Juicy Wine Co. BLT: Bacon Lover's Tuesdays

"Yeah but bacon tastes good." These five simple words uttered by the character Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction perfectly explains our love affair with these strips of smoked meat. It tastes good! You can also do a lot with bacon: candy bars, tempura, cup cakes, air freshener, Christmas tree ornaments, shower curtains...the list goes and on. But what about wine and bacon? Absolutely! I'm a big fan of taking simple, extraordinary foods and matching them with a lofty wine counterpart, e.g. Champagne and potato chips, Malbec and BBQ ribs, Nebbiolo and Italian Beef and yes Pinot Noir with Bacon. This concept of low brow-high brow pairing makes wine what it should be - fun and enjoyable to the point of giddiness. Don't believe me - serve fried chicken and Champagne at your next party. So why does Pinot Noir and bacon work? The sweet and sour cherry profile of Pinot Noir along with baking spice notes from the oak combine to make a perfect foil for the salty, smoky and let's face it fatty flavor of bacon. It tastes good.

Rodney Alex and Aracelli from Juicy Wine Co. know how to have fun with wine and food and they have put together a string of events featuring the favorite foods of our childhood paired with wine. In addition to their Dirty Bird Bubble Bath Brunch on Sundays which features Harold's Fried Chicken and Champagne they have added BLT and Pinot Noir Tuesdays - BLT Sandwiches made with Benton's Smoked Country Bacon with 1/2 price bottles of Pinot Noir. I think even Jules would approve.

Check out the Juicy Wine Co. website for more information.

RedEye - 10 Wines Under $10

Check out my 10 picks under $10 in the Weekend Edition of the Chicago Tribune RedEye or you can access the selections on line.

I'll be writing a bi-weekly column titled "Bottle Service" for the Weekend RedEye starting next Saturday. Be sure to check it out for wine tips, suggestions and more! You can also sign up to receive the weekend edition of RedEye at your doorstep.

Flashy Yet Frugal Friday - 05 Bodegas Castaño Hecula - $12

January in Chicago explains why this city has so many bars. You can't walk five yards against the windchill (a.k.a. The Hawk) without needing a place to duck in and warm up. And let's face it, anything below 30 degrees F is just plain cold, especially for this born and raised Californian. After ten winters in Chicago, I have come to rely on rich and hearty reds to warm my spirit and soul and frozen limbs during these frigid months. Then again this is the beauty of wine, pop a cork and you are instantly transported to your own exotic, warm weather oasis. Who needs South Beach when you have a corkscrew, right? OK - perhaps I'm exaggerating just a bit but you get the idea.

One such winter warmer is the Bodegas Castaño Hecula Monastrell from Yecla, Spain. Yecla, located in the province of Murcia, is bordered by other rising regions such as Alicante, Jumilla, Utiel Requena, Bullas and Valencia. This region as a whole has traditionally been viewed as a source of cheap bulk wine but leaders such as Bodegas Castaño have been hard at work revamping that image. Today, thanks to their effort, if it's Spanish, tastes great and under $15 - it most likely comes from this part of Spain.

Yecla is a small rural town located 1 hour from Alicante which is on the coast and about 60 miles north of Murcia. There is an annual wine festival where wine literally flows through the streets and on to celebrating patrons. Although Yecla is most known for their furniture production (one road in the town features 40 stores alone) the region is quickly earning a reputation for their wines with Bodegas Castaño leading the charge. Monastrell represents over 85% of the plantings, much of it ungrafted and old. Monastrell is also known as Mourvedre in France and is a key ingredient in illustrious French wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Bandol. Bodegas Castaño is credited as the first to take the grape seriously in Yecla and thanks to them, Yecla Monastrell is becoming a household name in international markets.

The Hecula is 100% non irrigated, old vine Monastrell, 50% aged in tank and 50% aged in French oak. Like many parts of Spain, Yecla is dry, arid and warm and you can sense the heat from the region as the color is dark purple and opaque with ripe flavors of raisins, chocolate, blackberries, figs and star anise. It sounds heavy but it's not and should pair well with a variety of meat or seafood and rice dishes. Maybe for your next book club selection you could read The Hive by Camilo Jose Cela and serve this and tapas at the discussion.

Available at Binny's, Howard's Wine Cellar, Treasure Island (Broadway), Whole Foods, and Sam's Wine and Spirits. The importer is Eric Solomon. Prices will vary depending on retail location.

Ravenswood Wine Dinner at Wildfire Chicago - Jan 20th

If you have resolved to learn more about wine in 2009 then a wine dinner can be just the thing to help you make good on your goal. A wine dinner features multiple wines from a winery or region, dishes paired to each selection and an expert who provides detailed information and discussion throughout the evening. It may sound very studious and snobby but it's not as usually by the second course people begin to loosen up as the wine takes it's effect, the conversation gets more celebratory and by the end of the evening new friends and vows to meet again are made.

If you are a fan of California Zinfandel and "no wimpy wines" in general then this upcoming Ravenswood Winery wine dinner at Wildfire Chicago (a Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant) on January 20th may be of interest to you. Ravenswood representative Kate Shorr joins Wildfire Wine and Spirits Director and my colleague Brad Wermager along with Chefs Moreno Espinoza and Edgar Ojeda to offer the following menu:

-RECEPTION-
Pistachio-Crusted Goat Cheese Crostini
&
Grilled Lemon Shrimp
currants, pine nuts

Ravenswood Sonoma County Chardonnay ‘05

-FIRST COURSE-

Pan Seared Swordfish Medallions
red onion & shitake mushroom marmalade, Bing cherry butter sauce

Ravenswood “Zen of Zin” ‘04

-SECOND COURSE-
Wood Roasted Prime New York Strip
Yukon gold potatoes, braised Brussels sprouts, blue cheese fondue

Ravenswood Teldeschi Zinfandel ‘05

-THIRD COURSE-

Selection of Artisan Cheese

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Petite Sirah ‘06

-DESSERT-

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

Ravenswood Sonoma County Zinfandel ‘06

The entire evening – food, wine, tax and gratuity – is priced at $80.00 a person. For more information or to make a reservation contact Brad Wermager at 773.398.6960. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20 at Wildfire - 159 W Erie in Chicago.

For information on other upcoming wine dinners at Wildfire click here

Champagne Cocktail Recipes

Here are some fun and easy recipes and ideas for various Champagne Cocktails. A splash of juice or liqueur here and there can add some pizzazz to a glass of bubbly, especially if you are working with a budget selection. My mother is particularly fond of Champagne Cocktails as she likes the idea of Champagne but she does not care for the tartness. The addition of something sweet and fruity mellows out the bitterness and allows her to enjoy her sparkling wine and to remain classy like her hero Alexis Carrington (as mentioned in a previous post).

The Bellini/Mimosa Bar

Set out various chilled fruit nectar and purees along with a bottle of sparkling wine (Prosecco works best) and have your guests mix the Bellini of their choice. Certain fruits work better than others, e.g. peach, guava, mango, passion fruit, orange and pineapple. You can also put out cut fruit as garnishes.

Poinsettia Cocktail

1/2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
Champagne
3 oz cranberry juice

Chill all three ingredients. Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice into flute, mix and then top with Champagne. Garnish with pomegranate seeds or orange twists if desired.

Sgroppino - Italian Lemon Cocktail

2 tablespoons vodka or limoncello
2 melon ball size scoops lemon sorbet (for a creamier cocktail use lemon gelato)
Prosecco
Mint sprigs or lemon twists for garnish

Pour vodka or limoncello into flute and then sorbet, top with prosecco and garnish, enjoy!

Chambord Kir Royale

1/2 oz Chambord or Raspberry liqueur
Champagne

Pour Chambord in flute, top with Champagne

Champagne Mojitos

1 1/2 oz white rum
Splash fresh lime juice (key lime is best)
Champagne
8-10 mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar or 1/2 oz simple syrup
1 lime wedge
Ice

Muddle mint leaves, sugar, lime wedge and splash of lime juice in a large glass until mint leaves are crushed. Fill glass to the top with ice, pour rum over ice and finish with Champagne. Garnish with mint sprig. This is drier than a traditional mojito therefore you can add more sugar for a sweeter flavor.