2008 Anima Negra Quibia: A Burst of Spring

When Christopher Columbus traveled to Hispaniola, he encountered a cacique ("chief") named Quibia. The cacique had much gold, and obviously the greedy Spaniards desired it. Yet Quibia was crafty, outwitting the Spaniards by sending them to a rival cacique's gold mines.

What does this have to do with this wine, the 2008 Anima Negra Quibia? I really don't know. I am unsure whether that tale was the source for this wine's name. Their website is silent on the reasons for the name. But, it makes for a good story nonetheless, and it might possibly be related.

The Anima Negra ("black soul") winery is located on the island of Mallorca, off the eastern coast of Spain. It occupies what was once a 17th-century dairy and it is owned by three partners; Pere Obrador, Francesc Grimalt and Miguel Ángel Cerdá. I have previously tasted their 2004 AN/2, which I very much enjoyed.

There are a number of grape varietals indigenous to Mallorca including Manto Negro (the most widely planted varietal), Callet, Fogoneu, Premsal Blanc (or Prensal Blanc or Moll) and Girò Blanc. Producers may also blend these with some more common varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

The 2008 Anima Negra Quibia ($19) is a white blend of 60% Premsal Blanc and 40% Callet. Premsal is well adapted a hot, maritime climate, and has a light structure and herbal notes. Callet is said to taste like a cross between the spicy, herbal qualities of Cabernet Franc and a powerful Syrah. This is the first vintage of the Quibia where Callet was added. The wine sees no oak, having been fermented and aged over the less in stainless steel, and only has an alcohol content of 12%.

The taste? Despite the groundhog's dire prediction of six more weeks of winter, spring arrived early with this wine. I thought of fresh spring aromatics, herbs bursting into bloom, while I picnicked on apricots and melon. I drank a light mineral water, quenching my thirst on its crispness. The wine offered so much promise, making the cold, winter day much more tolerable.

Yes, I definitely recommend this wine. It also brought to mind a mild Gewurtztraminer & Viognier blend. Take a chance on it, and you can locate it at Central Bottle in Cambridge.

Saké Sunday: Poetry & Saké Tasting

Alcohol has often been a muse for writers and poets, so enjoy some Saké related poetry.

A poet in 8th century China named Li Po, known as Rihaku in Japan, loved Saké and his motto was: “I drink a whole bottle, and pen a hundred poems.”

Ōtomo no Tabito, a Japanese poet contributed thirteen tanka, short poems, in praise of Saké to the Man'yo-shu (“Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves”), the oldest imperial anthology of Japanese poetry. Here are a few of his poems, which are more like one-line quotes.

"To keep silent and act wise is still not as good as drinking sake, getting drunk, and weeping."

"Don’t think about useless things—
You should be drinking, it seems to me,
A bowl of raw sake."

"Rather than be a so-so human being, I’d like to be a sake jar and get steeped in sake."

“O what an ugly sight the man who thinks he’s wise and never drinks saké!”

A beautiful fire,
And some beautiful sake,
How warming it is.
A haiku by the Japanese poet Yamaguchi Seison

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This Thursday evening, February 11, from 5pm-9pm, Central Bottle will turn their weekly wine bar into a Saké bar. Come join Michael Simkin, Saké expert, as he leads a tasting of four brews from the Ichishima Brewery. See how they pair with Italian cicchetti!

I had the pleaure to meet Michael previously, as well as to taste through the Ichishima line-up. Michael currently consults with some breweries to help get their Saké introduced into the U.S. market. He also runs numerous seminars, acting as a Saké ambassador. He will be sure to answer whatever questions about Saké you might have. For more information and some tasting note on the Ichishima Sakés, please see my prior post.

I will be going to this Saké Bar and hope to see you there too.

Dosa Factory & A Spice Tour

Though still relatively new, having only been open for about three months, the Dosa Factory in
Central Square, Cambridge, is doing very well. And it is in the most unlikely of spots, a tiny space (250 sq. ft.) in the rear of Shalimar Grocery, an Indian market.

Dosas ($8-$11) are the main attraction: rice flour crepes that cook in seconds, are rolled into a forearm-sized cigar, and stuffed with one of 14 fillings from the simple (spinach and cheese) to the sublime (shredded Pekin duck with kimchee). Order at the counter, and two minutes later a crisp dosa is plopped onto a tray, along with curried lentils and chutney. Seating is cafeteria style.

But they have lots more food available as well. They actually have quite a large menu of Indian foods, including delicous breads! Everyting is reasonably priced, and amply sized.

One of the best introduction to the dosa is to sign up for Shalimar Grocery’s Spice Tour, held on Saturdays. Starting at 11:00 AM, the culinarily curious are led up and down the aisles of the grocery by a chef, who describes the flavors and uses of various fruits, sauces, spices and herbs to the uninitiated. The tour ends with a dosa luncheon. Cost for the one-hour tour and lunch combined is only $20.

A second Dosa Factory is coming to downtown Waltham in the spring, with an eye-popping design by Studio Luz of Boston.

Dosa Factory
571 Massachusetts Avenue,
Central Square, Cambridge, MA 02139

For the Saturday Spice Tour, dial 617-868-DOSA

Bistro Blends: Gourmet Oils, Vinegars & More

While relaxing my palate after some wine tasting at the Boston Wine Expo, I stopped at the Bistro Blends table which had a couple dozen gourmet oils, vinegars, marinades and grill sauces available for sampling.

Bistro Blends was started by John Spenger, who once worked as a waiter at Scala's Bistro in San Francisco. He created a recipe for a zesty bread-dipper and it became very popular, customers even seeking to buy it though it was not for sale. Almost ten years later, Spenger decided to start selling it. He made the product by hand and sold them at local farmer's markets and gourmet food shows. His business boomed from there and Spenger no longer has to make it by hand or sell it himself. In fact, there is a network of distributors across the country selling all of the Bistro Blend products.

Most of the recipes were created by Spenger, with some input from his customers. The oil they use is cold-pressed, 100% extra virgin olive oil made from Arbequina olives and imported from Lerida, Spain. The vinegar is imported from Modena, Italy, from a small company comprised of three brothers and a sister.

They carry a full line of products, of numerous flavors, and which appear very versatile. I tried over a dozen of their products, including some oils, vinegars and marinades. Overall, I really enjoyed them, especially due to their rich flavors. Each product tasted like it was supposed to, with the flavors listed on the labels. In a blind taste test, you would likely be able to detect the flavors in most of the products due to their distinctiveness.

One of my favorites was their Basil Garlic Parmesan Oil ($22/375ml, $12/6oz), which was light and flavorful. It would be perfect for dipping bread, or atop a salad, or even over some pasta. The Hot Bistro Oil ($22/375ml, $12/6oz) served up on its name, with its initial spiciness leading to real heat on the finish, which remained with you for some time. I like heat so this oil appealed to me, and it is as versatile as the first oil. The Thai-Sesame Ginger Oil ($22/375ml, $12/6oz) is also compelling, with an Asian flair which would make it great for stir-fry or noodle dishes.

The Barrel-Aged Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar ($22/375ml, $12/6oz) was rich, sweet, and had a strong fig taste. Another nice choice for salad dressing though would also be nice drizzled over a duck breast. The Rosemary Roasted Garlic Cabernet Marinade ($15/375ml, $8/6oz) was very garlicky, which I love, and the rosemary was very prominent too. This would certainly make for an excellent marinade for either chicken or beef. The Kentucky Bourbon BBQ & Grill Sauce ($11 12oz) was tasty, with strong flavors that would benefit a steak or even a burger.

These products are not cheap, but they are made with high end ingredients such as the balsamic vinegar. They are very flavorful, delicious and versatile. I do think you will enjoy them if you try them.

Throughout New England, Bistro Blends is distributed by:

Ginger and Mark Sargent
Phone: 603-269-2271
GingerandMark@bistroblends.com

Hudson Valley Foie Gras

The Boston Wine Expo is not just about wine. It also showcases various foods, which are good on their own, as well as being a nice palate cleanser between glasses of wine. This year, the tastiest table was an easy pick, that which belonged to Hudson Valley Foie Gras.

I have made my love of foie gras and duck products well known. I have also posted a number of times on foie gras, including a review of The Foie Gras Wars (a fascinating book by Mark Caro), information about foie gras, a discussion of the debate, and information about ethical foie gras.

The Hudson Valley table had two types of foie, some duck prosciutto and sliced magret available for tasting. All of which were amazingly delicious. I could have stood by the table and just savored their food for hours. They sell a wide range of foie and duck products, including duck salami, duck prosciutto, smoked magret, duck leg confit, organs (such as hearts, gizzards, and kidneys), torchon of foie, terrine of foie, mousse of foie, parfait of foie, and more. Seems like almost every part of the duck is available.

You are also encouraged to visit their farm, to see how the ducks are raised and fed. They have no secrets, and want to be as transparent as possible. I really respect that position, and hope to make my own visit there this year. Before you claim foie gras is cruel, check out the Hudson Valley farm and see for yourself what is going on. Not all foie gras is raised in the same manner.

You might also want to check out a new article in Edible Hudson Valley: Taboo & Delicacy: The Ethics and Ethos of Foie Gras by Lisa M. Dellwo. It is well written and adds some thoughtful analysis to the foei gras controversy.

I could use a seared piece of foie right now.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras
80 Brooks Road
Ferndale, NY 12734
Phone: 845-292-2500