WINE CLUB

Food &
Wine Pairing
T
his time of the year, I always enjoy grilling. Eggplant
is delicious on the grill, and this salad can be used as a
side salad or main course. The Sauvignon Blanc offered
will pair well with the dish. For you red wine lovers, try a
Cabernet Sauvignon with the eggplant. If you are looking
for an alternative white, try a Grüner Veltliner from
Austria. For an alternative red, a Red Bordeaux would
make an interesting change.
Enjoy!!
Grilled Eggplant &
Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut
into 1-inch wide slices
• ½ c toasted pine nuts
• 3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• ½ c basil, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or
preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the
olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to
coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill
marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving
platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat
cheese, and basil. Drizzle with extra-virgin
olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Grilled Corn on the Cob
with BBQ Butter
Adapted from Bobby Flay
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
• ½ tsp cayenne powder
• ½ c water
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat until
almost smoking. Add the onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3
minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the
ancho powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne and cook for
1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook until the mixture
thickens and the water reduces. Let cool slightly.
Place the butter in a food processor, add the spice mixture
and Worcestershire sauce, and process until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper, scrape the mixture into a
small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
to allow the flavors to meld. Bring to room temperature
before serving.
Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away
the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back
into place and tie the ends together with kitchen string.
Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1
Tbsp of salt for 10 minutes.
Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place
the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to
20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or until kernels are
tender when pierced with a paring knife.
The Wine Club
AUGUST 2014
California’s North Coast
I can’t believe it’s almost time to start saying good-bye
to summer. To cheer me up, I decided to focus on a wine
area that has given me some of my best summer
memories. The great wines, wonderful foods, and
breathtaking scenery of California’s North Coast always
bring back thoughts of good times while visiting the area.
So as you enjoy the heat, parties, grilling, and
garden harvests that accompany August, enjoy some
wonderful wines.
Agoston Haraszthy
Grape growing and wine making was introduced to
the region in the 1700s and 1800s, as immigrants from Europe
settled around the North Coast. A Hungarian soldier,
Agoston Haraszthy, is considered the founder of the California
wine industry. In the mid-1800s, he promoted the planting
of vineyards over much of northern California. These
first commercial vineyards quenched the thirst of immigrants who
missed the most popular beverage of their native lands.
Northern California’s North Coast American Viticultural Area
(AVA) is the largest AVA in the state and is home to the majority
of Californian wineries. Covering more than three million acres, the area features over 800
wineries. The North coast AVA is home to many of California’s most well-known wine regions,
including Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County and Lake County.
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The North Coast American Viticultural Area offers diversity because of the region’s size,
topography and climate. Warm days, cool nights, coastal influences, fog, and mild winters are just
a few of the factors that make the region perfect for grape growing and winemaking. Soil diversity
also adds to the nuances of the grapes. The long and short of it is that the North Coast produces
great wines.
In Vino Veritas,
—Betty Kreder, CSW
Take butter (now at room temperature) and spread over
the corn while hot.
1-800-332-7522 Option 2 • 717-787-0112 • 717-705-6822 (FAX) • bkreder@pa.gov • www.FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com
A F I C I O N A D
Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County • 2012
$15.99 Code 2845
The 2012 Guenoc Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon is primarily from the Tephra Ridge
Vineyard and has aromas of dark fruit, spice, and currant. The wine has full tannins,
but they are not overwhelming and a palate full of pepper, spice, and lingering red
fruits. Overall it is young but tasting very well for a 2012 vintage wine.
— Winemaker’s notes
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Jax Y3 Taureau Red Blend • 2011
$20.99 Code 2842
This wine is what one would expect with a name like Taureau. Boasting incredible
purple fruit colors, the flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and red fruit ooze into the
palate, all supported by polished tannins. Balanced and delicious, this wine should
drink well up on release until 2022 or longer. Our goal with this wine was to produce
an approachable, everyday drinking wine that pairs with a range of foods.
— Winery notes
Fritz Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley • 2013
$15.99 Code 2848
Clos Pegase Sauvignon Blanc Mitsuko’s Vineyard • 2012
Our 2012 Estate Sauvignon Blanc is the color of a sun bleached straw. This vibrant
Sauvignon Blanc bursts with aromas of white peach and nectarine with some
underlying mineral notes. Structured around bright refreshing acidity, flavors of
white peach, guava and Meyer lemon fill the mouth, finishing with a subtle mineral
note. With a refreshing finish this is the perfect summer wine.
$19.99 Code 2843
Our 2012 Mitsuko’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc entices with its vivid and complex
aromas of Meyer lemon, nectarine, guava, lemon verbena, citrus blossoms and flint.
The wine strikes a pitch-perfect balance between vibrant minerality, richness, depth
and lengthy fruit flavors.
— Winemaker’s notes
— Winery notes
Aquinas Pinot Noir Napa Valley • 2012
$15.99 Code 2846
Focused and deliciously complex, our 2012 Aquinas Pinot Noir offers aromas of cherry
reduction, strawberry, vanilla and subtle clove notes. On the palate, this mediumbodied wine is full of fresh cranberry flavors with intricate notes of raspberry tart
and toasted marshmallow. The tannins are nicely integrated and ripe, making
room for plenty of lively acidity that lingers through the expressive finish. This wellbalanced Pinot Noir is an exceptional food pairing wine. Enjoy it with a variety of
cuisines and dishes, most notably fennel crusted roast pork loin, wild mushroom
pizza or fresh ziti with garden grown vegetables and goat cheese.
— Winery notes
D
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Volunteer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley • 2011
$27.49 Code 2844
The 2011 Volunteer Cabernet is of a medium density, with hints of cherry, cranberry,
toasted vanilla, and subtle tannins. It can be enjoyed immediately or cellared for several years. Volunteer Cabernet pairs well with beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats
and cheeses. Winemaker Tony Leonardini is also a volunteer Firefighter in Napa
Valley. Ask and he will share stories about traveling the state to put out fires. The
“Volunteer” wine salutes that spirit. As Tony says, “It’s easy to donate a dollar, but it’s
a lot harder to volunteer an hour.”
— Winery notes