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Day of Thanks Just Around the CornerFood and wine lover I am, the last three columns I have provided suggestions on what to serve and what to drink for this Turkey Day.
For the soup course, I featured Traudl Huber's "Harvest Soup" recipe-a tasty, wine-friendly soup, perfect for the Thanksgiving starter course. Norman and Traudl Huber grow chardonnay, pinot noir and the German red variety, dornfelder, in their vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills east of Lompoc.
This hearty soup would match with a nice, dry rose wine like Sanford's pinot noir Vin Gris or Tablas Creek's tasty rose from their vineyard west of Paso Robles. The "Harvest Soup" would also match well with chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
I am a big fan of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir as food wines. Cabernet sauvignons can be very tannic. Chardonnays can be over-oaked. I am especially fond of sauvignon blancs from Buttonwood Farm and Santa Barbara Winery. It's my experience that these wines are great with most foods-from soups to fish to fowl-even with popcorn. And, of course, I subscribe to Brian Loring's axiom-"Everything's better with pinot." Brian is the owner-winemaker at Loring Wine Company.
For the entree course, Frank Ostini's recipes for grilled turkey steaks with raspberry pinot noir sauce, and his Wild Turkey smashed sweet potatoes recipes took center stage. Frank owns the Hitching Post II restaurant in Buellton, and along with Gray Hartley, makes Hitching Post wines.
This festive fare from Mr. Ostini is very wine-friendly. Hoping not to sound like a stuck record, it would be perfect with pinot noir. If you're more into the white wine mode, these flavors would work well with both viognier and sauvignon blanc. Viognier at its best, in my opinion, offers fragrances of stone fruit, and maybe a little honeysuckle, but particularly notes of peach and nectarine. Sauvignon blanc, on the other hand, can exhibit hints of herbs, maybe even hay and grass in the nose, or fruit aromas of fresh figs.
For something different, last week I offered two persimmon dessert recipes from the Ontiveros Family. Ninth generation family member, James Ontiveros works for Bien Nacido Vineyards east of Santa Maria, and he owns his own small vineyard called
Rancho Ontiveros.For me, these desserts call out for something sumptuous and wonderful like Santa Barbara Winery's Zinfandel Essence.
Another appropriate and wonderful dessert wine would be Presidio's 1985 Port. I tasted it in their tasting room in Solvang. It tasted very Portuguese, and not California at all. (Traditional California port-style wines have been produced from zinfandel and cabernet
sauvignon.) Presidio tasting room manager, Leigh Readey, told me the wine was made from Portuguese grape varieties Touriga Nacional and Tinta Cao grown in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County.Port wines (from Portugal) and port-style wines have been fortified with brandy.
This 1985 vintage Presidio Port was picked late in the season to develop the concentrated flavors and aromas. Barrel-aged for 18 years, this port shows a red rim, molasses and berry aromas, with a silky, smooth oak finish. Only 36 cases were produced. The suggested price is $25.
Presidio's tasting room is located at 1603 Copenhagen Drive #1, corner of Mission and Atterdag, Solvang. Open daily from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. (805) 693-8585.
Bob Senn's Flaming Spinach Salad
Ever get a hankerin' for fresh greens?
A festive treat, this recipe serves four to six people and is an adaptation of a recipe given to me from the old Chanticleer restaurant
in Montecito. I have been fixing this for over 20 years. I still have the cocktail napkin I wrote the recipe down on.1 bunch spinach
6 slices bacon
2 large shallots
6 good-sized button mushrooms
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
ground black pepper to taste
half cup high quality red wine vinegar
flambee with four ounces of vodkaCut up the bacon and crisp over a low fire. While the bacon is cooking, add the sliced shallots and sliced mushrooms. Add the Dijon mustard and the vinegar.
Pour the hot dressing over the spinach leaves. Just before serving, heat the vodka in a separate pan. As the vapors develop, ignite, pour over the hot dressing and mix thoroughly.
It's often said, people who like to eat and drink like to cook .I suspect I'm no exception.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bob Senn
Wine and food lover and Santa Maria Times Wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
