The word “Sommelier” might seem like an obvious “Wine Word of the Week” but I wanted to feature it as much for its definition as its pronunciation. I often see well-intentioned wine lovers tongue-tied with fear at the prospect of having to say the word aloud. I’m happy to take this opportunity to break it down and demystify it once and for all!
Sommelier is a French term that means “wine steward” or “a waiter in a restaurant who is in charge of serving wine,” according to Merriam-Webster. The correct pronunciation (drumroll please) is “suh-mel-YAY” and it rhymes with the word “everyday.” To dig a little deeper, Jancis Robinson’s “The Oxford Companion to Wine” states, “The sommelier’s job is to ensure that any wine ordered is served correctly and, ideally, to advise on the individual characteristics of every wine on the establishment’s wine list and on food and wine matching.”
Certain organizations such as the Court of Master Sommeliers (where yours truly received her certification) have a series of courses and exams which serve to evaluate potential candidates according to their standards of service and performance and commend certifications accordingly. One does not necessarily have to achieve certification from an organization, however, to perform the job of a sommelier in a restaurant or other establishment. Hands-on experience and self study can also provide the knowledge necessary to perform the duties required of this position.
Now go forth with your newfound knowledge and impress your friends and wine snobs alike with your ability to summon the sommelier with ease!
Cheers,
As a BIG fan of The Barefoot Contessa (aka Ina Garten), I was delighted to come across her Valentine's Day men that's packed with flavor, yet also reasonably healthy. Her recipe for succulent Mustard-Roasted Fish is accompanied by Roasted Vegetables and followed by an impressive Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries for dessert.
Sound too difficult? I'm happy to say, it's surprisingly not!
Each one of these recipes highlights the freshest of ingredients and takes only a minimum of time and effort to prepare. For the Mustard Roasted Fish, snap up the freshest red snapper filets you can possibly find from your local fishmonger (these are from Captain Clay's Seafood Market here in Delray Beach). The rest of the preparation simply involves mixing the rest of the ingredients together which include crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, capers and shallots and then liberally spreading the mixture over the fish.
The prepared fish is then baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees and as it bakes, it creates its own heavenly sauce. Once it emerges from the oven, it is creamy, golden and gorgeous!
This fish is best served with a simple side such as tender, oven-roasted vegetables. Simply toss a combination of your favorite veggies such as fennel, fingerling potatoes, haricorts verts (French string beans) and asparagus together in olive oil and season liberally with Kosher salt and pepper. Scatter on a rimmed baking sheet and roast to your desired consistency.
As always, be sure to purchase the freshest ingredients you can find since they are the stars of the show! You may want to start by cooking the firmer veggies (potatoes and fennel) first and then adding the more delicate string beans and asparagus towards the end. They only need about 10-15 minutes of roasting, any longer and they may burn or get too mushy.
And if this menu doesn’t sound delicious enough, how about adding a stunning dessert to cap off the evening: Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries. "Coeur à la Crème" is French for "heart of cream" and is made using a specially formed, heart-shaped mold easily found at specialty cookware stores like Sur la Table.
This dessert can also be made a day ahead of time which frees you up for all your Valentine's Day gift shopping. The "coeur" is made from a mixture of cream cheese, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean and lemon zest which is combined and left to sit in the mold overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheesecloth.
When ready to serve, simply unmold the crème onto a plate, spoon the raspberry sauce around the base and garnish with fresh raspberries. The rich, delicious vanilla and lemon-infused cream is decadent, yet has a lightness about it, and the tart flavor of the raspberry puree is the perfect accompaniment - ooh la la - let the compliments begin!
To pair with this delicious Valentine's feast, I recommend a zippy, racy white wine such as the Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($20), Michel Redde Sancerre Les Tuilieres ($28) or, of course, a bottle of decadent Champagne or other sparkling wine from the region of your choice. To see the Wine Atelier's entire selection of Valentine's Day wine recommendations, please click here. Also, for any of The Barefoot Contessa's recipes featured in this post, please clickhere.Cheers to a very Happy Valentine's Day,
If your goal is to dazzle your Valentine with a delicious home cooked meal without undoing all the good, healthy eating you did in January, this menu is just the ticket!
As a big fan of Ina Garten, I was delighted to see this menu from her that’s packed with flavor yet also leans towards the healthier side of things. It includes Mustard-Roasted Fish accompanied by Roasted Vegetables followed by Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries for dessert. Sound difficult? Actually each one of these recipes is pretty darn easy, you just need to let the fresh ingredients speak for themselves.
For the Mustard Roasted Fish, pick up some fresh red snapper filets from your favorite fishmonger. The rest of the preparation involves simply mixing together the remaining ingredients including creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, capers, shallots and salt and pepper and spreading the mixture over the fish before baking it in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. As the fish bakes it makes its own delicious sauce and comes out looking beautiful! As long as you don’t overcook it, you’re all good.
The Oven Roasted Vegetables that accompany the fish include fennel, fingerling potatoes (I used purple potatoes for extra color), haricorts verts (French string beans) and asparagus. Again, you want to purchase the freshest ingredients you can find since they are the stars of the show! Be sure to start by cooking the firmer veggies (potatoes and fennel) first and adding the string beans and asparagus at the end. These more delicate vegetables only need about 10-15 minutes of roasting, any longer and they may burn or get too mushy.
As if the delicious dinner wasn’t enough, now it’s time to dazzle your sweetheart with dessert: Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries. “Coeur à la Crème” is French for “heart of cream” and this dish is made using a specially formed, heart-shaped mold which is easily found at specialty cookware stores including Sur la Table. This dessert can be made a day ahead which is always convenient and frees up your time for Valentine’s gift shopping and other important things. The “Coeur” is made from a mixture of cream cheese, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean and lemon zest which is combined and left to sit in the mold overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheesecloth. When you’re ready to serve it, simply unmold the cream onto a plate and spoon the raspberry sauce around the base and garnish with a few raspberries and ooh la la – let the compliments begin!
If you’re looking for the perfect wine to serve with this delicious feast, I recommend a rosé sparkling wine or Champagne. Not only do these sparklers make a lovely presentation, they are also delicious and pair remarkably well with food. To see The Wine Atelier’s Valentine’s Day Recommendations, please click here. Also, to access any of Ina’s recipes, please click here.
Wishing you all a very Happy, Delicious and Romantic Valentine’s Day!
Cheers,
It is with great pleasure that I reveal to you the results of the 2014 American Fine Wine Competition! As many of you know, the judging process took place last month at Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality and after two solid days of sipping, swishing and spitting we selected what we thought were the best of what America has to offer. While St. Supéry's Dollarhide Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon winning Best of Show Red Wine might not come as much of a surprise, how about the wine that took Best of Class Bordeaux Blend? Namely the 2010 Delaplane Williams Gap Blend from...Virginia. Yes, you heard me, Virginia!Once again it was fun discovering new wines from around the country, getting to spend time with my fellow judges and making new friends including Alan Kalter of the Late Show with David Letterman who will be the Emcee and Auctioneer at the AFWC Gala on April 4th. So without further ado, here are the results of the Best of Show and Best of Class categories for the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition. Please click on the link following the list to see the complete results:
Best of Show Red Wine2010 St. Supéry Dollarhide Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (retail price $100)
Best of Show White Wine2011 Maldonado Chardonnay Los Olivos Vineyard, Napa Valley, California ($42)
Best of Show SparklingNV Mumm Napa Santana, Napa Valley, California ($50)
Best of Show Late Harvest2009 Ceja Dulce Beso, Napa Valley, California
Best of Class:
Best of Class Cabernet Franc2010 Peju Reserve, Napa, California ($110)
Best of Class Bordeaux Blend2010 Delaplane Williams Gap Blend, Virginia ($56)
Best of Class Dry Rosé2012 Rugg Rosé, Napa Valley, California ($18)
Best of Class Merlot2010 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot, Columbia Valley, Washington ($35)
Best of Class Petite Sirah 2011 Michael David Earthquake, Lodi, California ($26)
Best of Class Pinot Noir 2011 Miner Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard, Sta. Lucia Highlands, California ($60)
Best of Class Rhone Blend:2010 Sol Rouge Gypsy Rouge, North Coast, California ($28)
Best of Class Syrah2009 Gamache Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington ($30)
Best of Class Zinfandel2012 Titus Zinfandel, Napa Valley, California ($30)
Best of Class Other RedNV Reverie Barbera Diamond Mountain District, California ($30)
Best of Class Other White2012 Ferrante Gewurztraminer, Ohio ($15)
Best of Class Sauvignon Blanc201 Beltane Ranch Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley, California ($29)
To view the complete list of all results from the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition, please click here. Also, don't forget to mark your calendars for the AFWC Gala on April 4th, for more information, please click here.Cheers,
It is with great pleasure that I reveal to you the results of the 2014 American Fine Wine Competition! As many of you know, the judging process took place last month at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and after two solid days of sipping, swishing and spitting we selected what we thought were the best of what America has to offer. While St. Supéry’s Dollarhide Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon winning Best of Show Red Wine might not come as much of a surprise, how about the wine that took Best of Class Bordeaux Blend? Namely the 2010 Delaplane Williams Gap Blend from…Virginia. Yes, you heard me, Virginia!
Once again it was fun discovering new wines from around the country, getting to spend time with my fellow judges and making new friends including Alan Kalter of the Late Show with David Letterman who will be the Emcee and Auctioneer at the AFWC Gala on April 4th. So without further ado, here are the results of the Best of Show and Best of Class categories for the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition. Please click on the link following the list to see the complete results:
Best of Show Red Wine
2010 St. Supéry Dollarhide Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (retail price $100)
Best of Show White Wine
2011 Maldonado Chardonnay Los Olivos Vineyard, Napa Valley, California ($42)
Best of Show Sparkling
NV Mumm Napa Santana, Napa Valley, California ($50)
Best of Show Late Harvest
2009 Ceja Dulce Beso, Napa Valley, California
Best of Class:
Best of Class Cabernet Franc
2010 Peju Reserve, Napa, California ($110)
Best of Class Bordeaux Blend
2010 Delaplane Williams Gap Blend, Virginia ($56)
Best of Class Dry Rosé
2012 Rugg Rosé, Napa Valley, California ($18)
Best of Class Merlot
2010 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot, Columbia Valley, Washington ($35)
Best of Class Petite Sirah
2011 Michael David Earthquake, Lodi, California ($26)
Best of Class Pinot Noir
2011 Miner Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard, Sta. Lucia Highlands, California ($60)
Best of Class Rhone Blend:
2010 Sol Rouge Gypsy Rouge, North Coast, California ($28)
Best of Class Syrah
2009 Gamache Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington ($30)
Best of Class Zinfandel
2012 Titus Zinfandel, Napa Valley, California ($30)
Best of Class Other Red
NV Reverie Barbera Diamond Mountain District, California ($30)
Best of Class Other White
2012 Ferrante Gewurztraminer, Ohio ($15)
Best of Class Sauvignon Blanc
201 Beltane Ranch Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley, California ($29)
To view the complete list of all results from the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition, please click here. Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the AFWC Gala on April 4th, for more information, please click here.
Cheers,
While I am not the biggest football fan, there are two teams I definitely get nostalgic about. As a native Floridian, it may come as no surprise that the Miami Dolphins is one of them. I grew up watching and going to games with my family and who can forget "The Perfect Season"? I also lived in Denver for four years in the late 1990's when the Denver Broncos won back to back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. That was a very exciting time and needless to say I'm happy to be rooting for them again this year.When it came to choosing which dish to make for Super Bowl XLVIII I thought this recipe for the Denver Post's Pork Green Chile, one of the paper's most requested recipes of all time from their late Food Critic Helen Dollaghan, would be the perfect choice. Especially in light of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's controversial wager with Seattle's Mayor Ed Murray promising him, among other things, some custom made skis as well as some of Denver's Green Chile in the unlikely event the Broncos lost. This comment has set off a wave of controversy, upsetting many folks from New Mexico where the chile is not only considered a sacred crop but is also the state vegetable. Personally, I think this is all a simple misunderstanding and let me tell you why.I think what the Mayor was referring to was the actual dish of Green Chile (also spelled Chili) rather than the green chile vegetable which Denver admittedly sources from nearby New Mexico in order to make this as well as many other dishes. Denver's delicious abundance of Mexican-inspired cuisine is one of the things I miss most about living there. In fact, some of my fondest memories of Denver involve margaritas and Mexican food at Benny's restaurant with my gals Piper and Christine. Now those were some good times! So the actual dish, not the vegetable, is what I think the Mayor was referring to and you can view the recipe for the Denver Post's Pork Green Chile by clicking here.Before you click on over though, a few helpful tips regarding the preparation:1.) I used thin-sliced pork loin chops although you can use almost any incarnation of pork you'd like (i.e. shoulder, chops).2.) I used three large jalapeños which worked well and added both a nice kick and good flavor to the dish but if you prefer more or less heat, adjust accordingly.3.) In the event you can't find fresh roasted green chiles, two cans of Old El Paso green chiles will do the trick.4.) It doesn't mention it in the recipe but be sure to salt the dish before you serve it. As with any dish you prepare, always check for seasoning before you serve it to your guests.5.) If you're looking for a beverage to pair with this dish, I think your favorite beer of choice would be best; however, if you're in the mood for wine, an off-dry Pinot Gris or Riesling would help tame the heat and refresh your palate.In the meantime I hope all this controversy blows over and everyone just enjoys the game, eats delicious food and has a great time. I'll be enjoying the Denver Post's Pork Green Chile, feeling nostalgic about Denver and rooting for my old home team - Goooooooo Broncos!!!!!Cheers,
I have to admit I’m not the biggest football fan, however there are two teams I do get nostalgic about. As a native Floridian, it may come as no surprise that the Miami Dolphins is one of them. I grew up watching and going to games with my family and who can forget “The Perfect Season”? I also lived in Denver for four years in the late 1990′s when the Denver Broncos won back to back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. That was a very exciting time and needless to say I’m happy to be rooting for them again this year.
When it came to choosing which dish to make for Super Bowl XLVIII I thought this recipe for Denver Post Pork Green Chile, one of the paper’s most requested recipes of all time from their late Food Critic Helen Dollaghan, would be the perfect choice. Especially in light of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s controversial wager with Seattle’s Mayor Ed Murray promising him, among other things, some custom made skis as well as some of Denver’s Green Chile in the unlikely event the Broncos lost. This comment has set off a wave of controversy, upsetting many folks from New Mexico where the chile is not only considered a sacred crop but is also the state vegetable. Personally, I think this is all a simple misunderstanding and let me tell you why.
I think what the Mayor was referring to was the actual dish of Green Chile (also spelled Chili) rather than the green chile vegetable which Denver admittedly sources from nearby New Mexico in order to make this as well as many other dishes. Denver’s delicious abundance of Mexican-inspired cuisine is one of the things I miss most about living there. In fact, some of my fondest memories of Denver involve margaritas and Mexican food at Benny’s restaurant with my gals Piper and Christine. Now those were some good times! So the actual dish, not the vegetable, is what I think the Mayor was referring to and you can view the recipe for Denver Post Pork Green Chile by clicking here.
Before you click on over though, a few helpful tips regarding the preparation:
1.) I used thin-sliced pork loin chops although you can use almost any incarnation of pork you’d like (i.e. shoulder, chops).
2.) I used three large jalapeños which worked well and added both a nice kick and good flavor to the dish but if you prefer more or less heat, adjust accordingly.
3.) In the event you can’t find fresh roasted green chiles, two cans of Old El Paso green chiles will do the trick.
4.) It doesn’t mention it in the recipe but be sure to salt the dish before you serve it. As with any dish you prepare, always check for seasoning before you serve it to your guests.
5.) If you’re looking for a beverage to pair with this dish, I think your favorite beer of choice would be best; however, if you’re in the mood for wine, an off-dry Pinot Gris or Riesling would help tame the heat and refresh your palate.
In the meantime I hope all this controversy blows over and everyone just enjoys the game, eats delicious food and has a great time. I’ll be enjoying my Denver Post Pork Green Chile, feeling nostalgic about Denver and rooting for my old home team – Goooooooo Broncos!!!!!
Cheers,
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