Tuesday, February 21st is Fat Tuesday, also known by its French name
'Mardi Gras'. Fat Tuesday marks the culmination of Christian feasting in observance of ritual Lenten fasting. Whether-or-not you plan on sacrificing
rich, fatty foods — Mardi Gras is a fabulous excuse to eat
and drink hedonistically! Go ahead and enjoy the gluttony, we've done all the
work of planning wine pairings for you.
|
|
Food & Wine Pairings For Fat Tuesday |
|
|
|
Crawfish Étouffée
Crawfish Étouffée is a flavorful Creole classic dish of Louisiana. Spicy and savory, this hearty meal calls for a wine with some weight — we love a full-bodied white wine with tamed acidity. High acid wines exacerbate chili spice. Aromatic wines like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, or Viognier also minimize the perceivable heat in a dish. We suggest Illahe Viognier, an off-dry expression with refreshing acidity and expressive aromatics of honey blossom, apricot, and peach compote. Another staff favorite is the House Of Brown Chardonnay, Napa Valley's first Black-owned estate winery. This Chardonnay is bursting with notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, pineapple, and guava. The roundness of this Chardonnay will perfectly compliment this flavorful dish!
|
|
Crawfish (Or Shrimp) Boil
Boils are the quintessential feast food of New Orleans. There's nothing quite like enjoying a messy meal off of a newspaper-lined table with friends similarly covered in heavily seasoned juices! Wines that are crisp and refreshing balance the heavy seasoning, refreshing your palate as you tear through crustaceans. We love Cava as a sparkling pairing with a Crawfish Boil, especially the Mestres Coquet Cava. This Brut Nature (bone dry) Cava is balanced by richness provided from 3.5 years lees aging. Albariño is a fabulous option as well, with salinity that makes for a perfectly congruent companion to a boil! We love the Paco & Lola Albariño for its fruity profile that's balanced by notes of salty sea breeze and intense citrus florality.
|
|
|
|
|
Jambalaya
We are equal opportunity Jambalaya eaters over here, but when it comes to wine pairings you need to identify if you're cooking Creole or Cajun style! Creole Jambalaya is brighter, typically made with seafood and tomatoes. To match the acid in the tomatoes we suggest serving it with a juicy acid driven red, such as Pinot Noir. We love the Stafford Hill Pinot Noir, which is a second label of Holloran. This biodynamic Pinot is grown in the the volcanic soils of Willamette Valley, and has trademark notes of peppery dark cherries, tobacco, and a subtle touch of oak. Cajun Jambalaya does not include tomatoes and often has a deeper, smokier flavor with more sausage/proteins. For this Jambalaya, we love a bold Rioja, such as the Ramirez De La Piscina Reserva. The spicy, full flavors of Tempranillo match the intensity of a smoky, meaty Cajun jambalaya.
|
|
Beignets
Beignets are deep fried pastries created by the French, and a modern trademark of New Orleans. Beignets are often served with chicory coffee, but we love them with wines that mirror their sweetness. German Riesling with residual sugar (avoid Trocken styles), such as Kabinett's or Spatlese's, make a delicious and refreshing accompaniment! We love Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Kabinett Riesling for it's perfect balance of sweetness, acidity and minerality. Another decadent option is the Raymond Ragnaud Pineau des Charentes, a delicately sweet French aperitif with floral aromas and notes of apricot and baking spice. This fortified wine is made by blending partially-fermented grape must with Cognac eau-de-vie; the mixture is then aged in oak barrels.
|
|
|
|
|
Other Delights
If you're looking to spice up your Fat Tuesday, try incorporating some of these treats into your home bar. We have a delicious King Cake Rum King Liqueur from Joe Gambino's Bakery, a New Orleans style Praline Cream Liqueur made by Benjamin Prichard, and the Dashfire Classic Creole Bitters — guaranteed to jazz up your festive cocktails!
|
|
Cocktail Of The Week: Corpse Reviver #2
There are plenty of great cocktails that go along with Mardi Gras. I'm not doing a Hurricane though. (I did it last year) I have chosen Corpse Reviver #2. First published in 1930 in "The Savoy Cocktail Book" by Harry Craddock, he says that "Four of these taken in swift succession will un-revive the corpse again". Hilarious. This is a great little gin sipper that has an absinthe rinse and a nice orangey tang. I am using Cocchi Americano instead of Lillet blanc because it is more similar in taste to the Kona Lillet that is called for in the original recipe.
|
|
|
|
INGREDIENTS
.75 oz London Dry Gin
.75 oz Lemon
.75 oz Cocchi Americano
.75 oz Cointreau
Absinthe Rinse
INSTRUCTIONS: First rinse a chilled cocktail glass with the absinthe, then add all other ingredients into a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into previously mentioned cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
I hope you like it!
Cheers,
Nikola
|
|
Friday
Tasting Tables
Friday, February 17
Join us for two FREE wine
tastings this Friday!
4 - 7 p.m. Pryes Brewing
4 - 8 p.m. Marcus of Small Lot Wine
Get 10% off any of the
wines you taste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lungarotti Tasting Event
Friday, March 10, 6:30 p.m.
Wines of Umbria: Tradition and Innovation in an Ancient Wineland.
You are invited to join us and Francesco Zaganelli, third generation in the Lungarotti wine making family for an exploration of Umbrian grapes and wine styles through their two world class wineries in Montefalco and Torgiano.
The Lungarotti family has been instrumental in reviving the spirit of Umbrian wine through their dedication to family, environment and history expressed through finely crafted wine.
$30 ticket includes $20 credit towards Lungarotti wines!
|
|
6oz Pour
Wine Education Classes
World of Wine Series
WOW - South America In 7 Glasses
Tuesday, Feb. 28,
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., $60
South America has a problem, especially Argentina and Chile. In the eyes of the consumer, they often get lumped together into a "good and cheap" category which doesn't do them any favors. Their respective histories, various terroirs, and innovators have culminated in exciting, rich, and vast wine industries. There is so much great, thoughtfully crafted wine produced in these nations and we'll taste through them as we go deep into South America.
Reserve your seats on Tock
|
|
|
|
|
Domaine Barmes-Buecher 'Rosenberg' Pinot Blanc 2021
Domaine Barmes-Buecher 'Clos Sand' Riesling 2021
Schloss Lieser SL Feinherb Riesling 2021
Dr. Konstantin Dry Riesling 2021
Maison Noir O.P.P. Pinot Noir 2020
Field Recordings Freddo 2022
Dautel Trollinger 2020
Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly 2021
Miro Coyote Ridge Petite Sirah 2020
Miro Alexander Valley Zinfandel 2020
Lustau Almacenista Oloroso 'Pata de Gallina'
Lustau Almacenista Manzanilla 'Pasada de Sanlucar'
|
|
Staff Picks - What to Drink This Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2020 Dautel Trollinger - $24.99
As we plan for our rich and spicy meals for Fat Tuesday, nothing pairs better than a light-bodied red with low tannins and bright cherry fruit. If Beaujolais is your thing, Trollinger might be your new favorite. Trollinger (aka Schiava in Italy) from the little known region of Wurttemberg in Southern Germany totally fits the bill with its low alcohol (11.5%) and crunchy acidity. Made by a family that has been in the region for 500 years, the Dautels were one of the first families to stop bringing fruit to the co-op and begin estate bottling their wine. Christian Dautel took over his family's estate in 2010 and is fast becoming one of the top winemakers of his generation and his Trollinger is the perfect pairing for warmer weather and letting the good times roll.
-Angie
2020 Barone di Villagrande, Etna Bianco Superiore - $27.99
Since the early 1600s the Nicolosi Asmundo family has farmed on the slopes of Europe's highest volcano, Mt. Etna. Their efforts and the importance of their estate to local viniculture elevated them to the Nobility in the early 18th century. Today, Barone di Villagrande's wine maker, Marco Nicolosi, is carrying his family's proud heritage into the 21st century. Certified Organic viniculture is practiced fully at the estate from vineyards grown at over 2,000 feet on the south east side of Etna where the volcanic soils nurture complex minerality while the intense southern Italian sun ripens the grapes fully but the high altitude of the vines gives the grapes cool restoration at night to ensure that lifted acidity is maintained. Their Bianco Superiore consists of 90% Carricante grapes with the balance being a blend of other white varietals also indigenous to the region. Fermentation and 10 months of aging are carried out in stainless steel, to retain maximum freshness and fruity zest.
This crisp dry wine opens with aromas of graphite, white flowers, herbs, and stone fruit. The elegant palate is of ripe pear touched by wild fennel and lemon. Minerality and bright acidity gives it a juicy and tangy finish. This will pair nicely with Mediterranean sea bass rubbed with fresh herbs and sautéed in white wine.
-Patrick
2019 Green & Red Chiles Canyon Vineyard Estate Zinfandel, Napa - $35.99
In honor of the waning last month or two of Winter, I present to you a true California original. The Chiles Canyon Vineyard was planted in 1970 by Jay Hemingway who was a former teacher of sculpture at Berkeley where he became friends with Alice Waters and other California cuisine luminaries. Commercial release of the wine began in 1977. To this day they produce a special label for Chez Panisse and production of the Chiles Canyon Zinfandel, their main wine, tops out at 1,500 to 2,000 bottles a year. As for the wine, it’s all silky ripe berry fruits bursting the seams of its tea and dusty hay like tannin structure. The label references a Dionysian cup that depicts Dionysus turning the sea to wine and turning pirates into dolphins. A fair depiction of the heady pleasures to be had within.
-Dave
2020 Pico Maccario 'Lavignone' Barbera d'Asti - $19.99
Pico Maccario specialises in Barbera production in the Piedmont in the Barbera d'Asti DOCG. They farm a massive amount of Barbera and the Lavignone bottling, named after an 18th-century farmhouse located on the property, is their most important bottling. It is a must try for Barbera lovers or for someone looking for that perfect everyday table red. The nose shows pretty aromas of violets and bright red cherry fruit and the medium bodied palate has notes of plum and raspberry with mineral and gentle tannins. Delicious on its own and a great bottle to pair with classic tomato based Italian dishes.
-Rob
|
|
VERY IMPORTANT - Furry Friend Visits! |
|
Cheers Everyone!
The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
