Crated Magazine by Michelle

A DAY AT THE VINEYARD An inside look at a day in the life of a Vinter and how they built their business from the bottom up pg 5

crated March 2015

MARCH 2015

A how to guide on how to properly match food to accentuate your favorite wine and bring out its flavors pg 3

1 •1 MIX • & MATCH

THE PERFECT PAIR

2 •• MIX & MATCH

end paper (inside cover)

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MY MONTH IN

TUSCANY S hould I give my wine life a makeover? This idea occurred to me when I heard about Shelley Lindgren’s surprisingly simple philosophy of pairing. Lindgren, the co-owner and wine director of San Francisco’s SPQR restaurant (and the co-author, with chef Matthew Accarrino, of a new SPQR cookbook), doesn’t just look for wines to complement the flavors in a particular dish. Instead, she thinks about wines in three categories—for weeknights, weekends and once a month. I like this approach because it forces me to plan a little, not just drink what I have on hand, and to experiment. As a start, I’m going to pick a weekend wine, like a good Sicilian Nero d’Avola, to pair with Matthew’s excellent curried-lamb potpie and chocolate cake. Another fantastic way to test is to go to a wine bar that serves unusual bottles. This is something I’ve grown to love. A passionate owner, like David Lynch at St. Vincent in San Francisco,

will have a wine—such as a Viognier from tiny Rhône producer George Vernay—that’s almost impossible to find in stores. In “Where to Go Next,” we identify new places to have a great wine experience coast-to-coast. The biggest way to shake up your wine life, though, would be to go to a winemaking region and get to know a grape more deeply than you ever could through a casual tasting, even at the best wine bar. So I was particularly jealous when our executive wine editor, Ray Isle, took a trip to Bordeaux to find fantastic bargain bottles, plus value-priced hotels and restaurants. He brought his best wine suggestions home; I’m also saving his travel recommendations for when I go to Bordeaux myself. If you’re a wine novice, and your challenge isn’t as much experimentation as it is selfeducation, senior wine editor Megan Krigbaum collected the wisdom of three experts for her book “How to Be a Better Wine Taster.” •

Michelle Abrams Editor-in-Chief

“I HAVE NEVER EXPERIERENCED SUCH AMAZING SIGHTS LIKE THE ACRES OF SUNFLOWERS I SAW IN TUSCANY.”

DIRECTORY

Interview with Ron Koenig An inside look into the daily life of vinter Ron Koenig. He explains how wine is made, what he does on a daily basis and gave us an exclusive tour.

Great Grapesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Which grapes truly make the best wine? What is it about them? Find out what it takes to be a great grape.

6 8 13

A Trip to Tuscany Follow our wine experts as they take a trip to Tuscany to explore Itlain vineyards, spectialty wines, and food.

Fun with Friends Wine tasting is fun, but nothing is better than relaxing with friends and enjoy good wine.

Mix and Match Pairing wine takes more than you think. Learn these basics and become an instant pro.

15 11

The Monthly Sip What’s new in this month in wine news. Find out which wines are in season and what it takes to be a great grape.

crated march 2015

GREAT GRAPES What truly makes a good wine? It is the one thing that makes a wine unique from the get go, it is what defines the color and taste. It is the grape. Many things go into the taste and flavor of making wine. BY JENNA SALOMON

W 6•

ine quality is dictated mainly by the grapevines, not by the winemaker. The better the grapes, the better the wine. If you have a proper growing site that has good drainage, access to full sunlight and nutrient-poor soil, you can micromanage their development and pick them at the moment of perfection. Wine quality also depends on picking the fruit when its not only ripe, but mature, and making sure the harvested fruit is immediately brought to the winery — perhaps your garage or basement — to begin the winemaking process. Grapevines hate wet feet, so choose a sloped peel site with good drainage. If their roots stand in water, they’ll die, or at least they won’t produce good grapes. Site your vines on a southeast- to southwest-facing slope so their- leaves can soak up as much sunshine as possible. Sunlight is the powerhouse behind photosynthesis, driving the process that fills the grapes with sugars, which, after fermentation, become alcohol. The grape skins contain all of the flavor and color. The larger the grape berries (individual grapes), the less skin and more juice there is. A handful of tiny grapes,

however, is almost all skin and no juice, which translates into concentrated, rich color and flavor in the juice, and ultimately, in the wine. Planting grapes in nutrient-poor soil-even dry, poor soil — will stress the vines, keep vine vigor down and produce small grape berries, which is exactly what you want. The varieties you choose to plant depend on what kind of wine you want to make, and your climate and location. You’ll have to decide whether you want to make white wine or red wine. Red wine is much easier to make than white, but the choice boils down to your personal taste preferences. Choose a variety of grape that not only will make good wine. but will ripen and mature its fruit properly at your site. at least in most years. The best wines come from varieties of the classic European wine grape. Vitis vinifera. Unfortunately most vinifera is suited only to U.S. Department of Agriculture Zones 7 and warmer, and then only in regions with warm. dry summers— which is why California is such a paradise for fine wine grapes. However, I’ve seen vineyards of chardonnay in Pennsylvania. •

7 â&#x20AC;˘ THE MONTHLY SIP

WHITE VS. RED

WHITE GRAPES

If you want to have a healthy meal, you should take the nutritional values of the wines into consideration. So, should you go for white or red wines? BY ALISON CHANDLER

The main ingredient in white wines is white grapes, and these grapes have no skins or seeds. Most white wines have a light and fruity taste, but there are certain varieties of white wines that have a richer taste. Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec, Some of the types of white wines that are available Syrah,Pinot Noir, Cabernet include Champagne, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon, Zinfandel Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier and Chenin Blanc. On the other hand, red wines are made with dark red and black grapes. The main difference between red and white wines is that red wines are produced with whole grapes, including the skin. The skins add color and flavor to red wines, and this is the reason why these wines have a richer flavor. Red wines are the preferred type of wines in major wine-making countries such as Italy and France. The most popular red wines include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec and Sangiovese. Both white and red wines are good for your health. Although they are made with grapes, they do not provide the same health benefits as fruits. After they go through fermentation, the grapes lose some of their original nutrition, but they also gain new health benefits. One of the main benefits of white wines is that they can improve heart health and prevent heart diseases. They are also effective in promoting lung health. Levels, improving the immune system, combating against harmful bacteria and preventing cancer. There is also a significant amount of flavonoids in red wines, and these antioxidants are known to be able to lower risks of cancer. â&#x20AC;˘

RED WINES

Unlike red wine, the skins and seeds of the grapes are not used in the fermentation of the wine.

127 CALORIES Both red and white wine are 127 calories a glass; however red is known to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and white is known to help the lungs.

DARK RED & BLACK GRAPES These types of grapes give red wine the deep red color as well as adding a rich flavor. Additionally, the whole grape (including skins) is used.

WHITE WINES Champagne, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanch, Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc

THE BEST OF SUMMER WINES 1

PINOT BIANCO SELEZIONE This wine tends to be more intense, complex and full-bodied. It features fresh apple and floral aromas.

CHATEAU DE HAUTE-SERRE CAHORS Known locally as vin noir, or black wine, Cahors AOC wines are made primarily from Malbec, with the remainder divided between Merlot and Tannat.

2012 ESTATE CHARDONNAY This wine displays pretty floral notes on the nose and crisp stone fruit flavors in the mouth. Pair it with fresh fish & seafood.

2011 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON This wine displays fruit forward blackberry and black currant flavors with hints of earth and black pepper.

RAVENSWOOD 2010 PICKBERRY RED WINE This wine boasts jammy fruit flavors wtih floral and minearal notes and firm tannins. This wine is excellent.

8 •• MIX & MATCH

MIX MAT

TO PERFECTLY

PAIR YOUR WINE

WITH DIFFERENT

FOODS & TREATS

BY EDWARD LANE

9 •9MIX • & MATCH

X& TCH A SIMPLE GUIDE

F 10 •

For years diners have been stifled by dogmatic and over generalized rules of food and wine pairing. White with fish or chicken, and red with meat. Clearly if this were sufficient treatment of this topic the discussion wouldn’t have continued this long. This being said, how does one know which wine will compliment which dish? The short, clichéd answer is always the one that you will enjoy the most. But for obious reasons this raises many more questions than it answers. We all have very different tastes. The key is to trust your own palate. So if pairing a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a char grilled porterhouse makes you happy, then congratulations! You have made a successful food/wine pairing. Your palate will tell you when you have made a good or bad decision. Probably, in the earlier example the diner would find that the Sauvignon Blanc would interact unfavorably with the charred areas of the steak, making it taste salty and bitter. Likewise the steak would make the wine seem thin and sour (and completely steamroll such a light-bodied wine). So in actuality most would find this pair clashes badly and all of the clues come directly from your palate. Some of the most fundamental considerations are the respective weights of both the food and the wine. Don’t become too fixated on the color of the wine, but rather its body. To get you started, as a general rule heavy goes with heavy and light goes with light. Of equal importance is the preparation of the dish. Chicken Picata with Chardonnay or Viognier would be lovely. A roasted chicken with herbs and root vegetables might need a Pinot Noir.

Grilled chicken would perhaps benefit from a Shiraz or Grenache. Avoid strongly flavored foods with loads of onion, garlic, hot spice, etc. as the wine can pick up these flavors (after all do really want to drink a wine that tastes like onion?). It’s very important to consider how one trait of the wine can alter your perception of the food and vice versa. High alcohol wines tend to pair very poorly with spicy foods because the alcohol creates a hot sensation on the palate that magnifies and clashes with the spice present in the food. With a good moderately spiced dish such as Kung Pao chicken try a nice, cool Alsatian Gewurztraminer. Yet another

Wine and cheese is at the same time a natural combination and a confoundingly massive topic to discuss. Here we will lay down one example: Let’s say we’re starting with the cheese and selecting a wine to match. We have randomly selected an offwhite, smelly, cylindrical object from the cheese market. Le Monsieur Fromage in an educated tone has explained to us that this is a French chèvre frais. To this we nod with a look of false understanding and go home to look it up on the internet. Thus we learn that this is a young goat cheese commonly produced in central France in the Loire Valley. A quick reference to Winegeeks.com reveals that they also make some of France’s

“ Once we hit forty, women only have about four taste buds left: one for vodka, one for wine, one for cheese, and one for chocolate. ” approach with a spicy Tunisian chicken dish, for example, would be a rosé from the south of France, such as Château Morgues du Grès Les Galets Rosé. In this case the wine would offer enough fruit and body but otherwise not clash with the food taking a recessive role in the pairing. If the flavors of the dish are too overwhelming, such as those in a really spicy Cajun gumbo, maybe you should consider a completely different fermented beverage to accompany it.

most celebrated white wines from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and what does it recommend to pair with them? Goat cheese! Coincidence? or centuries of co-evolution? I think its the latter. Thus armed with our new knowledge we march confidently into our local wine shop and ask the wine merchant, “Do you have a nice Sancerre to go with my chèvre frais, perhaps a Pascal Cotat?” That evening we discover that the cheese has a slight tartness

11 • MIX & MATCH

THE

six RULES a ACID NEEDS ACID and dry consistency that wants for a crisp white wine that cleanses the palate with every sip. Each makes the other taste better than it would independently. Obviously this method won’t work in all cases given that there are many more Wisconsin cheeses than Wisconsin wines available on the market. But this should provide a point to begin experimenting on your own, which is how it all starts. Dessert provides us one last opportunity to pair another wine with our meal. The simple ‘rule’ is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. Otherwise the dessert could make the wine seem unpleasantly tart. With an apricot custard try a Sauternes. Dark chocolate? In a word: port. Chocolate and port should be consumed together at every available opportunity. Many classic examples exist of food and wine pairings that are tried and true. For example: foie gras and Sauternes, grilled steak and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or paella and red Rioja. These are reliable, low-risk ventures that will likely result in an enjoyable overall dining experience. In the process we might notice that the proteins in our steak actually soften the tannins in our Cabernet. Where else can we apply this lesson? By revisiting these classics we can learn the how to create tomorrow’s classic pairings. For years diners have been stifled by dogmatic and over generalized rules of food and wine pairing. White with fish or chicken, and red with meat. Clearly if this were sufficient treatment of this topic the discussion wouldn’t have continued this long. This being said, how does one know which wine will compliment which dish? The short, clichéd answer is always the one

Any food with a high acid level, something you just want to squeeze a lemon onto

a TANNINS NEED FAT Tannins needs fat for balance, fat will soften the tannins and bring a smoother feel. Serve a bold Cabernet with a nice fatty piece of Prime Rib.

a FISH GOES WITH ACID, NOT WITH TANNINS

White Wine for White Meat, Red Wine for Red Meat. The reason for that is acid and tannins, not color. If you are serving fish, think of the wine as you would a squeeze of lemon on top rather than a sprinkle of cheese.

a PAIR WINE WITH DOMINANT FLAVOR, NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE MEAT

Just because you have pork on your plate, doesn’t mean that is the flavor that will stick around. If the sauce on your plate is the dominant flavor, pair to that, not the meat.

a HEAT NEEDS SUGAR Serving a super spicy dish with a high alcohol, tannin heavy wine with will set your guests on fire, two great elements producing a catastrophe combination when mixed. Alcohol intensifies the heat.

a SWEET NEEDS SWEET You want the wine to be sweeter than the dessert. Even if you are not drawn to the sweeter wines, taking a sip of a rich, sweet port before, and after, a bit of a dense fudgy cake completely transforms the flavors of both elements.

that you will enjoy the most. But obviously this raises many more questions than it has answers for these questions. We all have very different tastes. The key is to trust your own palate. So if pairing a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a char grilled porterhouse makes you happy, then congratulations! You have made a successful food/wine pairing. Your palate will tell you when you have made a good or bad decision. Probably, in the earlier example the diner would find that the Sauvignon Blanc would interact unfavorably with the charred areas of the steak, making it taste salty and bitter. Likewise the steak would make the wine seem thin and sour (and completely steamroll such a light-bodied wine). So in actuality most would find this pair clashes badly and all of the clues come directly from your palate and relate to your plates. Some of the most fundamental considerations are the respective weights of both the food and the wine. Don’t become too fixated on the color of the wine, but rather its body. To get you started, as a general rule heavy goes with heavy and light goes with light. Of equal importance is the preparation of the dish. Chicken Picata with Chardonnay or Viognier would be lovely. A roasted chicken with herbs and root vegetables might need a Pinot Noir. Grilled chicken would perhaps benefit more from a wine like a Shiraz or Grenache. Avoid strongly flavored foods with loads of onion, garlic, hot spice, etc. as the wine can pick up these flavors (after all do really want to drink a wine that tastes like onion?). It’s very important to consider how one trait of the wine can alter your perception of the food and vice versa. •

12 •

BY JULIANA DANES

RO KO

13 • INTERVIEW WITH RON KOENIG

ON OENIG An inside look to the daily life and routine of vinter Ron Koenig *INTERVIEW WITH A VINTER

WINEMAKER RON KOENIGS’S CAREER HAS taken him from cellar rat to winemaster, from small wineries to a big one and back again. He’s now working with his son Matt at San Luis Obispo-based Koenig Family Vineyards, and last fall marked his 40th harvest. Koenig, 68, actually started out working in commercial art, but left it behind to enter the wine business. Although he took a few courses in winemaking at UC Davis, most of his training was on the job. After starting out as a cellar worker at Heitz Wine Cellars, Koenig worked at or consulted for Napa Valley wineries such as Spring Mountain, Far Niente and Shafer. In 1979, Koenig made a Chardonnay under his own label, Ron Koenig, later renaming the brand Meridian. When the parent company of Beringer Vineyards bought Meridian in 1988 and moved the winery to Paso

Robles, Koenig moved, too. He started the Koenig Family label toward the end of his tenure at Meridian (he retired from there in 2003). Koenig now holds the title of winemaster at Koenig Family, while Matt is the winemaker and general manager. In 1979, Koenig made a Chardonnay under his own label, Ron Koenig, later renaming the brand Meridian. When the parent company of Beringer Vineyards bought Meridian in 1988 and moved the winery to Paso Robles, Koenig moved, too. He started the Koenig Family label toward the end of his tenure at Meridian (he retired from there in 2003). Koenig now holds the title of winemaster at Koenig Family, while Matt is the winemaker and general manager. Although he took a few courses in winemaking at UC Davis, most of his training was on the job. After starting out as

M M: Why did you start making kosher wine? R: It was kind of a challenge. Leslie Rudd and I were participating in a fundraiser for the local Napa synagogue. Les was pouring his Rudd wines; I was pouring SoloRosa, my non-kosher rosé. All of sudden, he looks over at me and says, “How come there aren’t more great kosher wines?” I told him I didn’t know exactly, but that I’d learned something about kosher wine as a wine writer, starting back in 1992, when I got my first assignment from Wine Spectator to write the annual Passover story. I suggested to Leslie that with the right grapes, we just might be able to make a great kosher wine. Then he said, “Let’s try!” M: What makes a wine kosher? And who is in charge of determining this? R: According to Jewish tradition, all wine is inherently kosher. That is, it’s holy. But for a wine to retain its essentially holy nature, it can only be handled--from the crush pad to bottling--by Sabbath-observant Jews. To make a commercially viable kosher wine, anyone involved in the handson production will need to be certified “Sabbath observant” by a rabbinical agency, whose seal will ultimately grace the wine label.

M: Do kosher wines and other drinks need to be boiled or flash pasteurized? R: No. In fact some 2,000-plus years ago in Jerusalem, heated wines--called mevushal--were not allowed to be used at the altar of the main temple. These heated, or cooked, wines were considered to be inferior and not good enough for God. Today, with flash pasteurization, mevushal wines have improved markedly in quality. In fact, there are many good ones. From a marketing and sales

“THAT VIEW THOUGH. ISN’T THAT SOMETHING. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE 14 •• MIX & MATCH

WAKING UP TO A VIEW LIKE THAT AND SEEING THE ACRES OF GRAPES AND THE TASTE OF WINE.”

perspective, mevushal wines also have a decided advantage. Once heated to about 180°F, they can be poured and handled by non-observant Jews and non-Jews alike. This means they can be poured by non-kosher staff in kosher restaurants to Orthodox Jews. However, my wines are not mevushal. I figure if we go to the trouble to make the best wine we can, we’re not going to take a chance to mess it up and destroy and possibly screw it up with flash pasteurization. M: What are the greatest challenges, from a production perspective, in making a kosher wine? R: Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking when he put so many holidays in the midst of harvest. My kosher cellar crew cannot work on the Sabbath; and there are also many other special days, such as Rosh Ha Shana and Yom Kippur, when they can’t work. We have to pick grapes and make plans in the cellar to work around these holidays. Some years, it’s not too bad. But last harvest, the winery was essentially closed down for four out of seven days during each of the three weeks we brought in fruit. Can you imagine what it’s like to close the door on your fermenting Napa Valley Cabernet for four days without checking on it? That, in itself, is a leap of faith. M: Are there special ingredients, or forbidden ingredients that you cannot use? R: If you’re using commercial yeasts, ML st rains or other fermentation aids like Fermaid K, you’ll need to use only those products that are certified kosher. Some fining agents, like gelatin, are not permitted because they may be made with non-kosher animal products. Egg whites need to come from kosher eggs. I haven’t been able to find

any kosher yeast hulls yet either. And just lately, my certifying kosher agency has declared that I can’t use barrels with heads sealed traditionally with flour. (It might cause a problem with a wine that is kosher for Passover.) So now we have to request a neutral sealant called “enoplastico.” Fortunately, coopers like Taransaud and Gamba are hip to this. M: Does it cost more to make kosher wine? R: Yes. Not only do you have all of your regular winemaking costs, but you’ve also got to pay a certifying rabbinical agency. And you’ll have to make an extra effort (translation: spend more money) to make sure you are set up correctly in the cellar and have the highly specialized and hard-to-find kosher cellar crew that makes it all possible. You’ll also have to have pumps for every fermentation tank, too, because you can’t move your pumps from tank to tank during the Sabbath and other holy days. That means each tank needs a pump with a timing device to run pump-overs. It can get pretty expensive, especially if you’re using really good pumps. •

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M: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about you. We’re excited about what you are doing. First off though, tell me more about the team behind Great Divdie Brewery and what led you to open a brewery. B: Our biggest goal for this is just for people to take notice and recognize that women have and will continue to play a major role in beer. The history of women in beer hasn’t been exposed the way it should be. Without getting too technical, the female palette is very advanced and capable of discerning off flavors, as well as, understanding what flavors compliment each other and in what direction they should be delivered during drinking or eating experiences. We plan to take advantage of this in our craft beers. Outside of our brewery, we hope that we can inspire other women to create their own businesses and be a part of this growing segment of the American economy. M: In your campaign video you allude to the history of women and beer. Is there any particular individual or brewery that inspires you? B: Our biggest inspirational brewery has been Ninkasi Brewing out of Eugene, OR. While they are not female owned, they do have a lot of respect for the history of beer and the flavor profiles for most of the beers are perfectly crafted. Also, marketing plays a big role in how women are treated or respected in this history and Ninkasi has created a brand that is really gender neutral and speaks to ALL craft beer lovers. Tonya Cornett, has made a huge impact on me personally. I can remember the first beer of hers I tasted: a roasted coconut stout at Bend Brewing Company. It made me stop and think, this one beer created a whole new excitement for the complexity of beer. She

continues to brew phenomenal beer at 10 Barrel Brewing Company you not only love to drink, but love to talk about. Of course you can’t mention women and beer without talking about New Belgium. Kim Jordan is a great leader for our industry to have and one that all of us should look to when it comes to company structure and culture. New Belgium is a great example of what women and good beer can do in America. M: How would you describe your beers? Are you influenced by a particular style or brewery? B: We call our beers “Intelligent Beer”, by that we mean a few things; First, the design and flavor profiles; Second, how they are physically produced. With regard to the flavor profiles our beers are carefully crafted to not miss the mark when it comes to the tasting experience. Each part of the beer will work with each other and the beer will start with aroma, front taste, mouthfeel, middle taste and then ending. All of these different experiences have to compliment the previous, and this is something that is difficult to master. However, as mentioned, the female palette is designed for this. With that being said, our styles of beer will be big flavorful Northwest inspired ales. M: Describe your brand a little more and what sets you apart. Why Great Divide? B: Beyond what has already been mentioned with regard to our beer designs and the female palette, one thing that absolutely sets us apart is our sustainability. Our facility will recycle our waste to create energy. Also, we are going to share waste with another specialty company that will feed our power plant.

M: We love experiencing places through beer. You can get real sense of a place by structuring a visit around the craft beer scene. If I understand your story correctly, it seems like the Pacific Northwest had a big impact on your love for craft beer. What are some of your favorite cities or places to visit from a beer standpoint? B: This is a difficult question. Nick and I really like the small town historical settings, so while most would say Portland, Oregon we would say Astoria, Oregon because of the history of the city and then “bam” a large production brewery right in the middle is a major employer of the town. M: Well, we won’t take up anymore of your time especially since you’ve got a campaign to run. Thanks for answering our questions and best of luck. We hope to travel to and experience Indianapolis with a Great Divide beer in hand! B: Absolutely and thanks for developing a platform for CraftBrewers to get started. And of course all are welcome…especially Milwaukeeans. We love that city and its people. •

“THE DAY MY FATHER TOOK ME TO MY FIRST BREWERY I KNEW IT WAS WHAT I WAS MEANT TO DO. I HAD A REVELATION THAT THIS WAS HAPPINESS.”

*INTERVIEW WITH A BREWER 12 •

BY ALEXANDRA LEVIN

2 Barrels on the Brewery Tour

3 Dunn pouring a

beer for a customer

BRIAN DUNN

Great Divide Brewery

A LOOK INTO LIFE AT THE GREAT DIVIDE BREWERY

1 Beer tasting at The

A few weeks ago I took a field trip to Hampton, GA to visit with Brian Dunn, the man behind Great Divide Brewery, Georgia’s 4th distributing craft brewery. Dunn visited us back in the summer and officially started selling beer in late 2009. Dunn also shared a high gravity stout that he’s been working on. There aren’t any current plans for production, which is unfortunate because it was my personal favorite of the three beers we shared. Check out those sweet tap handles! I was glad to hear they were done by the same guys we’re using for our tap handles, Tap Handles Inc. It was an amazing experience.

10 •

First, let’s have a round of applause for the wine guys—we have to admit they’ve done a really great job. The average American is fairly convinced that wine is the best beverage for food and that beer is best suited to washing down hot dogs and potato chips. Of course, the readers of this magazine know better, but how much thought do we give to matching our beer with our food? The fact is that real beer is a far more versatile beverage than wine, bringing a wider range of flavors and aromas to the table. Don’t get me wrong—I love wine and I drink it frequently. Wine, however, simply doesn’t go with everything. These days, America’s favorite condiment is salsa and we’re eating much more spicy, interesting food than we did 20 years ago. The craft brewing revolution is part of a larger revolution in our food culture. Traditional beer is now available almost everywhere, and it is the best complement to the new American cuisine. Pay a little bit of attention to matching up the flavors and aromas of your beer and your food, and you can turn an ordinary dinner into a memorable flavor experience. But how do we figure out what beer will match what dish? We start with what I call impact, which is the strength of the beer’s impression on your palate. Belgian witbier, which is light and spritzy, would be an example of a “low-impact” beer, while imperial stout, which is roasty and powerful, would be a “high-impact beer.” To have a successful match, you’ll want to match the impact of the beer to the impact of the food. We’re looking to create a dance, not a football tackle. A big beer will overwhelm delicate fish, while a lighter beer may seem to disappear when you’re enjoying a rack of barbecued ribs. Wheat beer, kölsch or helles may match that delicate fish perfectly, while an American brown ale will stand up to the ribs. Go for light bitterness for more delicate dishes, and save bitter beers for richer dishes—hops slice cleanly through oils and fats, refreshing the palate. Impact is a fairly simple matter—if you think a beer and a dish are pretty well matched in that department, you’re probably right. Now comes the fun part—finding the flavor hook. We’re looking to create a dance, not a football tackle. You need the light, yet powerful touch of a ballernia, not a slam in your face.

“IT’S TIME TO PUT CRAFT BEER ON EQUAL FOOTING WITH WINE AND SPIRITS IN TERMS OF EDUCATION AND EMPHASIS IN THE MODERN CULINARY WORLD CULTURE.” The flavor hook is the part of the beer’s flavor and aroma that matches, harmonizes or accentuates the flavors in your food. When the flavors meet on your tongue, they “recognize” each other and this creates a harmony. Sometimes, rather than harmony, you’re setting up a pleasant contrast. Beer can have flavors of caramel, coffee, chocolate, bread, bananas, limes, herbs, smoke or raspberries—there’s a lot here to work with. Let’s take caramel, for example. Caramelized flavors are among our favorites—anything that’s roasted, grilled, sautéed or fried develops some sweetness and flavors of caramel. There’s something almost primal in those flavors—everyone loves the crunchy bits on roasted meats and no one would happily choose a boiled chicken over a roasted one. If you’ve roasted your chicken well, it should have a golden brown skin, and that’s where a lot of the flavor is concentrated. That is why when you try it you will love it. In this case, caramel is the flavor hook—we want to find a beer with similar caramel flavors. Amber ales, amber lagers, bockbiers, brown ales, and light porters all have caramelized flavors that will match the chicken beautifully. Did you cover the chicken with herbs before you roasted it? Then you can make the match even more complex by choosing a beer with flavors of caramel and herbs—French bière de garde springs to mind. A beer like Jenlain or La Choulette Ambrée will do very nicely. By the way, do you know what question is most frequently asked of wine experts? What to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. The answer, of course, is beer—bière de garde, in particular. The beer has enough bitterness to cut through fat, caramel flavors to match the gravy and the skin of the turkey, and herbal flavors to match the stuffing. The turkey, of course, will probably be dry, but don’t blame Mom—it’s not her fault. Just bring the right beer, get your fair share of the stuffing, and everything will be fine. Of course, we’re not just talking about chicken and turkey. Roast pork, steaks, barbecued ribs, and even grilled vegetables can work well with caramelized beers. If you’re creative, you can come up with some surprisingly good matches. It is always fun to mix and match and see what new combinations you may like.

will really sing with the hops in American pale ales. Those hop flavors also work wonders with chilies, ginger and cumin. Roasted malts provide another great flavor hook for a wide variety of dishes, from a charbroiled steak to chocolate mud cake. Any dish that has flavors of char, coffee or chocolate is a good candidate to match brown ales, porter and stouts. Grilled ribs, burger and steaks are obvious matches, but the hook is so powerful that these beers can even match roasted peppers. Cajun-style blackened chicken or pork will work very nicely with these beers, too. Another terrific match is Mexican mole sauce. The chocolate flavors in a good porter will link up perfectly with the chocolate flavors in the sauce, creating a match that wine could only dream of. Matching desserts is one of the greatest talents of big stouts and porters. Wine experts will often recommend port to accompany chocolate desserts, but it’s usually a very poor match. Strong stouts, especially imperial stouts, can provide perfect matches to chocolate desserts. Classic dry Irish stouts such as Guinness won’t work here because they don’t have the needed intensity; instead, go for something bigger. The beer need not be sweet—in fact, the match is often better when the beer provides a brief respite from the sweetness of the dessert. The chocolate and coffee flavors in strong stouts can match chocolate flavors wonderfully, but they also provide a pleasant contrasting flavor to work with other desserts. For example, imperial stouts are excellent with vanilla ice cream and panna cotta. For sheer versatility, wheat beers are hard to beat. It’s always hard to decide which course should be paired with the wheat beer. Sometimes it would be perfect for all the dishes, especially in summer. Wheat beers pair light hop bitterness with brisk carbonation, light acidity and bright fruit flavors for a combination that can match a wide variety of dishes. If wheat beer isn’t quite the breakfast of champions, it’s certainly the champion of brunch. A glass of weissbier provides the perfect match for eggs Benedict, using its high carbonation to burst through. This is how to enjoy beer to its fullest. •

MALT

k k

The sweetness of malt is known to reduce the heat of spicy food. The flavors of malt, which can range from caramel, chocolate, graham cracker, roast, toasted and toffee, harmonize with grilled, roasted and smoked foods because share many of these same flavors.

CARBONATION

Beer’s carbonation (bubbles) works to scrub the tongue of fat and prepares your palate for the next bite.

HOPS

Hop bitterness cuts through the fat food, lessening the dense heavy feeling your mouth. This allows you to more fully taste the ingredients of your dish. Hop bitterness balances both malt and food’s sweetness. Hops is known to intensify spices and heat in foods.

BEER

‘GREDIENTS

11 • ITHE PERFECT PAIR

A few years ago, I hosted a beer dinner for the Association of Westchester Country Club Chefs. It was a fairly intimidating crowd; I’d never tried to impress a whole room of chefs before. One of the dishes was a sautéed diver scallop in brown butter, and the chefs expected that I would match a very light beer with such a delicate dish. The beer I chose, though, was Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter, a beer with plenty of caramel flavor on a smooth, silky, slightly sweet palate. Good scallops are somewhat sweet and they develop a dark brown surface when they’re sautéed. The caramel flavors of the beer matched perfectly, and the buttery flavors that Samuel Smith is known for dovetailed smoothly with the brown butter. The chefs were amazed. Several of them said that it was the best food and beverage. At the same dinner, I made use of another flavor hook—citrus. Citrus flavors can come from hops, especially the limey, grapefruity Cascade hop, or from actual fruit. In this case, I was matching sea bass in a Mandarin orange sauce. The chef had infused the sauce with tiny slivers of orange peel. The match was obvious—Belgian wheat beer, which is usually flavored with sweet spices and Curaçao orange peel. It was a really spectacular combination. Most American pale ales have some citrus character from hops, and that can be used to match Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes, which are often flavored with lime. On top of that, the bright aromatics of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops bear a striking resemblance to the aroma of cilantro. Herbs and beer go together like cheesecake and ice cream. A few pad Thai

WHEAT BEER TRAPPIST PILSNER WHITE ALE NUTTY BROWN ALE PALE ALE PORTERS BLONDE ALE STOUTS FRUIT BEER

A SIMPLE GUIDE TO EXPLAIN WHY WHICH BEERS PAIR WELL WITH WHAT FOODS STORY BY CASEY LASSAW

8•

LIMBURGER BURATTA FRESH ASIAGO AGED CHEDDAR BRIE TALLEGIO MUENSTER GOUDA MOZZARELLA CAMEMBERT

Negra Modelo Make this easy-drinking amber lager your go-to pairing for Mexican food this summer. Its lovely, malty caramel taste stands up to read meat.

Fly Dog Woody Creek White Made with coriander and bitter orange peel, this Belgian-style Wit beer from the eccentric Maryland brewery known for is craft beers.

Newcastle Brown Ale This iconic English ale has a mellow, nut-like flavor and fruity flavorful aftertaste.

Shock Top Belgian White A zesty pick from Michelob, this palate-cleanser is reminiscent of the classic British lemonade and beer drink know as a shandy.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale Barbecues and bonfires at the beach are even better with these delicious brews.

TOP FIVE Summer Ales BY JULIA RYAN

HEALTHY/HEARTY So is beer really that bad for you? Time to answer that age old question. Although not every beer is great for you, they’re not all bad either.

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BY EMILY WALDMAN

DESPITE BEER’S BAD REPUTATION, IT ACTUALLY has a number of natural antioxidants and vitamins that can help prevent heart disease and even rebuild muscle. It also has one of the highest energy contents of any food or drink. Of course, this means you need to set limits – one beer gets you going, four can do some damage. If you’re worried about dehydration, keep in mind that beer is 93 percent water. Also, according to a Spanish study, beer may actually provide better hydration than H2O alone when you’re sweating it out under the sun. So with all of this in mind, which kind of beer should you reach for? Calorie-wise, you may be tempted to grab a light lager, but for health benefits, a dark beer is the better choice. Dark beers tend to have the most antioxidants, which help reverse cellular damage that occurs naturally in the body. A recent study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture has also found that dark beer has higher iron content compared to lighter beers •

BEER EXPERT JIM COLLINS ENJOYS A DARK LAGER BEER AND CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH

GER M A N-S TYL E H EFE W EIZ EN German-style hefeweizens are straw to amber in color and made with at least 50 percent malted wheat. The aroma and flavor of a weissbier comes largely from the yeast and is decidedly fruity (banana) and phenolic (clove). ‘Weizen’ means “wheat” and ‘hefe’ means “yeast.” There are multiple variations to this style. Filtered versions are known as ‘kristal weizen’ and darker versions are referred to as ‘dunkels,’ with a stronger, bock-like version called ‘weizenbock. This is commonly a very highly carbonated style with a long-lasting collar of foam. • BY TY RUSSELL MALT Pilsner, Malted Wheat

high

HOPS German Noble

mild

MALT

HOP

ALCOHOL

BITTERNESS

low

YEAST Weizen Ale

COLOR TEMPERATURE

PAIR WITH

KEY LIME PIE

SEAFOOD

WATER Varies

FRIED CHICKEN

7 • THE MONTHLY SIP

CRAFT BEER OF THE MONTH