LEARN HOW TO PACE YOUR
Holiday Partying STAYING
Jersey Strong AFTER
Sandy
VILLA MILAGRO VINEYARDS
What beer bars ARE
missing
Artisans Oktoberfest Dinner
OLD YORK HARVEST FESTIVAL
Bring in this ad through 12/31/12 and receive a free wine tasting & glass.
CONTENTS Stem & Stein
December 2012
Villa Milagro Vineyards • 04
Perfect Pairing •8
PUBLISHERS
Mark Ruzicka & Pam Mazalatis EDITOR
Barbara Kolb
Artisans Oktoberfest Dinner • 10
LAYOUT & DESIGN
McNabb Studios
www.mcnabbstudios.com PHOTOGRAPHY
Mark Ruzicka & Kieran CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jimmy Vena, Dr Audrey Cross, Kevin Celli, Eric Wormann, Pam Mazalatis & Mark Ruzicka – STEM & STEIN –
Old York Harvest Festival • 14
PO Box 699 Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 Phone: 973-663-6816 • Fax: 973-663-6378
www.stemandsteinnj.com Stem & Stein is published monthly and reproduction of content is not permitted without the express written approval of Mark Ruzicka. Publisher assumes no financial responsibility for errors in ads beyond the cost of space occupied by error, a correction will be printed. Publisher is not liable for any slander of an individual, or group as we mean no malice or individual criticism at any time, nor are we responsible for the opinions or comments of our columnists, and promises, coupons, or lack of fulfillment from advertisers who are solely responsible for content of their ads. Publisher is also to be held harmless; from failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond control; all suits, claims, or loss of expenses; this includes, but is not limited to, suits for libel, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a persons name or photograph. Publisher does not promote excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
December 2012 Stem & Stein
1
H H
ello everyone, Since Stem and Stein is a New Jersey magazine I don’t have to explain to anyone the effects of Hurricane Sandy Of course not having power, internet or phone for two weeks in most of the state caused some set backs while compiling this month’s issue. Some of your favorite articles like “NJ Wine Guy” by Kevin Celli or “Cooking with Wine” by Chef Jimmy Vena did not make this month’s issue. Jimmy Vena a long time Point Pleasant resident along with all of the Jersey Shore had a pretty rough time after Sandy. Next issue we will be back stronger than before. We apologize to the people who we didn’t reach for this month’s advertising. We wish a quick recovery for all of friends who were hardest hit by the storm. Good health to everyone for we have more than just gifts to be grateful for this holiday season.
We Thank All Of You,
am Mark and P
2
Stem & Stein December 2012
December 2012 Stem & Stein
3
Villa Milagro v i n e y a r d s by Audrey Gambino
A s you wind along the mile long gravel farm lane overlooking the
Delaware River, you forget that you are in New Jersey. The rolling hills and spectacular view of 4 counties in 2 states cascading from the vineyard is a page from a photo album of Tuscany. Indeed, the soils of Villa Milagro Vineyards are so similar to prime European soils that the surrounding area is designated a wine appellation by the federal government, named Warren Hills Appellation. 4
Stem & Stein December 2012
Owners, Steve & Audrey Gambino, believed these soils and location on the Delaware and Musconetcong Rivers, would be perfect for establishing the first organic vineyard in New Jersey, which they sat out to do in 2001 when they purchased the land. Moisture and mildew issues made it necessary to use a non-organic fungicide,
but other than that, today they continue to follow all organicsustainable practices. Steve, an engineer and inventor, has constructed a number of original “agricultural devices” to replace the use of herbicides and fungicides on the farm. For example, to replace weed control chemicals, his “dragonmobile” throws flames to beat back unwanted vegetation under vines as it mows grass between the rows. Their winery is also unique in its commitment to European style blended wines. “By blending, we produce wines that have exceptional depth, richness and character,” says winemaker, Dr. Audrey Cross (aka Gambino). Modern processing equipment stands beside traditional oak aging barrels where their handmade wines are produced. (2 photos: stainless steel inside chill room; oak barrels stacked for aging) A “foodie” with a doctoral degree in nutrition from the
University of California, Berkeley, Audrey blends wines that are meant to be paired with food as part of a meal. Villa Milagro Vineyards wines offer something for every plate and every palate - from their light and delicate “Delicado”, to fresh and fruity “Rubia” to deep and rich dry reds such as “Sombra” and “Suave.” With ten varieties of French vinifera, Italian clones and a couple of “Americans” the range of blends possible lends itself to creating delicious and elegant wines. (photo: wine bottles) Dr. Audrey frequently speaks to groups and organization about nutrition and the health benefits of wines and writes a regular column for us here at Stem & Stein on the topic. (see page 7) Both she and husband Steve are happy to bend your ear with “TMI” about the benefits of sustainable viticulture, wine as part of a healthy lifestyle and pairing food with wine. Their “Wine Tasting Basics” class and “Vintners Dinners” are fun and delicious ways to learn OPPOSITE (top to bottom): Villa Milagro Vineyards panoramic view Dragonmobile in action THIS PAGE (top to bottom): Stainless Steel inside chill room Oak barrels stacked for aging Dinner Party
December 2012 Stem & Stein
5
about food, wine and health. The serenity of Villa Milagro Vineyards, meaning “home of miracles� in Spanish, surrounds you from the moment you arrive. Greeted by Commander Cody, resident German Shepherd, you will thrill to the 360 degree panorama of their property. This is a perfect setting for weddings, anniversary and birthday celebrations and corporate retreats and workshops which the vineyard often hosts. Visit them to enjoy boutique wines in a unique setting. Bring a copy of this issue of Stein & Stem and receive a free wine tasting. 6
Stem & Stein December 2012
ABOVE (left to right): Cody in the vines Wedding at the vineyard BELOW: Villa Milagro wine selection
WINE & HEALTH
AUDREY CROSS, PHD, JD
Party Pacing
How to save yourself from Holiday Humiliation
I
around the food so you won’t be missing out on conversations. t happens all too often. After a few too many, Finally, know your limit. How much you can a work colleague insults the boss’ husband; an drink is determined by your sex, weight, type of otherwise pleasant uncle becomes a boisterous alcohol and time. You can calculate your tolerance bore; a demure and shy type performs a risqué striptease; you find yourself in an amorous embrace rate at: www.VillaMilagroVineyards.com/alcoholwith the office jerk; and other embarrassments that test.html An easy rule of thumb is to pace yourself to one drink per hour. haunt your holiday memories for months. Worse than a morning after headache is morning What’s to blame? Failure to pace. Under everyday circumstances you know how to hold your after remorse. Avoid the trap. Learn to pace liquor. You don’t cross the line between “relaxed” yourself or “facebook” the consequences! and “remorseful.” You stop when you feel that impending moment when you know that you might Dr. Audrey Cross, a renowned nutritionist who owns Villa Milagro Vineyards with either lose all inhibition or consciousness or both. her husband, Steve Gambino, will provide But holiday parties seem to invite and monthly reviews of wine & health issues encourage crossing the line. You feel obligated to for Stem & Stein. Next month – Does toast with each co-worker, have another one for drinking cause breast cancer? old times sake with each friend, down one to ease www.DrAudreyCross.com & www.VillaMilagroVineyards.com discomfort with inlaws, and so on and so forth, well past your tolerance level. How can you pace yourself to avoid both the “live” dangers and the “re-runs” that will surely follow on FaceBook, Twitter and elsewhere? Here are some practical practices that can help you pace yourself. Eat before you go. Yes, there will be plenty of food at the party, but often, in the excitement of chatting and visiting, you forget to eat. Alcohol is absorbed more quickly from an empty stomach than one filled with food. Have a light meal before you go. Drink one-for-one. The evening will be long so for each alcoholic beverage alternate with a glass of seltzer, water or plain juice. Alcohol causes dehydration leading to some of the side effects experienced the day after. By alternately drinking alcohol and other non-alcoholic beverages, you will both reduce your overall alcohol intake and replenish lost fluids. Take a food break. If you have not been near the appetizer table, move there, empty your hands of a drink and instead sample all of the foods offered. You can chat with others gathered December 2012 Stem & Stein
7
FOOD & DRINK
JIM MCGRADY
PERFECT PAIRINGS (NJ Style)
JERSEY STRONG
Due to the devastation of SuperStorm Sandy, this month’s Perfect Pairings comes to you with heavy heart. The imageries of the destruction and personal loss are mind-numbing. The heavily impacted NJ Restaurant Community which generates almost $14 billion dollars in revenue and provides over 300,000 jobs is reeling from this brutal body blow. The storm’s economic impact is still to be tabulated, but the $50 billion estimate rises above the gross yearly tourism revenue generated by our wounded Jersey Shore. Now, the demolition and recovery has begun. So, as we begin to rebuild, there is no better time to support our own NJ businesses. I bring to you two local libations this month along with a short list of just some of the Shore classics that I miss already. I’m sure that you can pair either of these affable spirits with any of these dishes, 8
Stem & Stein December 2012
as soon as they again become available. As life is restored to our damaged restaurants, please get out support your favorite Jersey Shore eatery.
Memories of Provence, Rosé Wine
Southwind Vineyard, Millville NJ (Outer Coastal Plain) When I opened the FedEx box this month and found a bottle of rosé, I was a little startled. My first thoughts
were unpleasant memories of sugary, cheap blush wines. Well, preconceived notions usually turn out to be wrong, and I was. It is a true coastal Provencal dry rose, and it is spectacular. Southwind is a new winery; they started planting vines 5 years ago and just recently opened. They have a couple of talented winemakers and I’d say that they’re off to a good start. From their website: “We make a classic Provencal style Rose. We do this by ‘free running’ the juice at crush time without pressing it. It is fermented like this without contact with the skins. This is why it is light in color. We do the Rose ‘sur lees’ by stirring in the secondary particulate matter regularly after the wine comes off of it’s ‘gros lees’. This gives the rose a beautiful taste and mouth feel with a floral bouquet and a fruity finish.” We Americans tend to equate pink wines to sweet white
zinfandels and for me that limits the food pairing possibilities. However, this rosy blend is truly a versatile all-occasion wine. The Provençal’s have long known this, and drink it freely with virtually anything, yearround. It actually now outsells white wines in France. So, pick up a bottle from this capable new vineyard and enjoy it whenever and with whatever you like.
Jimmy V’s Guacamole:
Frozen Custard:
Seaside Boardwalk
many locations
Lobster Mac n’ Cheese:
Clam Chowder:
Normandy Beach
Beach Haven
Spicy’s Cantina
Labrador Lounge
Blueberry Pancakes:
Seaside Heights
Ship Bottom
Klee’s
Buffalo Calamari:
Italian Sub:
The White House
Garlic Crabs:
Raw Bar Shooters:
Manahawkin
Point Pleasant Boardwalk
Seafood Burrito:
Blackened Tuna Bites:
Highlands
Point Pleasant Beach
Slab of Pizza:
Blues & Blunch:
Chilangos
This golden lager is one easy-drinking, fluid-with-food Bavarian-style beer. This bright N.J. bred brew goes perfect with Mexican food, seafood, poultry, pizza and pasta. It is a little lighter in alcohol and that can be helpful for the holidays. I’m going to chill a few bottles of East Coast Lager in optimistic anticipation of pairing this beer with these dishes from some of our soon-to-reopen restaurants:
Sandbox Cafe
Crab’s Claw
Mud City
Cricket Hill Microbrewery, Fairfield, NJ
Chowder Hut
Wally Pie:
Lavalette
Cricket Hill East Coast Lager
Kohr Bros.
Atlantic City
Martell’s
The Ark
Sawmill
Langosta Lounge
Fish Taco:
Snails:
Seaside Park
Surf Taco
Seaside Park Cinnamon Doughnuts:
Brown’s
Ocean City Boardwalk She-Crab Soup:
Busch’s
Sea Isle City Cheesesteak and fries:
Jimbo’s
Seaside Heights Boardwalk
Asbury Park
Periwinkles Ocean City
See y’all next month, in a brighter, wittier mood.
Merry Christmas!
JIM MCGRADY Executive Chef/ Managing Partner at Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant Reality.biz December 2012 Stem & Stein
9
Artisans Dinner
By Mark Ruzicka
A few issues back while doing an interview with Dave Hoffman, Climax
Brewing, I was told about the Artisans Oktoberfest Dinner.  Dave, who is also the brewmaster at Artisans, said it is a great event and I should come down to check it out. With that recommendation, I made a reservation to be seated with Dave and his friends. When I arrived at the Artisans Oktoberfest dinner and was making my way to my table I saw special guest, Mr Kurt Epps, and all the beautiful Dirndl maidens who were walking around with pitchers of Artisans Hop Harvest Golden Ale making sure everyone had plenty. This was the beer to be paired with Executive Chef, Steve Farley’s, authentic German feast. The night was rolling right along and everyone was entertained by the authentic Oompa band and colorful guest, the well know beer writer The Pub Scout, Mr Kurt Epps, who led the crowd in song, told jokes and did whatever it took to keep everyone entertained from the minute they walked in the door until they left. 10
Stem & Stein December 2012
Photography by Mark Ruzicka
The next course arrived with fresh pitchers of the second beer on the menu, Artisans English Mild. Â As the delicious food and beer kept coming out course after course, it was easy to see how this event has been such a success for the past ten years. Then it was time for the main course to be paired with a barrel of the aged Artisans Octoberfest beer. The crowd watched as Dave and crew skillfully tapped the wooden barrel. The beer began to flow from
December 2012 Stem & Stein
11
the barrel and then it was on to the main course, German short ribs and potato pancakes followed by dessert paired with a delicious Pumpkin ale. Events like this with the amount of people they had to serve is no easy task. The crew at Artisans did a fantastic job with this event from the important timing of the the courses to the pairing of the food and beer. If you missed it this year and you are from the area, this is a DO NOT miss event. Or, if you’re not from the area, like me, I’m sure you will find that it is well worth the trip. If your planning to attend next year, a word of advice is reserve your table early because this event sells out very fast. See you all next year.
12
Stem & Stein December 2012
December 2012 Stem & Stein
13
OLD YORK HARVEST FESTIVAL AND 2nd ANNIVERSARY
O
RINGOES, NJ • OCTOBER 20-21, 2012
n October 20th and 21st Old York Cellars held their 2nd anniversary Harvest festival weekend. The weather was just about as perfect as it could be on this warm October weekend. Upon arriving I was met by Lauren Dormin, the marketing manager, and David Wolin, owner of Old York Cellars. They both seemed more than pleased with the number of people In attendance and the way the afternoon was progressing. The staff at Old York Cellars really took the time to put on a really great event. This event had something for everyone....... a bee hive tour, wine tasting, a wintery tour, arts and craft vendors, hay York’s 2010 Syrah and Chardonnay while food was being served by Biter Bobs BBQ and Lauries chocolates. The crew at Old York Cellars host a quite a few events throughout the year from art exhibits to yoga and martial arts defense classes. There is always something new and exciting going on at Old York Cellars. If you haven’t been to Old York Cellars, you owe it to yourself to check them out. Old York Cellars is located at 80 Old York Road in Ringoes, New Jersey, just off Route 31 or look them up on the web at www.oldyorkcellars.com. See you there soon. rides through the vineyard and plenty of activities including arts and crafts for those who brought children. They really put a different spin on the way they handled this event. There was an art exhibit by Mark Schreiber who spoke to the guests and answered questions about his technique of painting with wine . Bart Jackson, author of the Garden State Wineries Guide was there signing books, as well as speaking and answering questions about New Jersey wineries. Scott Staats was there on Sunday showing off his glass blowning art. On Saturday, music was performed by Shore Soundz and on Sunday, Rock on Wood. They also celebrated the release of Old 14
Stem & Stein December 2012
Photography by Pam Mazalatis December 2012 Stem & Stein
15
16
Stem & Stein December 2012
December 2012 Stem & Stein
17
What Beer Bars Are Missing By Eric Wormann
The popularity
of craft beer has created a shift in the way bars do business. Many bars used to rely heavily on light beer specials but have now shifted their focus to craft beers, attracting a different clientele and a stronger bottom line. While you have probably seen many bars offering more craft beers on tap and in their bottle selections, diversifying the product line is only the first step in creating a great beer bar. 18
Stem & Stein December 2012
First, a knowledgeable staff is essential. They should be prepared to let you know what you are drinking. Have you ever taken a sip of iced tea when you expected it to be soda? It tastes terrible because your expectations are not what they should have been. The same goes for beer. If you are expecting a lager and you sip an IPA, it is going to ruin that beer for you. The staff should be able to tell you a little bit about each beer they are serving so you know what to expect. The most overlooked element of a great beer is the glass. A beer glass should be clean and never chilled. A glass that was not properly dried before being placed in a freezer can result in a
two thirds of the way full, and the bottle or faucet lining of frozen sanitizer or soap residue. Instead, a should never come in contact with the beer or the glass should be left to dry on a stainless steel rack, glass. allowing air to circulate inside of the glass to When the beer is prevent bacteria. The glass should never be served it should be dried with a towel, which will leave lint or served with a glass of residue on the inside which water. Water will not will kill the head only keep you hydrated retention of a but it will also help to beer. For this reacleanse your palate. son, a beer glass This is important if should always be you are sampling a rinsed with cold flight or if you do water just before not plan on stickthe beer is poured. ing to one specific The way a beer beer all night. is poured can make Whether you are or break your fist conscious of them or impression of a not, these are some beer. We’ve all seen of the small things someone pouring a that can change your pint of beer from a impression of a beer. tap and dumping half The liquid may be of it out because it is great, but if you’re too foamy. Sometimes drinking something this is a temperature or you are unfamiliar pressure problem with the with from a dirty glass draft system, but the majority of the time it is human error. Whether you are pouring from a tap or a bottle, with too much head and the glass should always start at a 45 degree angle and an uncleansed palate, then the beer should be poured down the side of the glass. you just might be missing out on a great beer. The glass should be straightened as it becomes about December 2012 Stem & Stein
19
C elebrate the H ANDCRAFT S EASONALS A Belgian Abbey-Style Dubbel and a Celebration Ale... in addition to seven handcraft beers on tap at Sussex County’s first and only brew pub for over a decade!
D ECEMBER C ASK A LE
Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter 23 WHITE DEER PLAZA ◆ SPARTA
kroghs.com
20
Stem & Stein December 2012
CALL US FOR AVAILABILITY! 973-729-8428
For advertising call 973.663.6816 or visit our website www.stemandsteinnj.com