Des Moines Wine and Food Connection

Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations

There's always a lot of talk this time of year about what to drink with the holiday meals and it seems in one publication or another you can find justification for just about every wine out there. Here's a few quick picks from the Casa di Vino shelves and a few food and wine pairings.

Julian Chivite 07 "Gran Feudo" Rose: 100% Garnacha (Grenache) - This dry rose is the perfect foil for ham or turkey but also works well with fish. Particularly salmon. 

Mill Creek 06 Gewurztraminer: The finest Gewurz. Mill Creek has done yet. Fruity but not too sweet, this is a great wine for the once-a-year folks and a super pairing with turkey, ham and the fixins'.

George Duboeuf 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau: Raspberry kool-aid. The first wine released after the harvest in Burgundy, this fruit forward red quaffer is the perfect wine for washing down turkey, pork or fish. 

Silver Ridge 07 Pinot Noir: CDV's pinot for the season  was a hit at our holiday show two weeks ago. Finding a good Pinot Noir for under $15 is a challenge. This wine is a steal.

Thomas Laurent 05 Bordeaux Rouge: From the superlative 2005 vintage, this Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot is the perfect foil for Prime Rib or a Filet Mignon. 

St. Hallett Gamekeepers Shiraz/Grenache: Great with any red meat, this wine shows best along side its traditional Australian pairing, Leg of Lamb. 

These are a few of the wines that will be gracing our tables here at Casa di Vino. Stop in and pick up a bottle or two. It just might be the best investment you make this holiday season.  

Howard Bernstein, Wine and Food Guy

Casa di Vino

Des Moines Wine and Food Connection

Wild Rice Stuffing

I don't know what usually goes inside your bird on Thanksgiving but I like a wild rice stuffing ( Laura makes a traditional bread dressing in a casserole dish). Here's my recipe. Have a great holiday.

Prepare 1 cup (uncooked) wild rice blend (from bulk food store). Makes approx. 3 cups cooked (I think). You only need about two cups cooked. While water is boiling for rice saute one medium onion finely diced in skillet with two teaspoons olive oil and one chopped clove garlic until soft. Add 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms and one can water chestnuts(drained) chopped. Saute together until mushrooms just softened. Remove from heat. Once rice is cooked and cooled (you could prepare this the day before and just stuff the bird with the mixture Thanksgiving morn.) combine with the mixture in the skillet. Add 1/2 tsp. of dried crushed sage, 1/2 tsp. of dried crushed rosemary, 1/4 tsp. of dried crushed marjoram, and 1/4 tsp. dried crushed tarragon OR add 2 1/2 tsp. of "Herb de Provence" (preferably Penzeys). stir in 1 cup of dried mixed berries (cranberries, cherries & I don't remember the third) or just straight dried cranberries. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
Seperate out two cups of mixture and stuff bird loosely. If needed add more stuffing. The reason I say seperate out two cups is once you've had your hand in the stuffing then the bird the stuffing is "contaminated" with raw meat. If you don't need more than two cups you can save the rest to eat later. Finally I pat a layer of the dried berries over the stuffed cavity of the bird to absorb juices and brown up. They taste great once they get stirred into the stuffing upon removing from the bird. 

This recipe is really good with wild birds. I especially like it with slow cooked pheasant or duck.

Howard Bernstein, Casa di Vino

Des Moines Wine and Food Connection

    

Election Time, partisan wine drinking

This coming Tuesday is election day. Many of you will spend the evening in front of the television watching as the election results unfold. Most of you will be driven to drink because: A - you're nervous your guy is going to lose, B - you're celebrating your guy winning, C - you're glad the whole thing is over, D - you just need a drink. Some of you may even be at election parties with friends, enemies &  supporters of THAT other party. Here are a couple of recommendations for what to drink while supporting your guy and your party. In the spirit of bi-partisanship you may even reach across the aisle/room and take a taste of the other guys wine or even perhaps, in the spirit of reconcilliation offer the other guy a sip of yours. Or perhaps not.

For the Republican partisans out there Casa di Vino recommends PennyWise Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a big, tannic, broad shouldered Cabernet for those of you who are strong on defense and bullish on the military. This is no wimpy wine. This wine could kick Saddam's butt all the way back to Bagdad. As you can see, it comes from Napa Valley where the best Cabernet in America is made by REAL AMERICANS! This is pure Cabernet, not a blend of some other wimpy grapes. This is a red meat wine that should only be drunk by REAL AMERICANS! The rest of you should step back. This is what Sarah Palin would drink if she weren't a Joe Six Pack gal and prefered a glass of vino with her caribou steak.

Democrats and especially those partisans of Barack Obama believe in inclusivness. For you, CDV offers Turnbull "Old Bull Red". This wine is a juicy, fruit forward blend of most everything that didn't fall off the truck (Tempranillo, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Barbera & Syrah). All inclusive, this is a wine that's all about equality and working together. Sharing. Not a socialist wine but a wine that believes in co-habitation. A wine for REAL AMERICANS! This wine works with red meat but also works equally well with pasta sauces and ethnic dishes. A big mouthful of fruit. 

So those are Casa di Vino's wine and food recommendations. Remember, exercise your democratic rights and get out and vote. Then exercise your other right to choose and eat and drink well.

And may G-d bless America.   

Howard Bernstein, Wine and Food Guy

Casa di Vino

Des Moines Wine and Food Connection