Stem and Stein November 2013

GE S N A N CH ASO E E TH F S O

CAPE MAY

WINE

FESTIVAL

PHOTOS OF:

BREW IN THE ZOO

Giving Thanks What Makes the Garden State Wine Growers So Special?

November 2013 Stem & Stein

1

Now Open!

Like us on...

2

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

CONTENTS Stem & Stein

Brew at the Zoo •4

November 2013

H

ello everyone and welcome to the October issue of Stem and Stein magazine. The Summer is officially over and it’s time for the Fall wine festivals to begin.

Octoberfest has already started in late September as most of you know. This month we covered one of the best Octoberfest in the area at Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon, New Jersey. Pam and I had a great time and always look forward to covering this event.

There are going to be some changes here at Stem and Stein over the winter months. We’re expanding our territory and coverage adding new articles from other areas. Plus, there will be a few more changes that we can’t tell you about until they are final but we will keep you informed as they are about to happen.

Mark & Pam

Cooking with Wine & Beer • 10

Cape May • 15

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 –

Spirits • 16

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.

November 2013 Stem & Stein

3

By Pam Mazalatis

4

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

O n June Twenty ninth, The Turtle Back Zoo celabrated it’s fiftieth anniverasry by hosting a craft beer festival. This event had over fifty craft beers from twenty five

breweries. The weather that day was perfect and the twelve hundred attendees as they toured around the zoo checking out the sites and enjoying al the Turtle Back Zoo had to offer. This was Great event that help raise money to support the Turtle Back Zoo. Hope to see you all there next year to Party with the animals.

November 2013 Stem & Stein

5

6

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

November 2013 Stem & Stein

7

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

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

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!

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.

RAMSTEIN WHEAT BEER

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 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.

November 2013 Stem & Stein

9

COOKINGWITH

WINE&BEER

Chef

Jimmy

Owner/Exec Chef

Chef On Wheels , LLC

Cream Ridge Winery

Java BerrY lack berry wine with Organic fair Trade Espresso Beans Roast Berkshire Black Pork Tenderloin with Black Eye Gravy When I first saw this bottle I was very intrigued. First of all I am a lover of alternative fruit wines and second, I drink espresso every day. How would a wine made from both taste?

This combination results in an off dry wine that I would drink as a dessert wine.

I do remember, my Godfather, Uncle Tony (who passed a few years back) was born in northern Italy. He loved his dry red wine and drank it with every dinner meal.

He enjoyed coffee after dinner and on more than one occasion I watched him pour the last ounce or two of his wine into his coffee. It now bothers me that I never inquired (as a kid in an Italian home, back in the day..

You didn’t ask questions) weather he was just being frugal with his wine or did he do this because he liked the combo. On the nights when there weren’t a few drops left for the coffee then the Italian brandy went into the cup. A practice that I enjoy myself these days (Sambucca or Anisette being much to sugary for this diabetic).

So, what I thought about was something on the order of “red eye” gravy. If you know “red eye” gravy gets its name for using left over coffee from the night before to make a biscuit or egg sauce/gravy for the next morning meal. Adding the berry wine to the thickened coffee made it a good sauce for my Roast Berkshire Black Pork tenderloin.

10

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

Pork tenderloins are tender, small and cook fast.

So, after a dry rub of Granulated garlic, paprika, celery salt and black pepper I let it sit at room temp for an hour. Then..

Put it on top of a cup of chopped onion, celery and carrot Added a ½ cup of water so it didn’t burn And baked it at 375 degrees for 30 minutes..it came out perfect Then Take the onions, celery and carrot (mirepoix)and put it in a sauce pan, while the pork “rests” Add 2 tablespoons butter to the mirepoix Add 3 tablespoons flour to the mirepoix and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until it gets a nice hazelnut smell and a little color to it.

Turn heat up high and deglaze with ½ cup Java berry Then slowly add coffee to it until desired consistency.

Strain out the mirepoix Slice the porl loin and serve

Tree Hugger Ale Athens,GA

Terrapin Beer Co. It is no coincidence that I am a Grateful dead fan, that my favorite dead album is terrapin station and walking down the isle of a football field size liquor store this bottle and name stopped me dead in my tracks.

Yes, I had heard good things about The terrapin beer company. But when I saw that turtle (a Terrapin by species) on the lable..it was a done deal. I know, don’t tell a book by its cover, but “tree hugger” ale from Athens Georgia? That’s got Bohemian written all over it. And these days with everyone wanting every product “organic”, “natural” and constantly on the lookout to avoid anything that may be a genetically altered , well, a Bohemian may be just the beverage Ive been looking for. Besides in the middle of October it’s pretty close to impossible to find a craft beer that doesn’t have Pumpkin in it and I’ve been down that road already.

So after a slight chill to the bottle, I find Tree Hugger to have a nice darker than amber but not midnight coloring,

a great creamy head that stays on the rim of my beer glass and a smooth pleasing taste that could easily be the next session beer for me and my buddies during a late Autumn cook out.

I’ve been wanting to make a warm “beer/cheesey” dip for chips/crackers etc. for the upcoming holiday season.

This recipe is quick and easy..you just need a table top mixer (or an electric hand mixer if you are like me and still have one)

Let 1 lb of cream cheese sit out to get room temp soft (about 2 hours)

In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer start slowly blending the cheese to smooth and soft.

You have to do this recipe in steps or it will come out clumpy.

Next add 1 cup of washed fine chopped raw spinach.

Blend.

Add ½ cup fine chopped raw carrot. Blend.

Add salt, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Blend Now add, slowly add and blend at the same time 6 oz of the Tree Hugger.

At this point this can be used as a cold (refrigerate 2 hours) dip but I prefer to bake it…

Add 3 raw egg yolks and blend again.

Put in a casserole dish and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, serve it warm with crackers, French bread, chips what ever you like with your dips.

Make ahead and don’t bake it until party time or take to a friends house and bake it right before service there.

That cheesey/beer smell from the oven is awesome.

Enjoy!

November 2013 Stem & Stein

11

WINE & HEALTH

AUDREY CROSS, PHD, JD

Avoiding Holiday Hangovers Humiliation The Morning After...

T

is the season. One holiday party after another, family gatherings, neighborhood parties, a quick stop to say “happy holidays.” It’s easy to cross the line of “one too many.” You feel obligated to toast with each co-worker, have another one for old time’s sake with each friend, down one to ease discomfort with in-laws. Soon that one extra, puts you in the danger zone for hangover humiliation.

Many holiday drinks are deliciously tempting warm, spicy mulled wines, spirited shots that take the chill off the season. It’s easy to have a few too many and cross to the zone where you insult the boss, become a boisterous bore or find yourself in an amorous embrace with the office jerk. Holiday humiliations that will haunt you for months.

How to avoid this? Pace yourself. Under everyday circumstances you know how to hold your liquor.

You don’t cross the line between “relaxed” and “remorseful.” You stop when you feel that impending moment when you know that you might either lose all inhibition or consciousness or both.

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.

12

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

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 around the food so you won’t be missing out on conversations.

Finally, know your limit. How much you can drink is determined by your sex, weight, type of alcohol and time.

You can calculate your tolerance rate at: www.

VillaMilagroVineyards. com/alcohol-test.html An easy rule of thumb is to pace yourself to one drink per hour.

Worse than a morning after headache is morning after remorse from holiday humiliation. Avoid the trap. Learn to pace yourself or “facebook” the consequences!

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. www.DrAudreyCross.com & www.VillaMilagroVineyards.com

To see it in use and to get pricing visit: simplydynamic.com/wine

simplydynamic.com info@simplydynamic.com 631.509.0076

November 2013 Stem & Stein

13

Cape May Wine Festival

October 13, 2013 Cape May - Lewes Ferry Terminal, Cape May, NJ

14

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

November 2013 Stem & Stein

15

SPIRITS

N

ew Jersey now has it’s own distillery Jersey Artisan Distilling located in Fairfield New Jersey Busted Barrel Silver Rum Is in stores now We make our silver rum from the finest molasses made in Louisiana, distill it through our custom copper stills and carbon filter it to give it a smooth delicious taste unlike any silver rum you’ve ever tried. Barrel Dark Rum in American white oak Make sure to ask for Busted Barrel in all your favorite cocktails or simply enjoy it on the rocks.The next products They will offer will be ultra-premium vodka and gin which will use Jersey sweet corn as its base, offering a smoother taste than any other vodkas currently on the market. The vodka will be made with all Jersey Fresh products. The gin will be flavored with our proprietary blend of botanicals.Also scedualed to launch in 2016 Busted Barrel Burbon and Whiskey So keep your eyes out for Jersey Artisan product You wont be dissapointed.

16

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

Special VIP Tour and Tasting O

n October the fifteenth, The New Jersey Beer Company held Special VIP Tour and tasting for trade professionals only It gave folks a chance learn about New Jersey beer Company beers directly from the brewers, Brendan and Dave. Meet the manager, Kevin and salesman Tim. Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the beer , snacks, and camaraderie with other New Jersey beer company business colleagues.

EXPERIENCE THE 4TH ANNUAL

Featuring 14 Wineries & Vineyards � 4 JG’s, Cava, Working Dog, Cream Ridge, Valenzano, Wagonhouse, Plagido’s, Tomasello, Auburn Road, Sharrott, DiMatteo, Coda Rossa, Renault & Amalthea Live Music, Food & Craft Vendors, Limited Safari Packages Available Saturday and Sunday, November 2 & 3 from 12 pm - 5 pm Safari Tours 10 am - 3 pm Tickets available for purchase online or at the door. See below for more info.

All Packages include FREE PARKING

$20 Wine Event $45 Wine Event & Safari Package

To purchase tickets, please visit: sixflags.com/greatadventure and enter the promo code: WINE in the upper right hand corner *Safari package includes admission to the wine event along with a private Safari Tour where reserve wines will be showcased.

Please Note: The Theme Park is closed November 2 & 3, 2013.

November 2013 Stem & Stein

17

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 from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that 18

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com

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 one-half 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

OPEN EVERY SATURDAY FROM 12-5 FOR TOURS AND GROWLER FILLS

Featuring... eaturing... ea • Dennis Creek Pale Ale • Steelmantown Porter • New Brighton Coffee Stout • Marshallville Wit • Anglesea Irish Red • Holly Beach Pumpkin Ale

9 STONEY COURT OCEANVIEW, NJ • 609-827-5375 TUCKAHOEBREWING.COM

OLD YORK CELLARS

80 OLD YORK RD

RINGOES, NJ, 08551 WINE SHOP OPEN DAILY NOON-5 PM 908-284-9463 WWW.OLDYORKCELLARS.COM

FALL FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 28TH & 29TH

SEPT 28TH & 29TH, 12-5

November 2013 Stem & Stein

19

SEAFOOD CELEBRATION Outstanding Seafood to fit your Budget Monday-Thursday for a Limited Time Only!

Join us for 3 Courses Includes Appetizer, EntrĂŠe (below) & Dessert!

LUNCH $15 Phillips Crab Cake Sandwich Fish & Chips Chicken Caesar Salad Blackened Chicken Sandwich

DINNER $35 Phillips Famous Crab Cakes Filet with Shrimp Broiled Atlantic Salmon

The Pier Shops at Caesars 609.348.2273 phillipsseafood.com 2/11

20

Stem & Stein

www.stemandsteinnj.com