Raise a Glass:Wine Picks for February 24February 24, 2009
For Christians all over the world, today is Shrove Tuesday. It is the last day to party before the fasting season of Lent. For some, tonight’s meal will be pancakes, but not at our house. Ever since we took a cooking class in New Orleans more than twenty years ago, our meal of choice is Jambalaya, made with Andouille, Tasso, smoked ham, and Chaurice, a hot sausage which we remove from the casings.
We chop a bell pepper, an onion, two or three stalks of celery, several cloves of garlic, and open a large can of tomatoes. After sautéing the hot sausage and Tasso, we add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. When those are tender we include a bay leaf and ½ tsp of thyme. Next we stir in two cups of rice, add the tomatoes, three cups of chicken stock, garlic, Andouille and ham. Simmer this just until the rice is cooked. When we’re ready to serve, we garnish with chopped green onions and parsley. A crusty loaf of bread and a green salad complete the meal. We want a good red wine with this dish, and we chose one that fits both the economic climate without sacrificing on quality. Our Trusty Wine Merchant recommended a 2007 Viña Borgia Campo de Borja. This is one of the Jorge Ordonez selections, who, according to Robert Parker, “spends an enormous amount of time ferreting out the finest wines of Spain, and most sensational bargains…”
This is a medium bodied wine with a nice balance of cherry, blackberry, and spicy pepper. It is a perfect complement for the Jambalaya. At about $13 locally, it is a very good deal. And whether or not you observe Lent, this is a really good house red that also would make a super Sangria. Hummmmm….maybe we’ll invite our children over to share dinner tonight. We do have an extra bottle.
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Raise a Glass: Wine Picks for February 24
Feb 24th, 2009 by hotinlittlerock