Wine With Wanda

The Sipping Season: Luigi Bosca Malbec 2010

From gift-giving to holiday soirees, wine & spirits add that extra glitter to the holiday season. So whether you are looking for the perfect vino to sip while wrapping gifts or an impressive bottle for someone special, over the next few weeks I'll be highlighting a variety of wonderful libations. 


Luigi Bosca Malbec 2010 (375ml half bottle, $16)




A rich red Malbec is a perfect choice for the holiday season and this petite half-bottle of Luigi Bosca Malbec 2010 is certain to make Santa happier than a plate of cookies!  A beautiful deep ruby red color, this full-bodied yet mellow vino has the right balance of ripe red fruit with accents of spice and pepper. Aged one year in French oak, the wine is not overly woody but has an appealing hint of chalky earthiness. Velvety and luscious, this Argentine beauty is a great match with red meat and aged cheeses. An excellent stocking stuffer for the wine-lover on your list -  not only will they be impressed by the taste but Bodega Luigi Bosca was founded in 1901 and is Argentina's oldest family owned winery. And for that really special someone, you may want to include tickets to Argentina with that bottle of wine so that they can visit the Luigi Bosca winery!

 

 

Boqueria Brings a Taste of Barcelona to NYC's Upper East Side

 

Pimientos de Padrón ( blistered Shishito peppers sprinkled with coarse sea salt) pair beautifully with Boqueria's spicy Bloody Mary.

The two years that I lived in Spain changed my life in countless ways and one of the lingering influences is my love of Spanish food & wine. A glass of Rioja, a wedge of Tortilla Española, a plate of thinly sliced Jamón Serrano; and many more Spanish delicacies rank high on my list of comfort foods. Luckily, New York City has quite a few restaurants where I can satisfy my craving for Spanish cuisine and one of the best is Boqueria (named after the legendary food market in Barcelona).

Simple yet sublime - a platter of Jamón Serrano, Chorizo Ibérico, Salchichón Ibérico, and served with Pan con Tomate (grilled bread rubbed with tomato, garlic, and olive oil), and Olives.

Boqueria has been a presence in NYC for several years but they've recently expanded with a new location on the Upper East Side (1460 Second Avenue bet. 76th & 77th Streets) that is conveniently (dangerously?) close to where I live. How much did I enjoy my recent dining experience at Boqueria? I ate there two days in a row!


This brunch sandwich is far from boring - scrambled eggs with shrimp & Guindilla peppers served on a brioche bun with a side of Patatas Bravas and salad.

 At Boqueria you can dine at the bar or a table, but for a really special experience try to snag one of the few seats available at the counter - it faces the open kitchen and you can see the Boqueria chefs in action. And, I couldn't help but notice that a fantastic team of women were running the show in the Boqueria kitchen!


The first bite of Boqueria's Tortilla  Española took me back to the very first time I tasted this dish in Barcelona. Traditionally prepared with eggs, onions, potatoes and olive oil, this deceptively simple dish is a thing of beauty. So many places get it wrong but Boqueria's version is authentic.

Read It & Eat! Di Palo's Guide to the Essential Foods of Italy

 

"I don't just sell the food in my store - I live it. This book is about living it." Lou Di Palo

When Lou Di Palo's great-grandfather Savino opened his latteria (dairy store) in New York City's Little Italy 104 years ago, could he have imagined that his family would nurture and grow the business into one of the City's most treasured culinary destinations? More than just a store, Di Palo's is a valuable link to the foods & wines of Italy and a reminder that small family businesses make a priceless contribution to the culture of NYC. 

Before you discount Little Italy as a tourist trap, I challenge you to pay a visit to Di Palo's. From  the luscious Prosciuttos dangling in the window, to the endless array of cheeses & salumi behind the counter, and the bounty of pastas, olive oils, vinegars, sauces, and sweets that fill the shelves; you'll quickly see that Di Palo's is the real deal. Di Palo's loyal following includes neighborhood old-timers (THE Martin Scorsese wrote the foreword to the guide) and the new generation of "foodies" in search of authenticity.


I had a chance to congratulate Lou Di Palo in person at a book party that the Italian Trade Commission hosted for him in New York City.

I first met Lou Di Palo at a culinary event a few years ago and was immediately impressed by his humble demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge of Italian food. When I see Lou at an event, I know that the food will be delicious and that I'll learn something new. A book from Lou has been absolutely long overdue, so I am thrilled that Di Palo's Guide to the Essential Foods of Italy: 100 Years of Widsom and Stories From Behind the Counter ($28) is now a reality. Part family memoir and part history of Little Italy, the guide is a tremendous resource in helping readers understand the diversity of foods produced in Italy's twenty regions. Since taking his first trip to Italy in 1973 to honeymoon with his wife Connie, Lou's visited all of the country's regions. Lou personally knows the purveyors for the products that he stocks and shares the knowledge that he has gleaned with his customers and in the book.

image courtesy Di Palo's

Truly, a visit to Di Palo's is a must if you love Italian food and wine. Chances are you'll be warmly greeted by Lou, his siblings Marie and Sal, or his children Caitlin and Sam. (Lou's daughter Allegra is actually a Contessa by marriage and his two grandsons are actually Counts!) Be warned that the photos, descriptions, and recipes in Di Palo's Guide to the Essential Foods of Italy will make you hungry and inspire you to race to their store, or shop their website, for some Italian treats. Mangia!

Sip Away the Winter Chill with Palais des Thés

Cocooning at home with a hot cup of tea is one of my tried-and-true strategies for surviving the winter chill. However, I still want my hibernation to have a dash of style, so this season I'll be sipping plenty of Palais des Thés.  Lately, I've been warming up with their N° 25 Cinnamon and Orange Limited Edition Tea ($21). This fragrant and spicy tea heats you up with a festive combination of cinnamon sticks, orange peel, pieces of almond, and vanilla petals on a base of green tea. It smells absolutely heavenly and the taste is an instant pick-me-up. Palais des Thés N° 25 Holiday Teas are also available in a base of Black, White, Rooibos, and Green. Steep, sip, and savor!

A Tasty Shortcut to Speaking French: The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

I speak just enough French to flirt and order some basic foods but I'm always eager to learn more. While making no promises to snag me a French beau, The Farm to Table French Phrasebook (Ulysses Press, $15.95) will make it easier to communicate my culinary cravings en français.

Written by French native Victoria Mas and illustrated by Meera Lee Patel, this lovely little book is chock full of phrases & definitions that make dining and conversing a la française a breeze. From the fishmonger to the farmers' market and from the butcher shop to the bistro; The Farm to Table French Phrasebook is a great resource for shopping for food and dining out in France. I found the sections on cheese and wine exceptionally useful - did you know that France produces more than 300 types of cheese and that they are categorized by their structure and crust? This book would have been so useful on my 2013 trip to Provence. 

Whether you're traveling to France or dining out at your local bistro, The Farm to Table French Phrasebook will enrich the experience. And the book has some simple recipes for dishes like La Soupe à l'Oignon (Onion Soup) and Le Poulet à l'Estragon (Tarragon Chicken) that will add some savoir faire to your homecooking.  This book is also a great gift for the Francophiles in your life!

 

A Sip I Will Never Forget: Laurent-Perrier Les Réserves Grand Siècle MV Champagne

Ok, I'll be perfectly honest with you - a magnum of Laurent-Perrier Les Réserves Grand Siècle MV Champagne ($1500) is the absolute polar opposite of budget-friendly BUT, ooh la la, what a sip! Elegant, extravagant & exclusive; Laurent-Perrier produced only 1,000 bottles of this cuvée to commemorate their Bicentennial. Aged for over 16 years, it blends spectacular vintages from 1990, 1993, and 1995 to create a beautifully balanced and expressive champagne. I had a chance to sample Grand Siècle at the recent Michelin Guide gala in NYC and the memory has lingered with me - I dream of sipping it again!

My other favorite bubbly from the Laurent-Perrier portfolio is a much more affordable splurge - Ultra Brut NV ($70). No sugar is added in the production of this champagne - the end result is a crisp & dry sip that purely expresses the fruit of the Chardonnay (55%) and Pinot Noir (45%) grapes along with a marvelous minerality. Only 60 calories per glass and about $70 per bottle. Cheers!

Gooey Gourmet Goodness: Grilled Cheese Paired with Chianti

 

With some helpful tips from the fantastic cheesemongers at Bedford Cheese Shop, I assembled and prepared this far-from-ordinary grilled cheese sandwich with Sourdough Bread, Essex St. 9 Month Comte Cheese (a delicious cow's milk cheese from Eastern France), Aioli, Dalmatia Fig Jam, and Bacon. The flavors and textures melded together beautifully and Chianti was the perfect match.

Grilled cheese is one of those comfort foods that brings out the kid in all of us. But you can easily give this classic sandwich a grown-up upgrade by partnering quality bread & cheese with sweet & savory ingredients. Chianti is the perfect wine to pair with this taste of gooey gourmet goodness!

Chianti is truly a comfort wine - delicious, approachable & affordable - making it a great partner with your simpler home cooked meals. My friends at Banfi Wines have a diverse selection of Chianti & Chianti Classico that pair beautifully with virtually any grilled cheese combination that you can imagine. Three of my favorites include their Bolla Chianti DOCG, Banfi Chianti Superiore DOCG, and Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG. All of these wines are under $20.