you have all of these ingredients you will need to find a good recipe to get the correct measurements. Follow the instructions and hopefully you will have a good plum wine that you can drink once the fermenting process and aging time has finished.

 

There is another way that you can enjoy drinking plum wine. This plum wine that you can find is that of the Japanese version. The Japanese plum wine is called ume-shu. The taste of this plum wine is slightly sweet and sour. The Japanese plum wine has been drunk with meals as an aperitif for over 1000 years in Japan. Since the Japanese plum wine is made from green Ume plums and white alcohol. It contains potassium and calcium, and is also said to be good for your health.

 

I am sure that while you may have never heard of plum wine before this you can now appreciate the fact that many people have drunk some form of plum wine. The difference in the Japanese and western plum wine is clear but they both have a delicious taste that you will always remember.

 

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I Love Italian Regional Cuisine – Pairing Latium Cuisine With Red Wine

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Don’t be surprised if the word Latium doesn’t ring a bell. It’s in the center of Italy and its capital is Rome, the Eternal City. As the Italian writer Silvio Negro said, “Roma, non basta una vita,” Rome, a lifetime is not enough. Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, he wasn’t talking about the wine. Once upon a time Rome was home to a great wine, Falernian, a sweet white wine that poets praised. I think you’ll enjoy the Latium specialties and their wine pairings described below. You may even serve them at a toga party.

Carne alla Pizzaiola (Beef Pizzaiola) is based on round steak with fresh tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, garlic, and chopped parsley. Some people add chopped olives and anchovies. Suggested wine pairings include Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG from Sicily, Rosso Piceno DOC from The Marches, and Sangiovese di Romagna DOC from Emila-Romagna.

Coda all Vaccinara (Stewed Oxtail with Celery) calls for a cup of red wine to go with two pounds of oxtail. Some people go with a white wine to keep the sauce from being too dark. You may want to parboil the celery for the same reason. In any case, don’t use a “cooking wine”. Never cook with a wine that you won’t drink. Some people suggest Barolo DOCG from Piedmont. I’d look for a Cesane del Piglio DOCG, which was awarded this sometimes prestigious designation in 2008. It’s the first Latium DOCG. If you don’t want to pay for the letter G (as in guaranteed) try a Cesane di Affile DOC or a Cesane di Olevano Romano DOC.

Porchetta (Roast Suckling Pig) is a great party dish, but it’s hard to prepare and takes a long time to cook. Potatoes and onions cooked in the drippings are just delicious. Recommended wine pairings include Abruzzi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. Or you can go local with the Cesane del Piglio DOCG.

Another great Latium dish is Saltimbocca alla Romana (Veal and Ham Rolls) starring veal scallops, sliced prosciutto, and white wine. Saltimbocca is not as hard to make as the suckling pig, but itspreparation is somewhat tricky. Suggested wine pairings include Cesane del Piglio DOCG, the Piedmont Barolo DOCG, or a Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.

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