Thanksgiving Chardonnays

Thanksgiving time floods the papers and television waves with novel ideas to cook turkey, and new wine pairings for the annual bird. Call me a stick in the mud, but my favorite with this American feast is a toasty buttery California Chardonnay. And one of my favorite things to do with the Chardonnay (other than drink it) is to make gravy with it.

Chardonnay, originating in the Burgundy region of France, is grown in more places all over the world than any other grape. In fact it is the second most planted white grape in the world (falling to Arien, which is planted almost exclusively in Spain). For developing countries this easy to grow and vigorous grape is often their first and easiest foray into the international market.

It is a very neutral grape, picking up much of its character from the land or terroir on which it was grown and the methods used to vinify and age the wine. A crisp and elegant Chablis from the flinty hills outside Burgundy and aged in steel, is a far cry from the fruity oak bombs of California. France’s buttery Meursaults from Burgundy cant be compared to the tropical fruit filled Chardonnays of the new world. And it is a key component of sparkling wines and champagnes.

When making Chardonnays, there are two preeminent decisions a winemaker takes. The first is whether to use malolactic fermentation, which breaks down the harsher malic acid into lactic acid, which gives a buttery and smooth flavor. If malolactic fermentation is not used, the wine offers more of a green apple palate. The second decision is to use oak – or not. Without, the wines are crisper. With, depending on how much the oak is charred first, flavors of smoke, cream, spice, vanilla all appear. Since my thanksgiving table is redolent with butter, roasted skin on the turkey, creamed onions, warm spice in my squash and vanilla in dessert, I prefer the wines that are made using malolactic fermentation, with a good dose of toasty oak. California Chardonnays fit the bill.

In California, premium chardonnays come from areas blanketed in coastal fog, such as the Carneros, and Russian River Valley, which slows the ripening of the grapes allowing their flavors to develop. Truchard vineyards, in the Carneros, makes a fantastic and well structured Chardonnay that I’m happy to have on my holiday table. Grapes are harvested cold then whole cluster pressed. The wine is barrel fermented in French oak, and aged on the lees for 10 months. These techniques produce a complex, full-bodied wine with a delicate structure. I enjoyed the elegant 2004 vintage, which offered layers of hazelnut, pear, apple and spice. I checked the reviews, and each and every vintage has performed very well, so don’t fear the year!

California chardonnays can be found in all price ranges. The Truchard is available locally for about $27/bottle.

One hallmark here at Sunset Hill House for our annual Thanksgiving feast is Chef Peterson’s chardonnay pan gravy. Simply deglaze the turkey pan with a cup of the chardonnay you will be offering at dinner (layering those flavors is both unexpected and sublime), then continue on with your favorite recipe, reducing the stock or water accordingly. Don’t be concerned about wine in the baby’s food - the alcohol will evaporate during cooking.

I’ll drink to your happy Thanksgiving, filled with all the treats of this American tradition.

I'll Drink To That!

Move Over Dear - A Great Surprise

Boy, did I get a surprise a few weeks ago. My husband and I were dining at one of our favorite summertime places (Lago, Meredith), and we asked what reds they had by the glass. The server quickly recommend the Cline Old Vines…”What is it – a Zinfandel?” we asked. She said yes, and we happily ordered it.

She brought to table a deep, inky wine. One whiff of forest loam, dust, alcohol, red fruit and pepper told us it was the strangest zinfandel we’d ever experienced, and a taste confirmed that whatever it was, Zin it was not. Its flavor followed suit: earthy, a little musty, powerful, tannic, with soft red berries and warm spices. Frankly this mystery wine was very very good. So, the obvious action was to ask to see the bottle – and all became clear. We were enjoying a Mourvedre (moo-ved-ruh…remember “move over, dear”), one of the emerging varietals, and one we had not previously had a chance to taste on its own.

The vine was nearly pushed to extinction by the Phylloxera epidemic, and most of today’s vines were planted after WWII. Mourvedre is typically grown in coastal areas. In France’s Southern Rhone it is often blended with Grenache to soften it and add structure, and it is a major component of Chateauneuf Du Pape and Bandol. Mixed with Syrah and Grenache - especially in Australia – it makes the great big GSM’s that we love. In Spain, where it originated, it is the principal black grape on the southeastern coast. In California, though, a quick bit of internet research discovered that there may be as few as 500 acres under cultivation with this late ripening grape.

Typically Mourvedre can be very alcoholic, tannic, and gamey, with warm spices and blackberry and violet. If processed in oak, it can become tarry and smoky.

The Cline Ancient Vines which we tried from California’s Contra Costa which is in the central coast/bay area, is firm, intense, and offers herbal flavors along with pepper, berry, plum and cassis. It finishes with a dusty, earthy berry flavors. We enjoyed this with a grilled strip steak, but it would be fantastic as well with lamb or pork tenderloin.

As good a surprise as the wine itself was its price: Available in the state for under $20.00 a bottle. I’ll drink to this: A fine new find!

Lon and Nancy Henderson are the innkeepers at Sunset Hill House in Sugar Hill where they manage a 170-lable wine list that has been a Wine Spectator award of excellence winner for the past 3 years. Their acclaimed Restaurant at Sunset Hill is open to the public for fine dining and private events for up to 200 guests.

Sunset Hill House and NHLRA assist fire victims

NHLRA and Sunset Hill House Assist Inn at Danbury after Fire

The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association (NHLRA) is pleased to have donated $1000 from its NHLRA Catastrophic Fund to the Graf family, who lost their home and incurred damage to their Inn as a result of a fire on Friday, August 15^th. The Catastrophic Fund was created through the generosity of NHLRA members to help those in the industry when hardships or disasters have occurred.

Robert & Alexandria Graf have been residents and owners of the Inn at Danbury for the past six years. The Grafs and their four children lived in the 150-year-old barn that was attached to the Inn.

The NHLRA has also been actively seeking donations from local businesses and the community. If you would like to make a donation, please do so at one of the following locations;

The NHLRA (New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association)

14 Dixon Avenue, Suite 208 Concord, NH 03301

(603) 228-9585

Sunset Hill House

231 Sunset Hill Road, Sugar Hill, NH 03586

(603)823-5522

You may also mail donations to either of these locations. Donations will also be accepted on September 4th, at the NHLRA End of Summer Member Mixer, at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort and Spa in North Conway. For more information or to RSVP for te mixer, please contact the NHLRA.

In order to get things up and running and to send the four Graf children (three girls ages 12, 16 and 20 and one 15-year-old boy) back to school with everything they need, NHLRA is asking you to please try to send donations by August 26.

What is needed:

The Grafs need all the things required to set up a household. The children need school supplies, athletic gear and clothing.

Gift certificates are also a great way to allow the family to purchase the daily items they need.

In order to help the Grafs get back on their feet in time for their annual Oktoberfest, donations of paper products, tents, warmers for food and other items necessary for an outdoor food festival are appreciated.

SUNSET HILL HOUSE RECOGNIZED FOR FALL FOLIAGE VIEWS

Sugar Hill, NH– Sunset Hill House was selected by BedandBreakfast.com editors as one of the best undiscovered inns for fall foliage trips.

“Sunset Hill House has always been one of our favorite fall foliage destinations,” stated Sandy Soule, Editor of BedandBreakfast.com and one of the most highly recognized authors in the B&B industry. “It is an amazing, scenic fall foliage choice,” Soule stated.

“We are delighted to have been chosen and proud to be in such good company in this list of great places for fall foliage viewing,” stated Lon Henderson, World’s Happiest Innkeeper at Sunset Hill House. “It is gratifying to be recognized among the top inns in the United States for exceptional views and autumn appeal. We believe that our location, our romantic amenities, and our attention to guest satisfaction contributed to our being selected by BedandBreakfast.com’s editors. Besides, there is no doubt that we have the best mountain views in the universe!” explained Henderson.

Sunset Hill House is a full service inn atop the Franconia Ridge, overlooking 40 named peaks in a nearly 360-degree view. Its 30 guest rooms look directly onto NH’s rugged White Mountains, including Franconia Notch and Mt Washington, or across the golf course to Vermont’s fabled rolling Green Mountains. On site there are two restaurants, including the Chaine des Rotisseurs accredited Restaurant at Sunset Hill, which also boasts a series of Wine Spectator awards, and a casual tavern.

Call 603 823 5522 or visit www.sunsethillhouse.com for reservations or more information on Sunset Hill House for your upcoming getaway.

BedandBreakfast.com is the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network, listing nearly 7,000 B&Bs and inns throughout the United States and internationally. A variety of search functions and extensive maps enable inngoers to find the perfect B&B. Travelers can make reservations online, purchase gift cards welcomed at nearly 4,000 U.S. and Canadian bed & breakfast inns, subscribe to free newsletters, read and write independent reviews, and post questions on expert-hosted message boards.

I'll Drink To That!

Ever since the movie Sideways came out in 2004, Pinot Noir has been a hot commodity in America. Indeed, that year our sales of this wonderful varietal doubled – and the price wasn’t far behind. While researching this I found a study which showed that between 2004 and 2007, in California prices per ton for pinot noir increased by about 30%, while the price for merlot decreased proportionately. Demand has remained strong, and because of the challenges of growing this fickle vine supply remains relatively low, so prices are higher than other varietals. But, ohhh – its worth it!

The pinot noir grape we’ve all heard is the most difficult to grow. Pinot Noir likes warm days and cool nights, and is susceptible to almost every bad thing that can happen to a grape: Its yield is inconsistent, and it is sensitive not only to a plethora of rots and mildews (thin skinned takes on a whole new meaning here), but to such simple things as too much sun, or pruning, or soil types.

Pinot noir (black pine, loosely translated, referring to its skin color and the tight clusters of berries resembling pinecones) dates to the 1^st century from the Burgundy regions of France. It is the progenitor of pinot blanc and pinot gris (two more of my favorites). In spite of its difficulty, fantastic examples of Pinot Noir come from around the world, and especially France, New Zealand, Germany (famous since Shakespeare’s time but hard to find here as little is exported) and the US.

Because it is so sensitive, it is easy to see why the old world and the new world pinots are different beasts entirely. New World (including US) pinots are generally higher in alcohol, lower in acid, and fill the mouth and nose with lush dark fruits. Old world vintages however are generally lower in alcohol, with more tannins and higher acid making them juicier and more full bodied. Their bouquet and flavors are more earthy, and their fruit more the tart berries like cranberry and raspberry.

My “new world” US favorites generally come from the cooler climate of Oregon’s Willamette valley. Of those, I’ve always favored the Lemelson Thea’s Selection, and have been happy to offer it to our guests whenever we could get it in stock (low supply, high demand does affect innkeepers and inn-goers in NH). The new 2005 was bottled just last month (fewer than 5000 cases produced), and became available only a few weeks ago. We placed our order early, and were lucky enough to get a few cases.

This pinot is very aromatic, very soft and very fruit forward. Put into English, it smells great, fills the mouth with incredible black cherry and blueberry, and its low acid and aging in oak barrels makes it gentle on the palate. Though lower in alcohol than many US pinots (13.5%) it is still full bodied, has a great tannin/acid balance, and a finish that lingers a long while and is filled with cloves, cherry, and the earthiness of the old world.

Pinot is the ultimate food wine, and I’ll pair this happily with everything from creamy pasta to fish, poultry, pork…Since more of a good thing is usually better, try this with roast Cornish Game Hens offered with a black cherry and pinot noir based sauce and a bit of wild rice for earthiness. You’ll have a simple and very elegant meal, which will echo the flavors of this wine.

When I ordered this wine for the inn, the NH State Liquor Store in Littleton was kind enough to bring in a few (two or three) extra bottles for the general public. It is available at least for the moment at about $35/btl, which for a good Pinot is not a bad price point.

Though tricky to make, a good pinot noir is the ultimate food wine and a great pinot noir, according to Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon is “sex in a glass”. I’ll drink to that!

Fireflies

I learned yesterday that there are no lightning bugs in Australia. This from a guest from down under who had always wanted to see one. So my children obliged, and we found two kids and one Aussie lady running through the field behind the inn last night at 10pm catching the critters.

Everyone should have a firefly night light once in their lives!

They'll be around for another week or so, I think. Come see our natural fireworks!

Nancy

I'll Drink To That!

There has been a lot of hoopla in the past year about South African Wines – the newest region in the pantheon of “new world” vineyards. We tried a Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch region last fall, and fell in love.

Originally from the Loire region of North West France (think Chateau country) where it was called Pineau de la Loire, Chenin Blanc has been grown world wide for centuries. Because it likes a warm climate, it is widely planted in Australia and New Zealand as well as in South America under the name of Pinot Blanco (not to be confused with Pinot Blanc, a different beast entirely, of which we will write later). Indeed, Chenin Blanc was the best selling wine varietal in the US in the 1970s, and today is the third most popular California planting. In South Africa Chenin Blanc, known as Steen, has been grown for more than 350 years and currently is the most widely planted varietal, accounting for about 1/3 of the vines grown.

Unfortunately, because it is grown so widely, Chenin Blanc can be less-than-memorable. Think jug wine on a bad day. But well done, and this wine is fragrant and characterized by honey and honeysuckle, apple, quince, pear, cantaloupe and honeydew. Its natural high acidity keeps it from being cloying.

Versatility is the cornerstone of this grape - It can be vinified to range from dry (the famous wines of Saumur) to off dry (Vouvray comes to mind), to unctuous botryticized dessert wines. Chenin Blanc forms the base of sparkling wines and Brandy as well. Often it is seen as a neutral palate which can be used to highlight a region’s “terroir” or land - soil, irrigation, and vinification.

The Mulderbosch Steen op Hout 2006 from Stellenbosch South Africa is certainly one of our favorite white wines, and has become a mainstay of the award-winning Sunset Hill House winelist. It is medium bodied, just off dry, with pronounced pear flavors. The acid inherent in this wine keeps it lively and clean, and gives it excellent balance. Lightly oaked, it is smooth and lingers on the palate. No wonder it has garnered so much international acclaim, among which is its inclusion in the coveted “Wine Spectator top 100 wines” in 2007. Even better, it has a price of about $15.00/btl and is available through the NH State Liquor Stores by special order. Go ahead and order a case – it won’t last long once you taste it!

Chenin Blanc makes for easy pairing with many foods, especially those with a bit of spice, as well as fish and light poultry. We enjoyed it this week with Monkfish Dijonnaise – the creamy sweet white fish parallels the wines smooth sweetness, while the racy mustard sauce (with a good bit of the wine added) is tamed by it. This same sauce and wine can be paired beautifully with any mild fish, or sauté some chicken for a quick, elegant dinner. I’ll drink (happily) to that!

Sauce Dijonnaise

In a saucepan over low heat melt 2T butter. Add 1 shallot, minced and cook until translucent, then stir in ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1T dried mustard powder, 1T grainy mustard and 2T flour, cooking until the flour is no longer raw – about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup milk (cream if you wish to be decadent), and bring to a simmer. Then add ¼ C Chenin Blanc, simmer briefly and serve alongside your favorite mild fish or chicken.