Little Rooster Liquors December Newsletter

RIESLING

Riesling is a white grape. This grape is quite often thought of as an inexpensive and very sweet wine. However this wine has a wide range of sweetness and some are even bone dry. Like Cabernet Sauvignon this wine can age for many years and was once sought after as a fine wine to cellar.

The popularity of Chardonnay over the past years has over shadowed the Riesling grape. People looking for the rich oak flavor of Chardonnay will not find it in Riesling.

This wine does not due well in oak barrels. Riesling originates from Germany. It is grown in many areas of the country. The top two being Mosel-Sarre-Ruwer and Pflaz. This grape thrives in cooler climates. This enables it to grow slowly, which is most beneficial for this varietal.

Other parts of the world this grape does well in Austria. This grape is often called Rhien Riesling or Weisser Riesling. These wines tend to be aromatic with a crisp dry finish. In France this grape is technically allowed to grow in one area and that is Alsace.
This area actually border Germany. The wines are floral and finish off dry.

In the United States the Riesling grape is grown in California, Washington State, Oregon, and New York. California labels this wine as White Riesling or Johannesburg Riesling. These wines can partake a fruit forward structure and either slightly sweet or dry finish. Washington State produces excellent Rieslings due to its cool climate. For the same reason New York state in the Finger Lake area are also well structured.

Riesling is also used in producing sweet dessert wines. One of them is called Late Harvest Riesling. These are picked late in the growing season it becomes more concentrated with rich sweet juices. The other dessert wine is called Eiswein or
Ice wine. The process is different where the grapes are left on the vines until they become frozen. The grapes are then pressed, leaving the water that is still frozen in the skin while extracting all the juice. This also produces a more concentrated wine. This wine can be very expensive. This can be time consuming and wasteful if it not picked at the right time.

Try a dry Riesling it’s a great summer wine. This wine will par well with ham dishes and light pasta dishes.

Blueberries and beer are the Maine event

Maine is known for lobsters, pine trees and blueberries. Well, maybe the lobsters and pine trees are better-known symbols of our northern neighbor, but blueberries definitely run a close third. In fact, blueberries are the official state berry of Maine. (Bet you didn’t know Maine actually has such a thing).
In the last decade, Maine has also become the land of brew pubs and specialty beers, so it should come as no surprise that beer and blueberries get together from time to time. Lucky for us, Atlantic Brewing of Bar Harbor Maine is now shipping its products to Connecticut. This month’s featured beer at The Little Rooster is Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale.

Rest assured, this beer is neither sweet nor blue. Once a year, on St. Patrick’s Day, I don’t mind the celebratory green beer, but “blue” would be far down on my list of desirable beer traits. Likewise, beer is supposed to be bitter in varying degrees, so sweet doesn’t cut it either.

Happily, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale confers most of its blueberry characteristic via scent rather than direct taste. The effect is pleasantly surprising, a familiar fruity aroma amid the light and spicy hop bitterness and the malt sweetness. The beer pours with little head.

Try Bar Harbor Blueberry with a good blue-veined stilton cheese. And if this summer finds you in Maine, I recommend cruising the back roads in search of pick-your-own blueberry farms. As for brew pubs, Portland and Route One have several and downtown Portland also features a farmer’s market complete with a vendors selling nothing but Maine fruit, produce … and beer.

Asparagus with Lemon-Herb Sauce, an elegant way to welcome Spring

No vegetable heralds the arrival of spring better than asparagus. Distinctive, elegant and delicious, it’s also healthful and versatile and if you don’t drown it in butter, it’s low-cal. Here’s an easy and gorgeous way to serve this spring favorite. The recipe makes eight servings.

3 cups canned chicken broth
1½ pounds thin asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1¼ cups chopped green onions
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 ½ tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
½ tsp. grated lemon peel
½ cup diced seeded red bell pepper

Bring broth to boil in large pot. Add asparagus, cook till crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to large bowl of ice water. Reserve one cup broth in small bowl. Drain asparagus, pat dry and refrigerate in sealed plastic bag. Refrigerate broth.

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add one cup green onions, shallots and sugar and sauté until onions and shallots are tender. Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cup of broth, 1 tablespoon olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and lemon peel. Simmer for about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.

Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon sauce over, and sprinkle on remaining green onions and bell peppers.

Did you know?

Web sites cater to every human activity and endeavor, including two that are near and dear to The Little Rooster’s heart – food and beer.

www.beercook.com is well worth a bookmark. It’s a friendly and lively site that’s filled with irreverent ideas, recipes and humor. It also welcomes interaction with its beer and food enthusiast audience. The spicy beer brined pork loin recipe sounds like a winner. Or how about butternut squash in brown ale maple glaze? Or drunken cabbage, or rib eye with pilsner? Stop by the Beercook and see just how imaginative budding chefs can become after just a few beers.

-- Scott Brinckerhoff

Scott Brinckerhoff of Haddam is a freelance writer specializing in business communications. He also brews beer, keeps bees and cooks "seriously." Each issue, he'll provide offbeat comments on our monthly beer, long with a recipe.

The Middle Eastern tone is part of this cake's appeal. A very nutty cake is suffused with honey-citrus soaking syrup, much like baklava in concept but flour-free, making it suitable for Passover.
A little goes a long way. For large Seder crowds, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch
Spring form pan or a 9 by 13-inch rectangular pan. Serve this cake cut into small squares or diamonds placed in small muffin liner cups. Copeland Marks, in his book Sephardic Cooking, attributes this to Turkish cuisine.

Cake
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon finely minced orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( or 1/2 teaspoon for a more pronounced cinnamon flavor)
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Soaking Syrup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 7-inch round layer cake pan
(If you do not have one, you can use a round foil pan of the same or similar size available in the
supermarket baking aisle).

Cake:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a wire whisk, beat the granulated and brown
sugars with the oil and eggs until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
Stir in the remaining batter ingredients. Turn the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is light brown and set.
Cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Soaking Syrup.

Soaking Syrup:
In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients. Heat to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes syrupy. Cool well.

Pour the cooled syrup over the cooled cake, poking holes in the cake with a fork, to
permit the syrup to penetrate.

Allow it to stand for 2 to 4 hours to absorb the syrup.

It is preferred to refrigerate this cake so that while it is absorbing the liquid, it is
Also firming up. Also, chilling the cake offsets its sweetness and makes it easier to cut.
Serve it on splayed muffin liners.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.


Willamette Valley Riesling Whole Cluster Pinot Noir Only $10.99 for Riesling $13.99 for Pinot Noir Riesling A semi-sweet German styled wine. Vibrant aromas of pineapple, peach, and honeysuckle. The flavors mirror the mouth with star fruit and a steely malic acidity giving a sweet-tart balance with the sweetness and finishing clean, fresh, and mouthwatering. Light bodied, fresh and crisp styled wine. Serve chilled with cheeses, citrus fruits, light fowl dishes, fruit chutney, prawns, scallops and crab. A wonderful all-occasion wine. Pinot Noir Vibrant and explosive aromas of bananas, cherries, and strawberries dominate with aromas of sweet juice and warm spices. Flavors mirror aromas with banana, strawberries, and cherries dominating with juicy and spicy characters. The mouth feel is soft, round, juicy and well-balanced with fresh acidity which highlights the fruitiness. Peak drink ability will be within 2-3 years.		Finally, the Spring has arrived!!! And with it comes a change in season both out of doors and at the LittleRooster. We have been working diligently to validate our new selections through April tasting schedule and bring in quality wines. This month brings the celebrations of Passover and Easter and the Little Rooster is prepared to fulfill all of your wine, beer and spirits needs. Explore our comprehensive low cost selections. One of our special choice, you might be interested in is our wine of the month from Willamette Valley. Both the Pinot Noir and the Riesling will tempt your taste buds. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 2nd and join Mr. Steve at 4:30 to 7:30, as he tastes you on these gems from Willamette Valley. Also take a look at our Passover special recipes..Honey Nut Cake. As always, in this newsletter you will find need-to-know information regarding our April wine tasting as well as a host of related tidbits. Our website is up and running and receiving rave reviews! Through our website you will be able to access our archived newsletters, recipes, check our wine of the month, research wines and beers, learn about our tastings and other specials. We will aim to educate and inform and hope that you will come back to visit us online often. Give it a look and see what people are excited about. Visit us at Littleroosterliquors.com and enjoy! The Guest of the Month is a highlight in our newsletter where we feature knowledgeable people in the wine, beer and food industries to help educate us with their expertise. This month I am pleased to announce that Gary Costa from Connecticut Distributors will be our guest writer. I thoroughly enjoyed his very informative article about “Enjoying Your Dining Experience with Wine”. I hope you do the same! A big thanks goes out to all who have written to me with comments and suggestions about new wines, spirits and beer. Keep those thoughts and concerns coming. Remember, you, the customer, drive what we do here. A big thanks goes out to all who have written to me with comments and suggestions about new wines, spirits and beer. Keep those thoughts and concerns coming. Remember, you, the customer, drive what we do here. This month, our Beer of the Month is Blueberry Ale from Bar Harbor . Please check out our article by resident beer expert, Scott Brickenhoff, for more details and a tasty recipe to go with this brew. You can reach us via e-mail with questions, comments, special order requests, and for estimates on supplies for your next party or event. Remember, - free delivery within our area on the day of your event for larger orders!
• Fri. 4/2 4:30-7:30 pm – Wine of the Month! – Willamette Valley’s Riesling & Whole Cluster Pinot Noir • Fri. 4/9 4:30-7:30 pm – Errazuriz’s Chardonnay & Cabernet • Fri. 4/16 4:30-7:30 pm – De Loach’s Chardonnay & Cabernet • Fri. 4/23 4:30-7:30 pm – Le Relais De Cheval Blanc, Chateau Haut Rian & Chateau La Baronne • Fri. 4/30 4:30-7:30 pm – Jabu’s Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc & Shiraz		RIESLING Riesling is a white grape. This grape is quite often thought of as an inexpensive and very sweet wine. However this wine has a wide range of sweetness and some are even bone dry. Like Cabernet Sauvignon this wine can age for many years and was once sought after as a fine wine to cellar. The popularity of Chardonnay over the past years has over shadowed the Riesling grape. People looking for the rich oak flavor of Chardonnay will not find it in Riesling. This wine does not due well in oak barrels. Riesling originates from Germany. It is grown in many areas of the country. The top two being Mosel-Sarre-Ruwer and Pflaz. This grape thrives in cooler climates. This enables it to grow slowly, which is most beneficial for this varietal. Other parts of the world this grape does well in Austria. This grape is often called Rhien Riesling or Weisser Riesling. These wines tend to be aromatic with a crisp dry finish. In France this grape is technically allowed to grow in one area and that is Alsace. This area actually border Germany. The wines are floral and finish off dry. In the United States the Riesling grape is grown in California, Washington State, Oregon, and New York. California labels this wine as White Riesling or Johannesburg Riesling. These wines can partake a fruit forward structure and either slightly sweet or dry finish. Washington State produces excellent Rieslings due to its cool climate. For the same reason New York state in the Finger Lake area are also well structured. Riesling is also used in producing sweet dessert wines. One of them is called Late Harvest Riesling. These are picked late in the growing season it becomes more concentrated with rich sweet juices. The other dessert wine is called Eiswein or Ice wine. The process is different where the grapes are left on the vines until they become frozen. The grapes are then pressed, leaving the water that is still frozen in the skin while extracting all the juice. This also produces a more concentrated wine. This wine can be very expensive. This can be time consuming and wasteful if it not picked at the right time. Try a dry Riesling it’s a great summer wine. This wine will par well with ham dishes and light pasta dishes.
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Enjoying Your Dining Experience with Wine By Gary Costa, Connecticut Distributors, Inc. Remember the last time that you went out to dinner with that special someone? The meal was fantastic and the Sommelier helped you to choose the prefect wine. What? You don't remember the part about the Sommel-who? Well, don't feel bad. I don't remember that part either. Whether you're dining at your favorite little restaurant or the new chain operation that just opened up in town, we're usually on our own when it comes to ordering wine at a restaurant, and that can be a little scary. Let's talk about a few things about choosing wine at a restaurant and maybe we can dispel that "scary" feeling and get back to enjoying your dining experience. More and more restaurants are offering a number of wines by the glass. This is great for the consumer because everyone gets to try something different at a relatively low cost. You are able to try a new wine without the expense of purchasing a whole bottle. However, here are a couple of things to keep in mind when ordering wine by the glass. Most restaurants pour servings of about 6 ounces. If they are using the proper stemware, you will get a glass that may look like it is half empty. The reason for this is so you can swirl the wine. Yes, it is OK to swirl your wine. Mixing oxygen into the wine just before you drink helps to bring out all the flavors that are available. If you want to try a new wine or perhaps a glass of wine from a producer that you've never tried before purchasing even a glass, talk to your server. Most will be happy to give you a little sip to sample before you order. Restaurants today, even the chains that have become very popular, are offering a selection of wines by the bottle. For the consumer, these are a better value than ordering wine by the glass. You typically get four glasses of wine from a bottle. So if there are two of you, that's only two glasses each. As an example, if you're paying $5.50 per glass and get two glasses each, that's $22.00. That same wine by the bottle is probably only going to cost about $20.00. Wines may be listed by "Varietal" (Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.), which means that these are the specific grapes used to make this wine. They may be listed by the location or "Appellation" of the wine (Chianti, Beaujolais) or by a special "proprietary name" that the producer gave his special blend, such as Opus One. When you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant, it should always be brought to the table completely sealed. The server should present the bottle to the person who placed the order for approval. Make sure that it is in fact the wine that you ordered. In your presence, the server will cut the capsule on the top of the bottle and remove the cork. The server should then pour a small amount into the glass of the person who placed the order. Once it has been tasted and approved, the server will pour a serving into everyone's glass, saving the person who ordered for last. In addition, you need not smell the cork to see if the wine is good. You can tell very little, if anything, by smelling the cork. If you ordered the wine, try it when the server pours a sample for you. Swirl it in your glass. Smell it, taste it. If the wine is bad, there are two common causes that are very easy to notice. If it smells like a musty moldy cellar or worse yet, your wet favorite canine, then the wine is "corked". This happens when bacteria is not eliminated from the cork before bottling. It is not harmful to you, but the wine will taste and smell very bad. Send the wine back! If the wine smells and tastes a little odd, sort of like the cough medicine that you had to take when you were a kid, it may be "oxidized". Air has gotten into the bottle and the wine has literally "rusted". As this occurs, white wines may appear darker than they should and red wines may get an orange tint to them. Speaking of what the wine looks like, look at it too! Hold the glass up to the light. You can tell if the wine is clear, even with a heavy red such as Cabernet Sauvignon. If the wine is cloudy, there is something wrong. If you observe one of these issues, don't be afraid to tell the server immediately. Any good restaurant will replace it with a fresh bottle. If they won't, it's time to find a new restaurant. If, on the other hand, you order a bottle of wine that you have never had and you decide after everyone has sampled it that although the wine is not spoiled, you just don't like it, well, in that case most restaurants would probably offer you a choice of something else as long as your table has not already consumed half of the bottle. Remember that if you ask to send a bottle of wine back just because you don't like it, the restaurant can only dump it. A couple of general subjects to touch on ….. Carafes of wine are really not a very good value. The wine is usually a cheaper quality and in turn is very profitable for the restaurant. White wine should be chilled, but not icy. Red wine should be room temperature or a little cooler. "Tartrate Crystals" sometimes form in the bottom of a bottle of white wine when it is chilled. There is nothing wrong with the wine. It is simply the tartaric acid in the wine that solidified. Sometimes you will also see crystals form on the bottom of the cork in a red wine. These are natural occurrences. It won't affect the wine and they won't hurt you. "Why is wine so expensive at a restaurant" A restaurant goes through a lot of expense to offer a list of wines by the bottle. It takes a lot of work to come up with a list of wines that cover many different styles, many different price ranges, and must work well with the food being offered. The restaurant must have not only space to store the wine, but some sort of temperature control as well. And let's not forget the glasses. A restaurant goes through glasses on a regular basis. One little chip and it goes into the trash. You would be surprised how many glasses a restaurant will lose in a month, and they are expensive. All this said, you might be surprised to know that the best wine values are often found at smaller, privately owned restaurants. "Can I take home an unfinished bottle of wine that I purchased at a restaurant?" NO! It is against Connecticut State Law for any alcohol to leave the premises. In short, the establishment could lose their liquor license if such a case occurred. Don't be afraid of trying new things. If you have a question, feel free to ask. While the vast majority of restaurants do not have a Sommelier (a wine manager who is also in charge of consulting with and selling/serving wine to customers) many restaurants train their staff in the wines that they serve or at the very least have a manager or someone on the staff that can answer your questions. Above all, drink what you like! If you like ice in your merlot, put ice in your merlot. If you like a nice glass of white wine with your steak, go for it! Wine is just like food, it should be enjoyed. Enjoy your holidays, but remember…drink responsibly and drive carefully!
Blueberries and beer are the Maine event Maine is known for lobsters, pine trees and blueberries. Well, maybe the lobsters and pine trees are better-known symbols of our northern neighbor, but blueberries definitely run a close third. In fact, blueberries are the official state berry of Maine. (Bet you didn’t know Maine actually has such a thing). In the last decade, Maine has also become the land of brew pubs and specialty beers, so it should come as no surprise that beer and blueberries get together from time to time. Lucky for us, Atlantic Brewing of Bar Harbor Maine is now shipping its products to Connecticut. This month’s featured beer at The Little Rooster is Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale. Rest assured, this beer is neither sweet nor blue. Once a year, on St. Patrick’s Day, I don’t mind the celebratory green beer, but “blue” would be far down on my list of desirable beer traits. Likewise, beer is supposed to be bitter in varying degrees, so sweet doesn’t cut it either. Happily, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale confers most of its blueberry characteristic via scent rather than direct taste. The effect is pleasantly surprising, a familiar fruity aroma amid the light and spicy hop bitterness and the malt sweetness. The beer pours with little head. Try Bar Harbor Blueberry with a good blue-veined stilton cheese. And if this summer finds you in Maine, I recommend cruising the back roads in search of pick-your-own blueberry farms. As for brew pubs, Portland and Route One have several and downtown Portland also features a farmer’s market complete with a vendors selling nothing but Maine fruit, produce … and beer. Asparagus with Lemon-Herb Sauce, an elegant way to welcome Spring No vegetable heralds the arrival of spring better than asparagus. Distinctive, elegant and delicious, it’s also healthful and versatile and if you don’t drown it in butter, it’s low-cal. Here’s an easy and gorgeous way to serve this spring favorite. The recipe makes eight servings. 3 cups canned chicken broth 1½ pounds thin asparagus spears, trimmed 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil 1¼ cups chopped green onions 1/3 cup minced shallots 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbs. minced garlic 1 ½ tbs. Dijon mustard 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme ½ tsp. grated lemon peel ½ cup diced seeded red bell pepper Bring broth to boil in large pot. Add asparagus, cook till crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to large bowl of ice water. Reserve one cup broth in small bowl. Drain asparagus, pat dry and refrigerate in sealed plastic bag. Refrigerate broth. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add one cup green onions, shallots and sugar and sauté until onions and shallots are tender. Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cup of broth, 1 tablespoon olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and lemon peel. Simmer for about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature. Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon sauce over, and sprinkle on remaining green onions and bell peppers. Did you know? Web sites cater to every human activity and endeavor, including two that are near and dear to The Little Rooster’s heart – food and beer. www.beercook.com is well worth a bookmark. It’s a friendly and lively site that’s filled with irreverent ideas, recipes and humor. It also welcomes interaction with its beer and food enthusiast audience. The spicy beer brined pork loin recipe sounds like a winner. Or how about butternut squash in brown ale maple glaze? Or drunken cabbage, or rib eye with pilsner? Stop by the Beercook and see just how imaginative budding chefs can become after just a few beers. -- Scott Brinckerhoff Scott Brinckerhoff of Haddam is a freelance writer specializing in business communications. He also brews beer, keeps bees and cooks "seriously." Each issue, he'll provide offbeat comments on our monthly beer, long with a recipe.
The Middle Eastern tone is part of this cake's appeal. A very nutty cake is suffused with honey-citrus soaking syrup, much like baklava in concept but flour-free, making it suitable for Passover. A little goes a long way. For large Seder crowds, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch Spring form pan or a 9 by 13-inch rectangular pan. Serve this cake cut into small squares or diamonds placed in small muffin liner cups. Copeland Marks, in his book Sephardic Cooking, attributes this to Turkish cuisine. Cake 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon finely minced orange zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( or 1/2 teaspoon for a more pronounced cinnamon flavor) 1/2 cup matzoh cake meal 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds 1 cup finely chopped walnuts Soaking Syrup 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup honey 1/3 cup orange juice 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 7-inch round layer cake pan (If you do not have one, you can use a round foil pan of the same or similar size available in the supermarket baking aisle). Cake: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a wire whisk, beat the granulated and brown sugars with the oil and eggs until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the remaining batter ingredients. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is light brown and set. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Soaking Syrup. Soaking Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients. Heat to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes syrupy. Cool well. Pour the cooled syrup over the cooled cake, poking holes in the cake with a fork, to permit the syrup to penetrate. Allow it to stand for 2 to 4 hours to absorb the syrup. It is preferred to refrigerate this cake so that while it is absorbing the liquid, it is Also firming up. Also, chilling the cake offsets its sweetness and makes it easier to cut. Serve it on splayed muffin liners. Makes 10 to 12 servings.