Everything's Coming Up Rosés

     The drama!  The intrigue!  In a battle of the taste buds who will survive?!  *cue dramatic Iron Chef-type music*  

Huh?  Are we watching reality television?  Is this thing on?

      Fortunately (or unfortunately) there will be no Kiva reality series.  (Although, I tend to think it would make for some very entertaining material!) 
      There will, however, be another monthly wine and cheese pairing featuring notes from Ziggy and Josh, our wine and cheese buyers.  This one is particularly interesting because of their difference of opinion.  There is only one way to settle this dispute and that is to taste for yourself!
Ziggy: Since it’s beginning to look like spring is here, everything is coming up rosés. 
If you think sweet and sickly when you see pink, you might want to rethink your drink.  Rosés are often misunderstood and their versatility can be under-appreciated.
A rosé wine can vary in color from palest pink through peach and orange hues to varied shades of clear, vivid red; and can vary in palate from delicate to bold.  Some, yes, are sweet, and some are dry with varying degrees of tannin.  The right rosé can complement a mild fish dish or take on a grilled steak, and the color alone won’t tell you a great deal about the character of the wine.
There are several ways rosés arrive at their rosy hue.  Most are made from grapes used to make red wine, either as a single varietal or a blend, and colored by being allowed to remain in contact with the skins, where the pigment resides.  Others may be produced by blending white and red wines.  While this is not a popular method in many regions, there are some very tasty wines that result from it. 
Most rosés will be crisp and have vivid fresh fruit notes like strawberry, cherry, apricot or melon, and, served chilled, will complement and enhance a summer afternoon or evening.
We chose Territorial’s Pinot Noir Rosé for our pairing this month.  The Kiva has carried Territorial wines for many years, and their Rosé has shown consistent quality and been a steady seller.
We are currently stocking the 2010 Rosé; and the 2011 is expected in soon.  I and my tasting partner found it to be drinking extremely well.  While the usual advice about drinking rosé fresh is good, many will continue to show well for at least one or two years after bottling.  Don’t throw ‘em away without uncorking a taste.
We found the 2010 to have a bright, deep rose color.  On the nose, I found notes of violet and strawberry lollipop.  The palate was light, bright, and crisp with lots of soft, icy fruit including cherry and stone fruits.  We drank it chilled but not iced.
My tasting partner and I particularly liked the rosé with the Fern’s Edge Pleasant Hill cheese, which has a young, sharpish cheddar-like flavor, a crumbly texture, and a bite on the finish.  This cheese brought out fresh fruity notes in the wine.  Of the Fern’s Edge cheese we tried, this pairing was by far our favorite.
While Josh and Emma especially enjoyed the Mt. Zion with the rosé, I have to disagree.  The cheese is excellent--earthy, meaty, and scrumptious--but I wanted to pair it with a big, rich, full-bodied wine (like a Washington Cabernet).  I found that it made the rosé taste alkaline and overpowered its bright and fruit notes.
The feta was fresh, rich, mild, and, while salty, it was not overpoweringly so.  We thought it went well with the Territorial Rosé and brought out some tannin on the palate.

The Five Corners was soft, initially mild, but with a complex buttery musk on the finish.  The Territorial Rosé was a pleasing accompaniment, but the butteriness of the cheese seemed to blunt the wine’s acidic crispness a little.

The Kiva stocks a wide range of rosés from many parts of the world.  Pretty in pink on the shelf right now include:

Monmousseau Rosé d'Anjou 2010:  a soft, gentle rosé, just off-dry, from the Anjou district of the Western Loire region.  50% Grolleau, an unusual variety primarily found in Rosé d'Anjou, and 50% Cab Franc.  Very easy to drink, fruity and pleasing.  Pairs well with fresh goat cheeses, mild pork or chicken dishes.  Also--like most rosés--a pleasant tipple for a summer afternoon.  $11.75

 Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Pays d'Oc 2011:  Less than 1000 cases produced.  I found this to be crisp and lucid, with clean, clear berry fruits.  Quite dry but not acerbic.  Made from a blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes from the Roussillon region.  Many pairings are possible, but grilled chicken and vegetables is a top choice.   $15.50
 Calcu Rosé 2010:  A perennial favorite of mine from the Valle de Colchagua, Chile.  Made from 50% Malbec, 40% Syrah, and 10% Petit Verdot, there is some complexity to this round, slightly magical blend.  It deserves its name, which means "magician" in a local language.  $11.75
 Druid's Fluid Pink 2009:  Lightly sweet, fruity, and easy to drink, Druid's Fluid wines hail from Oregon's Troon Vineyards in the Applegate Valley.  If you're looking for a crowd-pleaser, it's "the wine for everyone"--in their own words.  $12.00
 Hey Mambo Kinky Pink 2010:  A California Pinot Noir Rosé.  A tasty, dry rosé that will cool off a hot afternoon, accompany salmon on the barbeque, or otherwise serve any function you desire of a dry rosé.  Good value--and a fun name.  $10.50
 Melrose Two Dog Red 2009:  Sweet but not too sweet, with a residual sugar of 1.7%, this rosé contains a fair amount of Pinot Gris.  Another easy quaffer for a warm summer night, it would also make a good aperitif with many hors d'oeuvres.  $12.00
 Cardwell Hill Rosé of Pinot Noir 2011:  From a small producer of excellent Pinot Noir, Cardwell Hill's Rosé is dry and bright with a cherry/berry nose and a fresh finish.  A fine value and versatile dinner guest from the Willamette Valley.  $10.50
 Charles & Charles Rosé 2011:  Yes, you can drink rosé and still be bad... Edgy packaging and copy, and a solid mouthful of dry, bright syrah rosé.  A bucket of ice is all it lacks.  $10.50
 Del Rio Rosé Jolee: A rosé that tastes sweeter than its official figure of .5% residual sugar because of the predominance of the heavenly fragrant Early Muscat that makes up 63% of the blend.  17% Riesling and 20% blend of red grapes makes up the rest of this salmon-colored wine that would be equally at home with spicy Asian food or a cheesecake dessert.  $11.75
 This list is not exhaustive, and it doesn't even touch sparkling rosés, which also come in a spectrum ranging from the fascinating, complicated, and elegant to fizzy pink grown-up soda-pop.  As the season warms up (yes, it will--I think it will...) we'll be seeing more rosés from France, Spain, and Italy.  Ask Ziggy to tell you exactly what's in stock!
Josh: "I don't have to go away for the weekend, I'm already here, " says Fern's Edge Goat Dairy owner, Shari, as she casts a proud glance across her farm indicating her view of Dexter Lake through the trees. She has been raising award-winning dairy goats at her beautiful farm in Lowell since the early 1970's.  

Happy goats produce good-quality milk, and her goats have every reason to be happy.  Each goat is named and cared for as a member of the family, grows up on organic feed, dutifully produces milk, and then retires with her fellow "beloved old ladies" to live out her days in the bucolic pastures of the farm.  She pays to have each goat's milk tested every three weeks to ensure the health of the animals and the quality of the milk.  Her impeccably-clean dairy results in fresh, clean-tasting cheeses that would never be described as "goaty".  
I chose to celebrate this devotion to sustainable farming, happy, healthy goats, and high-quality local cheese, by selecting Fern's Edge Goat Dairy's pride and joy, their Mt. Zion aged goat cheese, for this month's wine and cheese pairing:
The Wine: Territorial Vineyard's Rosé is fruity, bright and clean, portending of lazy summer evenings to come.
The Cheese: Mt. Zion is a raw, toothsome aged artisan farmstead goat cheese in the style of a Spanish Manchego.  This cheese serves as a showpiece for a great collaboration between the goat herd owner and cheese-maker that brings together decades of of dairy goat experience with generations of cheese-making experience.
The Pairing: A good, straight-ahead, innocently refreshing rosé meets an older, more seasoned cheese and suddenly becomes more interesting.  

Celebrate well-made local food and drink and enjoy!

Books Over Movies

I finally gave in to the nagging of my Netflix queue and watched the movie Forks Over Knives.  I did so dutifully and at times enthusiastically.  I nodded in agreement with certain parts, offered my own commentary to the talking heads and gasped in awe at some of the statistics.  When it was over I expected to feel inspired.  What I felt instead was a little dismayed.  I kept thinking “I don’t want to be sick.  I want to be healthy!  Do I have to be vegan?”  I am not a vegan, though I do admire those who are.  If you are anything like me and these types of questions plague you too, let me cheerfully recommend the BOOK Forks Over Knives.

Foremost, it is a cookbook with over 100 mouth watering recipes.  There is a list of handy kitchen tools that make quick work of all the fruits and veggies you’ll be making into masterpieces.  There is even a conversion chart in the back.  The recipes range from the most basic like Steamed Veggies with Brown Rice (pg. 137) to the new and intriguing like Green Pea Guacamole (pg. 74).  Interspersed are short biographies of the doctors, their patients, and other folks who support this way of eating.  

Notice I didn’t call it a diet.  When I think of a diet, I think of all the things I can’t eat.  This is a way of eating that reminds me of the abundance and variety of all the things I can eat!  By and large the message is that we shouldn’t worry about eating a particular food to get enough of a particular nutrient.  If we focus on eating a variety of foods, and not using animal products as the foundation, we will be exposing ourselves to all the nutrients we need.  

So vegans, vegetarians and the rest of us can take heart - health is attainable and it tastes so good! 

  Looking for more plant-based culinary inspiration?  Check out Fields of Greens.  Based on recipes from the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, it is a treasure trove of vegetarian dishes. 

An Unlikely Duo

     It’s a tale as old as time.  An unlikely duo teaming up to save the day and teach us all a valuable lesson.  Our hero’s: Tom Hunton and Charlie Tilt, owners of Hunton’s Farm and Hummingbird Wholesale respectively.  One a grower of grain, one a distributor.  Both located here in the scenic Willamette Valley.  So what is it that brings these two businessmen together?  

To answer this we must start at the beginning and ask another question.  How do those hard little kernels of grain turn up on your plate in the form of cereal and bread?  It is through the magic of milling!  And now, thanks to these two enterprising daredevils, for the first time in over 80 years, the Willamette Valley boasts its very own stone flour mill.

Years ago, these types of grist mills were common along many of the waterways of the Willamette Valley.  As grain farmers turned to grass seed production, and a preference for white bread developed among their consumers, many of these mills were forced to close.  Where there is no grain being grown, there is no need for a flour mill.  And so it went for a long time.  

As the economy began to change and the price of grass seed changed with it, the Hunton’s realized the need to re-strategize.  Enter Charlie and Julie Tilt and their business Hummingbird Wholesale.  If the Hunton’s were going to grow grains (and beans, as it turns out), it would only make good economic sense to mill them locally as well.  Hauling a commodity hundreds of miles to be milled and processed and then shipping it back is not only increasing the carbon footprint of a product, but also unnecessarily increasing the cost.

 

And so, with their forces combined, (and some help from eDev and the City of Eugene), they built a mill.  As with any construction project, things got complicated, but they persevered.  Working with an eye towards the future they created a mission statement and a set of goals to support continued viability, provide resources to farmers in the valley, implement innovative practices, and foster an environment of optimism and collaboration.  

As individuals, when we choose to support these products and businesses, we can have far-reaching effects on our local and subsequently global economies, standards of health and living, and what society holds as important.  We can all be heroes!       

Don't Drink the Green Beer

     It's time for another monthly wine and cheese pairing!  Except, this month, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, we are featuring Oakshire Beer and a few delectable varieties of Irish Cheese!

     Josh, Ziggy, and I were fortunate enough to visit Oakshire's facilities and see for ourselves what makes this beer so special.  Our friendly hosts Sam and Ariel greeted us warmly and put us right to work tasting a flight of their finely crafted beer.  As the weather raged outside, we were warm and comfortable in their tasting room which opens up into the fermenting and bottling rooms.

The barstools are re-purposed casks.

A flight of tasty beer.

     When we were all done in the tasting room, Sam took us on a tour of the fermentation and bottling rooms.  He walked us through each step of the process, from grain to keg.  What stood out was the cleanliness, organization and efficiency of the whole operation.
     In 2006 Oakshire was founded by two brothers who were home brewers.  The giant, gleaming stainless steel tanks make it obvious that the company has come a long way since then.  What hasn't changed is their dedication to producing a beer that is rooted in artisanship and craftsmanship, which is what their oak tree logo represents.

     So what was that I mentioned about cheese?  Read on for tasting notes from our two resident experts!

Ziggy: We tried a flight of the current brews, ranging in taste from the bright and light-bodied Amber through to their rich and robust Overcast Espresso Stout.  Sam told us that the original recipe Oakshire began with was similar to the Amber.  The Watershed IPA is crisp and lively with the fresh taste of floral hops -- the fragrance and taste definition of fresh beer is one big reason to buy local!  We also tried the Domaine du Lane, a French Farmhouse Ale, which is available at the brewery.  Inspired by Belgian ales, I found the taste complex with layers of fruit, and yeast.  Delicious!  While we are featuring the O'Dark:30 in our pairing of the month, it would be a shame to let the other terrific Oakshire beers pass without a nod.  I tried a bottle of the Overcast Espresso Stout with our four Irish cheeses.  The espresso in the Espresso Stout is the aptly-named Chupacabra blend from Wandering Goat, and Sam tells us the stout contains about a shot's worth of espresso per pint.  The brisk espresso flavor comes through and combines with the rich, toasty chocolate notes of the dark malt.  Overcast has a rich and creamy mouth feel and a well-balanced palate with both sweet and bitter notes, definitely not a cloyingly sweet stout.  Myself and my tasting partner thought the Dubliner was a stellar combination with the Overcast.  The ale brought out the sweetness of the cheese and accented its buttery quality, while the cheese brought out the toastiness and velvety smoothness of the ale.  Another excellent combination was the porter cheese.  This cheese in itself is rich, creamy, and smooth as ice cream.  We found that it complemented the bitter notes and accentuated the coffee flavor of the stout.

Josh: March is in like a lion this year, and so is the ferociously bold O'Dark:30, the seasonal beer from Oakshire Brewing.  This full-bodied dark ale begins with an assertive dry hopped aroma and mellows to a dark malt finish.  With a perfectly contrived balance between bitterness and sweet notes, this beer provides exciting possibilities for pairing with cheese.  In honor of St. Patrick's Day and our recent visit to the brewery, I decided to employ the O'Dark:30 as a match for a few of The Kiva deli's Irish cheeses.  Good beer and good cheese make for a good time; however, one of the combinations worked really well for me.  Kerrygold's 12 month aged Dubliner, with its salty crunch and a hint of sweetness paired particularly well with the O'Dark:30.

     Well folks, there you have it!  So remember this St. Patrick's Day to eat, drink and be merry, just not the green beer.  Cheers!

Josh and Ziggy!

BOOK OF THE MONTH - NATURAL NOTES

NATURAL NOTES

It's the beginning of a new month, and that means it's time for another Book of the Month blog post!  As I look forward to the coming spring and summer, in spite of the snow this morning, I am excited to bring your attention to this new publication.  Natural Notes are quick reference guides on a range of subjects relating to alternative health and wellness. 
As the days grow longer and the promise of good weather becomes more real, I find myself re-inspired to make good on those New Year's resolutions.  This last bout with winter can be discouraging, but these colorful and easy-to-use guides are exactly what is needed to remind me that my goals are achievable and worthwhile! 
With information at a glance and durable construction, Natural Notes are perfect to carry along with you throughout the day, or keep by your kitchen sink. 
Whether you are wanting to learn more about pH Balancing, Sprouting Seeds, Genetically Modified Food, Aromatherapy, or more, Natural Notes are a great way to start your inquiry and support your healthy lifestyle decisions along the way!

  

FIT FOR A KING

 

     Welcome to the latest edition to our blog: monthly wine and cheese pairings brought to you by Ziggy our wine buyer and Josh our cheese monger.  We hope to educate and entice.  
      This month, we bring you Port and Stilton.
Josh:  Stilton, England's only name-protected cheese, is the pride of the British cheese-making culture.  It is known world-wide by fans as the "King of Cheese".  It is made of full-cream cows milk from iron-rich pastures in select counties, and has a full, complex flavor.  Stilton's texture is creamy yet it crumbles nicely for salads or little snack-sized morsels.  It is a beautiful aged blue with a signature naturally-forming crusty rind.
     Port wine and Stilton is one of the classic pairings.  The sweet complexity of the wine compliments the full salty flavor of the cheese without getting lost in it, creating a backdrop that helps to exhibit the layered flavor profile of the cheese.  Try this combination for a gastronomic experience fit for a king.  At the Kiva we offer Long Clawson Stilton, $15.45 per pound.  Also try the Shropshire Blue, (Stilton's cousin), which is $15.60 per pound.
Ziggy: While American Port-style wines are often given that name, true Port is a product of the Douro Valley in Portugal, which has been famous for production of these wines since the 18th Century.  It is a fortified wine, meaning that during production the fermentation is halted by the addition of neutral grape spirits, which results in higher residual sugar and alcohol content. 

     Most Ports are sweet, rich, and silky, though the sweetness varies a great deal by brand and style.  They have traditionally been served as dessert wines or aperitifs (before a meal), which coincides with the serving of cheese, which is often used as an appetizer and even more often as a dessert treat, especially in Europe.

     Some of the most basic styles of Port include Ruby, in which the wine is fermented in concrete or stainless steel tanks which prevent the oxidation that gives Tawny Port its characteristic color.  Ruby Port is a deep burgundy color, with more of the fruitiness of the grapes intact and a slightly thinner texture.  Rubies are the least expensive and most produced of the Port family.  It is meant to be consumed without long aging.

     Tawny Port is aged in wooden barrels which allows oxidation and evaporation, resulting in a "tawny" color, a nutty flavor, a more concentrated palate and a thicker mouth feel.  Tawny Port may be aged for many years.

     White Ports exist in a variety of ages, qualities, and degrees of dryness.  It is often served as an aperitif and used as a mixer in cocktails. 

     Rose Port is a recent addition to the lineup, first produced in 2008.  I find that it pairs well with chocolate (another traditional pairing with Port) but not as well with Stilton as other ports.

     Port and Stilton cheese are a longstanding traditional pairing, especially during the winter holiday season.  Right now, in the dark, dank, cold February of Eugene, Port and Stilton can offer a delicious, cheering, and warming after-dinner treat.  Opposites attract!  The rich, creamy, salty, and pungent tastes of Stilton are complemented and enhanced by the silky sweetness of Port; they blend well in the mouth, resulting in a fascinating alchemy of flavor that begs for another bite and sip.  

     While Tawny Ports are often paired with Stilton and other sharp blue cheeses, I find Rubies are my favorite in this pairing--their higher acidity seems to complement the cheese (this is a personal taste, however--your mileage may vary).  Ziggy's favorite picks:   Noval Black Porto ($20 on sale, regularly $30), Kopke Ruby Port ($17), and Fonseca Ruby Port ($15.75).  All are sweet and rich, but to my palate have plenty of flavor and depth to back up the sweetness.

     Other Ports in stock include Dow's White ($16.75), Dow's Fine Tawny ($14.75), Dow's Late Bottled ($23.25); Kopke 10-Year Old Port in 750 ml bottles ($35) and 350 ml bottles ($21); Graham's Six Grapes Reserve ($22).

     American "Ports" we have include Marietta Port from California (excellent but out of stock right now); Alex Eli "Conversation" Port from Oregon ($15.75 for 375 ml, 100% Sangiovese.  An ethereal and moderately sweet Port-style wine which would pair well with many blue cheeses--I would recommend trying it with Oregonzola), and Terra d'Oro Zinfandel Port ($10.50 for 375 ml.  I balk at calling this Port, though it is an excellent Zinfandel dessert wine which would pair well with many sharp cheeses).
     Other wines which pair well with Stilton and other pungent blues include sweet sherries and dessert Muscat wines.
     Other classic pairings with Port include chocolate (especially dark chocolate) and rich chocolate desserts and smoked sausage and fish.

 

A Review of The Beekeeper's Handbook

Whatever your level of knowledge or expertise, this book will leave you buzzing!  
More than just bees and honey, it is a comprehensive guide to every step in between.  
With a complete glossary, diagrams, charts and appendixes, the reader can quickly and easily reference a wide range of information.  
Whether you are starting out with one hive, or have been keeping bees for years, this is an invaluable source of up-to-date knowledge, practices and methods.