Bubbles and Caviar, A Pretzel Club Sandwich on the Hood, Search for Sriracha, Half a Glass Overflows and More in This Edition of Woody’s Whine
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County
“l like the “Whine” because it’s about good food and drink and has interesting tidbits.”
He Said She Said Bubbles and Caviar Tasting
We attended the Battle of the Bubbles “He Said, She Said” sparkling wine and champagne tasting featuring three matching caviars as part of the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience in early May.
It’s the first time where we were able to taste a domestic sparkling wine made by a true champagne house, as well as their top Champagne, it was quite an interesting concept and experience.
For example, we first tasted the L’Ermitage Brut Roederer Estate from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, a wine that we know and love
and I think the best domestic sparkling wine in the country. We tasted alongside a Champagne – “Collection 244” from the French house of Louis Roederer – really a treat.
Each pair of wines was paired with a different style of caviar meant to match with wines and that’s where the fun and learning came in.
The tasting, hosted by the effervescent Leslie Sbrocco, well known television host (Check Please) and an acclaimed food and wine and travel authority and Ray Isle, wine editor for Food & Wine magazine who brought his entertaining perspectives as a foil to Ms. Leslie, all worked rather well – they’ve done this before.
Since the event was billed as a “He Said, She Said presentation I’m posting the interview in the same fashion that makes it easier on me so I don’t have to put in all the quotation marks.
I began, half laughing with the comment, “It’s really a shame that you two don’t get along better.” – That resulted in big smiles and casual jabs from both. He said, It’s really terrible isn’t it? She said, We really don’t like each other.
I remarked that they had curated the comparative tasting so well and introduced people to such wonderful combinations with the descriptions that they used.
He said, What we were doing today was looking at caviar and sparkling wine and Champagne and how they go together and why different sparkling wines and Champagnes go better with different kinds of caviar but not in a boring way that might make you fall asleep way – just because it’s fun.
She said, It’s like puzzle pieces fitting together, some people’s puzzle pieces fit together and some pieces look different than other people’s puzzle pieces but in fact they’re all right, they’re all correct. It’s fun to say oh no I like this one better, try this one with a (potato) chip. The great part was they were all beautiful wines and they were all beautiful caviars so there was no wrong answer, that’s the beauty of the day.
He said, Caviar wise I liked the first caviar on its own and then wine wise, it was hard to pick as they were all so good, but as we tasted, some of the pairings worked differently than what was to be expected. For example the cuttle fish caviar worked just okay for me but then I put it on a potato chip and it actually worked better.
I shared with Mr. Isle that I knew of his rapport with potato chips as I had read his recent article in F&W and in fact quoted some of his better potato chip and wine matches in last month’s “Woody’s Whine”, smiles and nods ensued.
Regards his remark about pairing a potato chip with the caviar, She said, It made a world of difference, I liked the way the cuddle fish paired with the Iron Horse Joy! (Sparkling from the Russian River AVA) rather than the two rose wines it was intended for. See what’s happening here.
She said; never underestimate the power of the potato chip, (laughs all around).
Their favorite wines of the tasting? She said the Champagne Nicholas Palmes dOr Brut, He said, I think the Champagne Lewis Roederer “Collection 244 Cuvée” when you look at price and quality it’s just an unbeatable combination.
And so they were!
I want you to take note here that when it comes to matching food and wine this event was the perfect demonstration as to there being no strict rules – demonstrated by two wonderfully experienced professionals showing us how they moved things around within their own tasting event and found the results to be more rewarding.
*****
Chick fil A is testing a Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich and We Had Boots on the Ground
Chick-fil-A has been testing a Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich at participating restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina. (I have no idea why the only use cities in NC for testing) The sandwich includes a boneless breast of chicken served on a toasted, cross-cut pretzel bun with lettuce, sliced tomato, seasoned cheddar cheese, Applewood smoked bacon and a Dijon mustard sauce on the side. According to the company, guest feedback will determine a broader rollout in the future, Really and that’s why they’re testing? Duh.
With its latest test, Chick-fil-A is tapping into the popularity of non-traditional buns. Testing shows that 59% of millennials find a pretzel bun to be “extremely” or “very” appealing. What trend setters.
So I reach out to Pat my friendly traveling taster who tells me it’s a six hour round trip to Raleigh NC and I said forget about it, his wife said, “You’re crazy” and the neighbors laughed at him and yet, they are looking forward to reading this review I’m told.
Pat, who has made other shorter forays to taste sandwiches at closer locals, took it upon himself to make the trip and file a report and while I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, you “Whiners” should too. I just wish I could get him to follow my instructions;
- Please eat inside so you can get better pictures of the sandwich and to take notes
- Have the sandwich cut in half so we can see the construction of the ingredients
- Arrange a telltale shot with the sandwich and a company logo on a package or wrapper so we know where you are by sight.
- No outside signage from the car window is needed that we can’t read, I believe you that you went there
Alas my requests have been ignored- again. Greg Baise would have followed my instructions.
So here’s what I ended up with:
Pat’s report from in and around his car on the Chick fil a Pretzel Cheddar Club sandwich verbatim:
The first bite has a little bit of heat to it apparently from the seasoned cheddar cheese.
It’s a really nice piece of chicken and I can taste the bacon, oh and the pretzel bun is also good and is toasted with maybe some butter on it, really nice.
I really like the taste of the cheddar cheese.
This is really out of the ordinary for a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
The whole sandwich is juicy and tasty and the Dijon mustard adds another layer of flavor in a good way, worth the trip to try it.
The staffer that helped me says, “Can’t keep them in stock”.
$8.29 for the sandwich, a meal including the sandwich, fries and a drink is $12.29
“Oh I dropped sauce on my shirt”-sitting in the car of course
Thanks Pat, I couldn’t have done it better…well yes I could have but it would have been a really long drive for me.
Nation’s Restaurant News
*****
Half a Glass
Red House Blends for the Summer
Here’s your chance to find a “house” red for the summer grilling season. Take home one of each and do your own taste test with some burgers.
Shebang – NV California Red, $11.50 – This jammy red packs a wallop with intense dark fruit flavors. Generous and striking.
Coppola Rosso, NV, $10.50. Jammy fruit – strawberry, boysenberry and plum – coupled with a kick of cracked black pepper and a dollop of vanilla.
Bogle Vineyards – Essential Red Blend, $11. A supple red that has layered notes of blueberry and blackberry. A vibrant red with a lingering finish. Impressive.
sparkling wine for the summer Cavas over Proseccos
Most cavas (95%) hail from Spain and they are a steal for the caliber of wine and just like Champagne, cavas are produced with a second fermentation in the bottle, not pumped with bubbles after the fact.
Cava is taster than prosecco being more textured and toasty as a result of secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Your local wine seller will be impressed when you ask for a good cava.
*****
The Best Sriracha Substitutes to Survive the Huy Fong Shortage
At this point, it looks as if every New Year will bring a Sriracha shortage. Huy Fong Foods, the company that makes the country’s most popular brand of Sriracha, has struggled for the past two years to produce enough inventory to meet the demand for its garlicky, spicy sauce.
This year, the shortage apparently has to do with the color of the chilies that Huy Fong Foods uses to make the bright red sauce. According to USA Today, the company told its wholesale buyers that this year’s chile crop was “too green,” and that it was having an impact on the color of the Sriracha. Huy Fong Foods says that it plans to resume production sometime after Labor Day, though drought conditions in Mexico, where the chiles are grown, could also worsen the shortage.
Big hot sauce companies, like Tabasco and Lee Kum Kee, also make their own versions of Sriracha: The Tabasco sauce is thick and garlicky, with subtle sweetness that makes it taste the most similar to Huy Fong.
Thai brand Shark is also wildly popular with chefs and Sriracha fans, many of whom say it boasts a better, more balanced flavor profile than Huy Fong.
*****
Burger King Beats McDonald’s with Its Own $5 Meal Deal
Burger King will be returning its $5 meal to the lineup as well as accelerating other value offers, the company has confirmed.
Restaurant Brands International Inc. will be launching its $5 deal ahead of competitor McDonald’s Corp., which is planning its own $5 value offering. Bloomberg reported the Burger King $5 meal would include a choice of one of three sandwiches with nuggets, fries, and a drink.
Quick-service operators on first-quarter earnings calls have noted lower store traffic especially from persons with household incomes of less than $75,000.
Wendy’s Co. earlier this week announced a $3 breakfast meal deal – can’t wait…
*****
“Sauce Can Change Everything”
I’ve done several tastings that focus on this very question. Or rather, focus on trying different wines with a bit of steak. The main theme that always shows is it’s not the steak; it’s the sauce that really matters.
When you use a Hollandaise or Béarnaise sauce, a white Burgundy or an American Chardonnay with oak is great! When you have an au proive sauce, try a young ruby Port —it’ll change your life. Tomato-based sauce? Sangiovese from Tuscany! [This can include Chianti and Brunello.] When trying steak with an olive tapenade or puttanesca type of sauce, lean on Syrah from the Sonoma Coast or the Northern Rhône.
It’s endlessly surprising how the steak somewhat fades into the background and the pairing is actually based on the wine and the sauce.
Andy Chabot, senior vice president of food and beverage at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
*****
Triple IPA Pliny Sell Out and Pulls in Record $8.6M for region
Russian River Brewing Co.’s annual release of its Triple IPA – Pliny the Younger generated a record $8.6 million in economic impact for Sonoma County, according to
the latest report from the brewing company and the county Economic Development Board.
Natalie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing Co. co-owner and president, said the 20th anniversary of Pliny the Younger brought more excitement, along with the company upping the maximum number of bottles that Pliny fans could purchase from two to three at a time. The report is collected through a survey given to people who attended Pliny’s two-week release period.
The 20th anniversary of this annual release attracted just over 25,000 people from 40 states and seven countries. Visitors were almost evenly split between the Santa Rosa and Windsor locations. About 65% of those visitors were returning customers.
The average group spent $329 during their visit at one of Russian River’s two locations. Pliny travelers also spent an average of $272 on airline tickets to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport and $261 on direct hotel bookings.
Last year’s, event generated $6.3 million during its two-week release and sold all 41,000 bottles of Pliny the Younger produced. Around 24,000 people came to Russian River Brewing’s locations.
Press Democrat
*****
Frei Brothers Merlot Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Reserve 2021 | $17
Plump and generous, with jammy red currant, cherry and toasty cinnamon flavors that linger on the sleek finish. Drink now through 2028 – 13,000 cases made.
*****
Here’s a recipe for Pork and Portobello Burgers and my favorite summer salad for Chickpea Salad with Fresh Herbs and Scallions are in fact right Here Enjoy!
That’s My Whine and…I could me wrong.
Woody Mosgers, cooks, custom caters, writes, drinks, matches wine and food and offers wine country tour information and planning in Santa Rosa Sonoma, CA.