He Says, She Says - April 2009

Brunch season has officially begun, and we have two great menus to choose from this month. But first, let's take a look at what's for dinner: We have some updated recipes for Chicken Fricasse and a Beef Brisket, and both look perfectly wine-friendly to me. Let's get started, Chas.

Chicken Fricassee with Peas and Orzo
Wini Says: J'adore a good Chick-Frick, and this looks like a super-fresh update. Being so it's creamy and French, I'd be tempted by a true French Chardonnay for this, yet staying true to the nature of the affordable elegance of this classic, I'm not inclined to get quite that spendy. How about Ravens Wood Vintners Blend California Chardonnay ($10) - fresh enough for spring, yet rounded enough for this luscious dish.

Chuck Says: Your Chick-Frick pick is slick, chick. And the trick that makes the pick tick (at least to this hick!) is that it comes in the nick to click (ain't this totally sick?) with spring's best pick. I'm speaking of course, of fresh peas, so if I REALLY wanted to make this shtick stick-which might get me hit with a brick (no picnic), we could . . .

Say, you don't mind removing your foot from my throat do you? Thanks.

But, I truly like your pick.

Chick.

I like it so much that I'm going to give a California Chardonnay selection of my own - Bernardus Monterey County Chardonnay 2006 ($20). This one is, yes, a little pricier, but on the other hand, stuff like hand-picking all the grapes, and using 100 percent French oak barrels (at something like $1,000 a pop), isn't exactly what you'd call cheap production either. It can-and here, does-make a difference, along with the wonderfully cool Monterey climate in which these grapes are grown.

Wini Says: All I can add to your bit is OH, ICK! (Though your wine choice is terrif-IC!)

Max's Traditional Brisket of Beef

Wini Says: Oven-baked brisket - big, easy, meaty and good. What a great reason to pull out the Malbecs that I featured in my April 2009 column in Relish. (Click on "A Good Glass of Wine," to the right of this article for some amazing picks!)

However, let me share one more recommendation: Colores de Sol Malbec ($12). I am rendered sleepless at night because this one was omitted from this month's column (I tasted it after deadline). This may be the best place to start if you've never tried Malbec-a medium-bodied, fruity and approachable sip for a fabulous price.

Chuck Says: Now, now, don't be so hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and omissions, and just because this one happens to be a little worse than usual, well it's nothing to lose sleep over. And anyway, once I FINALLY get my hands on that great-sounding Malbec, I know I will find it in my heart to forgive you.

OK, now just because I'm not going with Malbec here doesn't mean that I don't agree with the pick. It's a darned good one-in fact, a natural-with this hearty brisket. But frankly, with all the great Malbecs you've given us (some later than others), it wouldn't make sense to cover the same territory here. So I'll just say that if you're looking for something else with plenty of dark fruit flavor, that also isn't too serious or seriously priced, how 'bout that Sicilian favorite, Nero d'Avola? For a particularly amiable selection, go with Cusumano Nero d'Avola Sicilia 2007 ($12). Poured it at a tasting Friday night, and the crowd loved it-and also went wild over the very cool glass-stopper closure Cusumano employs instead of cork.

BRUNCH MENU #1:
Herbed Spinach and Goat Cheese Strata, Arugula Salad, Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins, Fresh Fruit.

Wini Says: While strata is a typical brunch dish, I like the idea of serving this recipe for dinner-as the head-note suggests. Talk about easy! Put it together before work, then come home and enjoy the spring evening (plus a glass of wine) while it bakes. In such a case, rather than going for my usual brunch standby-light, bright sparkling wines-I might tap into one of your favorites, Charles: White Bordeaux, which typically blend goat-cheese-friendly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. For under $10, I've never found a better pick than the Mouton Cadet blanc ($9) you so rightly ballyhooed in last month's Relish.

Chuck Says: Darn it, you're all over this one too, Wini! Just when I was ready to get cantankerous. Thanks for backing me into a corner-there's no way I can disagree with the Sau-Blanc/Semillon combo with this herbed-up meal featuring tangy goat cheese. Once again, all I can do is offer an alternative, just in case you want something a tad different.

So, what wine could also fill the bill? Well, now that I'm thinking Italian, one strong possibility would be a Vernaccia. These can sport some pleasant herbality all their own, along with quite refreshing finishes. I don't see that going amiss here. The wine I suggest checking out, the Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano Rondolino 2006 ($14) is lively, and, like so many Italian wines, most at home alongside delicious foods such as these.

BRUNCH MENU #2:
Oven-Poached Eggs in Spinach Nests, Sofrito Cheese Sauce, Cheese Blintz Casserole, Warm Blueberry Sauce, Spring Fruit Compote.

Wini Says: I love poached eggs, but I hate poaching eggs-at least that free-form simmering-water method can be mighty tricky. But oven-poached eggs in this recipe? Now we're talking!

This brilliant discovery calls for a celebratory glass of bubbly. Conveniently, a sparkling wine will also be the best choice for the mood and the food of this menu. I don't want anything too crazy-dry, citrusy, or sharp, because that might just fight with the bold flavors of the Arugula salad (but then again, I imagine that nicely rich Cheese Blitz Casserole and the Soffrito Cheese Sauce will help snap the menu back into lush-versus tart-territory).

Make life easy, and go for an easygoing fresh-forward Italian sparkling wine from Italy. Try Saracco Moscato d'Asti ($16) for a delicately frothy, lusciously sweet sip. If sweet isn't your thing, try easy-to-find Zardetto Prosecco ($13) - a crisp, bright sip.   

Chuck Says: Couldn't agree more on the poaching AND the selections. I would cheerfully slurp either of those alongside this delectable menu. But rather than poach your picks, I will once again simply toss out another option.

As I'm sure you know, if ever there were a wine needing some reputation rehabilitation, it would probably be Soave. Let's see, what are some of the inglorious terms typically used to describe this white wine from Italy's Veneto region? Well, there's: boring, insipid, watery, dull, bland . . . You get the picture.

Thankfully, although there are still a few mass-produced Soaves deserving of this scorn (and maybe more), there are now ever-increasing numbers of fresh and exciting Soaves to remind us just how special this wine can sometimes be. One that I believe would be fun as a still-wine alternative to those bubblies you mentioned is the 2006 Inama Soave Classico ($15). With a lovely floral-scented aroma, beautiful balance, and a luscious, medium-full texture, this wine will make you look at Soave in an entirely new, eminently elegant, light.

Wini Says: Ah, Soave-you leave me with beautiful memories. Bolla Soave was the first wine I ever ordered by the bottle at a restaurant in my 20s. I felt so sophisticated . . . and it sounds like the new Soaves you speak of could be all-out dinner worthy again. Thanks for the tip!

Chuck Says: And thank you for another fun month filled with awesome wines, my friend! See you in May.