Fall Wines Under $12

Come Fall some people crave Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but not me. When the evenings turn chilly all I really want is a decent wine that won't break my grocery budget and a warm blanket on the couch. To celebrate the first day of Fall here are my picks: 

Resso 2013 Garnacha Blanca , Spain

Bright and crisp with hints of apple and peach

Mcmanis 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon , California

Bold and Jammy, perfect for sipping on a cozy evening

Happy Fall!

Red, Red, Red Wine

Our house has been a little topsy turvy lately. For the last two weeks we have been eating our dinners on top of a sheet in the dining room. I really can't complain about this, dinners have been a little more fun with the picnic atmosphere, and I am sure my five year old appreciates not hearing "sit down on your chair," every night. We have been eating on the floor because I decided to refinish the dining table, which took A LOT longer than I expected....(Why does Pinterest make everything look so easy??) We are also redoing our living room floor, so all the living room items need to be moved to the dining room, and on top of all that I was layed up with a stiff neck! (Coincidence?) Needless to say as soon as my neck feels better and (I can drink out of a glass properly) I'll be wanting a big glass of wine! Where I will be drinking that wine I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll figure something out!

Here are two newly discovered (at least by me) delicious red wines under $15. They are nice enough to serve to dinner guests, but low priced enough to drink by themselves in whatever corner of your home that you can find to escape from the chaos!

I enjoy all J Lohr and Bogle wines, but my current favorite picks from these winemakers are:

Bogle, 2010 Essential Red




J LOHR Estates 2010 Southridge Syrah

Show Some Love: Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab & Chocolate Fondue

I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. Sure, I have a taste for conversation hearts like everyone else, but other than that I'm just not into it. Where does all this scroogy cynicism come from? Well, in my mind, Valentine's Day might as well change it's name to Anxiety Day, based off my angst ridden collage of Valentine memories.  Memories of early grade school crisis's of choosing the perfect Garfield valentine for my crush,  awful Valentine's dances in high school (which really only served the purpose of confirming, yes, yes, I'm breaking up with him),  getting sent roses in college from that stalkerish guy in history class,  that jerk who forgot about Valentine's Day, all the way to those anti-Valentine's Day man bashing sessions you have with your girlfriends (they only leave you feeling like the pettier sex, because once again you've wasted your entire evening talking about them). And what about worst of all when you are just starting to date someone and V Day rears it's ugly head? You look everywhere but you just can't find a card that says " I might like you a little bit, but I'm not crazy in love with you yet, so don't go getting any ideas." Hallmark doesn't make that one, but they really should. Then when you are in a relationship those dreaded Valentine's Days spent at work where your heart jumps a little every time the UPS guy walks in? And you told your man, not to waste his money on flowers, they die, etc, etc, but you didn't mean it, did you? (Men, we never really mean that. Seriously we don't.) Then the Valentine's day you realize you have your good man because he sent you the perfect bouquet of non-roses in your favorite flower color, with no trace of baby's breath in sight, and it was just slightly (but significantly) bigger than all the other girl's bouquets? Then it hits you that you have spent your whole entire day waiting to be sad, mad, happy, or worst of all disappointed. All in the name of love and chocolates?? What other holiday causes so much turmoil, make-ups and break-ups?(The holidays you spend too much time with your family don't count....) Do you see how awful my attitude is? Atrocious. Just terrible.

At least it was until the other day. The other day I was helping my 3 year old stuff her cute "Disney Princess" valentines when she asked me "Mommy, what is Valentine's Day?" I was about to launch into the history of St.Valentine, the Emperor Claudius and Victorian greeting cards, but instead I told her "Valentines Day is a day where we tell the people we love, we love them." In that moment, I knew what I just said wasn't the normally contrived answer used to placate my curious child, it was the truth. I started thinking of the good Valentine memories, like when my dad used to bring my little sister and I teddy bears and flowers, making us feel so very special. Life has come full circle and now and I have two little girls of my own and the opportunity to show them that same love. I started thinking about the past Valentine's Days spent with my husband, and all the future ones to look forward to. I thought about the fact that while the main gift may change, he can always be counted on to bring home a good bottle of red wine and some dark chocolate. Now who wouldn't want to be able to circle a date on the calendar every year and say to themselves "today I am going to get some wine and chocolate!" I mean, that is pretty cool right?

The truth is Valentine's Day is about love and the celebration of that love. Your "true love", your dog, your grandbabies, your best friend, it doesn't matter who is on the receiving end of that love, the point is you are just supposed to show them love. You can show them that love with cut out paper hearts, two dozen roses, or simply by telling them. The only point is to express your love, the vehicle in which you do it in really doesn't matter. Sometimes it seems like there is hardly enough love to make the world go round, so WHY NOT celebrate a day that is specifically designed to be about love?  I have given myself a major attitude adjustment. Now give yourself one too. Go spread the love.

Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab with Fresh Herbs & Lemon
Serves 2
This recipe is so delicious! I always make this during Dungeness Crab season (December-March) for either birthdays or Valentines Day.

6 ounces unsalted butter (divided into 4 oz and 2 oz pieces)
1/4 cup good olive oil
Habenero hot sauce to taste (I use a tablespoon)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons shallots, minced
2 cooked, cleaned Dungeness crabs*
6 Tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I used tarragon and parsley, but you could use thyme, cilantro, arugula)
1 Large lemon, juiced and zested
3/4 cup Riesling, Gewurztraminer, or Champagne
Salt & pepper

* Buy the freshest crab possible, preferably live, have the fishmonger kill and back crabs for you. Cook within 4 hours. To cook, boil in salted water for 17 minutes. Drain in colander. If buying crab already cooked, make sure crabs are not missing any legs, as this is a sign crabs are not fresh. The crabs with the biggest legs have the most meat.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Rinse crabs. Crack the legs from the cooked crab and section the breasts. Melt 4 ounces of the unsalted butter and the olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof saute pan or deep skillet. Add garlic and shallots and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in hot sauce to taste.  Add crabs, season with salt and pepper and stir, sauteing for another minute or two. Add 4 tablespoons of the chopped herbs and half of the lemon zest. Stir.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10-12 minutes. (Stir once halfway through.) Remove pan from oven and transfer crab to a big platter. Cover crab and keep warm. Put saute pan back over medium heat and add lemon juice and Riesling. Increase the heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce by half (about 4 minutes). Stir in 2 ounces reserved butter. Pour sauce over crabs and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of herbs and rest of lemon zest. Serve immediately with sourdough bread!


Chocolate Fondue

8 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate (60% cacao) (Try Trader Joe's chocolate baking disks)
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon Cabernet, Syrah, or Zinfandel

Dipping ideas:
Strawberries
Bananas
Brownies
Pound Cake
Cheesecake

In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat melt chocolate, butter, and cream. Stir until smooth. Add wine and stir again. Transfer to a fondue pot with a flame going underneath. Serve with dipping items, enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day! Don't worry, it's cranberry juice!

Summertime Stimulus Package: 2 Bargain Whites

* I did not take the above picture but I would have liked to *

I am really more of a red wine girl, never really liked whites, in fact, I was downright snobbish about it. When I went wine tasting I would skip the whites and go straight for the reds, either handing the whites off to my husband, or just bypassing them all together. When you think about this, how sad and just plain ridiculous is it that I missed out on all that free wine? Good thing I have become more open minded, and in the name of palette training, over the years I have really come to appreciate a decent white. I enjoy white wines that are crisp and smooth, bottles that are especially good on a warm day, or when you want a glass of wine but nothing heavy or too sweet. White wine is the perfect companion to an outdoor barbecue or a beach picnic and also makes an excellent mask for pretending that you are not really drinking before cocktail hour…ha ha….

Fetzer Pinot Grigio (2006) is from California and can be found for around $6.99 a bottle. This wine is crisp, with hints of apple and pear, but not in a pear juice Chardonnay kind of way. This wine pairs well with spicy foods such as Thai and also went well with strawberries!

In a previous post I mentioned that I had yet to try Colombia Crest Vineyard 10 White Wine (2007). Well now I have, and this wine is a fabulous find at about $5.99! a bottle. This wine is smooth, with hints of citrus and apple. The Vineyard 10 has great drinkability and doesn't need any food, just a comfy chair and a patio!

My Love Affair with Zinfandel

I love Zinfandel. Maybe it is because I am a native Californian and will always be at heart, no matter how long I live in Oregon, that I love this grape so much. Zinfandel is a grape native to California, thriving in climates that are hot and get extreme sun during the day. The hot sunlight makes the Zinfandel grapes juicy and bursting with bold multidimensional flavor. My favorite Zinfandels are Old Vine, which come out of the Lodi/Stockton area, this area stays hot all day and doesn‘t cool off at night, unlike the other Zinfandel growing coastal areas. The term "Old Vine" means that the grapes are more than 50 years old. Old Vine Zinfandel grapes don’t yield as bountiful as a crop as new zinfandel grapes and so are not always popular with vinters, but in my opinion, the Old Vine grapes produce the most rich, intense, big flavor Zinfandels. Another popular area known for growing Old Vine Zinfandels are the Amador County/Placerville areas. Old Vine or not, the Zinfandel regions in California all put their unique stamp on the varietal; with each region producing distinctly different Zinfandel wines . The good thing is you don’t have to be choosy, Paso Robles, Sonoma , Mendocino , Lodi , Amador, And Russian River Valley are all turning out stellar zinfandels.

The grape is catching on in popularity in other wine regions throughout the United States, but the best ones come out of California. I have tasted some expensive bottles from Oregon and Washington, but they don’t measure up to even the cheaper California ones. Zinfandel tends to be higher in alcohol content than other varietals and Old Vine wines usually run in the 14.5 % plus category. Because of this, Zinfandels lend themselves very well to food, especially meat, pastas, tomato based dishes, and other outdoor barbecue fare. If you haven’t tried Zinfandel yet, or are looking to try others, these are 2 affordable Old Vine wines that can be found pretty easily: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2007 (Lodi) contains those classic bold berry smooth flavors and Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel 2005(Amador County) for those who like a spicier kick to their Zin. Gnarly Head was the first wine I had after being pregnant, and what a moment of bliss that was after 9 months, even if after half a glass I loudly declared “I feel drunk!” to my father no less. The first time I tasted the Renwood was alongside a savory goat cheese crepe at Le Happy in Portland, and boy did it make me happy =)

Sangria

I fell in love with sangria one hot July evening in Sevilla , Spain. I had stayed away from ordering sangria because I couldn’t quite get the concept, I mean why in the world would you serve red wine cold and with fruit? But evening after evening, regular wine, beer , or soda could not quench my thirst or cool me off. So after a few days I ordered a big glass of sangria with my dinner, just to see what all the fuss was about. After my first taste of a red wine &brandy soaked bit of apple, I knew there really was such a thing as love at first bite…..

Upon returning home, I became obsessed with sangria. No restaurants around where I lived served it, and if they had, I wasn’t 21 yet, so it wouldn’t have mattered. (Don‘t get me started on this country‘s drinking age laws….) So with Spanish cookbooks in hand, I set out perfecting my own sangria, testing it out on friends & family along the way. And in the end, I think I ended up with a pretty dang good recipe. To this day, my first batch of sangria symbolizes to me the start of summer , and all the wonderful memories it brings: pool parties, backyard bbqs, and hot Spanish nights. So whip yourself up as many batches of this you can this summer, because Christmas will be here before you know it…..

Sangria is traditionally made with a Spanish Rioja, but I find any dry red wine will do, I often use Colombia Crest Vineyard 10 or Barefoot Cabernet (the cheaper the wine, the more pitchers you can make!)

Red Wine Sangria

1 Bottle Red Wine (Medium Bodied)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 oz Brandy
1 Lime, Sliced
1 Orange , Sliced into ½ Circles
1 Lemon , Sliced
1 Red Apple, Cored & Chopped into Bite Size Pieces
Club Soda
Ice
In a large glass pitcher, combine all the fruit. Add brandy and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour in the wine, stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in wine and top off with club soda. The club soda is traditional to top off the Sangria, but I personally don’t use the club soda because I feel that is dilutes the wine taste too much, but it is a matter of preference.

After “perfecting” my red wine sangria, I sought out different versions of sangria, using white & sparkling wines. This was a version I made last summer for my sister in law Alexandra’s baby shower. It was a big hit with the ladies!

Jude’s Cava Sangria

1 Bottle Champagne or Cava (Dry or Extra Dry, none of that sickenly sweet Spumante stuff!)
1 Pink Grapefruit (Sliced into ½ circles)
1 navel orange (Sliced into half circles)
4 oz Grand Marnier
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 oz Lemonade
Ice Cubes
In a large glass pitcher, combine the fruit, lemonade, Grand Marnier, and sugar. Using a long wooden spoon, muddle the mixture to release the fruit juices and until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Slowly add the Cava to the pitcher, stirring gently to combine. Pour into glasses. Salut!

Bogle Petite Sirah

Back in the Corvallis days this was me and my roommate Julie’s favorite wine. It was rare for us not to have at least one bottle of this in our wine rack. When Jon and I started dating, we drank this all the time, usually consumed with a big plate of Otis Spunk Meyer chocolate chip cookies. (A brilliant combination that needs to be tried by all!) And then suddenly, we all stopped drinking it. No reason why, other then it just sort of fell out of fashion at the Daylily townhouse. Then on my _ th birthday this year Jon brought home a bottle of Bogle Petite Sirah. We (Jon & I , Gavin & Julie ; see www.thehautekitchen.com) all laughed remembering our indulgence of the vintage a few years back. The bottle was opened and in-between the sips of wine and bites of garlicky Pizzicato pizza we all looked at each other and asked the big question : WHY DID WE EVER STOP DRINKING THIS? A few weeks later at Julie’s _ th birthday dinner we once again asked ourselves the same question. It then became clear that in our quest to find other great wines we had abandoned what we knew to be true : Bogle Petite Sirah is really, really good. Not only is it delicious, but it can usually be found for about $8.99.
Bogle winery is in Clarksburg California, just a little southwest of Sacramento. Their philosophy is refreshing : Make great tasting wines at affordable prices. Now that is a philosophy I could get used to! The Petite Sirah might be a personal favorite, but is by far not the only style that is worth trying. Their Old Vine Zinfandel is exactly what a Zinfandel should be , intense , dark fruit flavors , high alcohol content and a subtle sweetness that bodes well for pairing with dark chocolate. Last time I was in California, Costco had the Old Vine Zin for $7.99. In fact, all of their wines I have tried have been good , and at bordering in the $10 and under range are a steal. Besides their Sirah and Old Vine, I have also tried their Cab , Merlot , Chardonnay , and Sauvignon Blanc. They make more than that too, so next time you are in the market pick up a bottle or check them out at http://www.boglewinery.com/ .

A Wine of the Times

With everyone feeling the weight of the economy these days, it is nice go home after a long day , put your feet up and enjoy a glass (or two!) of wine without the guilt of the money factor. This is where Colombia Crest's Vineyard 10 Red Wine comes in. At $5-6 a bottle , it is inexpensive (sounds better than cheap!) , a lot of bang for your buck flavor wise, and best of all it actually tastes good! I usually am a California wine snob, not for any particular reason, maybe it is just the roots of my raising...(you can take the girl out of California but you can’t take California out of the girl…) but those guys up in Washington know how to make a decent bottle of red! Vineyard 10 is a bold red wine with a lot of big jammy flavors. This wine pairs well with pastas but is also great just on its own. For the white wine aficionados, Columbia Crest also makes a Vineyard 10 White, but I have yet to try it. For those of you that are feeling rich, Colombia Crest Grand Estates also makes a nice Cabernet Sauvignon (preference 2006) at $9-12. So sit down and unwind with your Thursday evening glass (it is after all, almost the weekend) and don’t feel guilty about it!