ISSUE 19 | April 2011

Welcome to the Winacea E-newsletter.

One of the first signs that winter has melted into spring is the availability of local green vegetables in season. Such as asparagus (see recipe below)! Sadly, many vegetables are not wine friendly and require strategic pairing, and sometimes sauce, to harmonize with a glass of wine. This month's newsletter gives your vegetable garden a fighting chance against your wine cellar. It's all too often that the vegetable throws a hard uppercut in the dining ring. Here's the first tip, avoid tannic red wines, unless you are cooking inherently bitter eggplant. Since pairing vegetables with wine is so much trickier than meat or fish, pair the wine with a sauce or cooking style. In general, garden vegetables fare best with Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay, rosé, Beaujolais and aged Cabernet Franc. Grilled veggies work well with oaky Chardonnay, rosé, Beaujolais, and lighter Zinfandels. Incorporate "bridge ingredients" to make the wine and food more seamless. Bridge ingredients can be cheese, butter, black pepper, citrus, bacon, tomatoes, nuts, dried fruits, or mushrooms. Try adding crumbles of tangy goat cheese to your fresh garden salad and experience the similar tang in a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Yum!

Asparagi con Uovo e Parmigiano paired with Tuscan Chardonnay

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
	20 medium thickness asparagus spears
	2 Tbs butter
	4 extra-large eggs
	salt and fresh ground pepper
	2 Tbs water
	1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Boil a large pot of water, 3/4 full of water. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and use a peeler to scrape away the tough outer skin of each spear. Leave the tips intact. Tie the asparagus spear into 4 equal bundles with kitchen string. Add the bundles to the boiling water, tips up, and cook for 5 minutes. The asparagus should be tender but firm. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Fry the eggs in the pan, taking care not to break the yolk. Cook for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add sprinkles of water, 2 tablespoons total, to the fry pan, cover, and cook the eggs for about 2 minutes, until the whites are solid but the yolks remain runny. Remove the asparagus strings and arrange each bundle on an individual plate, then drape one of the fried eggs on top. Liberally sprinkle each serving with Parmigiano-Regiano cheese and serve.

Recipe adapted from William-Sonoma's Florence Cookbook.

Support Your Local

Non-Profits!

Bordeaux "Five Hundred" Wine Dinner Fundraiser for the Larimer Food Bank

April 16, 2011 - 6:30PM

This fantastic Bordeaux wine dinner features nine superior Bordeaux wines and an extraordinary French menu prepared by Jay Witlin. The event is a fundraiser for the Food Bank for Larimer County, sponsored by the employees of NVIDIA and Winacea, and hosted at Jay's Bistro . The showcased wines are from the three greatest vintages of the last 25-years: 1990, 2000, and 2005. Five are 100-point wines awarded by Wine Spectator and/or Robert Parker, including Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux. Limousine transportation provided from Loveland, Fort Collins, or Windsor. Pick-up times are between 5:30PM and 6:15PM. Transportation, dinner, wines, and sommelier service are all donated. The suggested minimum contribution to the food bank is $500 per person. 100% of your donation goes to the Food Bank for Larimer County.
Please contact Ken Severson kseverson@nvidia.com to reserve your seat. Space is limited to a maximum of 20, so don't hesitate!

Fort Collins Wine Fest XXIX Fundraiser for Disabled Resource Services

April 22, 2011 - 6:30PM

Wine Fest attracts wine enthusiasts, foodies, and now beer drinkers. The event is a fundraiser for Disabled Resource Services' with proceeds providing a wide range of services to people with disabilities in Larimer and Jackson Counties, Colorado. Participants will be able to sample over 400+ wines from wineries around the world, taste local, fresh food from Fort Collins restaurants and caterers, and drink local beers from Fort Collins breweries. All that for only $50 a person. In addition, there will be a silent auction and live music provided as entertainment. Wine Fest will be held at the Fort Collins Hilton and tickets are available online or at the door.

Stay Tuned!! Next month's issue will feature more wine lingo and their definitions.

Winacea Events

Bordeaux "Five Hundred" Wine Dinner - Fort Collins, CO (April 16)

Other Recommended Colorado Wine Events

Taste of Vail - Vail, CO (April 7-9)

Fort Collins Wine Fest XXIX - Fort Collins, CO (April 22)

Spring Barrel Tasting - Grand Junction, CO (April 30- May 1)

Other US Recommended Wine Events

Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Scottsdale, AZ (April 5-10)

Fourth Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine - Pebble Beach, CA
(April 28-May 1)

21st Annual Florida Winefest & Auction - Sarasota, FL (April 28-May 1)

20th Annual New Orleans Wine and Food Experience - New Orleans, LA (May 24-28)

Auction Napa Valley - Napa Valley, CA (June 2-5)

Buying Burgundy

(playing the Burgundy roulette game)

1st - Look for tried and true producers.

Examples: Domaine Michel Lafarge, Domaine Leflaive, William Fevre and many others.

This is important because in Burgundy one vineyard can be owned by multiple producers. Clos de Vougeot is the largest Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy, with 70 different owners.

2nd- Know the better vintages.

(red + white vintages just to make it easy)2005, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1995, 1990

3rd- Find the name of the village you are looking for, or if money is no object, find the specific vineyard.

4th- Want to spend $20 or less?

Look for wines from the Cote Chalonnaise district or whites from the Macon district. Otherwise find a Bourgogne Blanc or Bourgogne Rouge from a serious producer who has vineyards in the Cote d'Or. Back to the importance of the producer (see the 1st tip).

Winacea will launch its inaugural membership campaign in 2011! Please stay in-touch for more information regarding the exciting Winacea expansion and exclusive membership.