On a recent cloudy, coolish and calm Saturday evening on a Southwest Germantown backyard porch a group of friends - assorted wine aficionados, geeks and connoisseurs - gathered together to enjoy each other's company and a sample a few wines ... well, make that a
lot of wines! All together the count totaled 19, and nary a sip remained at the end of the confabulation. Provenances were worldwide - from New Zealand to California to France. It was an opportunity to appreciate the beautiful subtleties of this noble grape varietal and remark on the difference that terroir and winemaker bring to their cuvées.
In no particular order, here is the list of wines:
1. Domaine de la Potine, Touraine AOC 2013 (Fleet Street)
2. Le Bouc, Touraine AOC 2013 (Fleet Street)
3. Lassalle, Pays d'Oc IGP 2013
4. Director's Cut, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, (Francis Ford Coppola) 2012
5. Natura, Valle de Casablanca, Chile 2013
6. Whitehaven, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013
7. Clotilde Davenne, Saint-Bris AOC 2010
8. Fire Road, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013
9. Cuvaison, Solitaire Sauvignon Blanc, Carneros, Napa Valley 2012
10. Joel Gott, Napa Valley 2013
11. Nobilo, Marlborough, New Zealand 2013
12. Siblings (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon) , Margaret River, Australia, Leeuwine Estate, 2012
13. Oberon, Michael Mondavi, Napa Valley 2013
14. Villa Maria (Private Bin), Marlborough, New Zealand 2012
15. Martin Ray, Russian River Valley 2013
16. Courtney Benham, Napa Valley 2013
17. Frisson, Russian River Valley 2011
18. Chalk Hill, Sonoma 2011
19. Meridian, Napa Valley 2011
Numberwise, Marlborough, Sonoma and Napa were all represented equally at 4 bottles a piece, perhaps reflecting the prominence of these regions in the market for availability and quality. (There was one outlier that escaped the thirsty wine tasters: an Aveleda Vinho Verde from Portugal, but we'll try to catch that next time, Pedro! And if your eyes are really sharp, you'll notice that someone (I'm looking at you, Ian!) sneaked in a bottle of suds, Freigeist Pimock Rhineland Weize - top photo).
As this was not a "formal" tasting, I will dispense with the tasting notes, except to say that among the crowd's favorites were the Saint-Bris, the Fire Road, the Chalk Hill (see my blog post of June 19), the Joel Gott (see my blog post of January 4 ) and the Domaine de la Potine.
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| Checking that wine app! |
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| The rain held off so guests could chill in the backyard without cover. |
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| That's a Joel Gott Chris is showcasing. |
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Pedro' s (left)
Pastéis de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Balls/Fritters) were a big hit! See below for recipe.
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| Wine expert par excellence Max and his wife Vanessa make a toast for the photographer. |
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| Discussing the finer points of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc! |
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| Night descends on the happy crowd. |
Many thanks to the guests for all the great wine selections and delicious food! Looking forward to meeting up with you at the next wine event.
Pastéis de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Balls/Fritters)
1/2 pound of dried salt cod (baccalà,
in Italian - ideally not the already skinned and deboned type, but that
will do if the real stuff is hard to find)
2 medium Russet or Eastern potatoes,
peeled and quartered
1 medium yellow onion, peeled
and finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, peeled
and finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin
olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped
parsley
1-2 eggs, separated
Quarter cup (approx.) of all-purpose
flour (optional)
dash of cayenne pepper
(optional)
freshly ground black pepper (to
taste)
vegetable oil for deep frying
Soak the salt cod for about 24
hours in several changes of cold water. (Put it in the fridge overnight.) Drain
and rinse well.
Place cod in a saucepan, add
enough cold water to cover, bring to a boil, and then gently simmer over
moderate heat for 15 to 20 minutes (NB: some foam/scum will be a normal and
innocuous side-effect of boiling the cod; skim it, as you go along, if you feel
the need to go through the trouble).
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in
enough water to cover for about 20 minutes (until soft); drain well and set
aside.
When the cod is tender, drain
well and let cool. Carefully remove all the bones and skin from the cod.
Flake/break up the cod with a fork and/or fingers (while continuing to be on
the lookout out any remaining bones). Set aside.
(Tip: you can boil the cod and
potatoes together, at the same time, if you like; since they take roughly the
same time to cook.)
In a small heavy skillet set
over moderate low heat, gently sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for
about 5 minutes (until limp, not browned).
Mash the potatoes, then mix in
the reserved minced cod, onion mixture, parsley, cayenne, and black
pepper. Before adding the eggs, check if the mixture needs some extra
salt (it may do so!), then stir in the egg yolk(s, one at a time) and mix well.
Whisk the egg white(s) to soft peaks, then fold into the cod mixture.
Heat the vegetable oil in a
good-sized frying pan (or deep fryer) over a moderate high heat.
Using two soup spoons (one in
each hand, held firmly), shape a spoonful at a time of the cod mixture into
1-to-1.5 inch thick balls (the shape of American footballs or Rugby
balls!). Then, as soon as the oil is hot enough (i.e. has reached about
370 degrees F), gently plop each ball in and fry in batches (about 4 at a time)
until golden brown (1 to 2 minutes each). You might need to place the
shaped balls on a floured surface until you’re ready to place them in the oil.
Raise and lower the burner heat/flame as needed to keep the temperature of the
oil as near to 370 F as possible.
As the balls brown, lift out
with a slotted spoon to drain over several thickness of paper towels.
The trick is to have the oil
temperature just right – too low and the balls start to break apart (which will
mess up your oil!); too high and the outsides cook before the insides…
I’ve found adding a little sifted flour to the mixture helps hold the mixture
together a bit better. Trial and error…
Garnish with parsley, lemon
wedges, and serve with a nice, cool, crisp vinho verde (or other
libation of choice)!
