Little Rooster Liquors June Newsletter

GAMAY

The Gamay grape produces light bodied red wine.This wine has less alcohol and is fruiter than most red wine.

This grape matures early. Due to its rapid growth, Gamay can withstand cooler climates. The most famous area and also the birth of Gamay is in Beaujolais France. This area is considered part of Burgundy. In Beaujolais this is the predominate grape grown. The second grape largest is Chardonnay and only 10% of this grape is grown there.

Beaujolais has three major appellations that Gamay is grown in. The leading area for Beaujolais. is considered over Flat Lands. Over 50% is produced here. This area includes superior Beaujolais. Here the grape must have the potential to produce 10.5 % alcohol when picked.

The second most important area is Beaujolais Village. This is in the northern hills of Beaujolais. Within this area there are small villages where the grape is picked and blended. There are villages that the grapes are picked exclusively from. These are considered to be Cru Beaujolais, which there are ten in total. The ten include Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote du Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie, and St Amour. From these Villages you are sure to get a great quality Gamay wine.

Gamay is also grown in other parts of France, mainly in the Loire area. When it is produced from this area the Gamay grape is quite often blended with Pinot Noir. Another country that blends the grapes this way is Switzerland. Gamay is widely grown and produced in this country too.

In the United States Gamay is grown in California; however it is much less important to them than their other reds. Most of the Gamay that is planted is called “Gamay Beaujolais” or “Napa Gamay”. This is considered to be inferior clone of Pinot Noir.

There are however a few vineyards that grow Gamay from the original vines from France.

This grape produces somewhat light and fruity red wine can pair well with pasta salads, stir fried or roasted vegetables and light meats. The prices are generally less expensive, even Cru Beaujolais can be bought for $10 to $15.

Aprihop beer is a delightful side trip down the micro brewing highway

The Little Rooster keeps coming up with beers of the month that are offbeat, innovative and sometimes even a bit bizarre. On that note, welcome to Dogfish Head's Aprihop, an eye and palate-pleasing brew that may be the only one in the United States to use apricots in its production.

Apricots, you say? That's what the skeptic in me said too, until I tried it. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Poured into a chilled mug, this India pale ale is amber in color and produces a nice head. The apricot aroma is unmistakable, subtle and fleeting. It wafts up from the foam and then vanishes.

Like most India pales, this one is well hopped and full bodied. It's also 7 percent alcohol, which may explain why it's sold in a four pack.

Dogfish Head is a Delaware microbrewery that started out local and quickly became too popular to hide in Delaware. Billed as the first brewpub in the first state, Dogfish Head earned a reputation up and down the eastern seaboard, expanding its operations, distribution and profits at an impressive rate.
By the way, Aprihop won a gold medal at the 2004 World Beer Cup in the specialty beer category and a Golden Tut Award at the 2004 Real Ale Festival in Chicago. Pick up a four pack at The Little Rooster and render your own opinion.

* * *
Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.

-- Dave Barry, humorist

In keeping with the apricot theme, here's an easy side dish that will complement anything you're taking off the grill this summer, whether it's steak, lamb, chicken or grilled fish.

Minted Apricot Couscous

1 1/3 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup couscous
½ English cucumber
4 fresh apricots
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water, oil, honey and cumin to a boil and stir in couscous. Immediately remove pan from heat and let couscous stand covered for 5 minutes. Seed cucumber and dice; pit the apricots and dice them the same size as the cucumber. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in the cucumber, apricots, mint, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. The dish serves six as a side and is delicious warm or cold.

Rabbit on the barbeque?

Grill enthusiasts who have tried every variation imaginable with chicken, ribs, steak and the other usual suspects should give rabbit a try. Farm-raised fresh rabbit, though a bit expensive, is widely available. It's low-fat and superb when cooked outdoors in many of the same ways a chicken would be cooked. Indeed, it does taste like chicken and can be easily enhanced with mustard or tomato-based sauces.

Did you know?

Almost any weekend, there's a beer festival somewhere. These family-friendly events feature microbrewers from far and wide and typically cost a fixed price to enter. There's always music and an abundance of great food, tee shirts, and an array of beers to sample sensibly in small cups.

For a listing, try beeradvocate, click on "events."

-- 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.

Brining ensures a moist grilled chop. What to drink: Pale ale.

Ingredients:
8 cups water
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup chili powder
8 1 1/2-inch-thick bone-in pork rib chops
Olive oil
Spicy Chutney Barbecue Sauce

Combine 2 cups water, salt, sugar, and chili powder in large non-reactive pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat. Add 6 cups cold water. Cool brine completely. Add pork chops, pressing to submerge. Cover pot; chill at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drain pork; pat dry with paper towels. Brush pork on both sides with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Grill pork to desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side or until instant-read thermometer registers 150°F for medium. Serve pork with Spicy Chutney Barbecue Sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

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George Duboeuf Chardonnay Merlot Gamay Only $8.99 a bottle Chardonnay A fine example of this grape variety. Aromas of vanilla, fruits, honey, hazel - toasty aromas, attractive and fresh. Good length in the mouth. 30% wood. Merlot With a good color, it explodes with really ripe red fruit aromas. Dominated by blackcurrants, in the mouth it is all fruit, fresh and fine, a rich wine of pleasure and charm. Gamay A fine ruby-red robe. Plenty of freshness in this Beaujolais which shows good typicity of the grape variety that does marvelously well in our region. Red fruits. Supple, soft. A really enjoyable, easy-drinking wine.		June officially marks the beginning of summer, and that means time spent outdoors with family and friends. And what’s a gathering without good food and cold drinks on the patio, deck or porch?. The Little Rooster strives to provide our “extended family” with good products at fair prices and a newsletter that’s informative and fun to read. So please stop by to see all we have to offer and let us know if you have special requirements. Or simply stop by to say hello !!. Here are some special activities to note for this month: One of our special choices you might be interested in is our wine of the month from George Duboeuf, With annual sales of 30 million bottles, Georges Duboeuf is one of France’s largest and best-known French wine merchants. Mark your calendars for Friday, June 4th and join Mr. Toby at 4:30 to 7:30, as he tastes you on these gems from Georges Duboeuf. Also take a look at our special recipes. "Brined Pork Chops With Spicy Chutney Barbecue Sauce". As always, in this newsletter you will find need-to-know information regarding our June wine tasting as well as a host of related tidbits. 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 Mr. Bob Donlin from Alan S. Goodman , Inc. will be our guest writer. I thoroughly enjoyed his very informative article about “Pairing wine with food”. 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. This month, our Beer of the Month is Dogfish Head. Please check out our article by resident beer expert, Scott Brinckerhoff, for more details and a tasty recipe to go with this brew.
• Fri. 6/4 4:30-7:30 pm – Wine of the Month! – Georges Duboeuf’s Reserves Chardonnay, Merlot & Gamay • Fri. 6/11 4:30-7:30 pm – Dinki Di’s Chardonnay & Shiraz. • Fri. 6/18 4:30-7:30 pm – Kangaroo Ridge wines • Fri. 6/25 4:30-7:30 pm – Napa valley vinyard’s Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet. Beer Testing! •Thu. 6/24 4:30-7:30 pm –Dogfish Head		GAMAY The Gamay grape produces light bodied red wine.This wine has less alcohol and is fruiter than most red wine. This grape matures early. Due to its rapid growth, Gamay can withstand cooler climates. The most famous area and also the birth of Gamay is in Beaujolais France. This area is considered part of Burgundy. In Beaujolais this is the predominate grape grown. The second grape largest is Chardonnay and only 10% of this grape is grown there. Beaujolais has three major appellations that Gamay is grown in. The leading area for Beaujolais. is considered over Flat Lands. Over 50% is produced here. This area includes superior Beaujolais. Here the grape must have the potential to produce 10.5 % alcohol when picked. The second most important area is Beaujolais Village. This is in the northern hills of Beaujolais. Within this area there are small villages where the grape is picked and blended. There are villages that the grapes are picked exclusively from. These are considered to be Cru Beaujolais, which there are ten in total. The ten include Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote du Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie, and St Amour. From these Villages you are sure to get a great quality Gamay wine. Gamay is also grown in other parts of France, mainly in the Loire area. When it is produced from this area the Gamay grape is quite often blended with Pinot Noir. Another country that blends the grapes this way is Switzerland. Gamay is widely grown and produced in this country too. In the United States Gamay is grown in California; however it is much less important to them than their other reds. Most of the Gamay that is planted is called “Gamay Beaujolais” or “Napa Gamay”. This is considered to be inferior clone of Pinot Noir. There are however a few vineyards that grow Gamay from the original vines from France. This grape produces somewhat light and fruity red wine can pair well with pasta salads, stir fried or roasted vegetables and light meats. The prices are generally less expensive, even Cru Beaujolais can be bought for $10 to $15.
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Pairing Wine With Food By Bob Donlin Goodman, Inc. Pairing wine with food is very easy to do as long as you use a few basic, un-exact rules. First of all, if you like Cabernet Sauvignon with all your meals, by all means drinks Cabernet. Food pairing is so subjective that no one has the right to tell you what’s a wrong or right choice of wine is with any dish. Try serving light wines with lighter dishes; serve heavy wines with heavy entrees. A light-bodied white wine can be over-powered by an acidic Chianti Classico Riserva. Higher acid foods like tomatoes, citrus, and vinegar are best suited to dry styled wines. Sweet wines are best suited with sweet dishes. Dessert wines such as ports and late harvest wines are very sweet so that they taste sweeter than the cheesecake that you are eating. The dessert will dry-out the taste of the wine. Spicy, salty/smoked and heavily seasoned dishes need fruitier, lighter bodied wines that can withstand the strong flavors. Rich hearty foods such as lobster, grilled steaks, and swordfish match well with big fruited, full-bodied white wines and oak styled red wines. Pinot Grigio is one of the most popular white grape wines today and the lightest and most delicate to match with food. Italy, in particular the regions of Friuli and Trentino are where the best Pinot wines is made. Inexpensive Pinot can be rather dry and acidic and should be served only as a cocktail wine (last resort). Your finer Pinots are smooth and well balanced with a fresh floral bouquet and a delicate taste that cannot hold up to overly spiced or creamed foods. Lightly seasoned fish, pork tenderloin, lemon chicken with a Pinot Grigio Wine sauce would the best matches for this delightful wine. Cooking with the wine that you are serving does help in matching the two together. Sauvignon Blanc or Fume’ Blanc is an exceptionally fine white grape that produces excellent white wines throughout the world. It can be lightly herbaceous, crisp, clean and dry, with a touch of refreshing citrus. Sauvignon Blanc can have flavors of figs, green herbs, pear and tropical fruit. It has much more flavor and body than Pinot Grigio and can be served with a wider variety of meals. Chicken, fish/seafood, and light meat dishes served with sauces, garlic, olive oil, and other moderate spices will work well with Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling or Johannesburg Riesling can have a crisp acidity and a spicy varietals character yet have a semi-dry taste. Chenin Blanc is a refreshing off-dry wine, full of delicious ripe fruit. Gewurztraminer is a dry aromatic wine full of spicy fruit. All three of these white grape varieties have enough fruit, spice or sweetness to cut through cream sauces and match well with Asian cuisine. Indian and Oriental Cooking lean to wines that can compliment stronger spices and sauces. The sweetness in these wines can put the fire out in most of these dishes and enhance their tastes. Chardonnay has been known as the premier white wine grape in the world. It can be very fruity like Australian Chardonnay or very dry like French Chablis. The type of Chardonnay one makes depends a lot on the methods the winemaker uses to ferment the juice into wine (stainless steel or wood), weather he ages the wine in oak and does he put the wine under malolactic fermentation. This second malolactic fermentation makes the wines tastes bigger, softer, rounder and buttery. A big full-bodied Chardonnay can be served with grilled steaks. Most chardonnays can be served with lobster, most other seafood dishes, and richer pasta dishes. Pinot Noir, Gamay and Merlot are three red grapes that produce wines that match very well with fish/seafood are well as other meat dishes. These wines can be made in a lighter style, not be overly tannic, and have a well-balanced structure. They usually have a bright aromatic nose, with smooth delicious flavors of plums, cherries, berries, chocolate, and mint. These wines can cover a wide ranch of dishes from ham, veal, pork, fowl, cheese, fruits and desserts. Red Zinfandel from California and Shiraz wines from Australia match up well with the same entrée dishes. Both are well-fruited wines with a pepper/spice component that goes very well with grilled steaks, game, chops, and New Orleans styled Cajun/blackened cooking. Cabernet Sauvignon is the premier red wine grape used in the finest red wines from California to Europe. From Chile to South Africa you will find this grape grown in warmer growing areas. Cabernets need more heat to produce greater sugar contents in order to produce wines with higher alcohol contents. Not only should the grapes be at certain sugar content (generally 24 percent) but the seeds in the grapes must be fully ripe, not to produce a bitter, vegetable tasting wine. Good Cabernet loves roasted ribs of beef, filet mignon, and New York strip steaks. The gristle/fat from the beef is balanced by the tannic acid in the wine. Chianti Classico Riverva from Tuscany, Italy is another wine that can be higher in tannins and needs a more acidic or fatty meal. I hope that these few suggestions will be helpful the next time your shop at The Little Rooster Liquor Store. Staff knows about latest selections from wine industries and having great palate.
Aprihop beer is a delightful side trip down the micro brewing highway The Little Rooster keeps coming up with beers of the month that are offbeat, innovative and sometimes even a bit bizarre. On that note, welcome to Dogfish Head's Aprihop, an eye and palate-pleasing brew that may be the only one in the United States to use apricots in its production. Apricots, you say? That's what the skeptic in me said too, until I tried it. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Poured into a chilled mug, this India pale ale is amber in color and produces a nice head. The apricot aroma is unmistakable, subtle and fleeting. It wafts up from the foam and then vanishes. Like most India pales, this one is well hopped and full bodied. It's also 7 percent alcohol, which may explain why it's sold in a four pack. Dogfish Head is a Delaware microbrewery that started out local and quickly became too popular to hide in Delaware. Billed as the first brewpub in the first state, Dogfish Head earned a reputation up and down the eastern seaboard, expanding its operations, distribution and profits at an impressive rate. By the way, Aprihop won a gold medal at the 2004 World Beer Cup in the specialty beer category and a Golden Tut Award at the 2004 Real Ale Festival in Chicago. Pick up a four pack at The Little Rooster and render your own opinion. * * * Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. -- Dave Barry, humorist In keeping with the apricot theme, here's an easy side dish that will complement anything you're taking off the grill this summer, whether it's steak, lamb, chicken or grilled fish. Minted Apricot Couscous 1 1/3 cups water 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 cup couscous ½ English cucumber 4 fresh apricots 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water, oil, honey and cumin to a boil and stir in couscous. Immediately remove pan from heat and let couscous stand covered for 5 minutes. Seed cucumber and dice; pit the apricots and dice them the same size as the cucumber. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in the cucumber, apricots, mint, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. The dish serves six as a side and is delicious warm or cold. Rabbit on the barbeque? Grill enthusiasts who have tried every variation imaginable with chicken, ribs, steak and the other usual suspects should give rabbit a try. Farm-raised fresh rabbit, though a bit expensive, is widely available. It's low-fat and superb when cooked outdoors in many of the same ways a chicken would be cooked. Indeed, it does taste like chicken and can be easily enhanced with mustard or tomato-based sauces. Did you know? Almost any weekend, there's a beer festival somewhere. These family-friendly events feature microbrewers from far and wide and typically cost a fixed price to enter. There's always music and an abundance of great food, tee shirts, and an array of beers to sample sensibly in small cups. For a listing, try beeradvocate, click on "events." -- 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.
Brining ensures a moist grilled chop. What to drink: Pale ale. Ingredients: 8 cups water 1/2 cup coarse salt 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 1/4 cup chili powder 8 1 1/2-inch-thick bone-in pork rib chops Olive oil Spicy Chutney Barbecue Sauce Combine 2 cups water, salt, sugar, and chili powder in large non-reactive pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat. Add 6 cups cold water. Cool brine completely. Add pork chops, pressing to submerge. Cover pot; chill at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drain pork; pat dry with paper towels. Brush pork on both sides with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Grill pork to desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side or until instant-read thermometer registers 150°F for medium. Serve pork with Spicy Chutney Barbecue Sauce. Makes 8 servings.
To unsubscibe send E-mail to info@littleroosterliquors.com