International Sherry Week: Events At Taberna de Haro

What is one of the tastiest, most intriguing, and unique wines that you are probably not drinking? It is most likely Sherry, a fascinating fortified wine from a small region of southern Spain.

So, what will you do to celebrate International Sherry Week?

International Sherry Week, celebrating its 5th year, will be held from October 8 to October 14, 2018. This year, there will be about 2,500 Sherry events across the world, held in about 30 different countries. You can check out this Event listings to see which events are close to you. These events are intended to spread a passion for Sherry, to educate people about its wonders, and convert wine lovers into Sherry lovers as well.

As a long-term lover and fervent advocate of Sherry, I enjoy taking the opportunity, to spread my passion for this wine, to intrigue others to give it a try. Sherry remains a niche beverage in the U.S., and most of the Sherry imported into the U.S. is sweet. As such, many Americans have not encountered the myriad joys of dry Sherry. Even many wine lovers have little experience with dry Sherry. It is dry Sherry which is enjoyed the most in Spain, and there must be a very good reason for that fact. For more background and information about Sherry, check out my 40+ articles on All About Sherry.

 

Locally, one of the best places to celebrate Sherry Week is at one of several events being held at Taberna de Haro in Brookline. Chef/owner Deborah Hansen has a deep love for Sherry, and her restaurant has 60+ Sherries on their ever changing wine list. It has the best and largest Sherry list of any place in the Boston area and Deborah has some cool events planned for Sherry Week. If I weren't going to be in Portugal during Sherry Week, I definitely would be attending some of these events. 

Monday, October 8, from 5pm -10pm
Splash Me!: Enjoy a complimentary splash of sherry with your dinner on Monday to kick off International Sherry Week.
--Manzanilla La Guita Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin
--Manzanilla Fina Callejuela Callejuela
--Fino El Maestro Sierra El Maestro Sierra

Tuesday, October 9, from 7pm - 8:45pm
I Can Make You a Sherry Lover in 6 Glasses or Less: This tasting seminar is an introduction to the large and lovely world of sherry, a world that has captivated Deborah for 30 years. You’ll taste methodically through 6 styles of sherry, all from the formidable house of Valdespino, identifying their complex flavors, discussing how they differ from wine, how to pair them with food, when to drink them, and the variables that make them unique. For the curious and/or the casual drinker of sherry. Tasting includes tapas paired with each.
$50 Registration and pre-payment required. Call 617-277-8272, evenings
Sherries exclusively by Valdespino:
--Manzanilla Delicioso
--Fino Inocente
--Amontillado Tio Diego
--Palo Cortado Viejo CP
--Oloroso Don Gonzalo
--Pedro Ximénez El Candado

Wednesday, October 10, from 7pm - 8:45pm
Fino and her Finesse: Fino is often the favorite sherry. Easy to pronounce and simple to adore, fino also has several iterations you might not know about. In this tasting seminar, we’ll compare young finos with old. Hint: It’s all about the time under flor. You’ll taste fino en rama as well as finos with palmas, as well as tease out the differences between fino from Jerez de la Frontera vs. El Puerto de Santa Maria. A close-up in-tight look at fino, the golden child of Jerez.
$85 Registration and pre-payment required. Call 617-277-8272, evenings
--Fino Cruz del Mar, César Florido
--Fino Tradición 10 yr., Bodegas Tradición
--Fino La Jarana, Emilio Lustau
--Fino Puerto Fino, Emilio Lustau
--Fino en Rama, Saca July 2013 Equipo Navazos
--Fino Amontillado Tres Palmas, Gonzalez Byass

Thursday, October 11, from 5pm -10pm
Flight of Sherry Cocktails
Try 4 different mini-cocktails, all containing sherry in large or small proportions with a complimentary tapa. $25

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1)  Marina Bay’s Victory Point is now offering two new Sunday menus, for Brunch and Football.

First, Victory Point took the classics you loved from its previous buffet-style Sunday setup and dressed up the brunch program with new, a la carte options offered from 10:00am – 12:30pm, including Eggs Benedict served with cage free eggs, house hollandaise over a skillet English muffin ($13) with an option to add lobster ($6) or crab ($4); Nutella French Toast made with caramelized banana and whipped cream ($12); Victory Point Hash made with BBQ pulled pork, cheddar cheese, sunny side eggs and crispy fingerlings ($13); a Brunch Sampler uniting eggs benedict, French toast, waffle, bacon, home fries and toast ($15); a twist on the traditional pancake tower – the VP Waffle Tower stacked high with 3 giant waffles layered with strawberry jam and cream cheese frosting ($12); a Breakfast Sandwich made with two sunny side up eggs, smoked bacon, American cheese, Sambal and Duke’s mayo ($12); an Omelette made to your liking ($10) and your classic Two Eggs with choice of sausage, ham or bacon served with home fries and toast ($10).

Second, after brunch wraps up, Victory Point kicks off its all-American football party from 1:00pm. to 9:00pm. Complete with all the game watching necessities of a tailgate paradise, get a close-up view of every matchup from a 10-foot projection screen, challenge your friends to cornhole and have the chance to win exciting raffle items from participating beer sponsors.

The kitchen will shift its gears from brunch to tailgate with a new game-watching menu featuring the G.O.A.T. Burger made with a 12 oz. angus beef burger, 12-month aged cheddar, LTO topped with Guerrero’s special sauce in a sesame bun ($12); a platter of fall-off-the-bone Chicken Wings tossed in better-than buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese ($12); and a Spiked Platter - paying homage to New England’s favorite tight-end which includes two buckets of beer and three appetizers of your choice ($69).

2) On Wednesday, October 3, from 6pm-9:30pm, Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Dinner will return to Boston Center for the Art's Cyclorama in the South End. The evening will feature a silent auction, cocktail reception, and an exclusive multi-course seated dinner prepared table-side by Boston's top chefs- all benefiting No Kid Hungry‘s work to end childhood hunger in America. As one in five children in this country struggles with hunger, including more than 270,000 kids in MA, No Kid Hungry works tirelessly to lessen these statistics through fundraising events like the No Kid Hungry Dinner.

This year’s No Kid Hungry Dinner features over 20 participating chefs, including: Bambara's David Bazirgan, Bristol Restaurant & Bar's Jessica Biederman, Toro's Jamie Bissonnette, Brasserie Jo's Nick Calias, Boston Urban Hospitality's Chris Coombs, Chickadee's John DaSilva, Cultivar's Mary Dumont, Puritan & Co's Will Gilson, The Smoke Shop BBq's Andy Husbands, Mooncusser Fish House's Carolyn Johnson, Bar Mezzzana's Colin Lynch, Davio's Italian Steakhouse's Rodney Murillo, SRV's Kevin O'Donnell and Michael Lombardi, Bendetto's Michael Pagliarini, Sarma's Cassie Piuma, Outlook Kitchen & Bar's Tatiana Rosana, Waypoint's Michael Scelfo, Eastern Standard's Jeremy Sewall, Select Oyster Bar's Michael Serpa, PABU's Ben Steigers, Tapestry's Meghann Ward, Oak & Rowan's Brian Mercury, Flour Baker & Cafe's Joanne Chang, and MIDA's Douglass Williams.

Tax-deductible tickets range in price from $1,000 for individual tickets to the seated dinner and cocktail reception to $25,000 to a 20-person group ticket. 100% of the proceeds benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit: https://events.nokidhungry.org/events/bostons-no-kid-hungry-dinner/.

3) Chef Dante de Magistris and his brothers are launching Saturday and Sunday Brunch, from 10:30am-2pm, at their newest restaurant, The Wellington Neighborhood Eatery. Weekend brunch also features live entertainment from local artists, the Ethan K. Funk Band.

The brunch menu includes 4 varieties of waffles, including the Chocolate Banana Waffle (with banana bourbon sauce, chocolate shavings, candied pecans and whipped cream) and Fried Organic Chicken & Waffles. Other options are the Breakfast Pizza (2 organic poached eggs, pepper bacon, gruyere and fontina, avocado, pickled red onion), the Farmer’s Omelette (herb roasted ham, roasted peppers & Vidalia onions, artichokes, Maplebrook Farm cheddar, homefries and multigrain toast) and 4 different versions of Benedict (spinach, herb roasted ham, pepper bacon or smoked salmon). I have to check out their Chicken & Waffles!

Beverage Manager Chris Keith has created some easy afternoon sippers too with:
--Chris’ Magical Garden, his version of a bloody Mary (sriracha, sambal, lime juice, soy sauce, pickled vegetable skewer, bundle of fresh cilantro, thai basil, mint and lime wheel)
--Monkey Business with Fazenda cold brew, house made Falernum, banana liqueur, orange blossom infused whipped cream & cacao nibs. This banana liqueur is Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Banana – Tempus Fugit Spirits based in San Francisco is bringing back old school liqueurs in a real organic way without corn syrup and additives, which is great for obscure old cocktails
--What’s Up Doc with mezcal, freshly squeezed carrot, orange & ginger liqueur

2014 Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz: Ancient Australian Vines

During the last few years, I've bought or drank very few Australian wines, having been turned off by the large amount of jammy fruit bombs that country seemed to produce for a time. I didn't want a sledgehammer of wine to assault my palate, but I rather desired wines with more subtlety and complexity. Maybe it's time to reconsider the wines of Australia, to ascertain whether there has been a change in the type of wines they make. The 2014 Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz certainly has opened my eyes to the possibilities.

The Kay Brothers winery was initially established back in 1890 by brothers Herbert & Frederick Kay, and it is now the oldest winery in the McLaren Vale that is still owned by the founding family. The 3rd and 4th generations of the family now control the winery, including Herbert’s grandsons Colin and Bill. Their Amery Vineyard, consisting of about 22 hectares, was purchased back in 1890 and is located in the foothills of the Southern Mt. Lofty Ranges. Their vineyards are planted with grapes including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Mataro & Muscat Blanc. There are a relatively small winery, producing only about 12,000 cases annually.

I was intrigued by an interview I read in BeverageDynamics (February 17, 2018) with Michael Wehrs, the sales and marketing manager for Kay Brothers. Wehrs stated, "Australian shiraz used to be these big juicy fruit bombs. There was a time when we made wines for that certain palate. Today, those producers might not even recognize our shiraz. We've toned it down, focusing more on acidity and the refreshing quality on the end of the palate. Australian shiraz is no longer the jammy fruit bombs of Yellow tail."

Was this the case? Had there been a turnaround in Australia, at least with some producers? If so, would these new wines be exciting and compelling? Was it time to revisit Australian Shiraz?

I received a media sample of the 2014 Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard Block 6 Shiraz ($119.99), a 100% Shiraz from the ancient Block 6 plot, which was planted in 1892. 122 year old vines! This special plot is only four acres and was first vinified separately back in 1984. This wine, with a 14.5% ABV, aged for at least 22 months in 1/3 new, 1/3 second, and 1/3 third use French and American oak puncheons. Only 3600 bottles of this wine were produced.

The wine benefits from some decanting, to give it some time to open up. It possesses a rich, crimson color and an alluring nose of spice and black fruit. On the palate, the wine is elegant and silky smooth, with a complex melange of concentrated flavors of plum, black cherry and raspberry, with a strong spicy backbone, well integrated tannins, and pleasing acidity. It is well balanced with a long, lingering finish that completely satisfies. This is no where close to a jammy, fruit bomb but rather the type of high quality wine that seduces your senses. Paired with filet mignon, this was an excellent accompaniment, a no-brainer pairing that elevated the dinner.

If this is an example of what is now coming out of Australia, I really do need to revisit Australian Shiraz. This is definitely a splurge wine, one worth the price, so I want to check out some more affordable Australian wines to see if change has occurred.

Rant: Should You Drink Port Wine Before, During Or After Dinner?

“Portugal Giving Up Port Making
OPORTO, Portugal (UPI) Portugal’s port wine industry turned sadly today to the task of developing a wine that tastes good served with soda, ice and salted peanuts. After centuries of turning out casks of port wine, the industry's leaders have decided that the jet age prefers almost anything to port, even sherry. "This idea of turning port into a sort of lemonade might seem like a crime of the greatest magnitude,” said Jose Correia de Oliveira, Portugal’s secretary of commerce. One of the biggest headaches the industry has is that port is an after-dinner drink. "It is very difficult for us to persuade the consumer to hold off drinking until after dinner,” Oliveira said."
--Madera Tribune (CA), March 9, 1960

The demise of Port? It was apparently a low time for the Port industry, though it raises an intriguing point concerning how wine may be viewed by the general public. If a wine is perceived only as an after-dinner drink, its consumption will be more limited than other wines that might also be drank as an aperitif or during dinner. In addition, not everyone may want to continue drinking after dinner if they consumed a significant amount of wine before dessert. After dinner wines, including dessert wines, generally remain as niche wines, and may struggle to maintain popularity.

When you think of Port Wine, do you think of it more as an after-dinner drink? Do you think of it as an aperitif too? Do you think of it when considering wine pairings for food (and I'm not referring to dessert courses)? I suspect that most consumers still think of Port as something you drink after dinner, maybe with chocolate, blue cheese or a cigar. Hopefully, that can change and consumers can be more open to drinking Port at other times as well.

Historically, it appears that such a change of view took place in certain spheres, helping to save the Port wine industry from its troubles. Seven years after the above newspaper article, there was an apparent turnaround and people began drinking Port wine as an aperitif, with France in the lead.

"Portugal Wine Usage Grows
NEW YORK (UPl)—More than 9 million gallons of port wine from Portugal were consumed throughout the world in 1966. and port, once considered solely as a dessert wine, is gaining popularity as an aperitif, reports a producer of port wines from Oporto. France is leading Europe in making port wine a fashionable aperitif, according to Sandemann Brothers. The firm estimates three-fifths of its world port sales now are for consumption as a before-dinner drink."
--Desert Sun (CA), September 26, 1967

In the U.S., Port wine seems to still be more of an after-dinner drink. And that is probably a significant reason why it is such a niche beverage, despite its recent slight increase in consumption. We need to educate people that Port is appropriate throughout the course of a dinner, from aperitif to after dinner. We need to show people that Port can be paired with a variety of dishes throughout the course of a mult-course dinner. That is more difficult as few restaurants host wine dinners that pair Port throughout the courses of a meal. Back in 2012, Legal Sea Foods hosted such a dinner and it was an enlightening experience. We need more restaurants to take this step, to help make it seem more normal to pair Port with dinner.

These issues plague other wine as well, from Sherry to Champagne, though you'll find more wine dinners featuring those two wines paired throughout the meal. Too many people think all Sherry is sweet, so it too is often seen as an after-dinner drink. However, local Spanish restaurants, and especially Taberna de Haro, have been educating consumers about Sherry, showing them that most Sherry is actually dry and pairs well with a wide variety of foods. Champagne is more often seen as a celebratory wine, and not something you pair with dinner, yet that too is slowly changing. The key to all of these niche wines is that they do not possess a single specific taste profile, but rather possess much diversity, and that diversity makes them more food friendly.

When I travel to Porto and the Douro region in two weeks, I'll be especially interested in gaining more information on Port and food pairings, which I'll share with my readers. However, I will call on my readers to be more open minded about these niche wines, and to experiment with food pairings. Don't see these wines as single-occasion wines, but rather see their versatility.

Port wine for breakfast, anyone?

Pizza For Lunch: Osteria Posto & Spiga Ristorante

Pizza is pure comfort food. 

I probably eat more pizza than any other type of food, and I never grow tired of it. I can easily have pizza for lunch and then have pizza again for dinner.  And then do it again the next day. Greek, Neapolitan, White Pizza, Thin Crust, Thick Crust, or even a cheap frozen pizza. Give me a slice or a whole pie. Bring on Prince Pizzeria and their all-you-can-eat pizza lunch, which only costs about $8. Just give me pizza.

I certainly have my favorite spots for pizza, including the two restaurants I'm highlighting below. Both are excellent spots for lunch or dinner, with delicious menus of Italian specialties, though their pizza is usually only available during lunch. Both receive my highest recommendation.

Osteria Posto, an Italian steakhouse in Waltham, has been a favorite of mine since it opened in later 2015. Their homemade pasta dishes are killer. During the week, Monday to Friday, they are open for lunch from 11:30am-2pm. Their Lunch menu has plenty of choices, including Appetizers (from Arancini to Calamari), Salads (Caesar to Beets), Pasta (Mezze Rigatoni to Tagliatelle), and Pizza (Red--Margherita to Sausage & White--Mushroom to Soppresata).

On my last visit, I began my lunch with the Burrata ($18), Maple Brook Farms Burrata, oven roasted peaches, and Prosciutto di Parma. This was an ample dish, large enough for two people to share, and the blend of the creamy mozzarella, the sweet, juicy & slightly smoky peaches, and the silky & salty prosciutto was pure bliss. There is beauty in the simplicity of this dish, the quality ingredients standing well on their own, but playing so well with others too.

Your Pizza choices, all Neapolitan wood-fired, include 6 Red and 6 White options, prices ranging from $13-$21. I opted for the Meatball Pizza ($18), which has chunks of meatballs that were made from beef, pork, and veal, and is accompanied by mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, oregano, and garlic. The crisp, light crust has just the right amount of chewiness and char, and the savory meatballs possess so much flavor. The cheese and garlic enhance the totality of the pizza as well. Each slice satisfies and you have to reach for another.

The next time you have a pizza yearning, stop by Osteria Posto.

Spiga Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Needham, has undergone some recent changes with the return of Chef Marisa Iocco. You can get more information about the changes and the restaurant in my prior review. They are open for lunch, Monday to Friday, from 11:30am to 3pm, and pizza features on their lunch menu. You'll find plenty of other choices on their Lunch menu too, from Guazzetti (Italian stews) to home-made pasta dishes like the superb Timballo. There are usually lunch specials as well that aren't on the menu.

On a recent visit, I began with one of their cicchetti, the Caprese Sbagliata ($15), which included a basil bread pudding, local tomatoes, mozzarella and greens. Chef Iocco is famous for her dessert Bread Pudding and this savory version was superb, light, moist and flavorful. I bet she could open a restaurant that just served variations of bread pudding and it would be a success. This dish was an excellent variation on a caprese salad, and the freshness of the ingredients was clear.

There are five Pizza options on their menu, all priced at $14, and ranging from Margherita to Italian Tuna. Chef Iocco states that her pizza is a cross between Roman and Neopolitan, with Abruzzo accents. I chose the Bianca Pizza, with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and arugula. The delightful crust, not too thick and slightly chewy, had plenty of tender, salty prosciutto and it is large enough to feed two people. You can also see it is more oval-shaped, not like a traditional round pizza.

Spiga Ristorante is located close to the Needham location of Bin Ends, so there is double reason to journey there. Have lunch or dinner at Spiga and then shop for some wine at Bin Ends. And make sure to try some pizza as well as Chef Iocco's bread pudding.