The king of reds
Here it is: the end of summer. Time to start thinking about layers again. With that comes a shift in drinking habits. During warmer weather, we look for cool, light, and refreshing beverages. As the leaves begin to change hue, it’s time for your wine to do the same. White wines got us through the long summer days. That amber tint is turning to rouge overnight. We just celebrated red wine day. But, today it’s time to focus on one in particular. It’s International Cabernet Sauvignon day. This is, indeed, the King of reds. Not only are some of the greatest wines based on it, it’s the most widely planted wine grape variety in the world. So, the king of reds is an apt moniker.
So, how did Cabernet Sauvignon become this royal wine? Much of the lore points to France. But, it’s truly a wine of the world with vines grown from Argentina to Vancouver to Australia, the middle East, and all of Europe. And, it has a special place in American wine making as well. Originally, people believed it was descended from Biturica, the grape that made the great wines of the Roman empire. But, more recent genomic analysis proved it is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Some of the flavor profiles bear out in its expression. Although, it is interesting that a red and a white would cross to create an even deeper red. Regardless, the proof is in the greatness of the wine.
Table of Contents
Drawing forth the mighty Excalibur, he became the king of reds
While that may be the case for King Arthur, Cabernet Sauvignon took a different route. It proved itself through versatility, longevity, adaptability, and Plain old great taste. It can grow almost anywhere. Arguably, it’s best ground, though, is in France. While the French weren’t the first to make wine, they perfected the art. And, the crown jewel in French winemaking comes from this grape. In the wine world, Bordeaux is the standard by which all wines are judged. These are the most sought after, vaunted, and pricey wines in the world. If you get a chance, check out the documentary “Red Obsession”. You’ll see what this wine means.
While France gave us the epitome of what Cabernet Sauvignon should be, the rest of the world took note and ran with it. California went from a land where missionaries grew grapes for wine destined to religious ceremonies to a international vintner’s powerhouse, largely thanks to Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1976, There was a blind tasting now known as the judgment of Paris where a 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet won top honors as best in the world. Indeed, 6 of the top 10 Cabernets that year were from the USA. And, most of the judges were French. Today, world class Cabernet comes from the US, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Italy as well.
Why the big hub bub, bub?
Unlike some varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon can grow in a variety of climates. As with other grapes, the amount of heat affects the flavor and consistency. Cooler climates produce Crisp, hearty, tannic, and aggressive wines. Warmer climates accent the fruit and sweetness, resulting in almost jam like elixirs. Contrast this adaptability with grapes like Pinot noir, Nebbiolo, Viognier, and Gewurtztraminer who require specific climates and care. It’s no wonder everybody, seemingly, takes a shot at Cabernet Sauvignon. Plus, its reputation precedes it. Beside the regional variations, people know what to expect. It’s become the wine by which others are judged.
This is, of course, unfair. But, when selling to the masses (and even some wine snobs), predictability is key. There are heavier reds, like Syrah (also very adaptable) and, vastly differentiated varieties like Tempranillo, Malbec, Grenache, Pinot noir, Gamay, and Merlot to name a few. One of my favorites, that comes in and out of favor is Zinfandel. While Cabernet put California on the wine map. Zinfandel was one of its signature wines with unique characteristics. Not to detract from California cabs. Both are very enjoyable. The difference comes from supply, demand, competition, and marketing. There are 10’s of thousands of Cabernet Sauvignon brands. Zinfandels number in the hundreds.
What to expect from the King of Reds
Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty predictable, especially given its saturation of the market. The hallmark flavors of Black cherry, black currant, cedar, graphite, and baking spices let you know what you’re drinking. The flavor, body, and aroma are bold and assertive. Yet, it’s not over powering. With Medium to high tannins, relatively dry finish, and higher alcohol content, Cabs are pretty much the standard expectation of red wine. There are very few surprises. But, in the hands of different vintners, it takes on wildly disparate expressions.
And, those differences are as wide as the price point variation. You can get budget cabs for under $10. Some are pretty pedestrian. But, others surprise. Then there is the opposite of the spectrum with collectors paying in excess of a million bucks a bottle. I remember doing a catering event for a wealthy client where they served two magnums of 1956 Chateau Lafitte Rothschild to 10 people. At the time, those bottles were worth about $5k each. Today, thanks to investors pumping up the prices, they’d probably be over a million each. For the rest of us, though, expect very drinkable wines between $10 and $100. There are thousands of producers. And, the grape rarely fails to please.
Does it pair well with food?
Is Monday a day of the week? What kind of question is that? The most famous expression is from France. What else are the French good at? I don’t know: food, maybe? Most people think of eating a beef steak with Cabernet. They aren’t wrong. Red Meat, and red wine tend to go together. Having a heavier wine helps when eating a heavy food item. Otherwise, the flavor of the wine may become overpowered. But, there are so many other options. Don’t forget all the plant based items like eggplant, mushrooms, squashes, tomatoes, etc. There are endless possibilities. And, let’s not forget cheese. Everything from a delicate goat cheese to Stilton and Tallegio goes perfectly with a nice cab.
So, don’t be afraid to experiment. Granted, as a heavier wine, it may overpower more delicate foods like a light fish or simple salad. But, you can incorporate things like that into a more complex meal. Perhaps garnish a heavier entree with a micro green salad or try a more assertive green like kale or arugula. While drinking Cabernet on its own is fine. We do suggest pairing it with compatible foods. So, to that end, we offer a few recipes that work well with this, the king of reds!
Bon apetit and À votre santé!
Grilled Eggplant Stuffed With Herbed Quinoa Drizzled with Tomato Coulis and Garnished with Micro Greens
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Fresh Eggplant
- 1/2 Cup Assorted Chopped Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Parsley, Marjoram, Chives, Sage, Rosemary)
- Olive oil for cooking
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 12 each Whole Fresh Chives
- 1/4 Cup Fine Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 cup Dried Quinoa
- 1/4 cup Fine Diced Fresh Mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp Fine Diced Fresh Carrots
- 2 to 3 Cups Vegetable stock or Water
- For tomato Coulis:
- 1/4 cup Minced White Onion
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 2 Cup Canned Diced Tomato
- 4 or 5 each Leaves of Fresh Basil
- 1/4 cup Red Wine
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
Instructions
- make the Tomato Coulis: Blend the tomato at high speed until totally smooth. Heat olive oil in a Heavy pot. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the red wine and reduce until it is almost gone. Add the Tomato and basil and bring up to a simmer. Allow it to simmer about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring as needed. If it gets too thick, add a little water. You want the acidity of the tomatoes to cook off. When done, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- prepare the eggplant: If you have a slicing machine, that works best for this. Or you can use a mandolin or knife if you can slice thin and even slices. First, Pick eggplants that are not too large. About 3 inch diameter is best. Slice The vegetable lengthwise. about 1/8 inch thick. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with a little bit of the herb mixture, salt, and pepper. Preheat a grille or grille pan and grille the slices carefully over high heat. You want nice marks and the eggplant to become pliable enough to wrap around food. Set aside.
- make the Quinoa: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Saute the Onion and garlic until translucent. Fold in the carrots and mushroom sand continue to cook for about 1 minute. Add the Quinoa, and mix all ingredients. Add the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Then cut back to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is tender, but not falling apart. If it is cooked, but there is still liquid,remove from the heat and strain out the extra liquid. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Then fold in the remaining herbs. Allow to cool.
- Dip chives into Boiling water to make them pliable.
- lay out the eggplant slices on a sheet pan. Use a scoop, spoon, or your hands to place a generous amount of quinoa about an inch up in the wide part of the eggplant. Roll up the eggplant. Fold the sides over to partially cover the quinoa. Then roll up the eggplant into a package. Repeat with the each slice. Then, wrap each bundle with a chive and tie it tight. reheat in a 350 degree oven.
- Reheat the Coulis. Spread a thin coating on a small plate. Place the eggplant bundle on top. Then drizzle a little more sauce over the top and garnish with micro greens, a couple drops of fine olive oil, and Some fresh ground black or mixed peppercorns.
Rosemary Goat Cheese Gougeres
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Milk
- 4 Oz Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup AP flour
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 Cup Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1/2 Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Bring milk and butter to a boil in a heavy pot. Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir frequently until the dough pulls away from the pan. Continue to cook for another minute , stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Remove dough to a mixing bowl. Whip in the eggs, one at a time. Make sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next one. This is easiest if done in a mixer. But, it can be done by hand if you want a bit of a workout. Add seasonings and rosemary. Then fold the two cheeses in by hand. Make sure the goat cheese doesn't break down too much. You want creamy pockets in the puff. Have a little extra gruyere to sprinkle on top.
- Line sheet pans with parchment paper or a non stick liner. Put the dough in a pastry bag. You can use a star tip or plain tip. Pipe mounds of the dough about the size of a quarter onto the lined sheet pans. Leave enough space between each to expand. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top for visual effect.
- bake for about 20 minutes. If they still look a little pale, give a couple more minutes. They should have an even brownish hue. And, when you tap them, they should be crisp on the outside with a hollow sound inside.
- Serve hot. They can be made ahead of time and reheated at 350 degrees for a few minutes if necessary. Serve by themselves or with a nice fondue or tomato sauce.
Notes
Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Calzone with Vegan Cheese and Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Typo 00 flour
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 TBSP Yeast
- 2 TBSP Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- For Onions and Mushrooms:
- 4 Cups Thin Sliced Sweet Onions
- 3 Cups Sliced Assorted Wild Mushrooms
- 1/4 Cup Sherry
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 tsp Truffle Oil (optional)
- 2 Cups Vegan Pizza Cheese
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Sweet Onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Pepper
- 1 Cup Ground Tomato
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil
- 1 tsp Chopped Oregano (fresh or dried)
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Romesco Sauce: Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat in a thin layer of olive oil until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and taper back to a simmer. Cook down until it is about half the original volume. Add more stock or water if it is too thick. Add seasoning and Blend until semi smooth.
- While the sauce is Cooking, Cook the onions in olive oil. Start at high heat to get some color, then drop down to medium. Allow the onions to caramelize slowly, stirring as needed to prevent burning. When they have a golden brown color, add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft. Then, add the sherry and increase the temperature. Burn off the alcohol, and cook off the extra liquid. You want it as dry as possible to prevent soggy dough. Season and add the thyme. Set aside to cool.
- While those 2 are cooking, make the dough. Or you can make all the ingredients ahead of time to assemble on the day of service. For the dough, Put the sugar, yeast, and water the bowl of a mixer. make sure the water is warm, not hot. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom about 10 minutes. Then, add the remaining ingredients and use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. You may need to scrape the sides to aid the dough in forming. When it takes shape, remove the bowl from the mixer. Coat the dough with Olive oil and cover. Allow it to rest about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 550
- While the dough is resting, fold vegan pizza cheese into the onion and mushroom mixture. Also, add a touch of truffle oil if you want to boost the flavor.
- Roll out the dough, preferably by hand into a long Wide rectangle. You could also do smaller pieces of dough for multiple smaller calzones. Place the filling down the middle of the dough and paint the edges with olive oil. Roll the calzone up like a cigar. Fold the ends over to keep the filling inside. Poke a couple small holes in the top, to allow steam to escape.
- Preheat a pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan or stone to prevent sticking. Place the calzone on the stone or pan and brush with olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until perfectly browned,
- Remove the calzone to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then cut it into manageable pieces. Serve with heated romesco sauce on the side.
Notes
Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Calzone with Vegan Cheese and Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Typo 00 flour
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 TBSP Yeast
- 2 TBSP Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- For Onions and Mushrooms:
- 4 Cups Thin Sliced Sweet Onions
- 3 Cups Sliced Assorted Wild Mushrooms
- 1/4 Cup Sherry
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 tsp Truffle Oil (optional)
- 2 Cups Vegan Pizza Cheese
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Sweet Onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Pepper
- 1 Cup Ground Tomato
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil
- 1 tsp Chopped Oregano (fresh or dried)
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Romesco Sauce: Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat in a thin layer of olive oil until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and taper back to a simmer. Cook down until it is about half the original volume. Add more stock or water if it is too thick. Add seasoning and Blend until semi smooth.
- While the sauce is Cooking, Cook the onions in olive oil. Start at high heat to get some color, then drop down to medium. Allow the onions to caramelize slowly, stirring as needed to prevent burning. When they have a golden brown color, add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft. Then, add the sherry and increase the temperature. Burn off the alcohol, and cook off the extra liquid. You want it as dry as possible to prevent soggy dough. Season and add the thyme. Set aside to cool.
- While those 2 are cooking, make the dough. Or you can make all the ingredients ahead of time to assemble on the day of service. For the dough, Put the sugar, yeast, and water the bowl of a mixer. make sure the water is warm, not hot. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom about 10 minutes. Then, add the remaining ingredients and use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. You may need to scrape the sides to aid the dough in forming. When it takes shape, remove the bowl from the mixer. Coat the dough with Olive oil and cover. Allow it to rest about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 550
- While the dough is resting, fold vegan pizza cheese into the onion and mushroom mixture. Also, add a touch of truffle oil if you want to boost the flavor.
- Roll out the dough, preferably by hand into a long Wide rectangle. You could also do smaller pieces of dough for multiple smaller calzones. Place the filling down the middle of the dough and paint the edges with olive oil. Roll the calzone up like a cigar. Fold the ends over to keep the filling inside. Poke a couple small holes in the top, to allow steam to escape.
- Preheat a pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan or stone to prevent sticking. Place the calzone on the stone or pan and brush with olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until perfectly browned,
- Remove the calzone to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then cut it into manageable pieces. Serve with heated romesco sauce on the side.
Notes
The British are Coming Beef Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin trimmed center cut
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 6 inch sheets Frozen puff pastry dough
- 1 large Egg
- For duxelles
- 3 cups Assorted wild mushrooms chopped
- 1 cup diced shallot
- 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme
- 1/4 cup sherry wine
- For Demi glace sauce
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh shallot
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 cups homemade or high quality beef or veal stock
- Butter to finish
Instructions
- Make the duxelles: saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and stir. cook until soft. Add the sherry and reduce to a glaze. Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Then puree in a food processor. Set aside.
- Make demi glace: Saute shallots in oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce until it is a glaze. Add half the stock and turn heat down to medium. Reduce by 1/2 volume. Then add the rest of the stock. Reduce by 1/2 again. Set aside.
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cut the tenderloin into 4 filet mignon steaks. Oil each and season with salt and pepper, coating evenly. Sear on a grille or in a saute pan over high heat until all sides are evenly browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Lay out the puff pastry sheets and paint with whisked egg. Place a spoonful or more of the duxelles in the center of each sheet (enough to cover the top of the tenderloin. Spread to the size of the steak, but keep in the center of the puff pastry. Put the steak on top of the duxelles. Then lift the 4 corners of the puff pastry and wrap around the steak. Fold them over to seal the steak in the pastry. Repeat with all the steaks. Then put them on a parchment lined sheet pan sprayed with pan spray. Brush the tops and sides of the pastry with more egg.
- Bake the wellingtons for about 20 minutes. They should achieve a golden brown crust. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. You want it to be around 125 for medium rare.
- Heat the demi glace and whisk in a pat of butter. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Sauce the plate and place the wellington on top of the sauce.