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Di Majo Norente Sangiovese 2012

bottle and glass
tomatoes

The first tomato salad of the season, made of just sliced tomatoes and salt.  We made it austere because it was the first, next time we’ll add oil and basil, maybe even cheese.  The tomato was grown by a Hmong farmer from Fresno named John who comes to the James Lick Farmer’s Market on Sundays.  After this we had grilled eggplant and zucchini over rice with ponzu sauce. And some pickled radish greens.  The tomatoes tasted great with the wine but missed fat.  The wine was tannic and could have used it.  Beautiful color.  A good match for the tomatoes.   I’d buy another if I came across it, and have it with a burger.  The Wine Club, $12.

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Pickles

Pickles

Pickles are easy to make.  You need a clean mason jar full of cut up vegetables, and a lid.  I used a half gallon jar and filled it with jalapenos, radishes, and cucumbers.

Bring a pot of brine to a decent boil.  Pour it into the jar of vegetables.   A funnel helps.  Make sure the brine covers the vegetables completely.    Let it cool to room temperature.  Put it in the fridge, You can eat it right away, or sometimes it takes a day to really taste great.  It’ll keep for a week or more.  Eat it at every meal and you don’t have to worry about that.

BRINE:

Per cup of water,

  • 1/2 cup vinegar, DWV is what I used here
  • 6 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt

NOTE:  I tripled this recipe to fill the half gallon jar.

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Remanfredi Bianco Basilicata Vendemmia 2009

basilicata

The two of us kicked the bottle in no time, before the apps were done.  Tending towards orange in color.  Dense.  We ate it with some cheese, two blues, a midnight moon, honeybee gouda, a mature tangy goat.  One of the blue cheeses was very blue and the other was creamy.  The very blue one brought out bitterness in the wine, overwhelming it.  Tasted best with the creamy goat.  Fruit and Mineral.  Thick.  Very enjoyable.   The Wine Club, $18.