Portuguese Wine Dinner at O'Porto, Hartford

Last week we planned a special-but-for-no-particular-reason date night by making a reservation for O'Porto's Portuguese wine dinner. For a very reasonable $70, inclusive of tax and gratuity, we enjoyed an espumante toast followed by a six-course dinner with wine pairings. The wine maker, a certain Joao Silva E Sousa, was there and he explained the various wines and visited each table. When he visited ours, he and Chris got into a very educational conversation about the geography/geology of Portugal and how that affects the wine production. The wines were delicious, the food was too, and we were entirely full when we left. Suffice it to say, we had a wonderful time. The following menu with descriptions is from the restaurant, while the photographs were taken by us.

Course 1

Scalopes, Chouriço e Camarão

Scallops, Shrimp and Roasted Portuguese Smoked Chouriço Flambéed in Aged Brandy.

paired with

Azul Portugal – (Ribatejo Branco)

This a well-balanced white wine with perfumed aromatic fruit suggesting peach, citrus

fruit and honey blossom aromas with full bodied flavor. A complex and balanced wine.

Course 2

Frango com Ananaz

Grilled Boneless Chicken with a Slice of Grilled Pineapple Served with Sautéed Vegetables

paired with

Azul Portugal Rosé - (Terras Do Sado)

Harvested in early September, crushed light maceration. Fermented in stainless steel. 

This Rosé is made using 100% Castelão grapes giving this rosé a clean finish with notes of watermelon and oranges.

Course 3

Peito de Pato

Magret Duck Breast in Orange Sauce 

with Toasted Almonds Served with Sautéed Vegetables

paired with

Catapereiro, Tinto – 2010

Bright deep purple color with complex aroma of ripe berry fruits and toasted aromas; the palate is rich and well-structured with sweet tannins.

Course 4

Medalhões de Bife

Medallions of Grilled Filet Mignon in a Port Wine Reduction

paired with

Azul Portugal Douro - 08

Ripe and smooth wine, with a rich Port-like aroma, the sweet fruit structured with some fresh stalky tannins.

Course 5

Costuleta de Borrego

Lamb Chop in a Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction with Sautéed Spinach and Roast Potato

Casa Das Mouras Reserva - 04 (Douro) Northeastern Portugal

A rich and full-bodied wine loaded with notes of blueberry, roses, black tea, chocolate, coffee and balsamic. Very long finish and pronounced fruit flavors. 

Course 6

Queijo, Marmelada, Nozes

Imported Portuguese Cheese with Quince Marmalade and Nuts

paired with

Claustru's Porto Tawny

Claustru’s Tawny has a long and smooth finish and is characterized by the flavors of raisins, almonds, cherry and chocolate.

CT Wine Trail: The Southeast Corner

A crisp and sunny fall Saturday just begged for a drive around Connecticut's wineries. So we grabbed our passports and headed to the southeast corner of the state to enjoy the scenery, sample a glass or two, and discover a place to grab a bite somewhere on the way home.

Our first stop was Holmberg Orchards and Winery. We made it the first stop so we could do some apple picking as well. The tasting room at Holmberg is quite small and it was crowded since everyone seemed to be copying our idea!!! They produce a few fruity wines, as well as some hard ciders, and for $5 (with a souvenir glass!) we got to taste three of each. Our favorite from the wines was the sweet-tart Apple Cranberry which had a beautfully dry cranberry finish. We also loved the zippy sparkling Cortland hard cider and took home a bottle of it to enjoy on our porch swing while we watch the leaves fall.

Next up was a stop at Dalice Elizabeth Winery, a small winery that imports grapes but do all the pressing, fermenting and aging here in CT. A tasting here costs $10 for 4 - the three wines they had available then a second tasting of your favorite. A glass is usually included, but unfortunately for us they had run out. Still, it was here that we enjoyed what may perhaps be the most unusual (in a good way!) wine we've ever had - a chardonnay with quite noticeable and long-lasting hints of almond flavor. Truly unique and delicious. They have cheese platters and other goodies for purchase, with cute little tables under a trellis and a pretty pond to view.

The third stop we made was to Stonington Vineyards. We had gotten a late start, so it was almost 4:30 when we arrived. They were having some live entertainment starting at 5 and had stopped their tastings, but offered us a glass of our choice of their wines and an invitation to stay for some music for $8 each. Amy went for the cabernet franc while Chris had the rose. Both were good enough but nothing we liked quite enough to buy more.

We had time for one more stop, only because one of the vineyards wisely stays open until 6, and that was our favorite of the day, Maugle Sierra Vineyards. The tasting room was warm and spacious, the server was gracious and welcoming, and the wines ($10 for a tasting of 6 wines - 3 whites, 3 reds - with souvenir glass) were fantastic. Several are made with the St. Croix grape, and the reds (particularly the Ledyard Sunset Red) went wonderfully with chocolate (yes, truffles are available for purchase).

Hungry now, we asked if there was an interesting restaurant nearby, and the fine folks at Maugle Sierra handed us a cork and pointed us in the direction of Valentino's, a casual Italian place that offered us a discount in exchange for the winery's cork - a nice little bonus, we thought! They seemed to specialize in pizza and grinders, but we went all out with a couple of pasta dishes. Satisfied and growing tired, we headed back home, having enjoyed a perfect fall outing.

 

Cupcake "Red Velvet" Cupcakes

Are you surprised? We readily admit it: we're not known for our baked goods. But when we tasted Cupcake Vineyards' "Red Velvet" wine, all we could think about was making cupcakes with it. So we did. The idea stems from last year's vacation to Maine - last summer, Amy had copied a recipe from People Magazine for "Zinfandel Cupcakes" and we never made them. This recently-discovered wine, coinciding with an upcoming meeting of Amy's book club, was the inspiration for us to try them now. Seriously - doesn't every book club meeting need wine and cupcakes?!? How about killing two birds with one stone?

 

About the wine: "Red Velvet" wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. It has a pronounced taste of chocolate/mocha in itself, particularly on the finish. There is also a lot of fruitiness to it, mostly cherries and blackberries, as well as a hint of coconut. Perfect for cupcakes, right? 

 
As we often do, we played with the People recipe (just a little bit) and came up with our own version which we tested on the neighborhood. They were a big hit there, where we heard of couples sharing bites on their porch swings in the early summer evening sun. We'll be making them again next week for the book club. And we probably won't change a thing...

Cupcake "Red Velvet" Cupcakes

adapted slightly from People Magazine, "Trista Sutter's Favorite Cupcake Recipe"

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

24 maraschino cherries, stems removed

1 box devil's food cake mix (we used Betty Crocker Super Moist)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup Cupcake Red Velvet wine

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the glaze:

6 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 stick salted butter, softened

1/2 cup baking cocoa (we used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup Cupcake Red Velvet wine

Special equipment: non-stick cupcake/muffin pan with a spike in each cup

Note: We only have the one cupcake pan, so we did this recipe in two batches.

Preheat oven to 325 (350 if your pan isn't non-stick). Place cupcake (muffin) liner in each cup of a regular (12-cup) cupcake pan. Place a cherry on each spike (or in each cup if yours has no spike). In a large bowl, pour cake mix, water, wine, oil and eggs. Mix together as directed on the box. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into lined pan, filling cups about half way. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, then remove cupcakes from pan onto cooling rack. Cool completely. Repeat process with second batch. In the meantime, make the glaze. In a large bowl, beat together powdered sugar, butter, cocoa and salt using an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in the wine. When cupcakes are completely cooled, cover them with the glaze.

Connecticut Wine Trail Day One

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! While there is much that needs to be done around the house, particularly tending to the yard and gardens, we took Saturday and devoted it to a day-long drive along part of the Connecticut Wine Trail, a fun daytime date. We packed a picnic lunch of cheeses, meats, bread, fruit and crackers, and set out to Wallingford for our first two stops. A little excitement on the way - Chris helped move a snapping turtle out of the middle of the road! He's an old one!

New to the wine trail is Paradise Hill Vineyard. Owned by the Ruggiero family, it has been a working vineyard for 15 years, but just opened to the public in 2011. They place bird nets over all of their vines so they can allow the grapes to ripen to their potential and result in a fruit-forward, flavorful wine. While they import many of their grapes from Chile, all of their wines are made in CT. We puchased a tasting and a very informative and friendly server walked us through four of their wines. First, the Washington Trail White, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvingnon Blanc that is a tribute to George Washington who crossed the farm on his quest for gunpowder. It was tart, sharp, tasted of green apple and would be a great cheese wine. Next, we tasted their estate-grown Chardonnay, entirely made in Connecticut. It was a big white, with pear on the nose and hints of straw and citrus, and a lingering finish. The Cayuga White smelled of honeysuckle and was sweet, bright and tasted of tropical fruit; it would be a great by-the-pool wine served chilled. Finally, Trio, a tasty red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmaniere, which was spicy with plum and berry flavors and a chocolate oak finish. There were plenty of tables inside as well as outside, and people are encouraged to bring their own food and enjoy it while lingering with a glass or a bottle of their wine.

Paradise Hill Vineyard

Less than a mile away is Gouveia Vineyards. It was much busier here, and what they lacked in friendliness, they made up for in location; the views are amazing. We did a tasting here as well and tried 5 wines. The Seyval Blanc was semi-dry, smooth, had a nice aroma of honey and tasted of crisp apples. The Chardonnay Oak, aged for 12 months, was buttery, nutty, smoky, toasty and dry. The Cayuga White was a citrusy, sugary summer white that tasted of peaches and apricots. The Stone House Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel ,was full bodied and had a rich bouquet and smoky berry flavor. The Cabernet Franc was also full bodied but had more of a tart, woodsy taste. We also had a small taste of the Merlot, a smoky, spicy, cherry-berry-plum red that was delightfully dry. We stopped here and enjoyed some snacks and the view on one of their picnic tables.

Gouveia Vineyards

Next we headed to Arrigoni Winery in Portland, also very new - the tasting room opened this spring. They have six acres currently planted but not yet producing, so they are getting their grapes from other Connecticut vineyards as well as from the Finger Lakes. They are making five different wines and we tasted a couple of them. The Orchard Valley was a white blend made with local apples that would be great with roast pork. The Drift Wood was a smooth, go-with-anything red with berry notes. They also have a nice patio overlooking their vines. We are interested to see where they take this venture.

Arrigoni Winery

We ended our day in Colchester at Priam Vineyards, and it seems we saved the best (and definitely most well-established) for last. Our incredibly hospitable and knowledgable server, Bob, walked us through what seemed like countless wines while telling us all about the vineyard itself. Priam is a completely sustainable vineyard with a solar-powered winery. They use no pesticides and grow clover between the grapes as a natural fertilizer. All their wines are estate-grown, and many are award-winning. Several of their wines are made from the St. Croix grape, and according to Bob, there are only 500 acres of this grape in the world; seven of them are at Priam. On to the wines. The Chardonnay is not oaked, and tasted of lemon and peach. The Gewurztraminer was spicy, complex, and dry, with honey and peach flavors and a mineral finish. The Riesling would be great with lemon chicken - it was fruity, clean and crispy and smelled like lychee or lotus flowers. Made to assist in the Backus Hospital Breast Cancer Survivors' Fund (15% of the purchase is donated to them), the Blackledge Rose is 100% St. Croix grapes, and was hardly sweet, but instead was semi-dry and fruit forward. The Late Harvest Riesling is a dessert wine tha we found tasted of lavender and honeysuckle and would be great with creme brulee. The Westchester Red is a barrel-aged blend that was spicy and smoky and slightly sweet, although not as sweet when it is chilled. The Salmon River Red was Amy's favorite wine of the day - a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it was heavily tannic, berry forward, smoky and went really well with dark chocolate. The St. Croix was oaky, smoky and reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries. The Salmon River Red PV was their 2007 Bordeaux blend, aged for 36 months, and we found it to have lots of rich fruit flavors along with chocolate, fig, smoke and even leather.

By the time we left Priam, it was raining. Hard. The kind of rain that makes your windshield look like a peacock, with the drops on the glass as round as the eyes on its feathers. So we are lacking photos of Priam, but we have a feeling we'll be back. We met some nice folks, even running into a couple of them more than once on our journey, and tasted some fabulous locally made wines. Come back soon to check out the wine-inspired dish we made when we got home!

CT Food and Wine Festival

Amy writes: Last Saturday afternoon, Chris took the train into NYC for a bachelor party, and since I had no other plans, I decided to head out to the CT Wine and Food Festival at The Hartford Club. The event promised food, wine, and celebrity chefs and the proceeds went to the Arthritis Foundation, so it seemed like a good time in the name of a good cause.  I attended the afternoon Grand Tasting, which ran from noon to 4. My friend Jolie graciously agreed to drop me off, and her husband would pick me up after the UCONN game got out, so I could taste as many wines as I could without worrying about driving home.

Upon entering, I was handed a program and a wine glass. Good start. There were two levels, and I decided to browse downstairs first. The newly released Beaujolais Nouveau by Georges Duboeuf was the first thing I tried. Not a great year for that one, I'm afraid to say. I regret buying a bottle on Thursday night without tasting it first. Oh well, moving on. Next, a shot of moonshine made by Onyx Spirits right in my town Manchester! Smooth and tasty, like a good vodka. That would be yummy with some apple cider! Another couple of tastings (Barefoot Pinot Noir - not bad for the price, and couple of reds made by Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards from the Finger Lakes - a little sweet for my taste), and then a visit to the Caseus (from New Haven, CT) cheese table. Wine and cheese. Yummmm... Also downstairs were some vendors of wine-themed gifts, lots of beer offerings from such brewers as Harpoon and Otter Creek, and a corner of cigar sellers.

Vowing to take another browse through that area before I left, I headed upstairs. Upstairs was a sea of wine bottles, and the "island" in the middle of this sea was the celebrity chef demonstration area. I would be spending a few hours here, so I settled in. The wines up here were definitely more my taste; in fact, I had tasted many of them before. Still, three of the most noteworthy wines I tried that day include: Palegetto Syrah "Una di Quattro" 2004 - a rich, jammy Italian syrah poured by Angellini Wines; Museum Real Reserva 2005 - an intense, spicy, velvety Spanish tempranillo; and best of all, the Fulcrum Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2010, poured by the vintner himself, and friendly and enthusiastic wine lover who is definitely doing something right (more about that particular wine when Chris and I open the bottle I purchased).

      

I got the perfect spot from which to view several cooking demonstrations, which was the best part of the day for me. First, Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., season four winner of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star and star of Big Daddy's House, taught us how to make a seared tilapia with a sauce that included herbs, lemon juice and anchovies (plate pictured above). Chef was funny and engaging, and offered several of us ladies a taste of the delicious dish. I loved it so much that I had to get a signed copy of his book!

Next, I tried a dish made by Executive Chef Christopher Kube of the Hartford Club, the swanky spot where the event was held. That dish was pumpkin soup with a crostini of goat cheese and cranberries. It was perfect timing, really - as I was sipping the soup "shot" the chef took the stage to demo how to make it. So fun!

   

Chef Joe "JJ" Johnson was up next. This guy has wit, personality and the innate ability to teach while cooking, so he was a joy to watch. He made a beautiful calamari dish that unfortunately I did not try, but it sure looked gorgeous!

     

Finally, Mike Elder, three-time winner of TLC's Ultimate Cake Off showed off his finishing touches on the wine-barrel cake he made for the event. Such artistic talent! And he seems like a cool guy who really loves doing what he does.

                  

All in all it was a great day. I met some fun people, hob-nobbed with celebrity chefs, and tasted some great wines. But I do have two pretty major criticisms. First, there was barely any food and frankly, when you have all that wine, beer and liquor to taste, you need something to nosh on. Second, several of the celebrities featured on the website were no-shows including Chefs Kevin Cottle (of Hell's Kitchen fame), Noel Jones (ON20), and Hunter Morton (of Max Downtown). When you pay a good deal of money for an event, you expect it to live up to what was advertised and sadly, that was not entirely the case. Since it's the first time for this event, I can only hope next year's planners will consider adding some food and ensuring all the chefs show up. Anyway, check out some more pictures of the festival from the pros at the Hartford Courant here; that's my hand digging into the plate in picture #27!

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival

We have just returned from an awesome weekend in Atlantic City which included a visit to the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. There were festival events all weekend, but the only one we attended was the signature event of the festival, The Grand Market and Italian Village.

While the process of getting into the event, even with pre-purchased tickets, was chaotic to say the least, the tasting itself was fantastic. There was a maze of ballrooms at Bally's dedicated to the event, in which there were over 125 tasting stations featuring small plates, wine, beer, specialty food products and cooking demonstrations. There was so much to taste, it would be impossible to taste it all! However, we thought we'd offer you a taste by highlighting some of our favorites from the festival.

One of the first stops we made was to Simply Naked wines, not only because they were stationed near the entrance, but also because their eye-catching display included male and female models with whom you could take a photo. Very Atlantic City. These were delicious, straight-forward wines that are made without aging them in oak. This process makes it easier to taste the varietal itself; Amy loved the fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon and thinks Joanne would [heart] the unoaked Chardonnay.

Across from the Simply Naked station was a cooking demo given by the enthusiastic and personable Mike Hawk of Tony Baloney's who was being sponsored by Reynold's Wrap as the winner of the 2010 Cheesesteak Battle. He showed us how to make his Atlantic City Smoked Cheesesteak on the grill using Reynold's Wrap Non-Stick Foil (we received a roll in our swag bag). For this cheesesteak, sirloin is cooked in stout beer with an intriguing mix of seasonings including mustard seed, allspice berries, cumin, fennel, coriander and paprika, and is then topped with smoked mozzarella. How good does that sound (and look)???

A small number of the other food highlights included this nicely seasoned, full of lump crab, fabulous crabcake offered by Phillip's Seafood,

this crunchy bite of bruschetta topped with sweet juicy tomatoes and tangy cheese,

and this complex, delightfully shmancy dish of grilled steak and poached lobstertail over saffron risotto.

In the specialty food products category, we fell completely in love with 2 Chicks with Chocolate, who were offerings tastes of their "Spice Tiles" (milk chocolate blended with cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and cayenne) with port (fantastic pairing, indeed!), as well as their amazing caramel blends. Their owner, Elyissia Wassung, was attentive and personable, encouraging tasting after tasting, and answering questions with patience and enthusiasm for her products. We purchased a box of the tiles, some of their "Fire and Ice" cocoa mix (frozen chocolate martinis, anyone?), and a box of their luscious, velvety caramels, of which the rosemary lemon (top row, below) is quickly becoming Amy's latest addiction. Thankfully, they are available online!



There were plenty (and we mean, plenty!) of wines to taste, and we tried as many of them as we could. One that really stood out was Zenaida Cellars' ZC Red, a luscious blend from Paso Robles that had fruit and spice notes as well as excellent mouthfeel. We'll be looking for this wine for sure!

One non-alcoholic drink we loved was Jin-Ja, an herbal tonic made with fresh ginger, cayenne, lemon, mint, green tea and a touch of sugar. This drink had bite! And, it is purported to bring quick hangover relief. (We're happy to say that we didn't need it the next morning.)

As foodies and oenophiles flocked into the ballrooms, there was a general feeling of gaiety and comraderie. We were all here for the love of food and wine, and it showed.  We met plenty of great people, and the chefs seemed to love being showered with our attention. Here is a photo of Chris with Tony Luke, a legend in the world of Philly Cheesesteaks.

All in all, we had a great time. It was a lot of fun being among other foodies, trying all the delicious foods and wines, and being introduced to products that were new to us, or even new to the market. We may have to make this an annual event!