Tag Archives: wine

Sutto Prosecco & Holiday Salads!

A glass of bubbly is a great way to start your Thanksgiving dinner! We’re digging on Sutto Prosecco (from our Top 9 Thanksgiving Wine List) — it’s fresh, vibrant, and a treat everyone will enjoy along with special holiday salads. Try pairing it with Edible Rhody’s Rainbow Carrot Salad with Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette, featured in their recent fall issue.

The Prosecco is a perfect match with the earthy sweet carrots, crunchy crisp radishes and salty/sweet feta cheese. The lively bubbles are a lively contrast to the flavors of the veggies and the savory qualities of the cumin vinaigrette. A great way to start the meal!

RAINBOW CARROT SALAD WITH TOASTED CUMIN VINAIGRETTE
Ben Wood, WildWood Catering, Kingston

Thanksgiving falls right at a wonderful time of the New England harvest. Flavorful rainbow carrots are among the bounty. Serve this raw carrot salad at your feast as a vibrant contrast to the traditional Thanksgiving fare.

Salad:

2 pounds rainbow carrots, well-washed
¼ cup fresh chives, cleaned and chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, cleaned and chopped
6–8 Breakfast radishes
1 cup (¼ pound) Narragansett Creamery Salty Sea Feta, crumbled
Grated zest of ½ lemon
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Edible flowers (optional)

Dressing:

½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For salad, trim carrot tops and, using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots lengthwise into long, thin 3- to 4-inch ribbons. Place carrot ribbons into bowl. Toss in herbs with carrots. Slice radishes lengthwise as thin as possible; use mandolin if accessible.

For dressing, heat small skillet on medium heat for 1 minute, add ground cumin and cook for 1 minute, shaking pan constantly, or until cumin is slightly darkened and fragrant. In a small bowl add vinegar and sugar together, then whisk in toasted cumin and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, season carrots and herbs with dressing just before serving and top with feta cheese, shaved radishes, a sprinkle of salt, pepper and lemon zest. Garnish with edible flowers if possible—we love Indie Growers in Bristol! Serves 6–8 people as a first course.

Enjoy this fun and creative dish! Cin Cin!

Cheers,

The Bottles Team

Top 9 Thanksgiving Wines!

What wines pair best with a Thanksgiving Feast?

The simple answer is that the very best pairings are the wines that you like best. A typical Thanksgiving Dinner has so many different flavors on the table that it is nearly impossible to pick just one go-to wine that will pair with absolutely everything. We recommend choosing 3 or 4 of your favorites, open them all at once and let your guests choose the wine they want to drink.

If that isn’t enough of an answer for you, then ask us your specific food pairing questions — it’s our passion! And we love to share our passion and knowledge with anyone who will listen – both experts and novices alike.

All of us at Bottles have been thinking about Thanksgiving all year, and can give you an emphatic guarantee that all nine wines on this list will be the perfect complement to your dinner. So relax, with so much to worry and think about, at least you know that the wine will be perfect!

Top 9 Wines

Listed in order of lightest to heaviest:

Sutto Prosecco – Holy Wow! Very fresh, vibrant and dry Prosecco makes for a perfect treat before, during, or after dinner.

Secateurs Chenin Blanc – An expressive and aromatic white from South Africa, this Chenin Blanc is turkey’s best friend. Bright and engaging with lots of white peach and tart apple flavors with a rich and silky mouthfeel.

Château du Rouet Provence Rosé – Rose is our go to no-brainer pairing with all things Thanksgiving. Not only can it pair perfectly with almost all things on the dinner table, it’s great to sip pre-dinner while cooking or relaxing with your friends and family.

Aviary Chardonnay – Our favorite California Chardonnay of the moment. Everything you want and nothing you don’t: rich and creamy but without being oaky or buttery. Elegant and restrained and an excellent pairing to all things Thanksgiving.

Grisy Bourgogne Rouge – Beautiful Pinot Noir with loads of character and a sure fire winner at dinner. Soft and silky texture with bright tart fruit like cranberry and raspberry with a hint of savory earthiness that makes it all appealing and interesting.

Adelsheim Pinot Noir – From one of the founding wineries from Oregon, established in the early 1970’s. American elegance at its best and a honest expression of the brilliance of Oregon. Supple and elegant with cola and black cherry flavors with hints of fine leather and earth.

Dupeuble Beaujolais – Classic Thanksgiving pairing! A richer, more concentrated Beaujolais with blackberry and blueberry fruit flavors with hints of cinnamon and violets.

Gran Passione Rosso Veneto – Rich and smooth wine from the Veneto region. Stacked with rich, opulent dried fruit flavors of plums and blackberries with generous hints of mocha and toffee.

La Posta PIzzella Vineyard Malbec – For those who like a big, heavy, rich and delicious wine, this is for you. Dark and ripe flavors with cherry and creamy blueberries with hints of spice and mineral.

Enjoy your day of thanks, and thank the wine for helping you get through it!

Cheers,

The Bottles Team

How to Pair Wine with Your Pizza!

Don’t want to drink beer with your pizza? Or that pesky water stuff?? Gross! Well, here is our handy dandy guide to pairing wines with different varieties of our, (and hopefully your) favorite pizzas!

-Margharita, pepperoni, white, vegetable, Greek, and Hawaiian-

All pizza in this video is from the delicious Nice Slice in Providence.

Cheers,

The Bottles Team

How ‘Bout Them Apples?!

In the spirit of the chilling weather and in preparation for the great Thanksgiving cook-off, we chose Baked Apples with Pork Stuffing as one of our special Rhode Island seasonal recipes! This would be a great appetizer, side dish, or creative entrée for a chef of any level, as well as a great way to keep your delicacies made with all local produce.

A savory apple, pork, and herbal dish like this will pair well with the ‘Lenore’ Syrah from the Corvidae family; one of our favorite and well priced wines by the Owen Roe Winery! It’s a great crowd pleaser and its bright berry and savory aromatics of this wild, gamey varietal will pair well with the apple and stuffing alike.

photo source

Seasonal Ingredient: Apples
A crisp, white-fleshed fruit with a red, yellow or green skin, the apple has more than 7,500 known varieties, each with varying desired characteristics.

Originating in Central Asia and the earliest tree to be cultivated, the apple tree has been grown in Asia and Europe for thousands of years. The fruit was brought to North America in the 17th century by colonists, and the first orchard was planted in Boston by Reverend William Blaxton in 1625. Apples appear throughout history in mythology and many religious traditions as a mystical or forbidden fruit.

The fruit has a moderately sweet, refreshing flavor and a tartness that is present in greater or lesser degrees depending on the variety. Some are grown specifically for cooking, baking, eating raw, or producing cider. For example, Delicious and Fuji varieties are usually eaten raw, while Pippins and Granny Smith are preferred for cooked desserts.

Corvidae ‘Lenore’ Syrah
Named after a 17th Century Irish Patriot who dedicated his life to upholding the highest principles of political equality and freedom, the Owen Roe winery shares his same dedication to principle in their production of wines. Producing beautiful wines from superior sites in the Pacific Northwest, all of their grapes are hand harvested, handled with minimal processing and aged in French oak barrels.

One of Owen Roe’s many labels, Corvidae is the name for the family of birds that includes ravens and crows and was inspired by the many crows that circle the sky over the winery. Over 100 different types of birds in the Corvidae family, they are all considered very intelligent and are known for their inventive ways, playful personalities, and raucous calls.

Big, rich, and crowd pleasers, each wine is named for a particular fairytale, fable, or legend. Named for Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” (what label could be better for late October?), Lenore has a cool character and a natural acidity that displays flavors of black and blue fruits, cola, rosemary and smoke on a focused, rounded and textural palate.

Baked Apples with Pork Stuffing
Yield: 8 – 12

Ingredients
4 Tbsp Salted Butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 Celery Ribs, chopped
1 lb Ground Pork
6 – 8 sage leaves, fresh, chopped
2 – 3 thyme sprigs, fresh, leaves only
1 Tbsp Tarragon, fresh, chopped
Sea Salt, to taste
Cracked Pepper, fresh, to taste
1 cup Bread Crumbs, fresh
8 – 12 Apples
Parsley, fresh, for garnish

Method of Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add the onions and celery and cook until soft, stirring as needed, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the herbs and season desired with salt and pepper. Toss with the bread crumbs to combine and then remove the stuffing from the stove.

4. Remove the top fourth of each apple and then using a small spoon, scoop out the center, seeds and all. Leave just enough flesh to create a nice hollow for the stuffing.

5. Divide the stuffing evenly between the apples, packing each to the brim.

6. Transfer the apples to a large baking dish and place a small amount of the remaining butter on each apple. Bake the apples until the flesh is tender and the stuffing is golden brown, about 1 hour.

7. Remove from the oven, top with parsley and serve with a nice juicy pork chop, or entree of choice.

Happy cooking!

Cheers!

-The Bottles Team

Having Acorn Squash? Drink with Chardonnay!

We love Fall for its full, rich flavors of foods. Let’s turn our attention towards squash, and more specifically, the sweet and savory flavors of acorn squash. In nearly in any situation, squash and Chardonnay make a perfect pairing, including this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe featured in Edible Rhody Magazine.

Chardonnay is one of the most planted grapes in the world and plays a part in nearly every wine growing region, from Rhode Island to New Zealand. Because of the vast differences in wine making styles found from region to region, one can expect a huge variety of styles of Chardonnay — from rich, luxurious oaky and buttery styles, to wines that are very light, lean and crisp.

Regardless of the style, one can expect apple and pear flavors from Chardonnay — perfect flavors for the autumn months. We especially recommend Domaine Bernier Chardonnay from the Loire Valley, France. It’s rich, but doesn’t have loads of the oak and butter than can overpower the true expression of the Chardonnay grape. Yummy!

Since Chardonnay usually has apple and pear flavors, it makes perfect sense that it would pair with acorn squash. Apples go with squash, right? Then so will Chardonnay and squash. Simple. Enjoy!

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH WITH BLACK BEANS, RICE AND ADOBO CREAM

By Amy McCoy

Author of Poor Girl Gourmet and founder/blogger of PoorGirlGourmet.com

2 medium (2 pounds each) acorn squash, washed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups prepared wild rice
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium shallot, peeled, trimmed, and finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from 1 small can chipotle peppers packed in adobo)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 bunch scallions, light green and white parts only, sliced crosswise into rounds

Preheat oven to 450°.

Slice each squash in half from stem to root end. Scoop out seeds and toast or discard.

Brush cut side of squash halves with the olive oil. Stir together salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Sprinkle each cut side of squash with ¼ teaspoon seasoning.

Place the squash cut side up on a large, parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast until the squash is just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the squash roasts, stir together the rice, beans and shallot.

Divide stuffing evenly and fill squash halves. Return squash to oven and roast until squash are starting to brown on the edges, are completely fork tender and the stuffing is heated through, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt with adobo sauce.

Remove squash from the oven, drizzle the adobo cream over each half, then garnish each with cilantro and scallions. Serve with any remaining adobo cream on the side. Serves 4.

(Note: If you aren’t a fan of spice, reduce the adobo sauce to 1 teaspoon when adding it to the Greek yogurt.)

Total cost:
$11.26 for 4 servings;
$2.82 per serving.

Squash Away!

Cheers!

The Bottles Team

Elemental: WaterFire Providence’s Benefit Bash!

WaterFire is a local institution, and on the crisp first day of fall at the Elemental WaterFire Benefit Bash, Bottles was proud to support and donate to this local arts organization that inspires Providence and its visitors.

It was a beautiful clear evening full of wine, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and the quintessential creative scenery of WaterFire, including performers, lights, live and silent auctions, and of course the blazing baskets we know and love. We supplied some of our favorite wines for the generous attendees to enjoy; a variety of French, Californian, and Italian wines to choose from, including red, white and champagne.

It was a celebration of the elemental experience of WaterFire that transforms our perceptions of the urban landscape. We hope everyone enjoyed the event and hope to see you soon at the next WaterFire event!

Cheers!

Top 9 Fall Wines!

We love fall at Bottles! It marks the beginning of our ‘busy season’ and we get to really dig in to the richer, heavier white and red wines to pair with the richer, heavier foods from the autumn harvest. As you know, we taste every wine that comes into our store, and as we taste, one of the many things that we think about is “what kind of food would this wine pair with?” To take some of the guess work out of what wines you should pair with your favorite fall dinner, we have chosen our favorite Malbecs, Chardonnays and Italian Reds that are sure-fired, bonafied, slam-dunk winners.

>>> Download the Wine List here! <<<

Santa Julia Malbec
Organic and a great value! Look for complex aromas and flavors like cherries, plums, vanilla and sweet pipe tobacco. Way more full bodied, complex and delicious than its price would suggest – a must try!

TintoNegro Malbec
A beautiful, full-bodied, seriously endowed Malbec. Possesses a dense purple color and a sweet bouquet of blueberry and black raspberries with hints of mint, anise and spring flowers. Try it with any roast meat dish.

Luca Malbec
A worthy splurge! Dark, inky saturated color with very concentrated, very bold flavors of dark berries, black cherry cola and cocoa. It is very difficult to find a wine that has the depth of flavor, structure and balance at this price! Share a bottle with friends and family with your favorite roast beef dish.

Domanie Bernier Chardonnay
From France’s Loire Valley, you may have a very difficult time finding a better value than this stunning wine. Light and crisp with flavors of ripe apple and pear makes this a great pairing with lighter chicken dishes, soft cheeses and baked apples.

Bread and Butter Chardonnay
A beautiful, well made California Chardonnay! Rich and creamy with big soft flavors of caramel, butterscotch, apples and tropical fruits. Great by itself or with roasted chicken or white fish dishes.

Domaine Cordier Pere et Fils St Veran Chardonnay
From the very southern region of Burgundy, this is a special treat for those who like rich smooth Chardonnays without the oak and butter. Powerful, elegant and complex, expect flavors and aromas of ripe orchard fruits with savory/mineral overtones.

Fantini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Both immediately appealing and versatile, this ‘Monte’ is packed with beautiful red fruit flavors like cherries and plums spiked with a little leather and smoke. Pair with your favorite hearty pasta dish like meaty lasagna.

Poliziano Rosso di Montepulciano
From southern Tuscany, this wine is highly prized for being so polished and nuanced. Big flavors of plums, cherries and dark berries with a noticeable depth of flavor and a smooth texture. Pairing with a decadent lamb roast would bring you and your guests lots of pleasure.

Tascante Ghiaia Nera
Looking for something different? Try this! The grape, Nerello Mascalese, is grown on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano on the isle of Sicily. This wine is packed with bright red cherry, mineral, dark spice and dried herb flavors. A very cool wine that would love to be paired with lamb, game or eggplant parm.

So enjoy the nearing cool weather, and this excuse to drink 9 bottles of wine! Cheers! The Bottles Team

Walrus and Carpenter Oysters – Farm Feast 2014

Over my many years, we’ve been a part of many special dinners and events, but nothing has compared to the experience we had at the Walrus and Carpenter Dinner Series.

Things started off at Lavin’s Landing Marina right on Ninigret Pond – a brackish pond that opens up to the Atlantic Ocean via the Charlestown Breachway. As people arrived at the marina they were greeted by a beer or “Docktail” as we waited to board the boats. Once everyone was loaded and secured on the skiff and pontoon we headed slowly to the Oyster Farm, a 3 acre plot, all underwater, leased by Walrus & Carpenter from the State of Rhode Island.

At the farm, owner of Walrus & Carpenter, Jules Opton-Himmel, showed us oysters growing in their bags and taught us everything there is to know about oyster farming. Once we had learned about all about the process and history of the oyster cultivating industry, we made our way to the raw bar, set up a few meters away from the dining area. We all enjoyed the raw, hand-shucked oysters with lemon slices, a lemon-honey relish, and more than enough sparkling wine to go around!

Once all the oysters were gone, we took a short walk to East Beach – the part of the beach that’s way down at the end, and part of the State Park system.
We had the whole span of pristine beaches to ourselves. Once we had amply documented and soaked in the scenic vista (even some taking a quick swim!) we head back on our trek through the sandy paths to dinner.

As we approach the sandbar, we saw that dinner would be served on a long table top placed oyster baskets and crates (mermaid chic), complete with tablecloths, cloth napkins, stemware and silverware – and our own little private bar stocked with a great selection of wine selected to pair with the night’s cuisines, set a few feet into the water, right next to our docked skiff from the ride in. Certainly the fanciest beach picnic you’ve ever seen!

The entire dinner was cooked on a grill set over a wood fire, from the broccoli and heirlooms, squid and corn, to the beautiful bluefish, caught right off of Point Judith, to the beautiful currant clad desert.

Chef Ben Sukle, Ed Davis and the team from birch prepared and cooked the wonderful selection of the locally sourced meal – it was more than fantastic and perfect for this very special setting. A truly memorable experience, and one that we’ll never forget.

Cheers!

Eric Taylor
Bottles General Manager

Endless Summer Rosés

In this twilight of summer it is important to make the most of sunny days and cool evenings. One should enjoy the harvest from local farms and relish in simple meals with grilled corn, overflowing salads and many, many tomatoes. While the living is still easy, let’s not forget our pink friend – rosé . Here are four rosés that are keeping my dream of an endless summer alive. Enjoy!

-Domaines Ott ‘Les Domaniers’

Domaines Ott is a wonderful Provence estate that produces some of the most austere and heavenly rosés. Its trademark, Chateau de Selle rosé, has an unusual bottle shape, identifiable with a slight flair out at the base. This is one of the most delicate, nuanced bottles of rosé I have enjoyed in a long time. Traditionally a special occasion bottle, perfect for anniversaries and birthdays, I look to ‘Les Domaniers’ from the same winery for leisurely dinners and unbirthday lunches. Dry, hints of tangy strawberries and a refreshing acidity, a perfect treat for a picnic or dinner on the deck.

-Le Caprice Clementine

A classic Côtes de Provence rosé – a fifty/fifty blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes create a perfect pale hue of pink. The Clementine rosé’s flavor profile is reminiscent of a pick-your-own fruit stand with delicate flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon. Dry and light, perfect for light sandwiches and grilled seafood, the Clementine is long time Bottles staff favorite.

-Costaripa Rosamara

Let us not forget the Italian side to rosé — the Rosamara from Costaripa. This wine is a great addition to a picnic of charcuterie and antipasto from your favorite deli. A blend of Groppello (a grape known for soft, lighter wines, with a strawberry note), Marzemino (has a distinct cherry flavor), and to round things out, winemaker Mattia Vezzola adds a little Sangiovese and Barbera for some bright acidity to create a dry, refreshing rosé.

-Mastroberardino Lacrimosa

Another fantastic addition to the from southern Italy, the Lacrimosa rosé is a wonderful blend of depth and acidity. Featuring 100% Aglianico, a grape with deep raspberry, pepper and smoke flavors, this rosé is hearty enough to stand up to a beautiful smoked pork shoulder. If you’re a fan of the Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon rosé , you’ll enjoy the Lacrimosa immensely.

-Bedrock ‘Ode to Lulu’

Morgan Twain-Peterson is a second generation vintner, growing up at the Ravenswood winery, his father’s estate in Sonoma, California known for bold, luscious Zinfandels. Twain-Peterson’s first attempt at winemaking at the age of five resulted in “Vino Bambino Pinot Noir” featured on some of New York’s top restaurant wine lists until 2001, when Twain-Peterson was legally able to drink the wine he created! Bedrock’s ‘Ode to Lulu’ pays tribute to Domaine Tempier’s famous rosé and Alice Waters mentor, Lulu Peyraud in Bandol, France. Lulu is a master chef and championed “eat local” long before it was hip. Wonderfully complex and full-bodied, a subtle spiced fruit note lingers after the last sip.

So live up the rest of your summer, and enjoy a glass (or 3) of delicious rosé!

rose-5

Cheers!
– Joanna

Learn about Sauvignon Blanc

Learn about Sauvignon Blanc! In this video, Eric Taylor (Bottles wine guru) discusses flavor and aroma profiles in Sauvignon Blanc from major wine regions. Find out some of his favorite wines in the store, and get food pairing ideas from Ben Lloyd, chef at The Salted Slate in Providence (we’re neighbors!).

Curious about wine? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Cheers!

Drink | A Wine, Beer & Spirit Blog by Bottles

A blog by Bottles in Providence with cocktail recipes, party ideas, and everything wine, craft beer, and spirits

Tag Archives: wine

Sutto Prosecco & Holiday Salads!

Top 9 Thanksgiving Wines!

Top 9 Wines

How to Pair Wine with Your Pizza!

How ‘Bout Them Apples?!

Having Acorn Squash? Drink with Chardonnay!

Elemental: WaterFire Providence’s Benefit Bash!

Top 9 Fall Wines!

>>> Download the Wine List here! <<<

Walrus and Carpenter Oysters – Farm Feast 2014

Endless Summer Rosés

Learn about Sauvignon Blanc