When I was living out in Las Vegas there was this fantastic little Russian restaurant in a strip mall near my house that I absolutely loved.  After starting your meal with a complementary and mandatory shot of whatever infused vodka was on special that night, I would order their house wine (which was also their only wine) – a sweet Russian red wine only imported to a dozen places in the States.  When I moved back to the East coast I never thought I’d find this interesting wine again.  Then I found Jam Jar.  Jam Jar is not Russian, but it is a sweet South African wine made from Shiraz and I absolutely adored it.  For starters, the cap is a red and white checker pattern like the top of old time Smuckers jars.  What I loved most about the wine was that although it did have a sticky sweet nose, the taste was not overly sugary.  Just enough sweetness to make it pair deliciously with the baked pear crumble I prepared.  If you enjoy Port wine you will find this a light, affordable alternative (retails at around $8 per bottle).  Chill for about an hour before serving so that the wine is not quite room temp.  Go for something different and grab a bottle, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Saturday evening we held a small gathering to celebrate our new home.  As our first guests arrived, I received a phone call from my father inviting me to join him and my mother for a tasting menu at Davio’s in Patriot Place followed by a clutch seat in the lower bowl for the Patriots game against the New York Jets the next day.  Due to the rush of last-minute party preparations and more importantly my love for food and football, I immediately accepted.  We arrived at Davio’s at 1pm the next day and met our gracious hosts, long-time friends of my father who had won this lavish dinner for 12 by making a generous donation at the Rodman Celebration for Kids last December (PS- Fabulous event, we are very much looking forward to the upcoming Celebration on December 5th and I recommend it to anyone in the Boston area).  We ate straight through until after 4pm, only pulled away when we realized that the coin toss had already occurred.  Here is a run-down on the tasting menu and wine pairings.  I will definitely be returning to Davio’s soon and have already tracked down several of the wines served at local wine shops for my own enjoyment at home…  A special thanks to Paul at Davio’s for helping me research the wines and for getting me in touch with his distributors for further details!

1st course:  An assortment of appetizers including Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls®, Pan Seared Jonah Crab Cake, Sauteed Scallops with Cucumber, Chicken Parmesan Spring Rolls, Flat breads with mozzarella, balsamic vinegar & figs, and more…

Wine Paring:  Adami Garbel 13 Prosecco (Italy) – Outstanding and priced around $20 per bottle retail

2nd course: Penne Bolognese

Wine Pairing:  Five Rivers Pinot Noir (California) – Excellent pinot noir, highly recommended.  Paired perfectly with the bolognese.  Retails for around $14 per bottle.

3rd course: Salad with dried cranberries, pears and a champagne vinegrette.

Wine pairing:  Tangley Oaks Chardonnay (California) – Nice and crisp, notes of pear and apple with a hint of citrus.  Retails for around $15 per bottle.

4th course:  Grilled Sirloin with Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes

Wine pairing:  Lyeth Meritage – Oak and plum flavors, paired well with the steak.  Retails for around $17 per bottle.

5th course:  Panna Cotta with berries

Wine pairing:  Couldn’t do it, had to go for a coffee to wake me up for fear of slipping into a food coma during the game!

Oh, and to top it all off, the Pats put the Jets in their place winning the game 31-14!!

(Photo Credit: Patriot Place)

Ok, you may feel free to call me crazy.  I am completely, all out in Christmas mode.  I am one glass of Rioja away from pulling out the boxes and decking the halls of the house.  The only thing holding me back is the threat of no presents should I attempt to decorate before Thanksgiving.  What’s a girl to do?  So instead of decorating, I’m spending my time scheming and window shopping.  As I was perusing the holiday aisle of a local store I found these adorable little plastic children-sized rings.  Best part – they were 12 for $1!  I grabbed a package and brought them home, sure I could come up with something crafty.  Much to my delight, they bent just enough to fit around the stem of my wine glasses!  Granted, one did snap because I was not careful with it, but 11 wine charms for $1 is not bad.  Little snowmen, stockings and holly are just what I need to get me through the next week and a half before I can go all out.  Would you like to receive sweet wine glass charms as a host/hostess gift?  Hurrah for the season of giving!!

PS – Tonight I picked up a bottle of sweet syrah called Jam Jar, I can’t WAIT to try it out and hope it is as darling as the bottle!

Another note about the fantastic wines from Arrogant Frog – They have launched a holiday discount promotion! Find a bottle with the promotional tag and get up to $2 off the bottle. I bought three bottles at $7.99 each, once I get my $6 rebate the price per bottle drops to under six dollars per bottle! A big score. I picked up another bottle of the Lily Pad Noir and decided to try out the Lily Pad Red (Cab/Merlot blend) and the Ribet White (Chardonnay/Viognier blend).   The Lily Pad Red was a little harsh at first, but once we let it breath a bit it was smooth and easy to drink.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys Bordeaux but is looking for something a bit lighter.  The Ribet White was a nice surprise.  It had a sweeter nose (smelled a bit sugary like a Riesling), but had a nice balance of citrus and floral flavors with just a touch of sweetness on the finish.  I’d recommend this to anyone who likes Pinot Grigio, straight Viognier, Albarino or young Chardonnay.   Adorable bottle + tasty wine = Great hostess gift for the holidays!

In the spirit of my lesson on the Rhône valley earlier in the week, I picked up a few bottles of Rhône wine to enjoy at home.  The first bottle I selected was Secret de Campane, a top pick of the 2008 Plonkapalooza.  Since I’ve been having a lot of luck with the 2009 selections I figured this one was worth a try!  I was very pleased with this wine.  The selection comes from the southern part of the valley where Grenache reigns supreme.  The resulting wine was light, easy to drink, and had lovely notes of pepper that paired very well with the dish I created out of baked pears,  caramelized leeks, goat cheese and phyllo dough (this kind of combination is what happens when you let me loose at Russo’s – but it ended up being fantastic).  I give Secret de Campane 3.5 stars.  Drink this wine with mild cheeses, fruits, veggies or white meats.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

(photo credit: www.lebonvin.co.uk)

Ok, so I’m preparing an amazing wine pairing menu for tonight and I am really excited to tell you how it all comes together, but before I begin I just need to ask – is this not the LARGEST leek you have ever seen?  Included full size wine bottle for comparison.  My cooking prowess and I are feeling a little intimidated…

I want to take a couple of minutes to talk about one of my favorite French wine regions – the Rhône valley. Although the Rhône has several amazing wines (Chateauneuf du Pape for starters), I feel that it is frequently passed over for its more popular, classic neighbors like Bordeaux and Burgundy.  As the younger sister of the most intelligent and beautiful woman you will ever meet, I feel obligated to stick up for the overlooked region and help people understand that it too is special in its own way.  The main reasons why I love Rhône wine are the principle varietals in the region – Syrah & Viogner in the north and Grenache in the south.

Syrah (also known as Shiraz when grown in other parts of the world) is amazingly complex with a strong flavor profile.  Viogner is a delightful white that has less citrus than a Sauv Blanc and less butter than a Chardonnay.  It’s a versatile, light white that most white wine drinkers will adore.  If you would like to sample a northern Rhône wine, here are some key terms to look for on wine labels:

• Condrieu (white)
• Chateau-Grillet (white)
• Crozne-Hermitage (red)

Grenache grapes produce a fruity, easy drinking wine that offers a lot of body without a lot of tannin.  This means that Grenache wines (which are usually blends) will be flavorful and complex without a strong alcohol flavor.  This also means they will not leave that fuzzy feeling on your tounge like a typical Cabernet.  If you are shopping for a fun wine to try and are interested in sampling a southern Rhône variety, here are some key regions/wine producers in the area that you can look for on a label:

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape
• Gigondas
• Rasteau
• Côtes du Rhône Villages

I hope this little lesson helps you discover some new wines that you will love!  Enjoy!!

(photo credit: www.monasette.com)

At this stage in the game, there are not many varietals I have not tried.  I was at a tasting this weekend when I came across Trivento Pinot Noir from the Mendoza region of Argentina.  I enjoyed the selection and noticed that the winery also boasted a highly-rated Malbec and a 100% Torrontes wine.  Torrontes is very popular in South America and although I had sampled Torrontes in mixed varietal wines I had never tried it all on its own.  How could I pass on a learning opportunity?  I must say, I was very pleased.

The first thing that struck me when I tried the wine was that it was rather sweet.  I would compare it to a drier Riesling but with less of a honey taste.  The citrus notes proved to be a very good balance for the subtle sweetness, and the floral aroma rounded out the experience nicely.  If Riesling or Gewurztraminer are too sugary for you, yet you’d like to experiment with a white beyond your traditional Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay, this wine is for you.  I paired the wine with a steak salad over mixed greens in a homemade dijon, balsamic and minced scallion dressing and a thick slice of brie – Great combination!  Trivento proved to be a good value at 3 for $25 at a local store in Quincy.  Try Trivento and let me know your take!  Salud!

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder I find myself spending more time snuggled up inside my craft room (PS – LOVE having a craft room in the new house, so much more useful than an office in my opinion).  Along with scrapbooking, I love coming up with creative decorations and homemade gift items.  I thought I’d share a couple of project ideas that you can do at home to get ready for the holidays!

Add some shades of fall to your living room!  Works with fresh or silk flowers and can easily be changed out with the seasons.

Holiday party?  Family gathering?  Liven up your libations with a home-made wine bag!  A simple, affordable touch that can be made in minutes!

Do you have any creative crafting ideas to share?  Back to the sewing machine for me!

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit a local grocery store.  Not only can you score some cheap grub, but you can find some amazing, cost effective souvenirs to bring home.  Foreign salt is one of my favorite buys.  My latest craze is a fossil salt I picked up for under 5 euro at the Corte Ingles in Madrid on my way home from Sevilla last February (another key point – salt is not only cheap but it lasts forever!).  I don’t know why, but I find myself craving this salt regularly.  It is a thick, flaky salt and tastes like you are licking the side of an old Spanish battleship (in a good way).  Does this salt make me crave a good Rioja because it is harvested from the runoff water that flows from the Rio Ebro into the Mediterranean?  Is this why I can’t consume Herbs de Provence without a glass of chilled rosé?  Can anyone else relate to this?  Please tell me I’m not alone.  And try to find this salt next time you’re in Europe, it is really amazing…