Wine has long been a part of Kathie Lee Gifford’s life, and perhaps, now more than ever. Since becoming co-host of the über-popular 4th hour of the Today Show eight years ago, Gifford and co-host Hoda Kotb have become legendary for their on-air imbibing (“we really don’t drink all that wine!”) as they dish about celebrities, fashion, “favorite things” and... Read More
The post Producer Profile: Kathie Lee Gifford’s GIFFT Wines! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Wine has long been a part of Kathie Lee Gifford’s life, and perhaps, now more than ever. Since becoming co-host of the über-popular 4th hour of the Today Show eight years ago, Gifford and co-host Hoda Kotb have become legendary for their on-air imbibing (“we really don’t drink all that wine!”) as they dish about celebrities, fashion, “favorite things” and pop culture. While Gifford has already achieved legendary status for her roles as TV host, actress, spokesperson, author, playwright, singer and songwriter, this always inspiring and ever creative lady has recently added “vintner” to her lengthy list of credentials.
The GIFFT wines were created through Gifford’s partnership with Scheid Family Wines of Monterey, California. The family’s eponymous winery was established in 1972 and presently consists of 4,200 acres of estate vineyards. The GIFFT name is derived from Gifford’s last name combined with her steadfast belief that friendship, love and laughter are gifts to be cherished. She freely admits, “I’m not a wine expert but I know what I like!” and her primary goal was to create a line of delicious, quality wines at an affordable price. The proof, my friends, is in the bottle! The GIFFT portfolio currently consists of a 2012 Estate Grown Chardonnay and a Merlot-dominated 2011 Red Blend which includes 10 different grape varieties. A Rosé of Pinot Noir will be released later this Spring and made its debut alongside the rest of the GIFFT wines last weekend at the 2015 Boca Bacchanal, a food and wine extravaganza which benefits the Boca Raton Historical Society.
Heidi Scheid, Kathie Lee Gifford and Bobby & Barbara Campbell
At Saturday night’s Vintner Dinner, held at the home of philanthropists Bobby and Barbara Campbell in Boca Raton, the GIFFT/Scheid wines were expertly paired with the cuisine of featured Chef Darek Tidwell of George’s at Alys Beach. Gifford was in attendance along with winery Senior Vice President, Heidi Scheid to promote her wines to lucky revelers. During her stay in Boca, I had the opportunity to speak with Gifford about the inception of her wines as well as her longtime love of Florida:
GG: Has wine always been a part of your life?
KLG: My father was part of Eisenhower’s staff so we lived in Post-WWII Paris and some of my sweetest memories growing up were of family meals in France and then later Germany. Dinner usually involved wine and my father would always say, “You don’t drink wine, you sip it!” He really savored his meals and took forever to eat but wine was a big part of the culture there.
GG: How did you end up partnering with Scheid Family Winery?
KLG: Our longtime friend Andy Cohan said to me, “You need to be in the wine business and I know the perfect partner!” And I said, “Where have you been all my life?” So we met the Scheid family and visited their wonderful boutique winery where they’ve been making phenomenal wine for over 40 years. They farm 4,200 acres and all their wines are estate grown, estate harvested and estate everything! The quality was excellent which was very important to me because I can’t sell something I don’t believe in.
GG: Did you know what type of wine you wanted to make?
KLG: I’ve always been a fan of Chardonnay, the way it was in the mid-1970’s, smooth, crisp and fresh, but I had stopped drinking it because it had gotten too heavy, too oaky and it didn’t pair well with food anymore. I had even switched to drinking Pinot Grigio so when it came to our wines, I explained to the Scheids I wanted to make a Chardonnay that was light and delicate without being sweet, as well as a red wine that was smooth, luscious and easy drinking.
GG: Were you very involved in the process of making and selecting the wines?
KLG: Yes and it’s been so much fun – we were just out for harvest in September! Initially, my friend Christine and I went out to sample the wines and [the Scheids] had 5 whites and 5 reds for us to try. She loves red wine and I love white so we agreed that she would pick her favorite red and I would pick my favorite white. As luck would have it, she loved the white I chose and I loved the red she chose which just so happened to be the Scheids’ favorites too! These wines are also bicoastal, they’re made in Monterey, California and we live in Connecticut on the Long Island sound and our favorite place to entertain is our gazebo which is pictured on the label.
GG: Are there any particular dishes you recommend to pair with your wines?
KLG: I published a book last year called “Good Gifts: One Year in the Heart of a Home,” which is a celebration of love, life, laughter, food and faith. We used our stylists from the show, Andy and Elvia, and it’s a beautiful book which features alot of our favorite family recipes and also celebrates God’s abundance. With our GIFFT Chardonnay I really love Andy’s Frutti de Mare (recipe below) or the Chilean Sea Bass with Orange Marmalade Sauce; and with our Red Blend I like Joanie’s Spaghetti or the Grilled Salmon Fillet with Sun Dried Tomato Topping.
GG: You and your family spend alot of time in Florida, what is it about our state that drew you and your family here?
KLG: When I was a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line twenty years ago we were spending alot of time in Miami. While we loved it, we really needed a place to get away from the paparazzi and we eventually discovered the Ocean Reef Club. It was so down to earth, family friendly and not snobby at all and we just fell in love with it. We hang out at places like Alabama Jack’s which is so laid back and they even serve the GIFFT wines now! It’s so much fun to watch people taste our wines there.
For information on or to purchase the GIFFT wines, please click here. The GIFFT Rosé will be available later this Spring and will be announced in my weekly newsletter. To sign up and stay up to date on all the latest dish, please click here.
Many thanks to the gracious Kathie Lee Gifford for taking the time to share her insights on family, friends, food and, of course, wine!
Cheers,
“Andy’s Frutti di Mare “
From “Good Gifts: One Year in the Heart of a Home”
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 16 oz. box linguine
1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 whole garlic heads, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 8 oz. bottle of clam juice
1 cup fresh finely chopped parsley, set aside 2 Tablespoons for garnish
2 dozen medium size littleneck clams
aluminum foil
3/4 lb. rock shrimp or squid cleaned and deveined
5 lbs. Manila clams or cockles, thoroughly cleaned
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.) Cook linguine as directed and set aside
2.) In a large deep roasting pan (can be cooked on 2 burners of stovetop or on an outdoor grill), heat pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Heat 2-3 minutes.
3.) Add garlic, stirring frequently until aroma begins to release (careful not to burn).
4.) Add 2 Tablespoons of butter and melt, stirring frequently
5.) Add clam juice and salt and pepper to taste, incorporate, and bring to boil.
6.) Add 1/3 cup of parsley and stir
7.) Add littleneck clams into the pan over the heat and cover with foil. Cook for 3-5 minutes until clams begin to open. These will take longer than the Manila clams and shrimp. Stir them around to give equal cooking time.
8.) Add shrimp to center of pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, covered.
9.) With a slotted spoon, stir all clams and shrimp, and add remaining Manila clams. Cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes. When all clams have begun to open, add tomatoes and remaining parsley. Stir to incorporate all ingredients, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat.
10.) In a separate sauce pan, add 2 cups of broth from clams and bring to a boil. Add remaining butter, wine, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture has been reduced to half. On larger platter, place linguine first and seafood over the top. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
For all you Champagne and sparkling wine lovers who find yourself oddly without a viable drink option on beer-centric St. Patrick's Day, this month's installment of Cocktail Couture is dedicated to you!Beer is another form of bubbly after all and the Black Velvet is a delicious mixture of Champagne and Guinness, an Irish stout which is one of the most well known beers on the planet. The drink was created at Brook's Club in London in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert. It's color was intended to match the black armbands worn by his mourners.The Black Velvet is made by filling a flute halfway with Guinness and then topping it off with Champagne. You can pour the Champagne very slowly or over the back of a spoon for more of a layered look as pictured above. The result is a deliciously decadent drink with a creamy, luxurious texture! The brightness of the Champagne lightens the heaviness of the Guinness while preserving it's mouth-watering chocolaty, nutty flavor. Feel free to adjust the ration to suit your taste but most of all - have a fabulous St. Patrick's Day!What's your favorite St. Patrick's day drink? Please let us know in the comment section below!Sláinte,
For all you Champagne and sparkling wine lovers who find yourself oddly without a viable drink option on beer-centric St. Patrick’s Day, this month’s installment of Cocktail Couture is dedicated to you! Beer is another form of bubbly after all and the Black Velvet is a delicious mixture of Champagne and Guinness, an Irish stout which is one of the... Read More
The post St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail Couture: Black Velvet! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
For all you Champagne and sparkling wine lovers who find yourself oddly without a viable drink option on beer-centric St. Patrick’s Day, this month’s installment of Cocktail Couture is dedicated to you!
Beer is another form of bubbly after all and the Black Velvet is a delicious mixture of Champagne and Guinness, an Irish stout which is one of the most well known beers on the planet. The drink was created at Brook’s Club in London in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert. It’s color was intended to match the black armbands worn by his mourners.
The Black Velvet is made by filling a flute halfway with Guinness and then topping it off with Champagne. You can pour the Champagne very slowly or over the back of a spoon for more of a layered look as pictured above. The result is a deliciously decadent drink with a creamy, luxurious texture! The brightness of the Champagne lightens the heaviness of the Guinness while preserving it’s mouth-watering chocolaty, nutty flavor. Feel free to adjust the ration to suit your taste but most of all – have a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day!
What’s your favorite St. Patrick’s day drink? Please let us know in the comment section below!
Sláinte,
Calling all Francophiles! My latest installment of "Fast & Fabulous" features a classic French recipe adapted with weeknight simplicity in mind: Quick Coq au Vin. This delightful gem of a dish is perfect any time you feel like something comforting and delicious but don’t have tons of time to spend in the kitchen. It’s on regular rotation at our house and I have a feeling you’re gonna feel the same way.
Coq au Vin is a French dish that's been around since the days of Julius Caesar. Since then, it has experienced various incarnations but it wasn't until Julia Child featured the recipe in her legendary 1961 cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, that it reached its current level of culinary cult status.
While "coq" technically refers to a cock or rooster, today the recipe is generally prepared using a chicken which is then braised in red wine (typically Burgundy) along with bacon, mushrooms and thyme. Braising the chicken can be a time intensive process, which can relegate this recipe to more of a weekend or special occasion dish. However, this genius "quick" version substitutes boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the whole chicken which cook much faster, making it a suitable selection for weeknight enjoyment.
The initial recipe was shared with me a few years ago by one of my favorite wine writers and friends, Tony Ventura. I have made it countless times since then and have made a few tweaks which I think enhance the dish such as using fresh thyme instead of dried (which you can always use in a pinch), increasing the amount of sauce and using pre-sliced cremini mushrooms to enhance the flavor and cut down on the prep time. I also use prosciutto instead of Canadian bacon which I think looks and tastes better but feel free to use Canadian or any other type of bacon you prefer.
Coq au Vin is typically served over buttered egg noodles and accompanied by a glass of red Burgundy, since that’s the wine that is usually used to make it. I like the Vincent Girardin Pommard "Les Vignots" ($49) but I also love pairing this dish with a Cru Beaujolais which is about half the price but still delivers amazing flavor! I like the Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly Cuvée des Ambassades ($20) and the Joseph Drouhin Domaine de Hospices de Belleville Fleurie ($25) which are both tremendous values for the price!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and I’d love to hear what you think of it in the comments section below!
Print Recipe"FAST+ FABULOUS: QUICK COQ AU VIN"
Adapted from Debra F. Weber, Your Guide to French Cuisine
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
8 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
1 lb. Cremini mushrooms, trimmed & sliced
4 oz. prosciutto, torn into strips
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups organic chicken broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Egg noodles cooked according to package directions
1/3 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
) In a large zip-lock plastic bag (1 gallon or larger), add the flour, thyme and salt and shake the bag to mix well. Add the chicken and shake to coat thoroughly.
) Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken (preferably in one batch) and cook on both sides until golden brown - approximately 10 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
) To the same pan add the mushrooms and bacon and saute for 5-8 minutes, until both have browned.
) Stir in the wine, broth and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
) Return chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
) Serve chicken over a bed of egg noodles and garnish with the chopped parsley
Calling all Francophiles! Our latest installment of “Fast & Fabulous” features a classic French recipe adapted with weeknight simplicity in mind: Quick Coq au Vin. This hearty, comforting dish is perfect for taking the chill off a dreary Winter’s night and is so delicious it will quickly make it into your regular recipe rotation. Coq au Vin is a French... Read More
The post Fast & Fabulous: Quick Coq au Vin! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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