We visit:
AMALTHEA CELLARS EAST COAST BEER CO.
CRYSTAL SPRING RESORT OCTOBERFEST PHOTOS
WESTFALL WINERY MUSIC FEST Reviews Recipes Advice
On New Jersey’s Best Wine & Beer
CONTENTS Stem & Stein
November 2012
Westfall Winery Music Fest • 04
Amalthea Cellars • 12
East Coast Brewing Co. • 16
Octoberfest • 20
H
ello everyone, It’s good to be back again . We’ve had a lot going on this month, with all of the Octoberfests, Wine festivals and other beer and wine related activities. In just the few issues that we have been publishing, we’re as happy as we could possibly be with our progress and hope that you are also satisfied with what you see and read in these pages.
So till next month,
am Mark and P November 2012 Stem & Stein
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PUBLISHERS
Mark Ruzicka & Pam Mazalatis EDITOR
Barbara Kolb 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 –
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.
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WESTFALL WINERY MUSIC FEST MONTAGUE, NJ • SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2012
n September, we were invited to Westfall Winery for their Music Fest. It was a beautiful September day. As we sat down to enjoy a bottle of Westfall Wineries Rhone blend, we also enjoyed listening to some great music by Hub Hollow, Michaela McClain & The Hollow. All three of these bands were wonderful to listen to. We sat under the pavillion to watch everyone enjoying themselves. The adults and children were having a great time. We would like to mention this is a pet friendly winery. As pet lovers, we were pleased to see people sitting with their dogs enjoying the beautiful day. The scenery at this winery is breathtaking! Westfall Winery also offered discounted wine by the glass and free wine tastings. Included with your ticket was a delicious Southern BBQ. We would like to thank Westfall Winery for having us. We look forward to attending many more of their events.
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Photography by Pam Mazalatis
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WINE & HEALTH
AUDREY CROSS, PHD, JD
Booze & Boobs Drinking While Breastfeeding
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f you drink when you are breastfeeding do you put your child at risk? If you imbibe daily do you increase your risk of breast or other types of cancer? As a woman, are you more at risk for other alcohol related disorders (ie liver disease) than are men? Should women completely abstain? Let’s look at these issues one by one. Alcohol does passes into breast milk at concentrations only slightly lower than those found in the mother’s bloodstream. A baby’s tolerance for alcohol is much lower than that of the its adult mother because babies are not efficient at producing the enzymes that breakdown alcohol. So it best not to drink while breastfeeding. If you decide to enjoy a drink, delay breast-feeding until alcohol has completely cleared your breast milk – typically 2-3 hrs after a 12oz beer or a 5oz glass of wine or a 1.5oz shot of hard alcohol. Or pump and dump breast milk produced in the hour or two after you consume alcohol. Drinking a beer while breastfeeding does not improve “let down” of milk. It may help relax mother if she is apprehensive when nursing her child – but again, because alcohol crosses the breast barrier, it is best to leaving drinking until after baby is finished. So if alcohol enters the breast, does it increase breast cancer risk? Research consistently indicates that alcohol increases the risk of hormone-receptorpositive breast cancer. It also increases levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with this type of cancer. Risks for this type of cancer are highest among women who consistently consume 3-4 or more alcoholic drinks daily. Heavy drinking also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, intestines, stomach and liver. Alcohol and some of its breakdown products (ie acetaldehyde) are carcinogenic in nature causing damage to cell reproduction and potentially to cell DNA. While mechanisms for this increased risk are not completely understood, it is clear that people who consume large quantities of alcohol on a daily basis are at increased risk to develop these types of cancers.
Remember that cancer does not have a single cause – it is multi-factorial. Diet, smoking, genetics, obesity, exposure to environmental contaminants, etc,, all play a role in the risk of developing various types of cancer. And a moderate amount of alcohol daily can contribute to good health – according to the US Dietary Guidelines (I know, I wrote the first ones!). Moderate is defined as one drink daily for a female and two for males. So, pour yourself that glass of wine (preferably a local New Jersey one!!) and “Here’s to your health!” Dr. Audrey Cross, a renowned nutritionist who owns Villa Milagro Vineyards with her husband, Steve Gambino, will provide monthly reviews of wine & health issues for Stem & Stein. Next month – Does drinking cause breast cancer? www.DrAudreyCross.com & www.VillaMilagroVineyards.com
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FOOD & DRINK
JIM MCGRADY
PERFECT PAIRINGS (NJ Style)
with poultry and pork, sushi and shellfish, and most things cheesy or creamy. Here are just a few of the dishes I matched:
UNIONVILLE VINEYARDS 2010 SINGLE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY
Unionville Vineyards recently brought me a few brilliant bottles of wine from their collection and confidently challenged me to pair them with my meals this month. When I saw the zealous affinity for sharing great wine in their eyes, I knew that the pleasure would be mine. Rightfully so, this vineyard has been highly regarded in both regional and world competitions. Having one of the premier winemakers in the country doesn’t hurt. Cameron Stark’s stimulating style has him regularly winning grape stomp-downs over vintners from Sonoma to Sancerre. This unassertively bold chardonnay is a N.J. gem. The buttery-citrus essence of this wine pairs well 8
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like them; they are completely inimitable. The sweet and salty taste of the crisp crust and the buttery texture of the flawless scallop flesh is a perfect pair for this chardonnay. This couple is all you need to put together a gastronomic blind date. Just one nibble followed by a short sip, is like having a light citrus kiss with the sultriest of seafood.
NJ DAY BOAT SCALLOPS
It takes a village…and we are lucky to have one; Viking Village in Barnegat Light. This is where a small fleet of day boaters launch early each morning to pluck these burntorange orbs from our NJ waters. I just flip over supremely fresh seafood and these sushi-grade scallops are brought to market within hours of being scooped up. They are truly the world’s best and don’t ever get treated with chemicals, so they keep their ivory-coral hue and remain slightly sticky to the touch. Seared dry sea scallops are one of my all-time favorite dishes. Nothing else in the culinary world looks like them or tastes
SWEETBREADS
It’s not often that I get a sweet tooth for sweetbreads. I usually take some issue with dining on the innards and odd parts of an animal. However, not all offal is awful. Fond recollections as a pup in the kitchen bring back images of my heroes, Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, lovingly preparing these nasty bits; white burgundy in-hand. So, when I recently dined at Mario Batali’s restaurant at the Venetian and found a plateful of these memories in front of me, it was time for a reunion, and it was divine. As a chef, I’m all for sustainability, thus we probably
should all eat nose-to-tail. Still, sweetbreads might be the most feared and mis-identified food in the meat world (it’s only humble parts of the thymus), but they are unique. When prepared perfectly, they are crispy on the outside, with a bursting creamy texture on the inside. If you could fuse a sea scallop (see above) with a fatty goose liver, this would be it.
champ” (2012: Howard’s) Winners can be found dockside on a picnic table or at the finest white table cloth establishment. Incidentally, if you think your own recipe is actually world-famous-worthy, I’m ready for a throw-down!
RAMSTEIN WHEAT BEER
THANKSGIVING
WORLD FAMOUS! CHOWDA
Is there any more over-hyped term on restaurant menus than “WORLD FAMOUS”? Well, possibly “AWARD WINNING”, but either superlative is a bold claim that puts a daunting expectation to deliver on their “3rd generation recipe”. That being said, our state has more great chunky clam chowders and buttery lobster bisques per square mile than any state in the nation. We NJ chefs tend make them a little richer and creamier than our NE counterparts, and that is just fine with this wine. The luscious nature of this chardonnay is a match for all of your creamy crock favorites. You don’t need to wait for the LBI Chowderfest to pick your “chowda-
‘Tis the season and I am so infatuated with the definitive feast… Turkey Day. The uniquely American spirit of Thanksgiving and the historic colonial grounds of Unionville Vineyards are a perfect pair all on their own. In fact, I am inclined to just load up on UV’s complete George Washington series for the holidays. However, what do you drink with a veritable smorgasbord? We eat 1000 lackluster meals a year and yet the quintessential celebration is the hardest to pairup? Most hosts tend to go with a more benign wine just to appease the masses, but isn’t that just a bailout? We drink wine with food to enhance the experience not to play 2nd fiddle. That is why this chardonnay will play a starring role with all things sweet and savory on my table this year…… and I give thanks.
This month I am going to pair-up some eats with Ramstein Blonde Wheat Beer, from High Point Brewing Co, in Butler, NJ. HPBC specializes in traditional German brews. This hot blonde has a hazy golden hue, with notes of fruit and cloves. I find this yeasty Hefeweizen to be fantastically adaptable with food and very drinkable.
DRUNKEN GARLIC MUSSELS
This dish was an Irish favorite for centuries before the PEI’ers began to dominate the mollusk eating world with November 2012 Stem & Stein
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their rope-grown technique. However, you don’t have to be a plastered Paddy to get your “beer muscles” on. Steaming mussels in beer has always been a no-brainer, but this Hefe also drinks perfectly with these meaty but delicate bi-valves. You only need to add roasted garlic and butter to create a luscious broth. That makes this such a quick and easy dish that even a novice can look like a gourmand. Just be sure to pick up a couple of semolina bastones from Calandras to soak up the suds.
the self-proclaimed Asparagus Capital of the World. Luckily, you won’t have to wait till spring. Our farmer friends in temperate Peru now keep us stocked up with edible ivory year round.
CURRIED PUMPKIN APPLE SOUP
SPARGEL
Believe it or not, I recently wandered through this very town; Ramstein, known much more for a horrific air disaster than its beer or food. My wife and I were on a Rhine riverroad trip while beer-hopping through Bavaria after attending Spargelfest. What is Spargelfest you say? Well, it is the annual celebration of the “King of all Vegetables”, The Mighty White Asparagus, In late spring when it is picked at perfect ripeness you can find this white gold celebrated in Schwetzingen, 10
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Ahh, the flavors of fall… they warm from the inside out. This is the perfect time for a big kettle of soup, the consummate leftover. The merriment in making a mashmix like this, is the complete lack of rules. I know that this year we had a pumpkin shortage, but you don’t need a monster jack-o-lantern to create a silky soup. There is a long list of eatable heirloom pumpkins with humorous names like; Sugar Pie, Cinderella, Long Island Cheese and Hooligan, just to name a few. Add to that, the abundance of apple varieties and curry medleys we NJ’ians have at out fingertips,
this gives us limitless flavor combinations. The sweet and spiciness of each spoonful is a perfect pair with the clove and honey notes of this beer.
BANANA BREAD PUDDING
If you know me you are probably shocked that I would pair a warm banana with anything, let alone a great beer. I’m more likely to pass on the prankworthy fruit and just use the leaves for my tamales. However, the oompah flavors of this engaging brew are a mischievous match for a bready, spiced confection. The whimsical notes of wheat beer evoke amusing memories of bubblegum and cotton candy and I’m going to invite the funky banana to the party.
JIM MCGRADY Executive Chef/ Managing Partner at Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant Reality.biz
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By Mark Ruzicka
In 1976, the first vineyards were planted at Amalthea Cellars. Founder Louis
Caracciolo’s infatuation with winemaking began as a young boy making wine in the cellar of his Italian immigrant grandfather. Emilio brought the art from “The Old Country” at the age of thirteen to the southern New Jersey town of Blue Anchor at the turn of the century. Being exposed to the charm of winemaking at an early age ignited a passion that continues to this day at Amalthea Cellars. Caracciolo often says of his philosophical grandfather, “I came on the scene with an unlit torch and my grandfather passed the flame.” 12
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While attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, for his degree in Food Science and Technology, far from Emilio’s “Old World techniques”, he began to work on his style of wine in his dormitory room in small batches! He used his never ending respect for archaic winemaking techniques to study modern ecology still unaware
Photography by Mark Ruzicka
that Amalthea would be in his future. In 1972, he bought the farm where Amalthea is located and the rest is history. Upon arriving at Amalthea Cellars, I walked the picturesque property in search of owner, Lou Caraccilo. I found Lou finishing up some paper work in his office. We sat down outside on the upstairs deck over looking the property and began the interview. It was apparent right from the start, that I was talking to one of the most knowledgeable members of the wine community, and we’re not talking about New Jersey, or even the United States.
Lou Caraccilo has been a well respected member of the International wine community for many years. He spends time both here and his vacation home in France where he is a student of their country’s wine and it’s history . Lou took me on a tour of the tasting room that is decorated with photos and memorabilia from long ago to the present day. We then headed to the Amalthea barrel cellar where Lou explained one of his goals for the future of Amalthea was to cut production back so they can produce and even higher quality wine. Amalthea currently produces approximately thirty five hundred cases of wine annually. Lou considers himself an archaic style
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wine events. Amalthea Cellars is located at 209 Vineyard Road in Atco, New Jersey, not too far off the Atlantic City Expressway. They are open for wine tastings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM. and are available for private wine events. They even offer dinner with the
winemaker sticking more to the ancient style of winemaking rather then new and more conventional methods and says his favorite part of being a winemaker is the connection you feel with the Earth growing, then transforming grapes into a fine wine. There’s no better feeling in the world. With a smile on his face he adds, “I’m still shocked at the results.” From the time I arrived, It was obvious that the level of pride Lou and the staff put in their wines. Out of the many types of wines they produce the Amalthea Bordeaux blends are his favorites . After some barrel tasting and a walk around the vineyard our last stop on the tour was the Green Dragon Tavern where Amalthea hosts private
winemaker offering a homemade Italian dinner, a complimentary wine tasting including a wonderful conversation with owner, Lou Caracciolo, about everything from wine scandals to how the winery came to be named after a Jovian Moon. It is highly
recommended that these dinners be booked in advance do to the fact they sell out so quickly. We would like to thank Louis Caracciolo for taking the time out of his day to allow us do this interview and wish Amalthea continued success in the future. 14
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M y partner/staff writer of Stem and Stein and chef, Jimmy Vena arrived early at the Windward tavern in Brick, NJ, a favorite stop of John
By Mark Ruzicka
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Photography by Mark Ruzicka and the East Coast Brewing Company
Merklin of East Coast Beer Co. brewers of the Beach Haus beers.
Photography by Mark Ruzicka and the East Coast Brewing Company
We were met by Mort, General Manager of the Windward, who told us that Merk was here last night and mentioned we were coming. Jimmy and I grabbed two seats at the bar right across from the two Beach Haus tap handles and ordered a few of Beach Haus’s latest release, Winter Rental. We had a few sips when Merk walked in with a bunch of sleeves of coasters for the bar. He grabbed a seat next to us at the bar and a beer for himself and we started the interview. First, we wanted to know how they partnered up and came up with the whole idea of starting East Coast Beer Company. Brian and Merk were high school buddies, class of 1991 to be exact. They went on to attend the same college and attain similar careers. Their jobs in Hi-Tech enabled them to enjoy quite a lot of travel both domestically and internationally, as well as see many cool places. Best of all, they got to take in a lot of the local customs, cuisine and particularly the local beer. It was on one particular flight, in early 2007,
that Merk began reading the book, “Beer School” by Brooklyn Brewery co-founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. By the time the flight had landed Merk had decided that it was his destiny to establish a Beer Company at the Jersey Shore and help create an identifiable style to call its own. He immediately brought the idea to longtime friend Brian and together they established East Coast Beer Co. The next 2+ years were spent brewing, writing business plans and garnering local support. In November of 2009, they quit their jobs and started up East Coast Beer Co. full time. Along with the support of some very talented and dedicated individuals, they released their first brew, Beach Haus® Classic American Pilsner in Summer 2010. This unique pre-prohibition, Americanstyle Pilsner was once prevalent throughout the American brewing landscape, and the boys were proud to bring it back. Beach Haus currently is contract brewed in Rochester, New York, however John and Brian stay as involved in the brewing
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all the other beers. When asked what other beer beside his own he enjoys, if any, he responded.... a lot of different beers. Then he went on to explain that he is a beer hunter like a lot of people. I like checking out new and different beers, but added Brooklyn and Founders are on the top of his list as far beers go. We asked if he had any regrets about his three years in business. He said he has no regrets that he is very happy with the level of acceptance the brand has received. We are now available in six states and hope to be adding more in the near future. We asked John if he had any advice for a home brewer looking to take the next step. He said first you need a plan. There’s no reason to not move forward and peruse it, if that’s what you really want to do. When asked about his goals long and short term he said selling more beer is always on the top of the list, but their other goal is to build their own brewery right here on the Jersey Shore. process as possible. Their future plans are to build We would like to thank John their own brewery right here on the Jersey Shore for taking the time to sit down with us and wish keeping with the Beach Haus tradition. Beach Haus currently has three beers and plans to add an John and Brian continued success in the future. American IPA as early as January 2013. We asked John which one of his beers is his favorite...... a question that sends chills up every brewers spine. He replied that he loves all three, but he’s most proud of his first, Beach Haus Pilsner, because it’s a craft pilsner not your everyday pilsner beer. When we asked John what he likes best about what he does. He said it, “He enjoys making people happy.” The best part of it is your not selling them a left-handed tool or something they need. You’re selling them something they want and they choose to drink over 18
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Bring in this ad through 11/30/12 and receive a free wine tasting & glass.
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OUT & ABOUT
MARK RUZICKA
OCTOBERFEST
VERNON, NJ • SEPTEMBER 22ND & 23RD, 2012 make this event as authentic as possible. The weather was questionable with a few showers in the forecast, however that didn’t seem to stop people from attending in record numbers. This two day event had something for everyone. For the children, they had Pony rides, a petting zoo, bird and reptile shows, a clown with balloons
O
year 1810. On September 22nd and 23rd, Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon, New Jersey, held it’s 27th annual Oktoberfest at their Red Tail Lodge. This celebration with it’ mountainous setting is one of the most authentic Oktoberfests on the East Coast. There’s good reason Gene Mulvihill and other resort principals call this their favorite event of the year. They are veteran Munich Oktoberfest attendees who set out 27 years ago to 20
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and face painting just to name some of the activities. For the adults, there was a lumberjack contest, tug of war, a hay bale toss, log jousting, Sumo wrestling, animal shows featuring bears, eagles, falcons and wolves. And, let’s not forget all the delicious traditional German food such as Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Weiswurst, Potato Pancakes, German Potato salad, Sauerbraten, and Spaetzle. This year Crystal Springs introduced the ‘asador’ preparation for its meats which is an ancient method of slow cooking whole animals -- cows, pigs, lambs, and goats by fastening them to an iron cross and setting them adjacent to a hot fire. A split stage hastened a continuous parade of entertainers including oompha, polka and waltzing favorites by the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra. The Shippensburg Blaskaplelle and Spitze offered plenty of opportunities for those dressed in traditional German clothing to take to the dance floor. Another highlight and crowd favorite was the beer. Over one hundred and fifty barrels of German and craft beer were tapped including Franziskaner, Spaten, Spaten Oktoberfest, Radeberger, Konig, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Yuenling and Lienekugel. They were pouring steadily all weekend long into the souvenir one liter steins. We would like to thank Crystal Springs Resort for having us at their fantastic event. We hope you all can make it out next year..............mark your calendar.
Photography by Mark Ruzicka
cktoberfest is a sixteen to eighteen day annual festival in Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It’s one of the most famous events in Germany and the World’s largest fair with more than five million people attending every year. Octoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the
Photography by Mark Ruzicka
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The Great American Beer Festival By Eric Wormann
I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado this year, and what an event it was. I will do my best to explain my experience, but you really need to see it for yourself. It is a long weekend of pure beer culture in a way that many people have never seen, smelled, or tasted.
This year there were over 580 breweries in attendance featuring strict 1 ounce samples of more than 2,700 beers. That’s about 1 out of every 4 breweries currently operating in the United States all in one room! There were recognizable American breweries everywhere, with a stronger concentration on west coast breweries. Nearly every booth was accessible, with long lines forming in front of some of the more popular craft breweries: Russian River, Dogfish Head, Stone, and Cigar City to name a few. Most booths had the same staples: ipa, stout, lager, pale ale, etc. There was also a surprisingly large selection of sours available, as they seem to be the newest brewing fad. Each booth was staffed with two volunteers to pour the beer samples. Most booths also had brewery representatives, many of whom were pouring beer and talking to the guests themselves. The best part was that you never really knew who you would bump into until you were engaged in a conversation. When you go to a local beer tasting in New Jersey, you’re probably going to see booths run by a beer distributor. They might have an east coast brewery representative, but chances are you’re going to be talking to a salesperson from a wholesale distributor. At the GABF, I had beers poured by local volunteers, a merchandiser from Great Lakes Brewing Company, and New Belgium founder Kim Jordan, just to name a few. My favorite part of the festival was how casual everything was. The booths had a bare-bones setup: kegs held in ice-filled garbage cans and draft towers made from PVC pipe, with not a model or free keychain to be found. The casual appreciation for the beer was surprising at first, but unavoidable. I stood in line at the Russian River booth with barely 21 year olds waiting to try Pliny the Elder for the first time, who then responded with a casual, “Yeah, this one’s pretty good.” It reminded me of my first trip to Hawaii: When you get there, you’re impressed by the tropical scenery, but after a short time of seeing paradise every direction you look, your jaw doesn’t quite drop at the sight of every single waterfall. Medals were awarded in 85 different beer categories, but allow me share my personal gold, silver, and bronze medals for the three best beers that I tried at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. My gold goes to Woodcut No. 6 by Odell Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO). It was so woody I expected my throat to get stuck by splinters. Big Gruesome Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout by Spring House Brewing Co. (Conestoga, PA) gets my silver, as it was one of the most unique beers I’ve ever had. And finally, Elevation Beer Company (Poncha Springs, CO) had a fantastic Saison aged in Chardonnay barrels for my bronze. If you’re considering traveling out for the 2013 GABF, DO IT! But make sure you plan early…this year’s tickets sold out in less than an hour! 24
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KROGH’S
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any Craft Brew just $5 !! Fall Beer Tap Takeover Party Fri. Oct 12th 9pm
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every Friday Night from 9 pm - close October 15
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19 North Main St. Wharton, NJ
www.hotrodsbbq.com
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COOKING WITH WINE & BEER it. French translation “reason for existence” The phrase “a sense of purpose” and “reason for existence”on the same ale label?! Man, this beer I have to try! Poured into a glass it has an awesome creamy head over a very dark brown beer, yes I did taste raisin and the beet sugars surely offset the full ale bitterness that this brew would carry. I bought it off the shelf and didn’t give it long to cool before I enjoyed all the dense layered flavor profiles that it presented.
Clams in Beer
Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre As described on label.. A deep mahogany ale brewed with Belgian beet sugars, green raisins & a sense of purpose. O.K…let’s start off with the D’Etre, I’m a firm believer that most consumers won’t purchase something if they can’t pronounce it or don’t know what it means. This label had me on both so there I was in isle 7, smart phone in hand checking out what Google had to say about 26
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For many years I was the exec chef in a white tablecloth Italian restaurant. Over the course of a dozen or so years I cooked what felt like an ocean of clams in mostly traditional, some not so traditional recipes. The one thing that the recipes had in common was that they were all wine and broth based, some red with tomatoes others not but in that kitchen never with beer. Then I was offered the opportunity to develop a new menu and recipes for a testosterone fueled sports bar in Ocean County. Before taking on the task of actually developing the menu I went to the place on a couple of Sundays. Being in the restaurant business all my life along with not being a huge football fan, I can honestly say I had never experienced the insanity of true sports bar during football season. Believe me, after a couple of beers and shots, I had as much fun as the sports fan veterans. The menu was a blast to write just because it was so wrong… Grease Truck Style Fat Sand-
CHEF JIMMY VENA
wiches sided with Disco Fries starting at 10 a.m. for the early crew who came in early to claim seats and fill out their bet sheets. I prepped 500 pounds of wings at a time that were then served in stages of hot to insanely hot. But in between half time buffets with Stromboli and Pork Ribs I wanted a few solid sit down and enjoy dishes that were robust but not hot or greasy. This clam recipe was a hit. I hadn’t made this dish since then until now and I did enjoy eating them after the photo was taken.
Dogfish Head Raison Ale Littleneck Clams and Pork with Ale 1 doz littleneck clams, scrubbed clean, aside 12 post stamp size slices (1/4”thick) salt pork 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 fresh hot red peppers cut into ¼’s (sans seeds) ½ cup sliced white onion 8 oz ale 4 tablespoons butter
A HUGE pinch fresh chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons of Brown Sugar In a 16” sauté pan slowly render then brown the salt pork in olive oil (low heat about 10 minutes) Add the onions and peppers.. first over medium heat to completely cook till soft, then raise heat to caramelize the natural sugars Now add the live whole clams, keep on high heat and keep moving….meanwhile in a 14” pan (or a pan of equal or lesser size) heat , don’t boil, 8 oz of ale on a separate flame When the clams are just starting to open add the hot ale and cover the larger pan with the smaller pan. As the clams completely pop open take them out 1 by 1 and put them on your serving platter When all the clams are out of the pan add the butter, sugar and cilantro..reduce until thickened and spoon over the clams.
ate the pure simple deliciousness that a fresh baked grape pie is. You may not be one of the fortunate few to find that pie but I do suppose you can find your way to a wine merchant and purchase a bottle of Cream Ridge Winery Almond Berry Wine. Earlier I mentioned Nigara grapes, they are a green grape and most notably the largest production green variety in New Jersey. Almond Beery wine is produced from fermented Nigara grapes and red Raspberries after the fermentation process natural almond extract is added to finish the wine. Once you open a bottle and pour a glass you will find the entire room fill with a fabulous fruit fragrance. It is a full flavor wine that is not full bodied; it is sweet yet not sugary. This is an extremely easy drinking wine that screams to be enjoyed with a pastry wrapped and baked Brie or a tear of warm bread with a schmear St Andree double crème. I used it in a recipe that I usually cook with domestic brandy.
Cream Ridge Winery Almond Berry Wine MCream Ridge Winery Almond Berry Wine Made with red raspberries and Niagara grapes, finished with natural almond extract If you are lucky to live in or travel through the grape growing areas of New Jersey it is possible that you may find yourself being offered “Grape Pie” at a friend’s table or maybe at the counter in local café. Furthermore, that grape pie is probably baked with Nigara variety grapes. Anyone who has indulged in eating a spoonful of home grape jam straight from the jar could appreci-
1 cup of sugar Boil over high heat until all the berries have popped. Remove from stove and stir in 6 oz of sliced almonds
Fresh Cranberry sauce with Berry Almond Wine In a Sauce Pan stir over a high heat 16 oz fresh cranberries (washed and picked) The shredded zest of 1 orange The shredded zest of 1 lemon 12 oz of Almond Berry Wine
I prefer to serve this cold but it can be eaten warm
Chef Jimmy Vena Exec Chef / General Manager Spicy Cantina
November 2012 Stem & Stein
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NJ WINE GUY
KEVIN CELLI
What Makes the Garden State Wine Growers So Special? “Microclimate” or “Terroir”? Answer: Both
Our beloved Garden State has always been known for its
tomatoes, corn, peaches, lima beans, cranberries and blueberries. Many people may not know that New Jersey is now becoming well known for its award winning wines. New Jersey has been earning some very prestiges wine medals and awards for quite some time. In fact, local New Jersey wines began receiving awards as early as 1767 when London’s Royal Society of the Arts recognized two colonial New Jersey vintners. Since then, and especially during the past 10 years, New Jersey wine makers have been successfully participating in some of the most prestiges wine competitions in the world. This year alone New Jersey wineries took home 76 medals at the 2012 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, This prestigious competition includes all 50 states, 22 countries and 9 Canadian provinces. A panel of 64 judges from 15 countries judged over 3,200 wines. People around the world are truly beginning to pay attention to our local Garden State wineries. What is it about the Garden State, besides a talented group of New Jersey wine makers, that has exploded the international acclaim? The answer is the science of the many different New Jersey microclimates mixed with the study of each individual grape farmers’ terroir that has resulted in a flood of information. I had the honor to be introduced into the New Jersey wine business by two brilliant wine makers, Dr. Alfred Natali and Mr. Ray Pensari from Natali Vineyards. During my studies Al and Ray would always talk about our unique “microclimate” on the Cape May peninsula and the fact that we mirror the Bordeaux region of France with our sandy soils, cross breezes from the ocean to the bay, as well as equal frost free days allowing us to grow extremely unique parietals to a healthy ripeness. I fell in love with the term “microclimate” and use it during every wine tasting, vineyard tour and wine festival. Until one day I used the term in front of another brilliant wine maker, Mr. Gene Ventimiglia from Ventimiglia Winery in Wantage, New Jersey. I was referring to how fascinating I thought it was that each one of the wineries in the state have somewhat different microclimates. Gene stopped me and said, “If you think that is fascinating, wait until you learn about each individual farms “terroir”. What was this fascinating word Gene threw at me? Terroir is an old world French term “terre” meaning “land” but, it goes much deeper than that. The French concept of terroir is the foundation of the French wine appellation (d’originecontrôlée) (AOC) system. This has been the model for region definitions and wine laws in Europe for many years. Basically, the land 28
Stem & Stein November 2012
from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that location. Terroir = Region + Appellation + Soil + Climate + Grapes + Wine making process + Maturing practices. Microclimate is defined as the climate of a small, specific place within an area, as contrasted with the climate of the entire region. Basically, you can take the entire State of New Jersey and break it down into five distinct microclimates: Northern, Central, Pine Barrens, Southwest and Coastal. Each one of these microclimates present different challenges and rewards for grape growers and wine makers. For the most part, the rich Garden State soil and beautiful summers are very similar throughout the state. What makes the difference between each area is everything from wind current, grow degree days, rainfall, winter frost and over all average temperatures. I never really appreciated this information as much as I have this past season at Willow Creek Winery in Cape May. Our 50 acre vineyard has a few different “terroir’s” located on one farm. To the front of our property where we have higher elevation and all day sun, our Cabernet grapes resulted in a tighter grape cluster with a higher percentages of sugar. However, our back fields along the tree lines received about one hour less sun and obstructed cross breezes that resulted in less sugar levels and higher disease issues than their brothers and sisters achieved only onehalf a mile away. After many soil samples were taken throughout the farm, you would be amazed as to the different levels of basic minerals and PH there were in the soil from one end of the vineyard to the other. A beautiful science was incorporated into the selection of grapes to be planted, the root stock to be determined, as well as the pruning and harvesting techniques that is unique for every vineyard. These are just basic examples of how much love, passion and study our wine makers and vineyard managers put into the selection of grapes they choose to grow and the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced. “Terroir determines the character of the wine and its quality.” Peter Sichel
For Comments or Questions, send me an email at NJWineGuy77@gmail.com Supporting Local Since 1977 Kevin M. Celli
NJ WINEGUY
(center photo of Annabella Celli)
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