Big Al's killer pasta sauce

A lot of people have asked me for the recipe for my killer pasta sauce and since I have this blog, others can now try it for themselves. I guarantee that it will be the best pasta sauce you'll ever have!

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground chuck (85/15) Substitute: Ground turkey or Italian sausage
1/2 cup Very good quality olive oil (Costco brand is great)
1 Large Vidalia Onion- Diced. Substitute: Walla-Walla or other sweet onion
2 Large cans of Whole/Diced/Crushed Tomatoes. You can cheat and replace one large can of tomatoes with one large can of prepared pasta sauce
5-10 Cloves Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 Cup (Yes I said 1/2 cup)  Italian Spice mix. McCormick's brand is fine. Contains Marjoram, Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage Blend
1/2 Cup red wine (Zinfandel, Merlot Cabernet or Syrah)
2 Tablespoons good quality Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2-3 Tablespoons Sea Salt. Substitute: Kosher salt. Don't use iodized table salt (YUK!)
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package good quality pasta

Accompanyment:
1 French Baguette and Sweet Cream Butter (Unsalted)
Side salad
A glass of red wine
Some good company

Cooking Directions:
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, diced onions and bay leaves to a deep stock pot and saute over med-high heat. Allow the onions to sweat and begin to caramelize. The caramelization will add some sweetness, but be careful not to burn! Near the end of caramelization add the minced garlic and saute with the onions.

Add 2 Cans of tomatoes and the Italian spice mix, red wine, balsamic, red pepper flakes, sugar and additional 1/4 cup of olive oil. Once sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to simmer.

In a separate frypan brown the ground beef and drain excess fat and add to tomato mixture. Add salt and cracked pepper to taste.

Simmer the sauce for an hour with the lid on. Then remove lid and simmer until the sauce thickens. This could take an additional 1-2 hours depending on how watery the tomatoes were to begin with.

Boil pot of salted water, add pasta of your choice, cook, drain, rinse with warm water and plate. Add a sprinkle of olive oil and top with sauce and generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add additional dash of cracked pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve with a side salad, baguette with sweet cream butter and a glass of the same wine that you added to the sauce.

Enjoy!

Must have gear for wine lovers

Over the many years of drinking wine I have used and disposed of many wine gadgets. A few, however, have proved to be necessities. Check out my list of must have wine gear for wine lovers:

Reidel Wine Glasses
In my previous blog post "10 ways to ruin a good wine" I talked about how a good wine glass could improve your wine drinking experience by bringing out more aromas and flavors. I recommended good quality wine glasses like those from Reidel. Reidel has many different styles for different wine types at a variety of price and quality levels.

Govino Stemless Shatterproof Wine Glasses
I first saw these at one of the wineries I had visited and thought they were a great idea for when you are on vacation or a business trip and you want a decent wine glass that won't break. They even have indentations in the glass for a better grip. You can get a set of 4 for under $20 or buy it here

Winediaper travel wine protectors
I don't know how many times I've tried to jam a couple of bottles of wine into my suitcase after a trip to an out of state or out of country winery. After wrapping the wine in 3 socks and then a couple of t-shirts, I felt it was safe to make the journey. OK, wrapping your wine in socks and throwing it into you luggage isn't exactly appealing to most, so that's why products are now specifically made for packing wine in your suitcase. Take for example the Winediaper padded absorbent wine travel bag. It allows you to pack and protect your wine as well as absorbing any spillage that might occur if the bottle is damaged. You can get them in packs of 3 on Amazon or other online retailers for under $20- or buy it here

Cuisinart Private Reserve Wine Cellar
This stylish table top wine fridge holds up to 16 bottles and will fit nicely on most kitchen countertops. Set the temperature depending on what you are storing. Available for under $200

Wine Enthusiasts Complete Wine Tasting and Aroma Kit
"Taste and smell wine like an expert" claims the Wine enthusiasts complete wine tasting aroma kit. Gain an extensive wine vocabulary by being able to dissect and disseminate aromas from wine. 36 distinct vials ship with this kit which will surely increase your familiarity with wine. Great for dinner parties. $199, but cheaper less extensive kits are available.

Vinturi wine aerator
I like to use the Vinturi wine aerator at http://vinturi.com/. It injects air into the wine as your pour it into the aerator over an empty glass and allows the wine to open up faster than by decanter. One pour is equivalent to having the bottle open for one hour. Pour it through twice for older vintages that need longer decanting. It also is portable and travel friendly and comes with a travel pouch...also it's fun explaining what it is to the TSA employees checking bags at the airport. Available for around $20 or buy it here

Top 10 ways to ruin a good wine

So you've invested a few bucks in a fine wine from the grocery store, the wine shop or the winery. Who knows when you'll get the chance to get your family or friends around the table, to pop the cork and enjoy it at it's best. But wait...it's not that easy? or is it?
It is if you avoid some of the main ways to ruin that  $30, $50, or even $100 bottle of Cabernet, Merlot or Chardonnay.

Here are the top 10 ways to ruin a good bottle of wine:

10. Pair it with the wrong food
Food stimulates different parts of your tongue and palette. So does wine. A good wine match to the dish makes both the dish and the wine taste better. In general, whites go with ligher fare- chicken, fish, pork, while reds go better with meats and pastas- Although that is a big generalization, there are lots of good food/wine pairing resources on the internet. Try http://www.how-to-cook-gourmet.com/foodandwinepairingchart.html for some useful food wine pairing tips.

9. Serve it at the wrong temperature
In the US most red wines are served at too high of a temperature and most whites too cold. The optimum temperature to serve a red wine is 15C or 60F, whites at 7C or 45F. I tend to set my wine storage fridge at 11C or 55F and pull a bottle of red out, uncork it, let it sit for 1/2 an hour and it's at the perfect temperature. Give it a try- you'll notice a difference if you pop a room temperature bottle of red in the fridge for a bit before serving.

8. Pour it in the wrong glass
It's amazing what the right glass does for the wine- yes it makes a difference. I know- I was skeptical at first too and asked myself how does a glass effect your wine tasting experience? Wine is about as much smell as it is taste and although a glass won't make or break the wine, it will certainly enhance the flavors.  Just plug your nose and take a gulp of anything- it won't have any flavor.
I once visited Thirty Bench Winery in Niagara on the Lake, Canada where they were doing a tasting of the same wine in different glasses- I was amazed how each glass created a subtly different tasting experience. Glasses are shaped in different ways and allow the aromas to accumulate and escape in certain distinct way. Reidel makes some of the finest wine glasses in the world and has a web-page dedicated to choosing the right glass for you wine. You can find it at http://www.wineglassguide.com/

7. Leave it open for too long
Ever leave a glass or two of wine in a bottle without corking it overnight only to try it the next day and it has lost it's lustre? Blame it on the air. As soon as a bottle is opened and the with is exposed to air, it begins to deteriorate. The first couple of hours is known as letting it breathe- which is beneficial, but it can go downhill from there. If you plan on drinking an unfinished bottle at a later time- cork it.

6. Don't let it breath
Ok not another deal breaker, but letting a wine breathe "opens it up". Uncorking and drinking right away won't kill the wine tasting experience, but you typically won't get the best experience until the wine opens up. The length of time a wine needs to breathe depends on a number of factors and there are a number of tools to speed it up. Decanting is good if you are prepared to polish off the whole bottle but the problem is you have to clean the decanter along with the glasses. I like to use the Vinturi wine aerator at http://vinturi.com/. Simply hold it over a glass and pour. One pour is equivalent to having the bottle open for one hour. It also is portable and travel friendly. I'll make sure to do a "top 10 wine tools every wine lover should have" blog entry. This product will certainly be in there.

5. Expose it to light, heat
Light and heat are the two biggest enemies to wine. That's why most wines that can be aged come in colored and not clear bottles. Always store a wine that you are planning on keeping for a while in a cool, dark place. Keeping a wine at 55F or 11c is the optimal temperature for extended storage.

4. Store it right side up
Natural cork tends to dry out over time and allows air to get into the bottle. That's why it's recommended to store wine "Cork side down" or on an angle to keep the cork moist and reduce the introduction of air into the bottle. Almost every wine storage device is designed to lay the bottle at the correct angle.

3. Boil it in the back of your car
Wine can deteriorate quickly when exposed to high temperature. The interior of a car can quickly rise to 140F in the summer- effectively "boiling your wine" making it undrinkable. If you are out wine tasting on a hot summer day it makes sense to bring a styrofoam cooler with some ice packs.

2. Age it for too long
Something like 95% of bottles of wine are consumed within the first 7 days after they are purchased and an even higher percentage of wines are already ready to drink once purchased and at their peak. Fine wines, on the other hand, can usually benefit from some additional aging, but how long is too long?
Wines aging ability depends on a number of factors including the tanin content. Tannins are that puckery feeling that you get  in your mouth when you bite into an apple. Wines that can be aged for extended periods contain a lot of tanins that smooth out the wine over time. Wikipedia has some great notes on wine aging here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aging_of_wine. If you are really serious about wine and you plan on laying down a bottle to age it, check with the winery to see when they think it will be at it's prime. Sometimes it's even printed on the label.

1. Pop open an expensive bottle after everyone is already "corked"
What better way to ruin a good wine than uncorking the best bottle after everyone is already two sheets to the wind. Most people's pallettes adapt to wine in excess and after a few too many glasses even the worst bottle starts to taste good. If you are planning to open that 1995 vintage Chianti during a dinner party, make sure everyone is in the condition to enjoy it.

20 Uniquely Canadian Foods

As most of you know, I'm Canadian and have lived in the US for the last 3 years. Most countries have a dish, meal or food that help defines them- The US has the hamburger, Japan- Sushi, but most American's don't think of Canada having uniquely "Canadian" food. Well, Check out 20 Uniquely Canadian foods here: CANOE -- Lifewise: Canadian Food 

I personally could go for a Timmies double-double coffee right now ;) I miss that!

Thomas Coyne Winery- Livermore, CA

I've never been a great writer. I was always the type of person to procrastinate when it came to writing assignments in High School and College. I don't know what it is- some people are born to write while others need extra time to put their thoughts together- whether it's in a verbal conversation or on paper. Anyways, this writing struggle is either going to make or break this blog. Hopefully I'm patient enough and people find enough of value here to spur me on and keep me contributing to the blog. We will soon find out.

Now back to the reason I'm writing today's blog- Thomas Coyne Winery in Livermore Valley, California. For those who have never been out to the west coast to do wine tasting, Livermore may be a bit more of an unknown destination for fine wines to you. But history will tell us that Livermore has played an important role in the wine industry here. It is one of the oldest wine growing regions in the US dating back to the 19th century. I read somewhere that Italian settlers grew the first planting of Primativo in Livermore. Primativo is a close cousin to the Zinfandel grape which is the number one grape varietal in California. Livermore is famous for many other vine varietals and has a long growing season conducive to big reds like Cabs and Petite Syrah to white varietals, and some deserts wines. What I love about Livermore vs other areas in Caifornia is how relaxed the atmosphere is. Located 20 Miles North East of San Jose and about 30 Miles east of San Francisco, it doesn't have that stuffy pretentious atmosphere that Napa and Sonoma have. Many of the wineries here are smaller scale, family run and aren't owned by the big conglomerates. Also, the wine here on a value scale is incredible. This includes Thomas Coyne Wines.

The weather driving up was crappy, we've been living through 3 days of constant rain, so much so that I will likely need to drain my pool as the water level is above my skimmer :) and temps in the upper 40's to 50's. I'm new to California, so they say this is as bad as it gets. The winery itself is located just off of Hwy 84 on the right side of Vallecitos Rd just past Fenestra winery (will review that one next time). First thing you'll note when you turn in and drive up the gravel road (today a muddy gravel road) is that the owner has a sense of humor. The road is dotted with signs warning you this isn't a freeway and his version of the bed and breakfast (below)

After about a 1/4 Mile you come to the winery production area and the tasting room. The tasting room is an old farmhouse.

So how was the wine?

Today was the wineries Winter open house so EVERYTHING was available for tasting! The last time I visited Thomas Coyne (Last weekend) they were tasting their Rhone style blends so today I tried a few of the others.

2009 Zinfandel, Lodi - $12.00.  (Released - August 2010) (Very Limited)
Winemakers tasting notes:
This Zinfandel comes from a vineyard planted in the early 1970’s. It produces a very fruit forward strawberry, reaspberry character. The wine was blended with small amounts of Early Burgundy and Petite Sirah to enhance the color and was aged in French Oak for ten months
My notes:
A big, but young Zin. This is very fruit forward and not yet integrated. Can definitely taste the strawberry. Needs time.

2006 Chateau Bellevue Syrah Estate Reserve - $28.00 Gold Medal - Orange County Fair
Winemakers tasting notes:
This Syrah was grown on Detjens Farms and after crush and barrel aded in new American and Hungarian oak barrels. The wine denotes beautiful flavors of berry and vanilla. Limited Production.
My notes: Yummo. You'll quickly realized Syrah (Shiraz) is my favorite varietal. This is a big chewy wine that will be a killer in a couple of years

2009? Vino Tinto Barato $6.50 - 50 Cases Total
Winemakers tasting notes:
None. The blend is a secret, and was part of their "Bottle your own promotion". I bought 6 bottles. How couldn't you!
My notes: A great blend of European varietals (my guess). They are definitely using some Portuguese varietals in there. This inky red would be a great everyday drinker (The price is certainly right!). Good with pasta with marinara sauce

2003 Syrah, Livermore Valley Detjens Farms - $14.00 Bronze Medal - El Dorado Fair
Winemakers tasting notes:
This Syrah, grown on Detjens Farms, was crushed, pressed and barrel-aged for eighteen months in French and American oak, producing a wine with big blackberry, earthy features.
My notes: Stay tuned. I will post a review on this wine separately. Note: this was on clearance for $84/case- YES THAT'S $7 per bottle. Huge value, very limited supply. I bought 2 cases.

Winery Rating: 4 Stars- Will go back
Tasting Fees: None (Free)

Winery Details:
Thomas Coyne Winery
51 East Vallecitos Rd, Livermore, CA 94550
925 373-6541
Tasting room open Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5PM
http://www.thomascoynewinery.com/ 

My first day, and what to expect in the days and weeks to come

Hi everyone. Welcome to my introductory post to "For the love of wine (and food)" blog. Actually this is my very first blog I've ever started so I'm not sure that I'm fully committed to keeping this going- we'll just have to wait and see.

I love wine and food, and maybe 'cause you are reading this, you do too.

My plan is to talk about how wine and food fits into my life, share stories, reviews, adventures in all things wine and food and maybe make a few friends along the way.

I think I drink too much wine, but some might say, you can never drink too much of it :)

Later today I will be visiting Thomas Coyne winery in Livermore, Ca and maybe a few others...come back soon for a summary of what I experienced

So we'll end this inaugural post by saying thank you and see you back here soon