Real Men Eat Quiche and Drink Wine: Wine Me During the Holidays: Wine Me During the Holidays Now that Halloween is over, we have 2 important holidays ...
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Monday, November 11, 2013
Wine Me During the Holidays
Wine Me During the Holidays
Now that Halloween is over, we have 2 important holidays around the corner:
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I am writing this blog because my wife and I have a tradition of making pizzas and drinking
wine every Halloween while dispensing candy.Sharing pizza and wine with our neighbors and friends while the kids all dressed up, deliver the sweet goods to the trick or treaters.
Normally, I would have made wine this year, a chardonnay and a syrah / cabernet blend.
However, I went on the cheap, not making any wine, buying wine and buying pizzas.
Soooooooooo, on that note here are a few wines that we shared and enjoyed with friends and neighbors during Halloween night.
Wines that were good and would be enjoyed during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
2 flavorful wines from Casa Nuestra Winery for under $40 each.
http://www.casanuestra.com
And finally for bottle #5 on the list, a wine I would think my brother or father-in-law would enjoy.
2008 Contemassi Toscana Red
An Italian Super Tuscan. I think those are 3 words that I truly enjoy repeating.
Italian Super Tuscan. 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.
100% Delicious. Like my brother would say: "Amo quest vino! Posso avere piu?"
Imported by Vinum International
http://www.vinumimporting.com
Wines for the holidays. Wines to share with friends and neighbors.
Don't wait 'til next Halloween to enjoy these.
Share them for your next holidays.
I will have a few more gifts next blog.
As always, enjoy.
Steven W.
realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Now that Halloween is over, we have 2 important holidays around the corner:
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I am writing this blog because my wife and I have a tradition of making pizzas and drinking
wine every Halloween while dispensing candy.Sharing pizza and wine with our neighbors and friends while the kids all dressed up, deliver the sweet goods to the trick or treaters.
Normally, I would have made wine this year, a chardonnay and a syrah / cabernet blend.
However, I went on the cheap, not making any wine, buying wine and buying pizzas.
Soooooooooo, on that note here are a few wines that we shared and enjoyed with friends and neighbors during Halloween night.
Wines that were good and would be enjoyed during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
2011 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottled under the Wetzel Family Estate, this cab is a nice blend of cabernet franc, malbec,
and petit verdot. This wine has a long shelf life, so you could serve it to your
family and friends on Christmas Day 2028.
My friend Craig brought over a zinfandel appropriately labeled '11 Zinfandel.
I tend to wait until the cold weather sits in to drink zins.
Definitely did not have to wait on this one. Delightful.
'11 Zinfandel
Produced by Boeger Winery up in Placerville, one of my favorite places to find good wines.
Any wine from El Dorado or Amador Counties, and you know they are going to be rich, full-bodied good wines.
Neighbors and foodies, Coretta and Brian came along to bring over 2 wines
from Casa Nuestra. A red wine and a petit syrah.
Can't say that I have ever been to Casa Nuestra winery, but after sampling these 2 wines,
I might have to make a road trip there.
2010 Casa Nuestra Petit Syrah
Two Goats Red - Napa Valley Estate Red Wine
http://www.casanuestra.com
And finally for bottle #5 on the list, a wine I would think my brother or father-in-law would enjoy.
2008 Contemassi Toscana Red
An Italian Super Tuscan. I think those are 3 words that I truly enjoy repeating.
Italian Super Tuscan. 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.
100% Delicious. Like my brother would say: "Amo quest vino! Posso avere piu?"
Imported by Vinum International
http://www.vinumimporting.com
Wines for the holidays. Wines to share with friends and neighbors.
Don't wait 'til next Halloween to enjoy these.
Share them for your next holidays.
I will have a few more gifts next blog.
As always, enjoy.
Steven W.
realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Monday, August 5, 2013
A few summer wines - all under $20 a bottle
Here are a few summer wines - all under $20 a bottle.
Crist Family Vineyard Spenser's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Carmel Valley,
California
http://www.cristfamilyvineyard.com/wine.html
A good varietal and great find for - $20.
Lake & Vine 2011 Lake & Vine Sauvignon Blanc $7.99 a bottle.
No website information but a nice buttery light wine for under $10.
GV Cellars 2008 Solano County Green Valley Sangiovese
http://www.gvcellars.com
Priced at $18 on winery website and marketed with a different label. Cheaper at retail outlet for
1/2 the price.
Three Rivers Winery 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley
http://www.threeriverswinery.com/index.cfm
One of my only wines not from the California region. This one from Walla Walla, Washington.
Direct winery price $21. I paid under $20 at wine shop in my area.
It pays to shop around.
Cambridge & Sunset 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bottled by a small vineyard portfolio from Wine Trees USA / AW Direct
Check out a lot of their portfolio of wines.
http://www.winetreesusa.com/w_cambridge.html
Michel Schlumberger 2011 California Merlot Benchland Wine Estate
http://michelschlumberger.com/index.cfm?method=homepage.showpage
The 2010 Le Sage Merlot is $35 / bottle. The 2011 Le Flirt of Rose Merlot is
priced at $20 a bottle. I got mine for under $20.
6 Nice wines. Less than $20 / bottle. I think that is a pretty good deal.
What do you think?
Send me your great deals.
realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Thanks and enjoy the wines!
Steven
Crist Family Vineyard Spenser's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Carmel Valley,
California
http://www.cristfamilyvineyard.com/wine.html
A good varietal and great find for - $20.
Lake & Vine 2011 Lake & Vine Sauvignon Blanc $7.99 a bottle.
No website information but a nice buttery light wine for under $10.
GV Cellars 2008 Solano County Green Valley Sangiovese
http://www.gvcellars.com
Priced at $18 on winery website and marketed with a different label. Cheaper at retail outlet for
1/2 the price.
Three Rivers Winery 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley
http://www.threeriverswinery.com/index.cfm
One of my only wines not from the California region. This one from Walla Walla, Washington.
Direct winery price $21. I paid under $20 at wine shop in my area.
It pays to shop around.
Cambridge & Sunset 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bottled by a small vineyard portfolio from Wine Trees USA / AW Direct
Check out a lot of their portfolio of wines.
http://www.winetreesusa.com/w_cambridge.html
Michel Schlumberger 2011 California Merlot Benchland Wine Estate
http://michelschlumberger.com/index.cfm?method=homepage.showpage
The 2010 Le Sage Merlot is $35 / bottle. The 2011 Le Flirt of Rose Merlot is
priced at $20 a bottle. I got mine for under $20.
6 Nice wines. Less than $20 / bottle. I think that is a pretty good deal.
What do you think?
Send me your great deals.
realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Thanks and enjoy the wines!
Steven
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Real Men Eat Quiche and Drink Wine: Puttanesca & 4 Wines
Real Men Eat Quiche and Drink Wine: Puttanesca & 4 Wines: Puttanesca & 4 Wines I love watching my wife cook. Even better, I love to taste and enjoy the dishes she cooks and brings to the table. ...
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Puttanesca & 4 Wines
Puttanesca & 4 Wines
I love watching my wife cook.
Even better, I love to taste and enjoy the dishes she cooks and brings to the table.
Yesterday, we rambled off to Trader Joes
http://www.traderjoes.com
to get some cod.
We thought we would bake or grill the cod.
Cod is a nice light white fish.
My wife decided to make a puttanesca sauce.
Place the puttanesca sauce over the cod and bake in the oven for about 10 - 12 minutes
at 350 degrees.
Hopefully I captured her recipe here, otherwise I'm swimming with the fishes.
Puttanesca sauce:
4 tbsp. of olive oil
1 dozen baby tomatoes - chopped
1/2 jar of capers with the juice
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 dozen ripened and cured olives - chopped
1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon
In a skillet pan over medium / low heat, place the olive oil and the minced garlic.
Cook down for about a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they start to blister.
Add olives and stir.
Add balsamic vinegar. and stir.
Add capers with juice.
Stir and cook down until sauce thickens.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Squeeze 1/2 a lemon juice.
Add to chicken, steak or fish.
4 Wines to buy and try:
Marietta Vineyards Old Vine Red Lot Number 58
this is my 2nd pick from Marietta Vineyards, bottled in Geyserville, CA.
Another good red table wine.
Nice aromas and fruit.
Great price: $11
2007 Talmage Pija Blend
A red wine from Mendocino, CA.
Best wine of the week.
Aged in french oak barrels.
Taste great right at pouring.
2010 Trentadue Old Patch Red Lot #34 Red Wine
A nice blend of zinfandel, syrah, carignane, and petite syrah.
Taste of pepper, black cherry, jams, plums, and spices.
Another great price: $10.50
2010 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon
A Washington State wine.
Cool website for wines.
http://winesofsubstance.com
I thought I was back in chemistry class in high school.
Wines listed as if they were on the periodic table.
Cs is the cabernet sauvignon.
Definitely taste of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, and pepper.
Reasonably priced at $19.
There you have it a simple sauce, and 4 simple but delightful
and inexpensive wines.
Comments, recipes, wines?
Email: realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Blog: http://realmeneatquicheanddrinkwine.blogspot.com
I love watching my wife cook.
Even better, I love to taste and enjoy the dishes she cooks and brings to the table.
Yesterday, we rambled off to Trader Joes
http://www.traderjoes.com
to get some cod.
We thought we would bake or grill the cod.
Cod is a nice light white fish.
My wife decided to make a puttanesca sauce.
Place the puttanesca sauce over the cod and bake in the oven for about 10 - 12 minutes
at 350 degrees.
Hopefully I captured her recipe here, otherwise I'm swimming with the fishes.
Puttanesca sauce:
4 tbsp. of olive oil
1 dozen baby tomatoes - chopped
1/2 jar of capers with the juice
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 dozen ripened and cured olives - chopped
1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon
In a skillet pan over medium / low heat, place the olive oil and the minced garlic.
Cook down for about a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they start to blister.
Add olives and stir.
Add balsamic vinegar. and stir.
Add capers with juice.
Stir and cook down until sauce thickens.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Squeeze 1/2 a lemon juice.
Add to chicken, steak or fish.
4 Wines to buy and try:
Marietta Vineyards Old Vine Red Lot Number 58
this is my 2nd pick from Marietta Vineyards, bottled in Geyserville, CA.
Another good red table wine.
Nice aromas and fruit.
Great price: $11
2007 Talmage Pija Blend
A red wine from Mendocino, CA.
Best wine of the week.
Aged in french oak barrels.
Taste great right at pouring.
2010 Trentadue Old Patch Red Lot #34 Red Wine
A nice blend of zinfandel, syrah, carignane, and petite syrah.
Taste of pepper, black cherry, jams, plums, and spices.
Another great price: $10.50
2010 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon
A Washington State wine.
Cool website for wines.
http://winesofsubstance.com
I thought I was back in chemistry class in high school.
Wines listed as if they were on the periodic table.
Cs is the cabernet sauvignon.
Definitely taste of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, and pepper.
Reasonably priced at $19.
There you have it a simple sauce, and 4 simple but delightful
and inexpensive wines.
Comments, recipes, wines?
Email: realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Blog: http://realmeneatquicheanddrinkwine.blogspot.com
Monday, January 28, 2013
Real Men Eat Quiche and Drink Wine: 2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks
Real Men Eat Quiche and Drink Wine: 2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks: 2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks Acorn squash I made this as a side dish. Simple and quick. 1 acorn squash 1/4 cup ...
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2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks
2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks
Acorn squash
I made this as a side dish.
Simple and quick.
1 acorn squash
1/4 cup of water or orange juice
1tbsp. of brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
1tbsp. of melted butter.
Cut acorn squash down the middle.
Place the cut side (flesh side) down in the water or orange juice in a baking dish
( like pyrex or microwavable bowl.)
Microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes.
Drizzle with melted butter and your choice of
brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
Add a tsp. of nutmeg if you wish...
Split Pea Soup
This is the best way to use a ham bone and extra ham.
Every time I have the opportunity to use a chunk of ham and
a ham bone, I make split pea soup.
Just thinking about it makes me want to run to HoneyBaked Ham
https://ca.honeybaked.com/product_list_ham.asp?c_id=1
and get one of their spiral sliced hams.
Now that I am thinking about the ham and the soup, I might as well write
down the recipe and share it with you so you will know
how I feel about ham and split pea soup
2 cups of split peas
1/2 cup of diced celery
1/2 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced onion
1 cup of diced ham
4 1/2 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of milk
salt & pepper to taste
I rinse the peas in a colander and place them a large cooking pot
of boiling water.
(Roughly 4 1/2 cups of water.)
Add the onion, carrots and celery.
And ham bone if you want.
Simmer slowly the ingredients for 45 minutes until the peas turn soft.
Remove the bone.
Add the milk.
Blend everything in a blender.
Add seasoning to taste.
If needed, Add a little chicken stock to thin the soup.
Add a tbsp of bacon fat if you want more zing to the soup.
Serve warm.
Drizzle with a little olive oil?
Yeah, why not!
Add croutons.
Garlic ones.
I'm hungry!
Now for my wine picks of the week:
2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks.
Just thought I would share.
What are friends for?
Wine and food.
It's all good!
Thoughts, suggestions, comments:
email me at: realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
Acorn squash
I made this as a side dish.
Simple and quick.
1 acorn squash
1/4 cup of water or orange juice
1tbsp. of brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
1tbsp. of melted butter.
Cut acorn squash down the middle.
Place the cut side (flesh side) down in the water or orange juice in a baking dish
( like pyrex or microwavable bowl.)
Microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes.
Drizzle with melted butter and your choice of
brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
Add a tsp. of nutmeg if you wish...
Split Pea Soup
This is the best way to use a ham bone and extra ham.
Every time I have the opportunity to use a chunk of ham and
a ham bone, I make split pea soup.
Just thinking about it makes me want to run to HoneyBaked Ham
https://ca.honeybaked.com/product_list_ham.asp?c_id=1
and get one of their spiral sliced hams.
Now that I am thinking about the ham and the soup, I might as well write
down the recipe and share it with you so you will know
how I feel about ham and split pea soup
2 cups of split peas
1/2 cup of diced celery
1/2 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced onion
1 cup of diced ham
4 1/2 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of milk
salt & pepper to taste
I rinse the peas in a colander and place them a large cooking pot
of boiling water.
(Roughly 4 1/2 cups of water.)
Add the onion, carrots and celery.
And ham bone if you want.
Simmer slowly the ingredients for 45 minutes until the peas turn soft.
Remove the bone.
Add the milk.
Blend everything in a blender.
Add seasoning to taste.
If needed, Add a little chicken stock to thin the soup.
Add a tbsp of bacon fat if you want more zing to the soup.
Serve warm.
Drizzle with a little olive oil?
Yeah, why not!
Add croutons.
Garlic ones.
I'm hungry!
Now for my wine picks of the week:
2010 Trader Joes Alexander Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Conn Creek Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Gold Ring Vineyard Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Queen Mary 2 Cunard Merlot Private Label bottled by Wente Vineyards
2005 Archetype Barossa Cabernet Shiraz blend
2006 C & B Totem Ridge Vineyard Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Mendocino Farms Redvine Series Red Wine
2007 St. Francis Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Terra d'oro Amador County Sangiovese
2009 Cameron Hughes Lot 57 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2 quick recipes and A whole lot of new wine picks.
Just thought I would share.
What are friends for?
Wine and food.
It's all good!
Thoughts, suggestions, comments:
email me at: realmeneatquiche@gmail.com
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