2010 Monte Volpe Sangiovese

Here's a real surprise when it comes it an accessible, lesser known wine. Derek picked a bottle up after a tasting at Whole Foods - not because he felt obligated after a free taste but because it was actually quite unique and good. You don't see too many Italian grapes showing up with a "Product of U.S.A." label - nor do you see an abundance of wine from Mendocino County show up on shelves in Chicago. That's what makes this such a fun pick.

We've now bought this wine three times but the first purchase was specifically to pair with cheese and serve to strictly red-wine drinkers. The wine is truly balanced which is what makes it work well with cheese or food in general. It is not to light but not too heavy. There is fruit - think tart red cherry - but it certainly doesn't scream "fruit." There is an herbal quality that makes it so approachable and food friendly - but has spiciness to round out the appeal.

Find it at Whole Foods for $19.

Am I ready to buy cases of this wine? No - there are other wines that have more of a "wow" power. But do I find this wine to be a particularly interesting and great value wine? Yes. It is perfect to pick up for a dinner party or to drink with an Italian meal.

Speaking of food - we served this with Eggplant Parmesan and a simple salad. Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan have been staples for Derek and I since college. It's comforting, delicious, and relatively easy to prepare. Can you really go wrong with red sauce, cheese, and wine? Salute!

Casarecce Pasta with Mushrooms and Ricotta

When I come home from a work trip - or any trip involving several out-of-home meals - I crave nothing more than a nice home-cooked meal. Truth is, I actually enjoy my time in the kitchen (no shocker there). And despite being tired on a Friday night - using the last of my energy to whip up a tasty meal sounded like the perfect finale to a long work-week.

My inspiration for the night: A deep craving for PASTA.

Funny that someone who adheres to a gluten-free diet craves a dish that is inherently banned from the ingredient list - naturally full of gluten. However, as a gluten-free diet grows in popularity and awareness, food producers are following suit and providing great gluten-free options - pasta makers included.

To pick up our recipe ingredients, we took a trip to Eataly - a gourmet Italian market and collection of eateries located in the heart of Chicago (and an easy walk from home). Now, certainly we know that gluten-free is not in the Italian language and is likely shunned in this environment. However, we had heard that they had a pretty good gluten-free pasta option so while the ratio of pasta options were about 1% gluten free to 99% gluten filled - we were still happily surprised that there were options beyond the standard spaghetti and linguine. 

Enter "casarecce" pasta.

"Casarecce pasta is shaped like a very narrow, twisted and rolled tube. This pasta is best used when served with chunky sauce and can be used in a variety of casserole dishes."

What I love about the shorter, shaped pastas is that they can act as part of a dish and not overtake the whole plate. You can have a bite of pasta and also a bite of another dish component. This provides the opportunity to incorporate more flavors and ingredients into a dish and to not have pasta over-load.

For our dish - I wanted a balance of richness and brightness with focus on the complementary natures of the ingredients rather than an all consuming sauce to bring the dish together.

A recipe from Bon Appetit served as the base guide for our final result: Strozzapreti with Mushrooms and Ricotta

This is a dish that has that richness that I was looking for from the ricotta and soffrito (cooked down vegetables). It has brightness from lemon, chives and mint. It felt indulgent but not sinful. It was a perfect "welcome home" comfort meal.

The recipe calls for a Soffritto. Similar to a "Mirepoix" in French cooking - this is an Italian flavor base made by cooking down onions, carrots and onion to develop a rich, cohesive flavor. With a ratio of about 2 onion (red onion in the recipe) to 1 carrot and celery and a slow stir-fry time of approximately 30-35 minutes - the soffritto becomes more than just 'vegetables' in a dish. Topped off with smoked paprika - this combination adds depth to a relatively simple pasta dish.

2009 Asuncion Ridge Salacious (GSM)

I love, love, love this wine and this vineyard. It has a very special place in my heart for a few reasons.

• It reminds me of the lovely weekend getaways that Derek and I would take in Paso Robles 

and

• It was one of the wines that peaked my interest and love for Rhone-varietals (which I'm sure I'll post about in subsequent wine raves)

A little back-story on the wine's origin. Derek and I were looking for a little weekend getaway from San Francisco and wanted to try something different from our standard (but oh so fabulous) Sonoma/Russian River wine region. Just 3-4 hours south there is this lovely under-the-radar wine region near San Luis Obispo: Paso Robles. 

We found this amazing little contemporary B&B, located atop the rolling hills of Atascadero with views of the ocean at the edge of the vast green land below. The house had three bedrooms and a common area that we could make ourselves comfortable in my watching a movie, playing games, you name it. When we arrived, 3 bottles of wine and a variety of cheeses were sitting out for us to enjoy at our leisure. The wine happened to be the same label as the place we were staying so I figured it must have been the innkeepers homemade little project.

Upon first sip I was blown away.

This was no little pet project for the innkeeper - what I was tasting as was beautiful expression of the local region - full of body and rich dark fruit flavors but with an earthy, savory undertone. 

Having tried a few years of his Pinot Noir as well as other Rhone-inspired blends, we didn't leave the B&B before signing up for his Wine Club - which we are still members of today.

That Winery: Asuncion Ridge 

The Wine that I First Fell in Love With: Salacious (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre)

Retail Price: $36
50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre
Winery Description: Blackberry, plum, cassis and golden raisins on the nose. A fruit forward and juicy full mouth feel with a soft and long finish.
Can be Found: Winery Website - I don't think he has any significant distribution at this point so either take a weekend and check out Paso (and stay in the B&B) or consider buying a few bottles - everything he makes is divine.

We had this  recently with roasted eggplant and loved how the two paired together. I think it was less of the combination of the wine and the eggplant and more of the harmony of the deep, roasted flavors with the juicy but savory wine (grown on volcanic soil). This would be great with nearly any roasted meats. Or, as with all of my favorite wines, this Salacious can be thoroughly enjoyed by itself

Cheers!

2012 Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County

The Perfect Wine for a Weekend Night In:

2012 Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend

It's like a warm, comforting hug that keeps you coming back for more.

2012 Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County 
82% Zinfandel, 12% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet

$23.00

Red Zinfandel was one of my first wine loves. Oftentimes, it is easy to drink and approachable due to the bold, fruit-forward nature of the grape. Lower-end Zins can often be characterized as "jammy fruit bombs" which, incidentally, is not highly appreciated in the world of wine. They are approachable because they are reminiscent of adult berry pies, blended, strained, and bottled in a fancy bottle and poured into an adult sippy cup. This is not a bad thing. However, I prefer something with a bit more complexity - and this Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County has just that.

The wine was bold and spicy with deep red fruits, lingering smooth tannins (that feeling that "dries out" your mouth) and a level of earthiness that provides just enough ground to the fruit. So think of it as enjoyable as that naturally sweet (instead of cloyingly sweet) berry pie with a touch of baking spices that you could eat a whole pie of because after each bite, your mouth prepares itself for the next one (as opposed to the kind of pie that you take two bites and you have had enough).

And if you don't eat many pies - just think of this wine as a perfect stand-alone companion for a weekend night in. You could pair it with a burger or pizza - but really, this is enjoyable and "big" enough to enjoy fully on its own.