Wineshark Cooking Class - 9. Saltimbocca di Vitello

Ingredients:

• Prosciutto - 2 oz
• Veal steak - 1 lb 8 oz
• Grated Mozzarella - 2 oz
• Fresh sage leaves - 8 pcs
• Butter - 2 oz
• Dry white wine - 5 oz
• Extra virgin olive oil - 1 oz
• Chopped fresh sage - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Cut the veal into thin slices and marinate.

2. Put a piece of Prosciutto on top, then add the mozzarella and sage.

3. Fold and attach with toothpick.

4. Panfry with butter on both sides till light brown.

5. Use the same pan and add white wine, extra virgin olive oil and chopped sage leaves to cook for a short while, then pour on top of the veal.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 8. Risotto

Ingredients:

• Butter - 1.5 oz
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Onion finely - 9 oz
• Arborio rice - 14 oz
• Water - 8 oz
• Stock - 17 oz
• Parmesan cheese - 2 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Heat the olive oil and then sautee the onion till soften and fragrant.

2. Add the arborio rice, water and stock, stirring the rice all the time to avoid sticking to the pot.

3. Gradually add all the stock.

4. Add the parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 7. Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes - 1 lb
• Cucumber peeled - 1/2
• Green pepper - 1
• Red pepper - 1
• Small onion - 2 oz
• Garlic - 1/2 tsp
• Soft bread crumbs - 1.5 oz
• Olive oil - 6 tsp
• Red wine vinegar - 6 tsp
• Tomato juice - 1 lb
• Dried marjoram - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Cold water - 6 oz

Procedures:

1. Prepare the vegetables by peeling and removing seeds, then cut into small pieces.

2. Blend together with tomato juice.

3. Add a bit of water and put into fridge.

4. Before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

Furmint

Furmint is originated in the Tokaj region in north-eastern Hungary, home of the famous sweet Aszu wines. There are both green and yellow versions exist in Austria, with the yellow more highly prized. In Burgenland it is called Zapfner, and in further south it is called Mosler.

Its advantages are its complexity of flavors, finesse, longevity and high acidity. Young Furmint has flavors of steely smoke, lime peel and pears. Sweeter wines, affected by botrytis, taste of apricots and marzipan, barley sugar and blood orange, becoming nutty, smoky and spicy when aged, with chocolate, tobacco and sometimes cinnamon.

In Disznoko estate the dry Furmint is picked after the botrytized grapes, opposite to what one would normally expect, as the acidity would be too high and flavors lacking if picked early. The other problem is that most companies are focusing on the botrytized grapes and only slowly becoming interested in the dry version.

It is early budding and late ripening, with loose bunches of medium-sized, thick-skinned berries, susceptible to botrytis but good drought tolerance. Good producers include Wenzel (Austria), Chateau Pajzos, Disznoko, Oremus, and Royal Tokaji Wine Co in Hungary.

I have recently tasted the following varietal dry wine and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it is of medium intensity gold color, with legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity of mineral notes of wet wool and beewax, dairy notes of cream, maturity notes of honey, green fruit of custard apple, tropical fruit of guava, kernel notes of walnut, and oak notes of smoke. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry, with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (+) alcohol and medium (+) body, showing medium (+) intensity flavors of green fruit such as grapefruit and custard apple, maturity note of beewax and wet wool, kernel notes of walnut, oak notes of vanilla, dairy notes of cream. The wine has a long finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Hungary dry Furmint, with an intense nose showing complex characters, the wine has an equally impressive palate with good concentration, and a long finish. Despite the high alcohol level, the wine did not show a particularly warming sensation. An impressive wine, particularly in view of its inexpensive price, it is ready to drink now and not intend for further ageing, but can keep for another 2-3 years.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 6. Potato Pancake

Ingredients:

• Potatoes shredded - 1 lb
• Plain flour - 1 tbsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili pepper finely - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Spring onion - 2 tbsp

Procedures:

Peel the potatoes and shred, put under water before use to avoid it turns dark.

Remove all water of the potatoes, then add flour, red chili and seasonings.

Use butter and panfry the potatoes, press to gel the potatoes together.

Sprinkle the spring onion on both sides, and continue to panfry until golden brown on a medium fire.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 5. Roast Pork Loin Stuffed with Prunes

Ingredients:

• Pork chop - 4 lb
• Prunes - 8 pcs
• Carrot shredded - 3 oz
• Celery shredded - 3 oz
• Onion shredded - 3 oz
• Bay leaf - 4 pcs
• Black pepper finely - 1 tsp
• Thyme - 1 tsp
• Tarragon - 1 tsp
• Salt - 2 tsp
• Cooking oil - 2 oz

Procedures:

Use a metal rod to poke through the pork chop, or to cut in the middle, and stuff the prunes inside.

Mix well the vegetables with oil and seasonings. Squeeze to get the juices.

Marinate the pork chop, preferably overnight.

Put the pork chop in oven. When it is done, remove the vegetables and use them to prepare the sauce by adding water.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 4. Zuppa di Pasta e Lenticchie

Ingredients:

• Bulb garlic - 2 oz
• Olive oil - 2 oz
• Carrot - 8 oz
• Celery - 2 oz
• Onion - 8 oz
• Bacon - 4 stripes
• Red lentils - 5 oz
• Stock - 1 lb
• Water - 2 lb 2 oz
• Small macaroni - 4 oz
• Whipping cream - 2 oz
• Salt - 1.5 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

Put the whole bulb of garlic in oven for about 40 min, once it has cooled down, cut in halves and squeeze out the meat.

Sautee the vegetables with olive oil, then add bacon, until all has softened.

Add the garlic, red lentils, stock and water to cook for about 20 min.

Use blender to mesh the ingredients and then add the macaroni to cook. Finally add whipping cream and seasonings.

Wineshark cooking class - 3. Fillet of Lamb Lucullus

Ingredients:

• Fillet of lamb - 1 lb 4 oz
• Marjoram - 2 tsp
• Tomato puree - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 1 tsp
• Sliced mushroom - 4 buttons
• Skinned Quartered Tomatoes - 4
• Foil - 4 sheets

Procedures:

Put the fillet on the foil, season with salt and black pepper, then add marjoram and tomato puree.








Put the mushroom and tomatoes on the sides, then wrap the foil tightly.








Put in pre-heated oven, set at 250 degree Celsius, for about 10 minutes. Then cut the foil and put back in oven to cook for another 5 minutes to brown the lamb.

Wineshark cooking class - 2. Crisp Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Diced potatoes - 1 lb
• Onion - 8 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 1/4 tsp

Procedures:





First peel the potatoes and cut into cubes, putting under water before use to avoid it darkens.







Blanch the potatoes, then dry it before deep fry it under hot cooking oil.









Sautee the onion and then add the potatoes, season with salt and black pepper finely.

Wineshark cooking class - 1. Pesto Genovese

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil - 1/2 oz
• Leek - 1.5 oz
• Onion - 1.5 oz
• Carrot - 1 oz
• Potatoes - 1.5 oz
• Celery - 1 oz
• Cabbage - 1 oz
• Stock - 2 lb 8 oz
• Tomato diced - 1.5 oz
• Chifferi - 1.5 oz
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Olive oil - 1.5 oz
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Marjoram - 1/4 tsp
• Basil - 1/4 tsp

Procedures:

First we prepare the stock by cutting the chicken in halves, remove the skin and fat, and take away the meat for other use.

Put the chicken into hot water, add onion, carrot and celery into the stock, bay leaves and black pepper. Filter to get the clear stock.








Then we prepare the pesto by mincing the garlic and basil, then add the olive oil and marjoram to mix well.

After that we can start to prepare the soup, first cook the leek with oil, then add onion.








Add the other vegetables and sautee for a while, then add tomatoes.









Add the stock to cook till the vegetable softened, then add the chifferi.








Cook until the chifferi is ready, then season with salt and white pepper powder.








Put the pesto sauce on top of the soup, and mix well before eating.


Chateau Doisy-Vedrines

The three Doisy vineyards of Barsac were all born from a single estate, with the origin not well documented. The earliest record dated from the 18^th century, describing an estate to the south of Chateau Coutet owned by the Vedrines family. The newly wed Jean Vedrines and Marie Raymond had settled in a small village here, and established an estate complete with a chateau, beginning to plant vines.

Within the same century they expanded the domaine by acquiring a small portion of the Coutet vineyard. In the early 19^th century it was recognized as a leading estate in Barsac, along with Coutet and Climens, which at the time was co-owned by the Vedrines and Dubosq families. Without clear records, the estate was later divided into three portions, probably under the Napoleonic laws, with the two smaller portions going to the Faux family and forming Doisy-Dubroca.

The other smaller portion was purchased by Jean Jacques Emmanuel Daene, and becoming Doisy-Daene. The largest remained with the original owners, and forming the today Doisy-Vedrines. The family remained at the estate until the middle of the 19^th century, and was sold to the Boireau family in 1851, still under the family till now.

It was passed to Madame Teyssonneau, finally bequeathing it at the age of 94, to her daughters and grandson, Pierre Casteja, who ran the property from 1946. With his passing in 1973 it came to the next generation, Olivier Casteja, who continued till today, and also taking the role as president of Les Grands Crus Classes de Sauternes & Barsac in 2013.

The vineyards cover 27 hectares, with the average age over 40 years. The soils are typical in the Barsac region, with a mix of limestone, sand and clay, in red color, over a limestone bedrock peppered with fossilized starfish. It is a single block of vines, dominated by Semillon, accounting for 21 hectares out of the 27. The remaining is a mix of Sauvignon Blanc of 2 hectares, Sauvignon Gris on 2.5 hectares and Muscadelle on the remaining 1.5 hectares.

For many years the vines are propagated from their own vineyards and some neighbors, and only since 1976 did they purchase grafted vines. Harvest is manual, with a number of tries, usually four to eight times, to select the botrytised berries, using over 40 pickers. The fruit is then transported to the chai, followed by sorting and pressing using pneumatic equipment, with the juice running off for overnight debourbage before fermentation.

Cultured yeast is used to ensure fermentation is carried out in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, then they are decanted into oak barrels of which 60% are new. The fermentation will continue for three to four weeks, and once the desired level of alcohol has been attained, the process is brought to a halt by cooling down to zero degree Celsius, without the addition of sulphur.

The works are now overseen by Frederic Deyres, the technical manager, and Herve Romat, the oenologist. Elevage follows, with up to 18 months in wood, and the wines are tasted before final assemblage. The grand vin is Chateau Doisy-Vedrines with about 3000 cases per annum, and a second wine La Petite Vedrines also of similar production volume. A dry white is produced, in very small quantity, called Chevalier de Vedrines.

I have recently tasted the 2003 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it is of medium intensity gold color, with legs.

Nose

Clean, with pronounced intensity of citrus fruit such as lemon and orange marmalade, maturity notes of honey, stone fruit of apricot, dried fruit of sultana, kernel notes of walnut, oak notes of coconut, sweet spice of nutmeg. The wine is developing.

Palate

Sweet, with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (+) alcohol and full body, with medium (+) intensity of citrus fruit such as orange marmalade, tropical fruit of pineapple, stone fruit of apricot, maturity notes of honey, oak notes of coconut. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Sauternes with an amazing nose, showing both extreme intensity and good complexity, the wine is balanced, with refreshing acidity supporting the sweetness, making the wine not cloying at all. The palate is equally intense and amazing, with a fairly long finish. A typical showcase of why the Sauternes is one of the best dessert wines in the world. Ready to drink now, the wine has the potential to further age for another 8-10 years.