Blogs

June 2012

Aret Kapetanovic

Our screens are often filled with adverts for the mass-produced wines of California or Australia kindly sponsoring our favourite sitcom, but while their wines are generally palatable and cheap, I can’t help but find them a little soulless.

Thanks to the cooking show craze that has taken over our screens, the U.K has never before been so culinary obsessed, or so wine and food savvy. Saturday morning kitchen and similar programmes are apparently responsible for a mad weekly rush to consume whichever wine has been recommended by their respective suave wine specialists and as a result, tastes are evolving. But there’s not just the wine to go with the food, but also the wine to go in the food to consider!

The best advice I have been given in regards to cooking with wine, is never to cook with a wine that you wouldn’t like to drink (there goes the free bottle from the local takeaway!). As W. C. Fields put it, “I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food!” Some companies have even taken to manufacturing ranges of culinary wines and spirits, with lower alcohol content and enhanced flavour, to create unique and distinctive tastes when added to dishes. The alcohol itself doesn’t add flavor, but aids in the release of flavour molecules in foods, assisting in the dissolving of fats and allowing ingredients to reveal unique characteristics in ways that water or broth cannot. When adding wine to a sauce I’m always careful to allow most of the alcohol to cook off; otherwise I’m left with a harsh, slightly boozy taste. When I get it right (every so often!) and let the alcohol burn away, the flavours become more concentrated and delicious. I will never make another Sunday roast gravy without wine again!

Many factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing which wine to add to what dish, such as tannins, acidity, flavor and aroma. For example, tannins, which come from the grapes, skin, stems, and seeds, vary in their strength, with thick-skinned grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon producing more tannic wines than thinner–skinned varietals such as Pinot Noir. Tannins in the wine will in turn affect your eating experience. Tannins are experienced in the mouth as a drying sensation, and a young red wine with lots of tannins, will come across as rather astringent. However, if you pair this quality in Cabernet Sauvignon with Beef dishes it can have marvelous results! This is because the tannins in the wine are attracted to the proteins in the meat rather than the proteins in your saliva, which creates a softer, less astringent affect in the mouth. If you want to make a sauce for a vegetarian dish, I would recommend a less tannic red wine such as a Pinot Noir, or a white wine.

When it comes to acidity, it’s best to match an acidic food with a wine with enough acid to stand up to it, for example matching tomato-based pasta dishes with a Chianti Classico, rather than a soft Merlot, which simply can’t compete!

March 2012

Aret Kapetanovic

I’ve just returned from a wonderful, if somewhat chaotic trip to Croatia and although I’m exhausted, my passion for the people, land, sea, food and of course wine, has been well and truly renewed!

My husband and I were there for a family wedding, which took place in the beautiful town of Opatija in western Croatia on the Adriatic coast. With its stunning Austro-Hungarian architecture, winding ‘lungomare’ seaside promenade and blue waters, it’s a place that once visited, you must return to again and again. Our trip was made all the more exciting by the thirty-odd young Belgians there to cheer on the groom, who could not have enjoyed their first visit to Croatia more, and boy did we know it!

The wine at the reception was highly enjoyable and suitably easy to drink. With the weather so bright and summery, I chose to drink the Zlahtina. The perfect accompaniment to Croatia’s gorgeous sheep’s milk cheeses, fish and white meat dishes, this local white wine is grown mainly in a narrow area of the nearby Island of Krk. Zlahtina is always gentle and medium bodied and I like to describe it as a beginners wine, a wine to ease the unsure into Croatian vino territory. The variety gives high yields of large grapes, yet good quality juice that produces wines of alcohol content ranging from 11% to 12%. With soft aromas of apple and ripe citrus and occasional floral notes, this is an immediate wine, a drink now variety that in my opinion, does not age well due to its gentle nature. It’s not yet available in the UK, but I believe it’s just a matter of time.

As the evening wore on the food was plentiful (7 or 8 courses!), the music was loud, but the Belgians were louder! Belgian chants of ‘Where is the party, here is the party’, dominated the evening. Prior to the raucous toasts, I was overjoyed to be served a fantastic Croatian version of my favourite tipple… bubbly! Croatia is not often associated with sparkling wine but  Persuric Misal Sparkling wine was deliciously delicate and fresh, and so I chose to spend much of the rest of my evening (and morning) sipping Croatian bubbly on the Marina at Icici, while the party carried on inside.

Alas, the trip was over and I had to leave the sun, sea (and sparkling) and return to England to work. My husband stayed out there to explore the nearby Istrian wine country (alright for some!) with the perfect guide, his mother who is herself  Istrian. While I can’t help but bemoan the fact that I couldn’t stay longer myself, my lovely husband did return bearing gifts! Right now I’m looking at seven different bottles of wine from Istria that I’ve been told are to die for. Croatia never ceases to surprise me and I can’t wait to try these new offerings. I’ll keep you posted but if you’re tempted to go there and explore Croatia and its wines for yourself, do it. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

By Aret Kapetanovic

Happy New Year! Here we are at the start of a new year, and once again it’s time to take stock, take the reigns, and try to be a an all-round better human being! Each year I find myself right back here at the precipice of self-control, but alas, the end of the year comes and all I’ve discovered is a few new vices to give up and add to my long list of New Year’s resolutions!

It’s no secret that wine is my passion, and for obvious reasons many people would rather avoid the subject of alcohol straight after the Christmas period (due to either overindulgence, or overspending!), but I like to argue that good wine, good food and good company, are never out of season. I’d like to share with you, if I may, my plans to ease myself into 2012,  treat myself to something a little special (without breaking the bank) indulge my passion for wine (without overindulging), and entice people to come out of their post-Christmas caves and join me (more on this later).

After the massive over-spend of the Christmas season,   buying treats for oneself feels terribly naughty, but actually, this is the time to get some great deals on wine and find yourself an irresistible bargain in the process. (Don’t forget to try Independent merchants for something a little unusual!).

Like many others, I tend to eat lighter meals at this time of year to compensate for stuffing myself silly over the last month, and sometimes it can be a good idea to let your wine choice dictate the style of food. For example, I’ll be giving heavy Zinfandels, Malbec, or chunky Cabernet Sauvignons a rest for a little while (at least until February), and try to stick to lighter refreshing wines to be enjoyed in moderation and paired with delicate dishes, preferably with fewer calories! For example, Gruner Veltliner in its more structured form tends to be peppery but with its characteristics of peach and apple, it’s a particularly good match for grilled fish. Spanish Albarino, is light, crisp and aromatic, and its grapefruity qualities work well with crab and prawn dishes as well as Chinese-style chicken. I doubt that there will be a complete lack of meat in my diet, but I plan to let a lovely Pinot Noir or Beaujolais select the dishes for me on the premise that if I match the body or weight of the wine to the intensity of the foods flavour, I’m less likely to choose a hefty meal to accompany it! Realistically, this good behaviour may not last long, but while it does. I’ll feel better about myself!

Now, this is the part of the New Year that I am most excited about! At the end of 2011 I started hosting tastings for a company called Grape Vine Social which, wait for it, offers a genius combination of speed dating and wine tasting. Yes I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s really incredibly fun! The idea is simple. The events are held all over London and the UK at great venues, and are centred on a wine or champagne tasting (you can also choose Beer or cocktails). The tasting is blind which makes it necessary to work in groups, and creates easy conversation and interaction, and of course the combination of wine and a room full of new faces, sets the scene for a highly enjoyable and raucous night! If you’re interested in these great nights out, or know someone who might be, check out www.grapevinesocial.com.

 To guarantee that they come out of hibernation this month, those of my friends who are single are already booked in, but keep it to yourselves, because they don’t know it yet and after all, vine not?

It’s that time of the year again, a time for love, laughter merriment and overindulgence!

This year I’ve really got my work cut out for me. My husband and I are spending Christmas at my parents house, and in addition to my five brothers and sisters and their families, there will invariably be a hundred other people popping in, passing by, or simply related, who will need to be fed and watered. This Christmas I’ve been charged with the task of bringing over a box (or two) within which I will endeavor to match and compliment every foodie variant. When you consider that the guests will be Nigerian, Hungarian, Croatian, German, Indian and English, you may begin to see my dilemma!

Christmas day! Lets start with the all-important welcome aperitif. Rather than Champagne, Cava or Prosecco, this year I’m including a rather unusual Chilean sparkling wine, called Fresita. Made with Patagonian strawberries, this vibrant pink fizz is a huge hit with the ladies in my family, and at only 8% alcohol, it’s a safer start to the festivities!

Roast glazed ham works best with wines that have a high level of acidity and a touch of sweetness. For white I’m including a Gewurztraminer (my mothers choice not mine, honest!), and for the red wine lovers, something not too heavy and which won’t drown out the flavours, a lightly chilled Australian Pinot Noir. Chilled red wine! Sacrilege I hear you say, but it’s really quite lovely.

Roast Turkey, the main event! A simple roast Turkey pairs nicely with a Chardonnay (yes really) or white Burgundy. Chardonnay adds flavour and complexity to the meat, whilst the Burgundy depending on the style, will add a leaner flavour with more minerality. I haven’t decided between the two yet, so I may have to take them both, what a shame! If red wine is desired for this dish, I will serve a lovely light Beaujolais.

I love Turkey, but it doesn’t seem to entirely satisfy all the Africans and Eastern Europeans among us, and so Beef (or sometimes Goat), is always a necessity at our family gatherings. Prime Rib is so tender and flavourful, it deserves a wine that stands up against all that flavour (and which isn’t afraid of the horseradish!). It’s tempting to start popping the corks of giant reds, however, I have decided to go down the more elegant route befitting high quality, rare meat. My choice is New World Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. Prime Rib needs its structure and tannins but the meat’s tenderness calls for its youthful energy.

Christmas isn’t Christmas, without a host of fortified wines and my choice for this year are the classics, Sherry and Port. For me these are the bottles that are the most versatile over the festive period and the lead up to New Year. When visitors pop round, and a full meal isn’t needed, fortified wines come into their own as an accompaniment to little snacks, creating an unusual cheese board, or on Christmas day, with a selection of festive cakes and puddings.

Here are a few pairing ideas. Manzanilla Sherry, the palest, finest and lightest bodied Sherry is particularly good with strongly flavoured seafood, and an excellent match for smoked salmon and other savoury nibbles, such as green olives and Serrano ham. Tawny Port is great, because it has so many possibilities. Serve it chilled as an aperitif, or as a substitute for dessert wines, especially with dried fruit and nut-based desserts, or with the cheese board. It’s particularly good with Sheeps cheese and Cheddar. Last but not least, is Vintage Port. This classic Christmas tipple is the ultimate match to Stilton, or for those with a sweet tooth, top quality chocolate.

I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year, because as the bearer of this beautiful wooden wine gift box, I really should get to try all of the above. After all, it’s only fair!

Happy Christmas!