Tuesday, May 11, 2010

"B" is for "Bison" with Malbec


My dad had a triple by-pass a few years ago. Knowing red wine in moderation possesses antioxidants that are good for one’s health, he drinks the occasional glass of red with his meals. Since he’s not an aficionado, he purchases products that tend to be inexpensive and awfully sweet.

A few months ago a wine loving friend recommended I try an inexpensive red called Finca Flichman Misterio malbec, (CSPC # 28803), $7.95. I tried the wine. For the price this is a decent quaffer, offering medium weight with fruity flavours like dark, ripe plums and a hint of toast on the back notes of the nose and palate. I purchased a bottle for my dad and he really enjoyed it.

Misterio is made from the malbec grape. It is one of six grape varieties used in the production of France’s famous red blend called Bordeaux. The grape requires lots of heat and sun, and so has really taken root in Argentina. It is now the national grape of this country with its largest plantings in Mendoza. Here the wines made from this variety are inky red with deep dark fruit flavours and velvety texture.

With 13.5 percent alcohol, this wine has enough viscosity (weight and fattiness) to work with red meat. I decided to try this wine with a type of red meat that is good for the heart, as well…bison!

I sipped a glass of Misterio with a bowl of chili made that I made with ground bison purchased at the Peterborough Buffalo Farm booth at the Saturday Peterborough Farmer’s market. The local farm and booth are owned and operated by Tim Belch.

Bison is low in fat, thus leaner than other red meats. However, it has a taste and texture very similar to beef. I added ground bison to my classic chili recipe. I also incorporated some unsweetened dark chocolate powder and finely ground coffee. Dark chocolate and coffee have pleasant bitterness that adds wonderful depth and roundness of flavour on the finish of the chili, harmonizing with the subtle tannin in Misterio.

Bison can be incorporated into a variety of heart-smart dishes that will complement Misterio. Tim Belch also offers a range of bison cuts at the farmer’s market. You can substitute bison for any dish that normally features beef. Examples are coffee marinated bison short ribs, bison burgers with extra old cheddar, bison pot pie, sheppard’s pie, bison and barley soup, meat sauce for spaghetti, etc. Try using bison in a traditional recipe for beef bourgignon. I’m sure Julia Child would have ventured to try bison bourgignon. Keep in mind that bison, because it has low fat, cooks in half the time as beef.

Misterio malbec tends to be slightly bitter on the finish when the bottle is first opened. After all, it is an inexpensive quaffer. I recommend you decant the wine for an hour or so before sipping.

Monday, May 3, 2010

"A" is for Acidity, the Crisp Kind


I often recommend chilled white wines with high acidity for the summertime. Crisp, dry white wines with good acidity partner well with summer foods, such as vinaigrettes for salad, grilled chicken and seafood, greasy finger foods and fresh vegetables from the garden.

When recommending crisp, dry white wines, I often suggest Sauvignon Blanc and dry Riesling. There are other white wines produced in wine regions around the world that fall into this category.

Pinot Bianco is an Italian grape variety grown in the northeast part of the country, in the provinces of Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friuli. Wines from this grape are medium-bodied with a light fruitiness and crisp acidity. They are sometimes fermented and/or aged in oak. When oak is employed these varieties fall into a different wine style category called big, fat whites. So, make sure that your pinot bianco has not seen any oak if you’re looking for a crisp, dry white.

Some Chardonnay is produced in this crisp, dry white wine style, as well. Chablis is the most northerly region of Burgundy. The area’s wines that receive the Chablis AOC must be made from the chardonnay grape. The AOC stands for the Code de Legislation des Appellation d’Origine Controlee. The AOC has two main objectives. The first is to geographically define wine-producing areas so that the origin of a wine may be clearly and accurately stated. The second objective is to establish production standards for each defined wine area, thus guaranteeing the origin and quality of a wine. The AOC is complemented by other laws, such as Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure, Vin de Pays and Vin de Table. Generally speaking, an AOC wine is guaranteed to be of high quality, and to be produced in a way that preserves local traditions and emphasizes the uniqueness of the region or terroir. (Terroir is the combination of the geography, climate and soil of a particular wine region.)

Back to the crisp, dry white wine style. There are four classifications of Chablis AOC, each producing chardonnay with different character traits. All, however, falls into this crisp, white wine style. The classifications are: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. This region also produces crisp, white wines from the Sauvignon Blanc and Aligote grapes.

In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is also grown and made into a crisp white with good acidity. Bairrada is a wine region in Portugal that produces white wines in this style, as well, with crispness and lemony character.

Other white wines that celebrate this style category are Bacchus and Baden from Germany, and a Swiss grape variety called Chasselas. Frascati, Pinot Grigio and Orvieto are three more crisp, dry whites from Italy. It’s not surprising that many dry, crisp whites come from Italy. Wines produced in this style are considered food friendly as the high acidity cleans the palate. The Italians are renowned for drinking wine with almost every meal. So, it’s not surprising that they would produce crisp, dry whites that clean the palate between bites.