Until We Meet Again

Thank you for following Vinifera Imports Arizona blog. We are saddened to say that this is no longer an active blog. We appreciate your past interest and thank you for your support.

Terroir Hosts Stock Your Cellar Event

Terroir Wine Pub, 7001 North Scottsdale Road, Suite #157, Scottsdale, Arizona is hosting a special “Stock Your Cellar” event featuring selections from Italy’s best producing wine regions on Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 7:00-9:00 PM. The event will feature 12 wines from nine of Italy’s 20 wine regions. The wines showcased are not available in grocery outlets or bix box retailers, and are only sold in fine wine retail stores and selected restaurants. Cost to attend is $15.00 per person.

Sommeliers from Vinifera Imports, co-sponsor of the event, will be on hand to pour samples and answer questions about Italy’s most popular wine varietals. Guests can place orders for their preferred choices (by the bottle or by the case) through Terroir Wine Pub.

The following wines will be showcased:

Whites
*Colli del Soligo Prosecco Brut NV, 100% Prosecco (Veneto)
*2006 Baldeschi Balleani Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Donna Ginevra, 100% Verdicchio (Marche)
*2008 Caruso & Manini Terredigumara Inzolia, 100% Inzolia (Sicily)
*2007 H. Lun Pinot Grigio, 100% Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige)
*2005 Firriato Santagostino Baglio Soria Bianco, 50% Chardonnay, 50% Cattarato (Sicily)

Reds
*2003 Pelissero Barbera D’Alba Paini, 100% Barbera (Piedmont)
*2005 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico, 20% Corvinone 40% Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and 40% Sangiovese (Veneto)
*2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzi)
*2003 Fontodi Chianti Classico, 100% Sangiovese (Tuscany)
*2007 Romitorio Morellino Di Scancano, 85% Sangiovese, 10% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (Tuscany)
*2000 Sant’ Elena Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (Friuli)
*2005 Rosa Del Golfo Primitivo, 90% Primitivo, 10% Negroamaro (Puglia)

Reservations are required:
Terroir Wine Pub
7001 N. Scottsdale Road
Suite #157
Scottsdale, AZ
480 922 3470

Wines to Enjoy at the Pool

Scottsdale Vino – The Italian Wine Club will hold its next event on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, when guests will enjoy tastes of six Italian Wines that are great finds for Summer Entertaining. These wines are perfect for pool parties, or an evening meal on the misted patio. The wines pair well with Italian fare and grilled foods. Lighter in style and value priced for economical entertaining, join us when we’ll sample:

2008 Sant’ Elena Sauvignon—Delicious white wine with tomato leaf, sage, herbs and white peaches. 89 points. Robert Parker.

2007 H. Lun Pinot Grigio—Full bodied white wine, with tart crisp pear and almond flavors.

2007 Pelissero Dolcetto D’Alba Munfrina—Whiff of blueberry and violet aromas. Ripe, tasty red with blackberries. Smooth and soft.

2006 I Greco Cata’ Gaglioppo—100% Gaglioppo Rosso. Lively and intense red perfumes. Fresh, balanced, sweet tannins. Vanilla.

2006 Mormoraia Chianti Colli Senesi—Dry austere, earthy red, ripe cherry flavors. 100% Sangiovese.

2007 Braida Moscato D’Asti-—Orange blossoms, rose, and musk. A sparkling sweet wine.

Where: Enotria Land of Wines, 7000 E. Mayo Boulevard, Suite 1046, Scottsdale, Phone: 480 513 3086.
Fee: $15 per person, includes tastes of six wines, plus assorted Italian cheeses/crackers.
Reservations Required: Contact Debbie at 480 551 9603, or debbie@debbiejelder.com

Substitute Strawberries, Angel Food Cake & Moscato d'Asti

The traditional Italian Tiramisù (tih-ruh-mee-SOO) uses ladyfingers (a sweet, crisp, gènoise cake) dipped in a mixture of espresso coffee and rum, or Marsala wine, and then layered with a mascarpone cheese custard. A fun alternative for the hot Summer months, is to substitute angel food cake, fresh strawberries, and a strawberry orange Moscato d’Asti syrup.

Angel food cake has a sweet golden brown crust with a soft and spongy snowy white interior, and is easily available pre-made from the grocery store, or you can made it from scratch. The sweet Moscato d’Asti sparkling wine combined with orange, is a refreshing change, particularly when it is paired up with the Summer bounty of fresh, sweet strawberries. Try this easy to prepare ahead dessert for everyday entertaining.

Strawberry Tiramisù

1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves
2/3 cup, plus 4 tablespoons, orange juice
1/4 cup Moscato d’Asti Sparkling wine
1 pound mascarpone (Italian) cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 angel food cakes, sliced 1/3 inch thick, then cut again into 2 equal length slices
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, divided
1/2 pound white chocolate, cut into long curls

Whisk preserves, 2/3rds cup orange juice and Moscato d’Asti in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, place mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons orange juice; fold just to blend.

In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice until it reaches the soft peak stage.

Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Once mixed well, fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Hull and slice the strawberries. Set one-half of the strawberries aside.

Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom and partially up the sides of an Angel Food or Bundt Cake pan. Arrange enough cake slices over the strawberry mixture to cover the bottom and the sides of the dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 1/2 cups mascarpone mixture over the cake pieces. Arrange 2 cups sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining cake pieces, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight. To shorten the chilling time, place in freezer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Plate each serving individually. Arrange extra strawberries over tiramisù, add white chocolate curls and serve.

A festive wine accompaniment to this dessert is the Braida Moscato d’Asti from the Piedmont region of Italy. This sparkling sweet wine showcases a bright straw color with an extraordinarily fresh bouquet. Notes of fresh fruit, orange blossoms, rose and musk. This wine has a sweet flavor, but a graceful one, with aromatic characteristics of the grape, ending with a delicious and long finish.

Bon Appetito!

Citrus Salad

Maribeth Janssen, Founder of Memories by the Mouthful, teams up with Market Bistro and Vinifera Imports, to present an Italian-inspired demonstration cooking class and wine tasting on Thursday, July 22, 2010, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

The flavorful menu includes:

Colli del Soligo Prosecco Brut, NV

Italian Avocado Dip with Baked Pita Chips
2008 Sant’ Elena Sauvignon Blanc

Citrus Basil Salad
2008 Caruso & Manini Terredigiumara Inzolia

Pesto Chicken Foccacia Sandwich with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
2007 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico
2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico

Chocolate Ravioli with Expresso Whipped Cream
2007 Braida Brachetto d’Acqui

Maribeth teaches cooking classes in her home kitchen in North Scottsdale, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. Market Bistro is a popular family owned restaurant, with two locations in Greater Phoenix, one at Kierland Commons, and the other in Moon Valley.

Debbie Elder of Vinifera Imports will be on hand to discuss the wines, and provide an overview of the Italian wine regions where these wines are produced.

Fee: $45.00 per person.
Reservations are due by July 19
Maribeth Janssen
602 410 8757
(location to be provided upon reservation confirmation)

Six-course Italian Wine Dinner

Fat Cat Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Chandler, Arizona, is hosting a six-course Italian wine dinner on Thursday, July 8, 2010, from 6-8 PM. Wine and foods from Italy’s prominate wine regions will be featured. The new chef at Fat Cat, Chef Eldon Rose, was inspired to create the menu from his travels and love of Italy. Guests will have the chance to learn about the wines from Debbie Elder, Vinifera Imports.

Cost is $65, plus tax and gratuity, per person and includes tastes of six wines paired with the menu from the Vinifera Imports portfolio.

First Course
2006 Firriato Altavilla Del Corte Bianco – Sicily
Seafood Risotto – Red Snapper, Risotto, Swiss Chard

Second Course
2007 Sant’ Elena Pinot Grigio Klodic - Fruili
Chicken Involtini – Chicken Breast Stuffed with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Chevre, Basil

Third Course
2003 Pelissero Barbera d’Alba Piani – Piedmont
Fettuccini alla Puttanesca – House Pasta, Garlic, Capers, Tomatoes, White Anchovy, Black Olives

Fourth Course
2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo – Abruzzi
Pork and Gnocchi – House Gnocchi, Pork Tenderloin, Cream Pesto, Mushroom, Spinach, Tomato Emulsion

Fifth Course
2005 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo - Apuglia
Grilled Lamb – Lamb Chop, Polenta, Arugula, Sour Cherry Sauce

Sixth Course
2007 Braida Moscato d’Asti – Piedmont
Zabaglione Cheesecake – Pecan Sandie Crust, Mascarpone, Zabaglione, Apricot Reduction Sauce

Reservations:
Fat Cat Restaurant and Lounge
98 S. San Marcos Place
Chandler, AZ 85225
480 899 4400
$65++ pp

Artisan Italian Salami

In a recent search for the best salami makers in the United States, I happily discovered Cristiano Creminelli, a master artisan of Italy’s famous meat products. The Creminelli family has been producing artisan sausages and salami’s in Italy since the 1600’s. The family originated from the northern Italian Alps, near the town of Biella in the Piedmont region.

Cristiano moved to Springville, Utah a few years ago and makes eight types of salami’s and six types of handmade sausages, all available by mail order. Only the choicest cuts of meat, from selected breeds of pork, are used. The animals are fed white grains and raised on small family farms. And, in keeping with true Italian traditions, only organic spices are used to flavor the meats.

Cristiano’s products have received numerous awards, including the prestigious Artisanal Excellence Award, bestowed by the Slow Food organization.

Attendees at Scottsdale Vino – The Italian Wine Club will have the opportunity to taste five of Cristiano’s products at their next event, along with Vinifera’s portfolio of Italian Wines. Reservations are still available for the Taste of Salami – Savoring Salami & Wine event on Wednesday, June 30, from 6-8 PM at Enotria Land of Wine, 101 and Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.

Guests will taste:
Salami Tartufo – made with black Summer truffles.
Salami Barolo – made with Piedmont’s most famous red wine, Barolo.
Salami Casalingo – means “salami di casa” or “salami of the house”, made with black pepper.
Salami Sopressata - known as Sopressa Veneta, made with lots of garlic.
Salami Piccante – spicy like pepperoni.

Further details on the tasting can be found here.

To order your own supply of these tasty products, contact:

Creminelli Fine Meats, LLC
245 West 1600 South
Springville, UT 84663
info@creminelli.com

The summer months are a good time to cook with your children, and making handmade fresh pasta is always a fun learning experience for family members. I find that making pasta from scratch is easier than it seems and only requires a few ingredients, flour, eggs, olive oil and ice water. With several hands taking turns rolling, shaping and cutting the dough into long flat ribbons, the project can be completed fairly quickly. Cooking the pasta takes only a two to four minutes. And, the added bonus is that your children will love to eat what they helped prepare.

One of the tastiest, no cooking, sauce recipes is Ricotta Herb Pesto Sauce. This uncooked sauce is creamy and delicious and quite different from the typical olive oil laden pesto sauce. You toss it into the hot cooked pasta and it results in a rich, velvety dressing that is bright, nutty and flavorful.

The following recipes are adapted from Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy” cookbook:

Homemade Tagliatelle
Makes 1 1/2 pounds serving 6

3 large egg yolks (cold)
3 large eggs (cold)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 T. salt
2 T. ice water, plus more as needed

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites for 3 of the eggs only. Discard the egg whites, or use for another purpose. Whisk the 3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks together with the olive oil, salt and ice water in a measuring cup with a pour spout.

Put the flour in the bowl of the food processor, and process for a few seconds adding air.

Start the machine running with the feed tube open. Pour in the liquid all at once and process for 30-45 seconds, or until a dough forms and gathers on the blade. If the dough does not gather on the blade easily, then it is too wet or too dry. Look at the dough, feel it and add either more flour or more ice water, in small amounts. Continue to process briefly, until the dough gathers on the blade. Push down the dough from the sides of the bowl to incorporate it into the dough ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand briefly until it is smooth and soft and a little stretchy. Press the dough ball into a disk. Wrap well in plastic wrap, and allow it to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. (You can refrigerate this dough for up to 1 day, or freeze it for a month or more. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator and return to room temperature before using.)

Cut the dough into eight equal pieces. Keeping it on a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece through the machine at progressively thinner settings into sheets are as wide as the machine will allow (about 5 inches) and 20 inches long. Cut the long sheets in half crosswise. One sheet at a time, lightly flour each sheet and fold it over into thirds or quarters, creating a small rectangle with three or four layers of pasta. With a sharp knife, cut through the folded dough crosswise at 1/2 inch intervals. Shake the cut pieces, opening them into long ribbons of tagliatelle. Dust liberally with flour, gather into a loose nest and set on a floured towel or tray. Fold, cut and pile up the strips this way until all the dough is used. Leave dough uncovered to air-dry at room temperature until ready to cook. (You may freeze the dough nests on a tray until solid, and then pack into airtight ziplock baggies for freezing).

Ricotta Herb Pesto Sauce

2 cups walnut halves, toasted
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 ½ c. ricotta cheese, drained
6 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 t. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan Cheese, plus more for passing
3 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 T. Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pasta:
1 1/2 pounds (1 batch) Homemade Tagliatelle
3 T. butter, soft
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan Cheese

Heat a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet or oven. Place the toasted walnuts and garlic in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are chopped into very tiny bits (but be sure not to grind them to a powdery substance). Scrape the ground nut-garlic mixture into a large bowl, and stir in the ricotta cheese, olive oil, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, salt and pepper, until thoroughly blended. Place the pesto into a very large bowl.

Shake the nests of tagliatelle in a colander or strainer to remove the excess flour. Drop all the pasta into the pot at once, and stir to loosen and separate the strands. Cover the pot and cook on high heat and bring the water to another boil. Set the cover ajar, and cook the pasta, stirring for 2-4 minutes (or more if the pasta is very thick), until the tagliatelle are al dente. Drain the water from the pasta pot.

Working quickly, lift out the tagliatelle with a tongs and drop the pasta into the bowl with the pesto. Add the soft butter in dollops into the hot pasta mixture and toss until all the strands are coated nicely with the pesto. If the dressing is too thick, loosen it with a bit of hot water from the pasta pot as you toss. Serve with more grated cheese at the table.

Gran Sasso Mountain in Abruzzi

One of my favorite red wines for the summer months, is Villa Medoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (mawn-teh-pool-chee-ah-hoh dah-broo-tzoh) from the East-Central area of Italy called Abruzzo. The Abruzzo wine region is a very mountainous area that borders the Adriatic Sea.

Near the sea, the cuisine in Abruzzo is abundant with fresh fish, sardines, mussels, anchovies, skate and other seafood. In the mountainous regions, a preference for meaty dishes, with some spiciness is found. Lamb, goat, hot peppers, and pasta with a tomato based ragu are popular choices.

You may already be familiar with the word “Montepulciano”, but you may not know that Montepulciano is actually a red grape and should not be confused with the wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (a Tuscan made Sangiovese), or the town Montepulciano located in Tuscany.

Villa Medoro offers a full-bodied, lush and juicy fruitness with a bit of licorice and mouth-filling dark red fruit. This wine is made at the winery owned by the Della Loggia-Morricone family. It has been in the family since 1966. Under the guidance of Federica Morricone, the winery consists of 125 acres of vineyards in the area of Valle Vomano in the province of Teramo. Most of the vineyards face the impressive Gran Sasso (known as the great stone of Italy, and the highest mountain south of the Alps in Italy.) The soil is predominantly clay and has a limestone presence. The property is located 8 miles from the Adriatic Sea at 600 feet above sea level. All ageing of the wine is done in French barriques.

The estate’s 2006 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a dense, mouth filling red, loaded with dark fruit, underbrush and licorice. This is a big wine that opens with a stunning red fruit nose that features baked red berries, ripe red plums and a fistful of herbs. In the mouth the wine is lush and soft at first with red plum and cherry fruit, and earthy. A great wine for steaks on the grill or roasted meats.

Villa Medoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was awarded a Tre Bichierri (meaning three glasses, the highest award) from Slow Food’s Gambero Rosso Italian Guide to Wines in 2009. The wine retails for less than $20 a bottle.

Creamy Cardamom Orange-Glazed Cheesecake

This is an adaption of one of the recipes I made from my first subscription to a gourmet cooking magazine, Bon Appetit. The February, 1978 issue, featured a baker’s dozen of 13 fabulous cheesecake recipes. My favorite was a “lemon-glazed” cheesecake that took hours to prepare. That recipe is a keeper, but this version substitutes orange for the lemon, adds a hint of the aromatic spice cardamom, and a splash of Grand Marnier in the glaze.

One of the tricks to making this cheesecake extra creamy is to whip the cream cheese/sugar/egg ingredients together for at least 10 minutes, or more. This recipe also reduces the amount of sugar, so the end result is an extremely light and fluffy, not overly sweet, cheesecake. You need to allow plenty of time to make the cheesecake as each layer calls for a short cooling time before going to the next step. Paired up with a sparkling Prosecco from Italy, this dessert makes for a light refreshing summer treat.

Crust:
2 packages of graham cracker crumbs (2 cups plus), crushed
1 tablespoon butter to coat pan
8 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
3 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 tablespoon Cardamom
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla

Sour Cream Topping:
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Orange Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon butter

Sprig of lemon balm or mint, garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F. degrees. Butter the spring form pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Process the graham cracker crumbs in a food processor until crushed. Add 8 tablespoons of the melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix thoroughly. Press the crust evenly onto bottom and sides of the buttered 9 x 3″ spring form pan. Bake the crust for 5 minutes. Allow the crust to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add 1/4 cup sugar, blending thoroughly. Add the three eggs, one at a time, beating for about 3-4 minutes after each addition. Mix in the orange juice, orange zest, cardamom and vanilla. Blend well. Pour into the spring form pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

While cake is baking, in a mixing bowl, blend the sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Remove the cake from the oven. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Gently spread the sour cream mixture over the top of the cake. Return to the oven and bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cook on a rack for 30 minutes, or more.

Meanwhile, make the orange glaze by mixing 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, 1 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier and egg yolk together. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a slow boil and is thickened. Whisk in butter.

Spread the orange glaze over the top of the cheesecake. Chill several hours or overnight before removing from pan. Garnish with lemon balm or mint leaves.

Suggested Wine Pairing:
Colli del Soligo Prosecco Brut, NV - 100% Prosecco. Made by one of the best producers in the Veneto region of Italy, the grapes are grown by a 700 member grower cooperative. A delicate flavor with notes of dry fruit and mangoes, with a sapid and creamy aftertaste on the palate. Retails for around $16.