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Vinous in the Kitchen: Pantry Essentials 101
Vinous in the Kitchen
, Jun 2020
Frankly, anyone can stock a pantry, but there are a few things that separate my family from the average household, and these have given me some interesting insights. For one thing, since the day I graduated culinary school, it was decided that I would be doing all of the cooking in the house. And so, like many households where a chef or ex-chef does all the cooking, there is a certain set of necessities that we were taught to always have on hand. Therefore, our pantry is incredibly diverse, and it has been now for over a decade, which has given me a number of thoughts into what should be in a well-stocked and maintained kitchen. Plus, just to make sure I had all of the bases covered for the average family, I made sure to quiz as many highly-qualified moms from around my neighborhood as possible.
Central Italy’s Best-Kept Secrets
featured, Italy: Center & South
, Jun 2020
Sangiovese is most often associated with Tuscany, where it is the variety that informs virtually all of the region’s top wines. What if I told you that by staying within the confines of Tuscany’s top DOCGs of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile, you were missing out on some of the most interesting and value-oriented Sangioveses being produced today? It’s time to discover some of central Italy’s best-kept secrets.
2018 Single Quinta Ports
featured, Portugal
, Jun 2020
A third general declaration in a row is unthinkable for Port, however 2018 has seen the release of some exceptional Single Quintas, which gives the Port-lover an opportunity to taste a number of intriguing site-specific fortified Douro wines.
Vintage Retrospective: The 2001 Napa Valley Cabernets
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, United States: California
, Jun 2020
Sandwiched between three cool years and three growing seasons affected by late-season heat spikes, 2001 has proven to be a Napa Valley classic for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. The better wines are in fine form today.
Cellar Favorite: 2011 Le Pin
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2020
When I recently conducted a Vinous Live with Jacques Thienpont and his wife Fiona Morrison MW, two days before transmission, the latter suggested that I should be drinking a bottle of Le Pin during the interview. Unfortunately, the Martin cellar does not maintain a reserve of Le Pin for whenever I fancy a cheeky iconic Pomerol.
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Vinous in the Kitchen: Stock Essentials
Vinous in the Kitchen
, Jun 2020
It took me far too long into my culinary career to finally invest in a stock pot and start down the path of creating my own chicken, beef and mushroom stocks. My experience with stock in professional kitchens started in school, where we learned the fundamentals; yet after that, it was always the late night or early morning crews who would tend to the massive stock pots. I began to respect the importance of a good stock when I left restaurants and began cooking in my own home. That was when it dawned on me that I could make my own stock.
2019 Bordeaux: A Long, Strange Trip
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Jun, 2020
“You must really like your wine,” the FedEx delivery person said as he dropped off yet another stack of boxes shipped from Bordeaux. The global lockdown that began in March ended any hopes of en primeur tastings in the spring. After weeks of indecision, the Bordelais finally moved ahead with a summer en primeur campaign, setting in motion a flurry of shipments across the ocean and a series of equally fast releases. Do the 2019s live up to the early hype?
Uncertain Smile: Bordeaux 2019
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Jun 2020
Born into an uncertain world, how certain are we that the 2019 Bordeaux vintage belongs amongst true greats? Several weeks ago I assumed lockdown would make it impossible to find out. Then 900 samples landed at my door...
Cellar Favorite: 1997 Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, Jun 2020
The 1997 wines of Tuscany have become something of a question mark in the eyes of many consumers. At release, the press went wild for the wines. Some still see 1997 as one of Italy’s greatest modern-day vintages, and to this day, salespeople base their pitch on its prestige.
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Vinous in the Kitchen: An Irish Grandma’s Italian Meatballs
Vinous in the Kitchen
, Jun 2020
I can still hear it now...the 1940s big band music that was always playing in my grandmother’s kitchen. Like something out of a movie, she was the patriarch of the family, having devoted every moment of every day to her family first. When you were in her home, you wanted for nothing. Each end table had a small bowl of spice drops and one of chocolates; there always seemed to be tea and coffee made, not to mention a piece of cake or biscotti to accompany it. What’s more, she never sat down when the family dinner was served. Instead she would continue to usher in plate after plate of food to the dining room table, until finally my grandfather or father would holler for her to sit down before everything got cold. Through it all, the music played.