Ahhh, February. Love is in the air, and baseball is mere weeks away. Ain’t life grand?
As we approach Valentine’s Day, I think it’s appropriate to reaffirm why we do this whole wine and cheese (and chocolate and spirits and so on) thing in the first place. What drives our passion for great food and drink? We do it because we love it. We do it because a morsel of perfectly-prepared food brings a smile to our faces. That’s the goal — eat or drink something. Smile. Repeat. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that. Unfortunately, in my line of work, I often see customers, students, and even teachers try to make it harder than it needs to be.
When it comes to enjoying wine, cheese, and whatever else you’re noshing on, the single most important lesson I teach my students is so simple and obvious, it’s almost ridiculous. Ready?
Eat and drink what makes you happy.
That’s it. Seriously. This is plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face obvious, right? Yet I’m always surprised by how few people actually do this. I can’t emphasize the point enough. No matter how outlandish the combination may seem, no matter how loudly the ‘experts’ rail against your choices, if you like it, do it.
My dad is the best example of this philosophy I can think of. When it comes to wine, there is exactly one bottle he truly enjoys — a $17 Merlot from California. It’s made by a giant producer. They make hundreds of thousands of cases a year. It’s not a particularly fancy Merlot, but it’s a reliably enjoyable bottle of wine.
There are, however, two aspects to my dad’s wine-drinking habits that are a little bit challenging for me to accept as a wine professional. He keeps all the Merlot in the fridge all the time, and, once a bottle is open, it’s the only bottle he’ll drink until it’s finished. When I bring my son Max over to play with Papa this weekend, he’ll offer me a glass of wine. With head hung low and a sigh (because I know what’s coming), I’ll accept. With a smile, he’ll dash off to the kitchen and return with a juice glass filled with ice-cold Merlot that is somewhere around five months old. My dad doesn’t drink a lot of wine.
As a wine nerd and dutiful son, I’ve tried for years to share some of the great Merlots of the world with him in the hopes of broadening his horizons. I would bring different bottles to holiday gatherings, his birthday parties, special occasions — anywhere an opportunity arose. My greatest attempt came on his 65th birthday. For his celebratory dinner, I brought a top-notch $400 bottle of Bordeaux. It was top-notch, with delicate aromas of blackberries and flowers. It was rich and powerful, with layer after layer of flavor. It was, in a word, sublime. I presented a glass to my dad (in a proper vessel, not a juice glass), confident I had finally succeeded in my mission to find another Merlot he would enjoy as much as his old stand-by from California. He tasted it and gave a single-word review: “Eh.”
Eh! He had just sipped one of the best Merlots in the world and it did not impress him one bit. He eschewed this magnificent Bordeaux for the wine he truly enjoyed. I was so proud of him. He gets it, even if by accident. His enjoyment of wine isn’t driven by cost or prestige. He likes what he likes, and he unapologetically drinks that. Bravo, Dad!
A lovely pairing for a sweet holiday
For this month’s pairing, I’m going for fun and sassy in an effort to woo my wife — sweet whipped ricotta with fresh berries and a glass of chilled Lambrusco from Italy. It’s not a terribly serious combination, but we both love it, and it’s perfect for a lazy Sunday morning.
With a name translating as “wild grape” in its native northern Italian tongue, one might expect Lambrusco to be a powerhouse reeking of earth and leaves. Nothing could be further from the truth. ‘Lambrusco’ is a collective name representing almost 60 different varieties of grapes, and every single one of them wants to party. The wine shows a gorgeous ruby-red color and intense aromas of red berries. Lambrusco is made in styles ranging from secco (dry) to dolce (sweet).
I prefer mine with just a touch of sweetness to help tie into the sweet ricotta. At Bin Ends (where I work, in the spirit of fair discourse), you can pick up a bottle of Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco for under $10, and it’s a delight to drink. With a bit less alcohol than most (around 11 percent), killing the bottle in the name of love isn’t going to kill you.
Now, on to the whipped ricotta. It's ridiculously easy to make, and it’s phenomenally versatile and delicious. Basically, buy the freshest ricotta you can find (I’m in love with the ricotta from Mozzarella House in Peabody). Put it in a food processor with a couple splashes of milk and a drizzle of honey. Turn on the food processor for five or ten seconds — and voila! — you have a sweetened cheese with the consistency of Cool Whip. I like to create a parfait with it, layering in fresh raspberries and blackberries, and a little acacia honey. The rich, creamy notes of the sweet cheese and honey are offset by the crispness and tang of the wine. It’s a total winner: easy to make, pretty to look at, and tasty.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Make the most of it — do something frivolous. Tell someone you love them. Give lots of hugs. Above all, eat and drink what you like.
Bin Ends - 65 Crawford St., Needham, 781-400-2086, and 236 Wood Rd., Braintree, 781-817-1212, binendswine.com
Mozzarella House - 26 Walnut St., Peabody, 978-532-0000,
mozzarellahouse.com
