SAPORE – ECLECTIC, UPSCALE DINING AT A MODEST PRICE

 

In a sleepy little village in the far western corner of New York State lies an unexpected treasure. It’s called Sapore (www.saporewinebar.com) and it is a restaurant that stands out dramatically from all the other good, yet predictable eateries in Westfield NY. Sapore is an eclectic gem that will liven up your taste buds without emptying your wallet.

Sapore was opened in 2008 by Tony and Rebecca Pisicoli who came to Westfield from California with their daughter Sabella in order to find a quieter lifestyle. While finding that quiet lifestyle they happened to change the dining habits of many Westfield residents and tourists by offering a variety of culinary delights derived from South American, Spanish, Italian and Mediterranean influences. They serve lunch, dinner and appetizers.

At Sapore, fresh ingredients are the norm, not the exception. Even the least sophisticated dish on the menu – the Sapore burger is made from Angus beef ground in house. Sea scallops are served with a new twist- on a bed of ginger marinated cabbage and their Steak con Piemento served in a Marsala cream sauce betrays the reasonable price. There are no twenty dollar meals and all meals come with innovative sides such as Pisto- roasted eggplant, tomatoes, squash and herbs.

The Sapore wine list is carefully chosen to pair well with the dishes. As an avid wine drinker, I am very impressed with simple but carefully chosen wine list Tony and Rebecca offer, but also the more than reasonable prices they charge. They offer local, domestic and imported wines. Some of my favorites are Apothic Red and Johnson Estate Traminette which is a very good local Westfield wine. The mark ups are reasonable for good wines in a restaurant.

Chocolate Mango Mousse is an extraordinary dessert that combines creamy chocolate with tropical mango, a hint of cayenne pepper, sea salt and topped with homemade whipped cream. It’s simply amazing. Have it with a cup of Italian coffee fresh brewed regularly.

There you have it: a delightful restaurant serving terrific food at reasonable prices with thoughtfully chosen wines that do the same. Come check out Sapore…the name means to “savor” and you will, believe me.

Pop Open a Zweigelt

When I used to think of Austrian wines, only Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch came to mind.  Then I discovered that there was a red wine called Zweigelt at an Austrian dinner I attended and was immediately intrigued. For my money, this wine is actually tastier than a Blaufrankisch. It has more body and the fruit is more evenly balanced with the spice. This wine is terrific with a cheese and fruit platter, but will hold up nicely with a spicy sausage and pasta dish, too.

Zweigelt is a grape created from a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. In general it is a medium-bodied wine that has soft tannins and is sometimes a bit earthy.  It often has notes of dark cherry and black raspberry with spicy undertones. I found the one I sampled most recently (2008 Hofer Zweigelt) to have strong plum notes and a touch of licorice. One of the best things about this somewhat obscure gem is that it costs about eleven bucks for a one liter bottle which is much bigger than the 750. But the real kicker is how the bottle looks. Frankly, it resembles a large root beer bottle rather than something than a wine bottle. Instead of a cork or screw top, this Zweigelt had a crown style pop top. This was the first time in all my years on this planet that I opened a bottle of wine with the same utensil I would use to pop a PBR – awesome…

So drop the rabbit, grab a church key and enjoy this beauty from the land of Mozart. It will be music to your taste buds.

Crowd Pleasers – A Few Wines With Universal Appeal

So you’ve been asked by party hosts to bring wine and you have no idea what wines they (or their guests) like. You could fork over thirty or forty bucks for a Barolo or a Chateauneuf-du-Pape which might impress your hosts and fellow guests, but there is also the chance they may not enjoy high end wine. I suggest you forget about trying to impress and bring along a good quality value wine that wine lovers and novices alike will enjoy. Here are a few suggestions:

Lindemans Cawarra – The beauty of these Australian budget wines is that they come in both red and white. The red is a blend of Cabernet and Shiraz. It’s dark, dry and has a strong berry presence. This is a great pizza or chili wine for a large group. The white, which I prefer slightly more than the red, is a blend of Semillon and Chardonnay. This is a nice, crisp, citrus, fruit forward wine which pairs well with seafood, cheese and crackers and is great on its own.
The other good thing about these wines is that they go for about 12-13 bucks for a 1.5 liter bottle. At that price you can bring both and make quite a few people happy.

Cupcake Red Velvet – This is one of my favorite wines and is available for about ten dollars. Like many red blends it has a strong cherry bouquet and mocha overtones. What makes this a great wine to take to a party is that it has a hint of sweetness that makes it easy for those who don’t like very dry or tannic reds. Red Velvet is excellent with a variety of foods and is particularly delicious with dark chocolate. This pairing would make my cardiologist proud.

Cotes Du Rhone-Villages – For between nine and twelve dollars a bottle you can bring this delicious French wine to a casual get-together or even a sophisticated dinner party. Cotes Du Rhone is produced in the same region of France as Chateauneuf-du-Pape but is a fraction of the price. This 50-50 blend of Syrah and Grenache never fails to please. It has plum and black cherry aromas and flavors with a healthy dose of spice. The 2007 Perrin & Fils is particularly good and was awarded a rating of 90 by Wine Spectator.

So the next time you are invited to a party and someone asks you to bring wine, don’t panic; visit your local wine shop and check out these versatile favorites.

New Years Resolution – Open Your Mind and Enjoy

Every New Years I make a resolution that is a bit extreme and somewhat unrealistic – like lose 30 pounds, give up sweets, dairy, meat or alcohol and, of course, I set myself up for failure. It’s all very psychological. I set unrealistic goals and therefore don’t feel compelled to succeed. Well, this year is going to be different. I’ve got a realistic, fun – and certainly obtainable – goal: to try wines that I have either shunned in the past or have not given a fair chance. Some wines, like many other things in life, need more than one chance.  So here is my resolution list for 2011:

1. Taste more sparkling wines. I tend to associate sparkling wines with headaches, hangovers, and general adolescent sickness. I spent too much time drinking Andre and really cheap Spumante.  In 2011 I intend to remedy that situation.  I’ll try a variety of sparkling wines and pair them with interesting dishes and appetizers.  I”ll try the gamut from Brut to Asti Spumante with various cheeses, fruits, and sweets. And I’ll use the old fashioned Hollywood champagne glasses with wide rims, rather than the sensible, thin flutes more fashionable now.
2. Give Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio another chance. When it comes to white wines, most of the time I enjoy Rieslings and lighter, unoaked Chardonnays. I’ve had Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio occasionally, but usually find them too grassy or bone dry. I think it’s time to taste these wines again, maybe paired with different foods that might give me a totally different experience. In fact, I already had one positive experience when I tasted Sauvignon Blanc with smoked oysters. The cold, crisp subtle fruit of the wine was a perfect complement to the smokey, oily taste of the oysters.
3. Try more Roses. Too often my memories of Pink Catawbas, White Zinfandels, and other Blush wines have kept me far away from Rose wines. I’ll remember that the 80’s are over and it’s safe to drink Rose. It’s totally illogical and unfair to judge these wines based on their color. I’ve bypassed too many roses in wine shops and restaurants over the years in spite of the positive reviews from many wine critics because of my past associations. I think I’ll start with a dryer rose made from Pinot Noir grapes paired with a strawberry, greens, and goat cheese salad on a June day.

So I’ve made my resolutions and hope to be a more sophisticated, yet broader minded, taster by next year at this time. How about you? What are you going to try in the New Year?

Happy New Year and Cheers!

Christmas Classics – Wine and Film

Much of the magic I associate with the Christmas season is steeped in nostalgia and I remember the Christmases of my childhood with great fondness. I still love old carols and songs from the likes of Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, and Rosemary Clooney. I also love to watch classic Christmas films and old TV shows.

So as we settle in for a great holiday movie, what wine to uncork? Here are a few ideas for the classic films A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story.

If I were a true traditionalist, I would match A Christmas Carol with a good Claret. The story takes place in England and although no specific wine is mentioned, we know wine is being drunk and most likely it’s Claret. It’s not easy to find a true Claret…but we’re lucky to have a winery on the Niagara Wine Trail that makes a Claret consisting of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 Claret at Eveningside Vineyards will fit the bill and put a smile on the biggest Humbugs.

In It’s a Wonderful Life, you may recall that the Angel Clarence orders a decidedly wrong beverage in Nick’s Place. Instead of ordering hard liquor for those who “want to get drunk fast,” he is looking for Christmas cheer in the form of mulled wine. There are many variations of mulled wine, but generally you need red wine (usually dry, but off- drys and semi-sweets have been known to be used), cinnamon, clove, lemon, orange, sugar, and water.  If you are trying to support local New York wineries, I suggest using Moonglow Red from 7 Vines Winery which has a hint of spice and sweetness.

There is little mention of wine in A Christmas Story, unless you consider the scene where father Darren McGavin comments about the wine he’s drinking on Christmas morning as “not bad but not good either.”  We don’t really know what he’s drinking, although it most likely is a cheap jug wine of the era. To suggest a wine from this movie, I prefer to think of the “Chinese turkey” scene. They are eating duck in a Chinese restaurant, which actually sounds really good. I would pair a sparkling wine that is a bit unusual, not the typical Brut or Asti that is so common during the holiday seasons, but something a bit exotic like Sparkling Traminette. Johnson Estate Winery has a sparkling wine known as Golden Sparkles, with a hint of lychee and citrus, a lovely flavor combination for Chinese duck.

Happy Holidays and cheers!

Thanksgiving – Family, Food, and Wine

As I get older, I find that Thanksgiving has become practically my favorite holiday. It’s about giving thanks, it’s about family getting together, and it’s about food. Let’s face it: it’s the best food day of the year. And since it’s the best food day of the year, it only stands to reason that it must also be one of the best wine days of the year.

The big question is: what wine should be served at Thanksgiving dinner? Since most folks are eating turkey, logic dictates that a simple white should do the trick – an oaky Chardonnay maybe? But where does it say Chardonnay and turkey? Or white wine for that matter? It doesn’t. That’s what’s great about Thanksgiving dinner -  you can experiment with a wide variety of wines because:

1. Turkey is a versatile bird that can be paired with white, red, or even rose;
2. It’s not all about the turkey. There are so many different flavors in a Thanksgiving meal; and
3. It’s your house! Do what you want.

I generally enjoy having choices on Thanksgiving. In the past I have had Semi-Dry Riesling, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cotes du Rhone, and Beaujolais Nouveau.

Some years the Beaujolais Nouveau – which is generally released on a limited basis just before Thanksgiving – has been outstanding. But other years it has been too light and gets lost in the orchestra of flavors that make up the feast. Still, I enjoy the risk and anticipation to see how it will taste year to year.

Those who enjoy a lighter wine mixed with a form of celebration may want to consider Champagne. The light effervescence and high acidity works well with starches such as potatoes and yams.

To make your Thanksgiving a truly enjoyable experience, my advice is to find out the tastes of your guests and offer a variety of wines they may enjoy. Then, offer some surprises. It will be interesting to see how many converts you get.

The Beauty of Blends

I’ve never liked the term “purist” – nor have I liked many purists. It sounds too close to puritanical for my taste, too absolutist. Nothing in life should be so limiting. I find this to be particularly true in the wine world. I know there are oenophiles out there, who like only red, or white, or dry, or sweet. I get that. Those are preferences that still have considerable variety within their subgroups. But when people limit themselves to certain varietals or dismiss wines that aren’t strict varietals, it makes me crazy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Zinfandels almost as much as any other wine – except a great blend. If you combine different grapes, you can actually create a more balanced, more complex and, in the hands of a good winemaker, a more exquisite wine. The French have always done this with Bordeaux (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc) and in other countries and in the states we make what is referred to as Meritage. I rarely drink Cabernet Sauvignon if it’s 100% Cabernet unless it’s aged for some time. When blended with Merlot, however, the fruit becomes livelier and the tannins softer.

The popularity of blends is increasingly evident on the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, where Mazza Vineyards has had wonderful success with blends they call Bare Bones, offered in both white and red. I especially like the Bare Bones White, which is a blend of Vidal Blanc, Cayuga, Traminette, and Riesling. This is a simple, refreshing spicy, citrus wine laden with honey notes that is decidedly more on the sweet side and a lot of fun to drink.

Another great example of the growing interest in blends in the Chautauqua region is the work of Kevin Daughrity of Quincy Cellars in Ripley, NY. He has opened a second winery called Sensory that offers strictly blends, and a great sampling of local art as well. These wines offer the best grapes in the area combined to create a vibrant tasting experience. The only thing pure about these wines is the taste. They are purely delightful.

For more information, check out this article on Sensory Winery and Art Gallery.