An Untraditional
Holiday
WINE C LUB : D EC EM B ER 2 0 2 0
GRAPESBY THECRATE.COM
December 2020 Friends! It's HOLIDAY TIME! Normally, this is my favorite, favorite time of year, but this year, much like everything else, the holidays feel different. We are trying to keep our traditions going in our house, but it's just the two of us, which is anything but normal for us at the holidays. If you're like us, you're probably facing the idea of not seeing friends and family this year, not going to any holiday parties, and not busting out that ugly sweater to show off at your office. In light of all of the traditions we're going to miss out on this year, we've decided to make this a very untraditional holiday. As I was working with Chyna to pull together your wines this month, I was thinking about that move away from tradition and decided to give you a wine club that is anything but what we normally do for you in December. Sure there's still a bubbly (actually two), but the other wines don't fit the bill for "normal" holiday wines. I've paired each of the wines this month with a favorite holiday cookie and movie so you can really take them to the next level! Recipes from my kitchen, Tracey's kitchen, and my mom's kitchen are included in the back of the book. In addition to the move away from tradition in this month's wine selections, you're also seeing a physical transformation inside the shop. If you haven't stopped in since John and Sean took over, I encourage you to swing through and say hello! You'll find some changes that will make you scratch your head and go, why didn't they do this YEARS ago! For starters, John has been busy painting all of the shelving and mill work in the shop. The new colors truly make the space pop - it already seems brighter and lighter! There have also been some structural changes, which will continue over the next month. These are the real kickers, as they've really opened up the store to make it easier for us (and you!) to move around in there. In January, the shop will be closed for two weeks while new flooring goes in, the area where the cash register is gets dismantled, and new tables and chairs are added to our dining room. Because the shop will be closed at the start of the month, there will be no January wine club - it also means you won't see a charge in January. So plan accordingly and stop by the last week of December to stock up! When wine club resumes in February, you'll see the same great value with a fun new twists each month. As always, we are so grateful for your support. From our homes to yours, we wish you a very happy holiday season! Cheers, Amber
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What We're Doing for the Holidays We've had to implement some new holiday traditions this year, and I've wanted to share what we've done to keep our family close despite not being able to get together. - Everyone on our Christmas list got an Amazon Echo Show this year so we can do family drop ins. It's almost like sitting in your living room together, and it's been a lot of fun to "drop in" on our kids and mom around dinner time so we eat together an chat as if we're in the same place. - We're still making our Christmas cookies, but instead of the usual Christmas day spread, we're packing up boxes and shipping them up and down the east coast for everyone to enjoy! My new job involves a lot of shipping, so pro tip - if you're shipping things out to folks, send them by December 12 to make sure they get where they're going! - We had our grown kiddos take Christmas photos and send them to us, so this years Christmas card can still include everyone without us all jamming into the same room. Social distance win! - We're doing a Secret Santa gift exchange and sending those gifts or dropping them off at the recipient's home to open together on family Zoom Christmas day. - On Christmas day, we've all planned to do a video call for breakfast and cook our traditional ooey, gooey Tater Tot Breakfast casserole together in our own homes. - Lastly, we've gone overboard on the Christmas decorations this year because we're spending so much time at home. Nothing quite like pulling up in your driveway to a 10' inflatable snowman!
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WHITE WINES white wines
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wine club: december 2020
Can Xa Cava, Spain From the Castellet i la Gornal area of Penedès, Can Xa’s delightful Cava brings impressive quality and value to bubbly lovers. With strong coastal influences, Can Xa is well situated for farming the high-acid fruit needed for sparkling wine production. The grapes come from sustainably farmed, 20-40 year-old estate vines. Soils are clay-based, magnesium-rich and low in organic material. Blended form Xarello, Macabeo, and Parellada, this cava is ,ade in the traditional method from their estate fruit and always over delivers. The Brut spends an impressive 9 months aging in bottle before being disgorged; this occurs at a naturally maintained 57°F in the emblematic dome-shaped caves that meander thirty feet below ground. Tasting Notes In this traditional Brut, Xarel·lo offers the foundational structure for aging, Macabeo lends elegance with delicate bitter notes, and Parellada connects the elements with its refreshing, citric acidity. Exhibits a pale-gold aspect, fine bubbles, and a nose of citrus and white fruit. Christmas Cookie Pairing Sugar cookies are the way to go with this bubbly wine. I've included my mom's recipe in the back of this book - she adds orange zest and cardamom. If you want to get all fancy, I've included her royal icing recipe as well. She's quite the pro at making beautiful cookies, and I've included some photos of her handiwork in the back. Christmas Movie Pairing A Christmas Story. It's a total classic for this classic pairing. Who doesn't want to watch Ralphie not shoot his eye out while drinking bubbly to celebrate that MAJOR AWARD?!
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Closilo Sandland Colombard, S. Africa Closilo is the name given to the picturesque Silo that was built in 1948 on Mont Blois, in the De Hoop Valley of Robertson, South Africa. Derived from the French term “Clos� meaning enclosed vineyard, but here the Silo is enclosed by a red clay wall, handbuilt from fertile soils. Mont Blois is situated in the Hoopsrivier Ward. They are the only winery in the Hoopsrivier area. The Hoopsrivier is an intermittent river that only flows after heavy South-Easterly rains late autumn and spring. Day and night temperatures in the De Hoop Valley are three degrees cooler than the town center which is about six kilometers away. This is due to the proximity of the Langeberg Mountains and the overshadowing it creates. On the river banks there are mainly deep alluvial soils with a large fraction of river pebbles. On the foot slopes, where the majority of vineyards are planted the soils heavy-textured reddish-brown soils. Colombard is traditionally only seen in Southern France, but this grape sings in Hoopsrivier, South Africa. Bright and acidic like Sauvignon Blanc, the grape is manually harvested and processed in stainless steel to preserve the fresh quality. Tasting Notes Colombard Sandland opens to floral notes and mineral tension on the nose along with green apples and tropical fruit, almost like a Sauvignon Blanc sans the herbal notes of bell pepper. The medium-bodied palate is clean and energetic, with a good line of focused acidity through the mid-palate Christmas Cookie Pairing Snickerdoodles are the perfect pairing for this bright wine. The spices will nicely complement the green apple tones here. Christmas Movie Pairing White Christmas is my favorite holiday film. I usually watch it each year while I wrap gifts. Musical numbers like "Sisters" and "Snow" pair perfectly with the nervy acidity. And you can always fast forward through the "Choreography" number like I do. ;)
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white wines
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Grace Town Chardonnay, Australia Grace Town is a new label from Master Sommelier Fran Kysela of Kysela Pere et Fils in Winchester, Virginia. For selections such as this, Fran utilizes his connections in the industry to source innovative producers from all over the world to bring value driven, quality wines to the United States. While the reds produced under this label are sourced from Lodi, California, Fran made a special trip out to Australia's Margaret River valley to find a unique Chardonnay that would be a great counter to the buttery, oaky Chards generally produced in the US. The Margaret River region is known around the world for its top-quality wines and food. While the region produces less than three percent of Australia's wine, it accounts for more than a fifth of its premium wine. Coastal influences in the Margaret River area yield chardonnay with tropical fruit notes. The wine is processed in stainless steel to preserve the bright, fruit-forward tones of the grape and add some acidity to the palate. Tasting Notes The nose displays deep aromatic fruit concentration of melon and nectarine, with a touch of citrus, toasted almond and nougat. The palate is delightfully complex yet soft with excellent fruit intensity, gingerbread and spice from the French oak. Ripe white nectarine and melon characters are paired with a fresh grapefruit acidity. All these flavor components will further develop, with some cellaring, to create a palate that is textural, ripe and lingering. Christmas Cookie Pairing My all time favorite holiday cookie is the Mexican Wedding Cookie or Snowball or Polvorones or Russian Tea Cake or whatever you want to call them. The creamy vanilla and nutty pecans are a perfect pair for this Chardonnay! Christmas Movie Pairing Easy drinking means perfect for easy watching. Cue up the old school 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' cartoon or 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and indulge your inner kid.
white wines
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RED WINES red wines
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Le Bio Balthazar Minervois Minervois is a small AOC in the Languedoc region of France. Here, classic blends of Grenache and Syrah are produced and have received international acclaim. The wines are rich and complex with ample body and structure. It would be difficult to find a winemaker more passionate and enthusiastic about his products than Pierrick Harrang. From a long line of winemakers himself, Pierrick sources grapes from selected growers in the Languedoc and applies scientific techniques along with winemaking mastery to produce wines in his own individual style. We've been big fans of his Balthazar line at the shop for a long time, and the Le Bio is no exception. This wine is an absolutely gem. Enjoy this bottle though, as we bought out the remainder of the vintage and likely won't see more for several months. Tasting Notes This clean fruit driven, full-bodied Minervois has a complex and rich nose of rosemary, blackcurrant, black cherries and garrigue. Full and smooth attack, balanced and unctuous. Christmas Cookie Pairing Enjoy this with the classic Chocolate Chip cookie. If you're not feeling the Toll House recipe, I've included Tracey's in the back of this book. I can tell you from personal experience, they are top notch! Christmas Movie Pairing With a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and moose mug of Le Bio in the other, settle into your comfy chair for your annual viewing of 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.' Wanna get fancy, train your Alexa smart plug to turn all your Christmas lights on when you say 'Joy to the World' just like Clark's family sang in the film when he lit his amazing display of tacky lights.
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red wines
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Broletto Lambrusco, Italy Broletto Organic Lambrusco is produced by Cantina Puianello, located on the first hills of Reggio Emilia. The southeast and southwest exposure allows the vineyard, to receive the benefits of the sun along with the regular rains and the marine winds of the Tyrrhenian sea. The winery was established in the namesake village of Puianello in 1938. Numerous families joined forces to establish vineyards with a specific set of standards, and still today the organic grapes used by the winery are all grown for Cantina Puainello by established family member growers. Nature is at the very heart of Cantina Puianello, paired with modern technology to help ensure the quality and authentic style of their wines. A “broletto� is an Italian outdoor gathering place, embodying this perfect wine for sharing over a meal with family or friends. Tasting Notes Broletto has a vibrant nose with violet and berry fruits. Fresh yet full-bodied and harmonic. This is Chyna's pick for this month's offerings, and here's why: "Hear me out: this wine is a crushable, must have for the season. Tastes just like the holidays - blackberries and spices with orange peel. I was blown away by how much I loved this wine." Christmas Cookie Pairing When you're dealing with a wine that has a little sweetness you either have to lean into that all the way or go in the complete opposite direction. Normally, my go to pairing for Lambrusco is pizza - there is truly nothing like a glass of red bubbly with a slice of pepperoni. In this case, however, there is no such thing as a pizza cookie, so I'm going to recommend you roll straight to the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. For real. Christmas Movie Pairing Elf and sugary things are a match made in heaven. Fire up this 2000s classic with Will Ferrel as our favorite North Pole expat and indulge yourself in the merriment. Don't be a cotton headed ninny muggins and let this opportunity get away from you!
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Grace Town Zinfandel, California Grace Town is a new label from Master Sommelier Fran Kysela of Kysela Pere et Fils in Winchester, Virginia (the Chardonnay is featured earlier in the magazine). Zinfandel was one of the first grape varieties to be planted in the area during the California Gold Rush, therefore it holds a special place in Lodi’s history as a winegrowing region. The vines are naturally low-yielding due to their age, and they consistently produce high quality fruit. Lodi is considered the Zinfandel capital of the world because the vineyards there produce about 40% of the premium Zinfandel in California and because the region has unique characteristics that appeal to this hearty grape. Many of the old growth Zinfandel vines in Lodi date back to the 1880s and early 1900s. Some local families have wine-making roots that go back as far as five generations, and a few families even have ties back to old world winemakers. Lodi’s Zinfandel grapes were able to survive throughout the 20th century, even during Prohibition. Tasting Notes The wine is ruby red in color with toasty aromas; smoke and vanilla flavors. Classic Lodi Zinfandel notes of plum and ripe fruit. Some richness and a moderately long finish. Christmas Cookie Pairing When you've got a big, bold red, you can pair it up with chocolate for a smoother, richer finish. Cherry Kiss Cookies are a great way to enhance the jammy qualities in this wine and smooth down some of that spice. You can make it interesting by substituting dark chocolate kisses if you prefer a bit more of a bite. Christmas Movie Pairing For something this smooth and rich, it needs a complex, warming movie like 'It's a Wonderful Life.' A classic Jimmy Stewart film like this is going to rock the body of this wine and make you feel like you're giving all the angels their wings!
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red wines
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Additional Red Wines These are the additional red wines featured this month. Buenas Tempranillo, Spain In Spain, the casual greeting of ‘buenas’ signifies the start to an enjoyable gathering among friends and family. This Tempranillo is crafted in partnership with a highly acclaimed, family-owned winery that has been producing wine for over 100 years. Sourced entirely from estate grown fruit, ¡buenas! Tempranillo captures the spirit of Mediterranean style in every bottle. ¡buenas! Tempranillo displays rich, black cherry aromas and lush flavors of plum and spice on the palate with subtle vanilla notes from three months of oak aging. Medium-bodied with balanced acidity, this traditional red boasts a smooth, lingering finish. JP Ramos Reserva Tinto, Portugal This hand-crafted wine is a blend of native Alentejo grapes Trincadeira and Aragonez plus a touch of Syrah for added body. The fruit is sourced from 1,000 ft high schist and limestone vineyards surrounding the J Portugal Ramos Vila Santa winery. Unoaked, it is fresh and fruity while maintaining a plush mouthfeel. Ruby red in color. This wine displays aromas of ripe red fruit and dried herbs. It is soft and robust with complex tannins. On the palate, the wine is spicy with a long finish. Pair with sausage and peppers, herb-roasted lamb, or beef stew. Valle Martello Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy The Valle Martello winery stands on 50 hectars of vineyards. One of its most peculiar characteristics is its key location: situated on two hilltops facing each other, respectively north and south, allowing to benefit from highly selected grapes according to the climatic conditions of the year. Viticulture has always played a crucial role here because of the vineyards’ richness in a unique location: between the Adriatic Sea and the Majella Mountain. This wine is produced with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes, from vineyards cultivated in rows with southern exposure. It is characterized by a powerful red ruby color with violet reflexes, an intense scent of red fruits, a persistent and full bodied palate. This wine is an ideal match for Mediterranean cuisine, roast meats, cheese, and salami.
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red wines
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Cellar Selection This month's cellar selection is Mesquida Mora Sincrona Negra. Bàrbara Mesquida Mora established the groundbreaking Mesquida Mora winery in Mallorca in 2012 near the town of Porreres, producing wines in the DO Plà i Llevant and VdlT Mallorca designations in the southern and eastern areas of the island. Bàrbara’s wines form a rich mosaic recalling the diversity of Mallorca varieties while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family, with her own unique futuristic vision. Upon leaving behind the winery created by her pioneering great-grandfather in 1945 in Porreres, Bàrbara started her project from scratch with historic vineyards inherited from her mother. Bàrbara has not only been a passionate practitioner of organic and biodynamic viticulture for more than two decades; she has also introduced a regenerative agriculture approach through encouraging biodiversity within her estate vineyards. Bàrbara is among the vanguard of a wave of young producers recuperating and contributing to the unique cultural and viticultural matrix of traditional Mallorcan agriculture. 2019 was an outstanding vintage for Mallorca. Overall the year was even and warm with a lack of rain until July, moderate summer temperatures without heat spikes paved the way for a healthy harvest with a yield loss of 20%. It was a good year for biodynamics, very little copper was used in the vineyard. In reds, the skins weren’t too ripe, but they were thick with very little must, so Bàrbara favored short macerations and whole bunch fermentation. Following a manual harvest, each of the varieties undergoes a separate fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel. The wine is then blended and racked into two and three-year-old French and American oak barrels for six months of aging. Sincronia Negre is one of two complementary entry-level cuvées produced from biodynamically estate-farmed red grape varieties by Bàrbara Mesquida Mora. As with all of her wines, Sincronia Negre is a mosaic recalling the combination of grape varieties in the blend, while also representing the history of her pioneering winemaking family. Sincronia Negre is a love letter to the rich mosaic of Mallorca’s diverse grape varietal makeup. This wine combines both freshness and power, with Mediterranean garrigue aromatics and a core of mouth-watering fruit destined to pair incredibly well with any food. It is a warm introduction to the soul and spirit of Mallorca, a joyous red table wine destined to elevate any meal or situation. It is produced with low-intervention and in limited quantities.
red wines
The Nitty Gritty Alcohol: 13.1% Vineyard Sources: Porreres estate vineyard Fermentation: Fermented with indigenous yeast in stainless steel Blend: Callet, Gorgollasa, Mantonegro, Monastrell, & Cabernet Farming Style: Biodynamic How to Pair, Pour, and Store Pair: This is a match made in heaven for virtually any meal. Pour: Will benefit from being allowed to open up in your glass after pouring. Store: Drink now through 2025
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COOKIES! cookies!
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Cardamom Spice Sugar Cookies These sugar cookies are next level - in fact, so next level that I ate two for breakfast today! 1 1/2 cups softened butter (not melted, just room temp) 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 vanilla bean opened and seeds scraped out 2 eggs + extra yolk 1 1/2 tsp cardamom 1 tbsp grated orange zest 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp salt Step 1 Sift together flour, salt and cardamom spice. Step 2 Using electric mixer beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 5 mins. Step 3 Add vanilla bean and orange zest mix well. Step 4 Add eggs and combine well. Step 5 Slowly add the flour mix a bit at a time. Step 6 Separate dough into 2 separate pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Step 7 When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Step 8 On floured work surface roll disk out to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Step 9 Cut out with cookie cutter shape of your choice and transfer to baking sheet. Step 10 Bake 6-9 minutes (just until edges start to brown). Step 11 Cool completely and decorate with Royal Icing.
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Royal Icing Gotta have the icing. It wouldn't be a sugar cookie without it! 2 pounds confectioners sugar 5 tbsp meringue powder 1/2 cup of room temp. water (plus more for thinning the icing later) 1 tsp clear Vanilla 1 tsp additional flavoring 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional) 1tbsp corn syrup (optional) 1 tsp Glycerin (optional). Step 1 Combine water, meringue powder and cream of tartar and beat about 1 min on high speed. Step 2 Add vanilla, another flavor, glycerin and corn syrup and beat on medium speed for about 30 sec. Step 3 Add confectioners sugar gradually and beat on medium speed for about 1 min. Icing should be very thick. Step 4 Place the icing in a plastic container, cover with wrap and close the lid. Icing can be stored in refrigerator for 3 weeks. Step 5 To achieve the desire consistency for decorating cookies just add water. My mom's pro tip is to add orange emulsion to the icing for a brighter flavor. Just make sure there is no oil in whatever your flavoring ingredient is.
cookies!
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Tracey's Chocolate Chip Cookies You've met Tracey, but you probably didn't know that Tracey makes some of the world's best cookies. No really. I am an excellent cookie judge. Try this recipe and put those Toll House cookies to shame! 3/4 cup shortening 1 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp baking soda 2 tbsp milk 1 tbsp vanilla 1 egg 1 cup chocolate chips Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Step 2 Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Step 3 Beat egg into mixture. Step 4 Combine flour, salt, and baking soda and mix into wet ingredients. Step 5 Fold in chocolate chips. Step 6 Bake for 9-10 minutes. Step 7 Transfer to wire rack to cool.
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Cherry Kiss Cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 6 drops red food coloring, optional 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries 54 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until blended. Beat in cherry juice, extract and, if desired, food coloring. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in cherries. Step 2 Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Step 3 Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into center of each cookie (cookie will crack around edges). Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Pro tip: Drop those gross grocery store maraschino cherries and splurge on Luxardo Maraschinos. These are decadence in a glass jar. It will make you rethink what you thought cherries tasted like.
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 cups sifted flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup pecans powdered sugar (for rolling baked cookies in)
Step 1 Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla. Step 2 Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts. Step 3 Chill dough if it seems too soft. Step 4 Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets. Step 5 Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks. Step 6 Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature.
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