(Inkberry wine with Italian bread and rosemary olive oil)

(Salumi platter that will make your head spin)

Alma, the Italian (and Spanish) word for soul, also the name of the restaurant we just happened upon last night in an effort to check out the new Hingham Beer Works at the Shipyard.  Looking to grab a quick drink after work we tried to squeeze in at the bar at Beer Works but eventually gave up and walked into it’s neighbor, Alma Nove.  This place is going to be a gold mine.  Quality menu items (and unfortunately prices) that are competitive with downtown-Boston without the hassle of driving into the city, Hingham-ites (and of course their neighbors such as ourselves) are going to LOVE Alma Nove.  We started off with a reasonably priced bottle of Inkberry wine, a 50/50 blend of Cab and Shiraz from Central Ranges  Australia.  It was great!  It took a bit to open up, but by the time we were through with our amazing salad of arugula, blue cheese, San Daniela prosciutto and port-soaked figs (DIE – notice we inhaled this and thus no picture) the wine was perfectly balanced.  We then moved on to the salumi platter with italian cured meats, MORE blue cheese, homemade eggplant, tomato and fig tapanades, shaved parmesan and crispy Asiago toasts.  Just dig a hole and tell the wedding diet to lay down and die now, will you?  But we split both apps so there was some portion control going on at least.  Oh, and did I mention out bartender was like the most adorable little man in the world?  Oh my goodness.  The service was great, a tad eager perhaps, but it’s a new place and they need to make a name for themselves!  It’s fun being in an environment where everyone is so excited and seems happy to be there, it’s refreshing!  I will definitely be going back to Alma Nove, next time after pay day so I can dig into their delectable looking entrées…  Salute!

Ugh.  Can.  Not.  Move.  Dinner at Abe & Louie’s is always an experience.  Add in your most favorite people in the world, a significant birthday, and some red wine and it’s even MORE of an affair.  Last night we took my mother, on the verge of a very important birthday whose’s number shall not be named, out for an early celebration at this fine steak house.  Here are some highlights:

The Aps: Tuna Tartare.  Come ON.  Also an incredible caprese salad special with the most massive beefsteak tomatoes and incredible balsamic reduction.

The Mains: Steak, steak, and more steak.  The ladies all enjoyed the Filet au Poivre while the gentlemen indulged in rib eyes, sirloins and surf & turf.

The Sides: Hashed browned potatoes, creamed fresh spinach, backed mac & cheese & broccoli with hollandaise

The Dessert: Insane chocolate layer cake

The Wine: Adessa Pinot Grigio (Veneto) & Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon) to start, then a stronger Torbreck “Woodcutters” Shiraz (Barossa) to pair with the peppery steaks during the main course.

My only fault with the evening – I forgot to take pictures of the FOOD!  Maybe it’s because I am not used to having this handy-dandy hi-res camera phone, maybe it’s because we devoured everything as soon as it hit the table, but I apologize and promise to make a more concerted effort moving forward.

Fun Merlot wine tasting tonight, then fabulous family wedding tomorrow, I hope you all have fantastic weekends lined up as well!  I’ll have lots to share on Monday, so until then, Salud!!

Any bottle of wine featuring a massive chocolate layer cake is going to get my attention.  Add to the fact that this Layer Cake wine is a Primitivo (which is a varietal that often catches my eye for a number of reasons) and I knew I would buy it before the darling little wine guy even started talking it up.  Rich, surprisingly fruity, and even a teensy bit sweet, Layer Cake Primitivo really delivers.  You’ll notice on the bottle that the wine varietal is listed as “Primitivo, aka Zinfandel.”  Primitivo is a derivative grape of the zinfandel family, so you will notice many similarities in its flavor profile.  I’m not a huge fan of promoting the wine this way as Primitivo is its own varietal and deserves its own acknowledgment, I suppose it is useful in raising awareness of lesser-known varietals so I won’t complain…  I paired this with a cheese plate consisting of maytag blue, salted almonds, fig jam, and home made crostini.  It was perfect!  You could definitely enjoy this wine on its own as it isn’t too dry so you won’t need snacks to take the edge off.  Not that I have any problem with snacks  :)  I bought this bottle at the new Fresh Market that opened up around the block, it ran me about $14 but since grocery stores often have higher prices than a regular packy I bet you could find this closer to the $10 range.  They were also sampling the new 2009 Shiraz which was also good.  Give it another month or so and it will really balance out and loose some of its current “jammy-ness,” and in 6 months I bet it will be to die for!  Clearly I only sampled the bottle at the time and did not buy it, my ability to store wine for future consumption is somewhat nonexistent.  So if you see one of the many varieties of Layer Cake wines you should try one out, and as always report back and let me know what you think!  Cheers!

(photo credit: layercakewine.com)

Earlier today I got a request from an old friend for some suggestions on sweet dessert wines to try.  And although the request came in the form of something of criticism of previous posts, I decided to indulge him (perhaps this is penance for moving back to Boston over 4 years ago without letting him know?  Whoops…).  So, here we go!

First off, I have to give a shout out to one of my new favorite dessert wines, Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz.  This wine happens to be the number one keyword source of traffic for my entire site!  Why?  It’s awesome!  Sweet yet subtle, this smooth Shiraz is perfect with rich chocolates, poured over vanilla ice cream, or served straight up and slightly chilled.  If Ports are too sticky for you, you’ll LOVE Jam Jar.

Now I mention Ports because they are kind of the master of all dessert wines, in this wine enthusiast’s humble opinion.  There is just nothing better than a glass of good port, a leather armchair and some classical music.  But Ports are not for everyone.  Port is a fortified wine, meaning that it starts off as a normal wine but during “wine cycle” it gets a shot of alcohol which stops the fermentation process (fermentation converts the sugar, so by stopping fermentation there is more sugar in the wine and this is why Ports are sweet).  This is also why it tastes more like alcohol than many wines, because it literally has alcohol poured in!  There are a BUNCH of different Ports depending on how they’re aged (in a barrel or in a bottle) and how long they are aged for (more aging = richer flavor and thicker texture).  The most available/popular Ports are Ruby & Tawny.  I suggest you get a less expensive bottle of each, then once you know which one you prefer you can look for finer, more expensive options.  To start your research, I suggest you look for Dow’s.  Dow’s makes both Ruby & Tawny and you can usually find it for around $13 a bottle.  When you’re ready to move up in the world, check out Taylor Fladgate Tawny 20.   It’s pretty incredible.

Leaning towards the whiter side of things?  Grab a Riesling!  I just reviewed a great, light German Riesling called Oh…Schist! which is lovely with a lighter dessert pairing.  I also really like Relax Riesling, it’s similar in style but has a bit more honey.

There are so many more dessert wines that I have tried and loved, I will do my best to get the details and share them with you in the next few weeks.  But I hope you enjoy these lovely suggestions for now, cheers!

Happening right now, Jam Jar featured on the Today show as part of a wine & chocolate Valentine’s pairing!!

Watch the clip NOW

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!