Your Holiday Update!

Before we get too “wrapped up” in the Holiday Season, your Board members wanted to bring you up to date on what we accomplished in 2019!  We hope that your year was as wonderful as ours was!

When we met last January and checked our email, we found a surprise! A Hollywood agent had stumbled upon the AWS-Pittsburgh blog, loved our story, and offered us a small fortune to write the history of the chapter and threw in a movie deal to boot! We even got the final say on who is to play the board members in the film!

The agent has become a good friend and visits with us often, in our new luxury log home on our own private lake in Zelienople. (Yes, we’re putting your dues to good use.) It’s so peaceful there. Bob has a top of the line wood shop where he builds custom wine racks that he donates to families in need. (Those Ikea racks that poor people use are so tacky!) He’s also furnished our Vintage Hospice House with hand-made, one-of-a-kind pieces. Vintage House provides luxury accommodations for patients and their families in the event of any wine emergencies and is staffed by nurses who have WSET Level III certification.

When Santina isn’t busy writing and overseeing movie project, she spends her days with her private tutor. How lucky we are that Fabio was available and willing to come live in the Hospice!  Fresh from Milano, Fabio is teaching Santina to speak Milanese Italian (so that she can read Northern Italian wine labels), and would you believe he is a former male model?  Those two have such a good time together! When he isn't teaching Santina, Fabio enjoys swimming laps in the indoor pool. She just loves to watch him swim. Don't worry. We don't let her near the pool unsupervised!

With all the celebrities carrying five-pound Yorkies around in a tote bag, Kevin has succumbed to the trend. It's hard to carry off both the tattoos and a “Yorkie in a poke”, but she manages. She has also started the Occupy Ross Township project! The platform is demanding equal cellar values with our upscale neighboring towns. We’ve all pitched tents in our front lawns, stopped taking showers and throw used corks at the police. It brings a tear to your eye.

John still hasn't had his identity stolen. He tried to auction it off on Ebay, but without a computer, it wasn’t a success. A very nice Prince from Nigeria contacted him and started up a mail correspondence. He promises to totally change John’s financial profile.

Since Terry now off house arrest, he’s gotten several interesting offers. The most exciting opportunity, though, was the offer to restock The Vatican’s wine cellar.  They asked him to get rid of all those dusty, old wines and replace them with some of his brand new award-winning homemade wine!  He refused, though, as it would have taken six or seven weeks, and he didn’t want to miss our January and February tastings!

Thom was able to get funding for research that led to a cure for oenocenosillicaphobia! (Wine glasses are refillable!) You can also thank him for discovering that the combination of wine and cheesecake, when taken together, in large quantities, have dramatic health benefits. Who knew? The cheesecake blocks damage to your liver, and the wine flushes out the calories in the cheesecake. Why this wasn't realized years ago is a shame.

So, that was our 2019. 

We hope that yours was just as awesome. Can't wait for 2020!

La Vigilia

Click here for the video!

Eating Seven Fishes Christmas Eve!

 

When the Christmas shopping frenzy finally settles down, it’s time to focus on the most important parts of the holiday season - family, food and wine! Many families partake in the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner, and most use a variety of seafood styles throughout the meal. We’ve heard of one of our favorites, a crab cake appetizer, that made the menu. But, that’s the beauty of this fish feast, there are no rules as to what you must cook, which gives the chef freedom to be creative. But it also makes pairing the right wines a little tricky.

To give an exact wine pairing for the feast is difficult, as there are dozens of different ways to prepare each of type of seafood. It’s more about the consistency and texture of the fish and the sauces. For example, an appetizer of raw oysters and clams will need a far different wine than Clams Casino or fried oysters. Below are some easy and general wine pairings for various styles of seafood that you might serve for your seven fishes feast.

RAW/CHILLED SEAFOOD:

The general rule of thumb is the lighter the dish, the lighter the wine.  Try a Sancerre for this paring. The minerality in these high acid, citrus flavor wines seem to bring out all the flavors and freshness in any chilled seafood dish. A dry, high acid Finger Lakes Riesling will also work with all those raw bar goodies. Pinot Grigio is a popular light white wine for this part of the meal, but, unless it’s very good, it’s a little too neutral. But if Pinot Grigio is your choice, try one from the Collio region.

BAKED/FRIED SEAFOOD:

For dishes like baked cod or seared scallops, you still want to keep it light but with a bit more body. Albariño can work well as these wines still have that acidity but have more body and structure. Chablis is a solid option too, as these typically unoaked wines made from Chardonnay have all the qualities we love about Chardonnay, but without the oak influence.

 If your fish is getting fried, you’ll have to step up to bigger whites like Burgundies or California Chardonnays, and here is when you can start trying the reds. The thicker and heavier the batter, the bolder you can go on the wine. Lighter Chianti Classico and Pinot Noir can work for a delicate sautéed dish, but if you are going with the deep fryer don’t be afraid to pull out a Zinfandel or Syrah, especially if you’re cooking something with a little spice in it.

SEAFOOD WITH PASTA:

For openers, make sure you use the same color wine as you do for the sauce. For white sauce dishes, like linguine with white clam sauce, you can still use the same Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc as you served for the raw/chilled seafood. But, for something a little different, try an Italian white for these dishes and go with a quality Soave (made from the Garganega grape) or even a Lacryma Christi.

This wine’s name means “Tears of Christ” and comes from an ancient story. There are many variations, but in the Italian version of this myth, Lucifer was cast out of heaven. As he fell towards earth, he grabbed a chunk of heaven. When he reached the ground, he dropped it on the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. When Jesus saw this, he wept. Those tears ran down the mountain and were made visible to humans in the streaks of lava flows down the sides of Vesuvius. When Christ’s tears finally reached the ground, vineyards grew at those spots. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, pineapple and peach and good minerality due to the volcanic soils.

Red sauce equals red wine, preferably something  a little high on the acid scale. Tomato sauce is high in acid so you’ll want a wine that can match it allowing the food and wine to complement one another. A quality Barolo or Chianti Classico Riserva are excellent choices.  

HEARTY SEAFOOD:

This is also a sauce-based pairing in terms white or red wine, but because lobster, king crab, swordfish, etc. can be very meaty and weighted, you can try red for both sauce options. An oaky Chardonnay with a broiled fish and white wine or butter-based sauce can be over the top in terms of oak aging (as many of the California Chardonnays are). The acidity and fruit should stay in balance. Try a Finger Lakes Chardonnay or a Pouilly-Fuissé.

If your bacala is swimming in a sea of marina sauce, you can stay with the same red options from the pasta course. However, here’s where you can expand into some of the bigger reds, as those meaty seafood selections can hold up to the weight of those dishes. A Super Tuscan or Brunello would be the traditional big red pairings, but if you have been waiting to open one of your aged Bordeaux or Napa wines, this is the time to do it.

Whatever you do, make sure to open something special in the good company of family and friends this Christmas, as that is always the BEST pairing of the season.

Holiday Wine Pairings Tasting

We are running out of superlatives!  The Holiday Wine Pairing dinner was just fantastic!  In case you were out performing your act of kindness for Mr. Rogers’ National Kindness Day, John Eld expertly showed us how to pair the following wine foods:

The Welcome Wine: Porta Vita Bianco (Not available locally, but try Marketview Liquor)

https://www.marketviewliquor.com

Zuccardi Serie A Torrontes Salta 2018 ($9.99 #79033) paired with a crabmeat salad appetizer, by Renee Ralke.

Isabella Bobal Ribera del Jucar 2017 ($7.99 #79057) and Secoli Amarone della Valpolicella 2016 ($29.99 #79021) paired with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, by Mary Eld (who did entirely TOO much).

Bodegas Ego Infinito Jumilla 2015 ($16.99 #78990) paired with roast beef au jus, by Susan Colville -Cook and Christmas green beans with toasted pecans, by Susan Randall.

Castello Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Brachetto ($21.99 #6239) paired with chocolate brownies by Mary Eld, with raspberry sauce by Mary Ann Hirt.

Terry Germanoski made the fantastic bread which was served with dinner.

Santina Balistriere  & Jim Hessler made the French-press coffee for our after-dinner pleasure.

The extra Santa’s helpers who assisted with plating in the kitchen and delivering dishes to the tables were Pat Germanoski, John Hoffman, and Adrian Gonzales.

As you can see, it takes a village!  Our sincere thanks to all who helped to make this event so special.  There will be no tasting in December so that we can all celebrate the holidays.

Our next tasting will be on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 6:00 PM.  Keep checking the blog or Facebook pager for more tips and updates!

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/awspgh/

Dinner and Wine - Winter Holidays

RESERVATIONS ARE CLOSED.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM

Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

 Cost for members or guests:

$35

Please reply before Friday, November 8, 2019 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

WINTER HOLIDAYS - DINNER AND WINE PAIRINGS

As AWS members, we know that wine is appropriate all year long, but it is especially appealing during the cold weather holidays. However, we don't always know which wine to enjoy. Our tasting dinner is geared toward choosing the best winter holiday wines, and John Eld is going to help us with those decisions Join us for our Holiday Dinner pairings as we provide several courses with appropriate wines.

Reservations are limited to 25 attendees.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM

Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

 Cost for members or guests:

$35

Please reply before Friday, November 8, 2019 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

Are you ready?

Relief from Holiday Stress

‘Tis the season, so, our November tasting is geared toward helping you with your Holiday planning. For an American Wine Society member, getting ready for “Sparkle Season” means more than just putting together gift lists for loved ones and family, it also means stocking up on the wines that you’ll be taking along to holiday parties, family events, and festive occasions. Among other things, that means the rules of wine buying are rewritten: We're not just buying for ourselves, which is difficult enough, but we're buying for friends and family.

Somehow, during this holiday chaos, we're supposed to be able to choose something fantastic. With that in mind, here are some wines for the winter holidays.

Thanksgiving Dinner: Pinot Noir

Thanksgiving calls for a special red wine that will pair well with turkey and the traditional side dishes of the season, including cranberry sauce. A great option would be Pinot Noir, especially one from Oregon or Sonoma. While there are plenty of great Pinot Noir options from France, this is an American holiday! So, bring a real crowd-pleaser that everyone can enjoy. There’s always time to enjoy a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau over the next few days when you and your family are enjoying Turkey Day leftovers.

Friendsgiving Dinner: Shiraz

Unlike Thanksgiving, which is more of a formal affair, Friendsgiving is a low-key event. You want an understated wine that’s nice enough to share with friends, but not too fancy. So why not bring along a bottle of Shiraz from Australia? Look for bottles from Barossa Valley, one of the most renowned winemaking regions of Australia when it comes to Shiraz.

Holiday party with the family: Barbera

If you’re like most people, you’ll be traveling during the holidays in order to get together with relatives, close family, and friends. And you’ll want to have a go-to bottle of wine for the occasion. This is a wine that should pair well with any of the big holiday feasts, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, and offer enough of a compromise so that it appeals to as many people in your family as possible. With that in mind, the perfect choice for a holiday party with the family is an affordable, versatile Barbera. For good reason, Barbera has been called “the ultimate party wine.” It offers the right mix of fruit and spice notes to pair well with traditional holiday meals.

Holiday party with co-workers: Etna Rosso

Sicily’s Etna Rosso has been experiencing a real surge in popularity, so one way of showing your co-workers that AWS members are completely on-trend is by bringing a bottle of Etna Rosso to your next corporate office party. Etna Rosso is very similar to Pinot Noir, in that it has flavors and aromas of ripe red fruit. And the very drinkable Etna Rosso has a bright and refreshing finish, which makes it suitable for any festive occasion. Best of all, Etna Rosso comes with a very compelling backstory that you can share with co-workers: the vineyards used to produce Etna Rosso are aligned along the sides of an active volcano in northeastern Sicily!

Holiday dessert: Port

Sweet dessert wines may be an acquired taste for many, but one classic that pairs extremely well with everything from blue cheese to chocolate is Port from (where else?) Portugal. If you’re looking for a more complex flavor, look for bottles marked LBV (for Late Bottled Vintage).

Holiday gift idea: Cabernet Sauvignon

When it comes to giving gifts around the holidays, it’s always best to go for the classics. You can’t go wrong with a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Even casual wine lovers will appreciate the extra care that goes into selecting a wine from California’s most famous wine region.

Holiday gift idea: Moscato

Moscato is one wine varietal that is trending bigly right now, as sweet wines are experiencing a surge in popularity. So why not opt for the very best Moscato wines in the world? Those are the ones produced in Italy’s exclusive Asti wine region. In comparison with the typical under $10 Moscato wines available for sale in “beverage wine” section of the State Store, a Moscato D’Asti wine is richer and nuanced, but still sweet, fresh and low in alcohol.

Feast of the Seven Fishes: Chardonnay

During the holidays, red wines tend to outsell white wines, and for good reason: many of the traditional holiday meals pair best with a bottle of red. But there is one festive occasion when it is possible to bring along a bottle of white, and that’s the Feast of the Seven Fishes. To accompany all the seafood dishes, you’ll want to choose a versatile white such as Chardonnay, which is a proven crowd-pleaser.

The Festivus Dinner: Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot 

Everyone is invited to Festivus dinner! The modest meal traditionally consists of sliced meatloaf on a bed of lettuce, with a dish of peas on the side. Our favorite choice would either be a medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot with a bit of spiciness to it. Meatloaf tends to be a little dry and sometimes bland, so these two wines will add a bit of flavor and depth. Remember: Don’t eat anything that ever wore feathers!

Christmas Dinner: Valpolicella

Choosing a great Christmas wine is different than choosing a great Thanksgiving wine. The weather is colder, the meals are getting heavier, and people naturally gravitate to big red wines. One option is Valpolicella, which stands up well to most holiday meals, thanks to its structure. But it won’t overpower any of the dishes that Grandma has spread out on the table. The Valpolicella DOC wines have notes of plums, cherries, dark chocolate, black fruit, and spices.

Kwanzaa: Rosé 

During Kwanzaa dinners, many eat soul food from the American south, or African dishes. If you’re enjoying soul food, consider a sparkling rose wine, Gewurztraminer, or something with a little acidity to cut through the gravy. For spicy African foods, try a sweet wine to balance out the savory flavors in the meal. Whatever you do, stay away from high tannin reds if your Kwanzaa meal will include greens. You don’t want to match bitter with bitter, it just never works

New Year’s Eve: Champagne

Ok, this one is a no-brainer. You simply can’t go wrong with a bottle of Champagne for New Year’s. But just keep in mind that, if you are planning on enjoying a sparkling wine throughout a long holiday meal, then you might also want to consider Cava (from Spain) or Prosecco (from Italy). You can then save the champagne for a celebratory toast at midnight.

Of course, these are just suggested wines. With any of them, there are plenty of substitutes. For example, you could easily swap out a bottle of Chardonnay for a bottle of Viognier, or a bottle of Barbera for a Rhône GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend. In many ways, that’s what makes wine so interesting. As soon as you think you know the “perfect wine” for a particular occasion, along comes a wine from a completely different part of the world that tastes even better.

So, as you start to put together your gift lists for the holiday season, take some time to consider which wines it might be worth stocking up on in advance. You won’t have to worry about picking out a great wine at the last minute, and you might just impress your family members (or significant other) with your knowledge of wine.

NO MORE MILK AND COOKIES!

10 BEST REASONS TO LEAVE SANTA WINE & CHEESE

Have you ever wondered why people around the world put out milk and cookies for Santa Claus? Your friends at the AWS Pittsburgh Chapter have, because we think Santa deserves much better. This year, do the right thing and put out a little wine and cheese for St. Nick.

The guy has a tough job.

If you just slid down a chimney you’d need a real drink, too, especially if you were wider than the average chimney. When’s the last time you combed ashes out of your beard while sober?

Baby, it’s cold outside.

Nobody comes in from the arctic chill and chugs an ice cold glass of milk. During the winter, milk only belongs in a mug of coffee or hot cocoa. Folk, that sled ain’t heated! If anyone could use a winter warmer, it’s Ole Saint Nick.

Wine & cheese > Milk and cookies.
They say “there’s no use crying over spilt milk” for a reason. It’s just not that good. On the other hand, try spilling somebody’s wine and see how they react.

Santa is trying to lose some weight.
Every year Mr. Claus drinks millions of glasses of milk and eats millions of cookies, and you wonder why he can’t see his Christmas balls? Milk and cookies are all fat and sugar. Wine, on the other hand, is proven to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Plus, it’s full of vitamins and antioxidants (it is made from grapes after all). Help Santa help himself.

The reindeer do all the driving.

Think about it, Santa has nine designated drivers at his disposal. So they’re deer, so what? We’re not so sure that Blitzen would pass a breathalyzer test, but Dancer and Prancer can pick up his slack. Besides, that shiny-nosed Rudolph has been overcompensating for years now. He has the route memorized.

It’s a long way back to the North Pole.
We’ve all taken one for the road. Let Nick take one for the… sky.

We’re pretty sure he’s been hitting the bottle anyway.

Why do you think his cheeks are always so flushed? Help Santa taper off.

You’ve had enough to drink, haven’t you?

Save that fifth glass for somebody else. Your third run-through of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was evidence enough that it’s time to move into the coffee phase of the evening.

Nobody likes a stingy host!

Santa comes to your house from the North Pole with a sack full of gifts. Is all that you can throw his way some expired 2% from Giant Eagle and broken Chips Ahoy from the bottom of the sleeve? Give the man some wine, and make it the good stuff.

YOU’RE SANTA!

Who is it that really eats those cookies and drinks that milk? Well… whoever it is (it’s you) I’m sure they (you) would prefer some Chianti and a piece of cheese over some cow juice and a cookie. Making life better for Santa makes life better for you. Think about it.

Saint Nick will thank you.

Merry Thanksgivoween

It’s that time again.  It’s the season when we all fret about which wines to serve with our holiday feast.  Well, your friends at the American Wine Society Pittsburgh Chapter are here to tell you to relax.

Forget the usual chardonnay and pinot noir. This year, whether your menu involves Cajun fried turkey, prime rib, creamed kale or Grandma’s candied yams, serve an unexpected wine. Your friends and family expect you to be the wine guru, so pop the cork on a Grenache or Cinsault based rosé or another lesser-known varietal and toast the holidays in style.

• Rosé: Pink wines are experiencing a well-deserved popularity surge. That’s because these crisp, fruity and dry wines are the perfect food-pairing choice. Side dishes such as roasted Brussels sprouts or creamed spinach, kale or corn can present pairing challenges, but dry rosé easily steps up to the plate. Serve it as an aperitif or throughout the meal.
• Grenache: This soft, red fruit-driven wine with strawberry notes pairs well with just about any Thanksgiving course. 
• Touriga: You may know this varietal as Touriga Nacional, one of Portugal’s main Port grapes. But on its own, dry Touriga has violet aromas, with blueberry, plum and baking spice flavors, and a hint of mint. 
• Barbera: This rustic grape is a perfect pairing for burgers and barbecue, but it works well with holiday menus, too. 
• Mourvedre: Move over cabernet sauvignon. This French Rhone varietal works well with spicy turkey or medium-rare prime rib with horseradish. 
• Sauternes-style wine: You can’t have Thanksgiving without pie, and this dessert wine is the perfect match. Traditionally made in the French Bordeaux region, Sauternes-style wines are popping up in the US now, as California winemakers craft their own sweet, small-batch wines in that distinctive style.

This holiday season, cherish the food, the moments, the wine and your people.

Holiday Greetings

It has been our custom since the late fifties to write a Holiday Letter to let the membership know how your elected Board Officials have been doing for the past year.  This year, however, we will not be following that tradition.

We received the letter below at our International Headquarters, and I thought that I’d share it with everyone instead.  Oh well, we’re still going to have our Holiday Party.  Look for more information soon on the blog.

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/