“The Buzz” – Enoteria – Land of Wine

No. Enoteria does not necessarily refer to The Buzz. However, there are many win es to be found at The Buzz. Enoteria, in this case, refers to Italy, or “the land of wine”. “… Because of its rich diversity of grape varieties and many acres dedicated to cultivated vines … In more ways than one, Italy became a gigantic nursery and a commercial hub positioned at the heart of the Mediterrean for what would become western civilation’s first ‘globally’ traded product – wine.” [wine lecture, The Buzz] As the vintners of Italy, primarily in the Tuscan region, became aggressively determined to enter the world stage as a major producer of wine, some of the best wines ever produced included the varietals Amarone, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Passito de Pantelleria. Another true Italian wine is a Pinot Grigio – Pinot Gris is a copy, albeit sometimes a good copy.
My ratings of the wines tonight were comparatively high. There was nothing lower than [17] out of [20]. Look what we had and enjoy! We did. Such a great start to the new year. February Chocolate and Wine will be featured with some awesome chocolate dishes and in March look for Wines of France.

Frittatine di Pasta
2013 Villadoria Barbera d’alba
13.0% alc. good clarity but lacking some color. great balance and finish. superb match with the pasta. [18] $15.00

Oops! One bite gone! Really good.

Italian Wedding Soup
(The soup was good, but I missed some traditional Italian spices in it. Like some oregano.)
2013 Avanti Pinot Noir
12.0% alc. great match with the soup. good deep red color with black cherry nose. [19] $12.00

Antipasto Chopped Salad
(Absolutely a superb salad! Red wine vinegar, paprika, grape seed oil and garlic were in the dressing. Super!)
2014 Principi di Butera Insolia
13.0% alc. superb match with the salad. great balance and fruit. [19] $20.00

Chicken Marsala
with
Pea and Carrot Flan
(Great flan! I want this again.)
2014 Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie
13.0% alc. superb paring with the Marsala, which comes from Sicily. great appeal. [19] $25.00

Cassata Cake
NV Fratelli Casa Rossa
4.5% alc. yes, a sweet dessert wine that went well with the cake. light on the nose but very appealing with the dessert. [18] $15.00

Beef Short Ribs Borscht

You say you don’t like borscht? Or beets? The addition of the beef short ribs and the carrots, sure does sweeten the flavor of the shredded beets. The red color is still there for the soup, but the beet flavor is very mild. Robin and I think it is a superb alternative to an “official” borscht. Here is the recipe, if you want to try this – Beef Short Rib Borscht. Print one out. It takes a while to cook, we use the CrockPot, but it is well worth the effort. Left-Click any of the following photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy and let us know how you liked it. Notice that there is no cabbage in this borscht. Cheers!

Onions are caramelizing in the beef fat.

Braised – caramelized – beef short ribs, beet stems and potatoes are waiting for the beet cooking liquid.

Oh my. The finished product! And as the recipe says, “Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the scallions, dill and a dollop of crème fraîche [or sour cream]. Serve with spicy mustard and slices of dark bread.” The diced scallions and dill or fennel will really add to the flavors.

Great New Year’s Eve Dinner!

And to say Good-Bye to 2015 and Hello 2016, how about a nice dinner consisting of Felzien Lamb Chops with Bearnaise Sauce, Poached Green Beans and a Spinach Salad with Micro Greens, Carrots and Tomatoes that was topped with a wonderful Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. And the perfect – and it was perfect – match of wine with dinner – 1997 Indian Creek Winery Pinot Noir. It paired better than some new 2013 Ravenswood Winery Old Vine Zinfandel. Now that’s saying something! And it has been said that Idaho can not make a good wine. Think again! Then for dessert, wonderful sliced Fresh Strawberries with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream (Sorry for the poor photo of the dessert). And the very perfect dinner partner, the love of my life, Robin! Love to make these dinners for her. Here’s to another great year, Honey! Cheers!

Braised Felzien Lamb Chops
Poached Green Beans
Spinach Salad
with
tomatoes, micro greens and carrots
Champagne Pear Dressing
1997 Indian Creek Winery Pinot Noir

 

1997 Indian Creek Winery Pinot Noir

 

Fresh Strawberries
with
Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

 

Happy New Year Everyone!
and
Thanks to the 7656 people Who We Reach Through Our Blog!

Happy Holidays from “The Buzz”!

The Buzz Wine Dinner definitely had that Caribbean flare to it. Fun tacos. A super good Coconut Seafood Soup and pretty good Jerk Chicken – it’s all in the jerk sauce. If you are on a diet and counting your carbs, there was a total of 82.5g carbs tonight. My target is 60-64g of carbs per day. Oops! The best dish for the night, in my opinion, was the Coconut Seafood Soup, which also came in at 25.5g of carbs. It was soooooo good! Cristi and Tommy just got back from a Caribbean cruise, so the night was rushed. Thanks Peggy, for helping out again! Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.

Fish Taco with Cilantro Creama
2014 Garzon Albarino
12.5% alc. this white wine went well with sharpness of the cilantro and lime. [17] $17.00

Coconut Seafood Soup
(One awesome soup!)
2010 Snake River Winery Sangiovese
13.3% alc another good wine that pared well with the soup [17] $22.00

Mango Slaw Salad
2014 Kumzu Village Chardonnay (NZ)
13.5% alc this was one of the better wines for the night. superb paring with the salad. [18] $22.00

Jerk Chicken
Steamed Calloloo (like Kale) Festival
2014 Durigotti Bonarda (Argentina)
14.0% alc. not one of my favorites tonight. to me lacked in balance. [15] $17.00

Note: Any Jerk product is a style of cooking with a very specific blend of spices. It does not have tgo be spicy hot, but it definitely can be. The herb and spice blend can, and usually does, vary from home to home.

Pound Cake
with
Tequila Drizzle
Banana Fritter
2013 Montgras Carmenere (Chile)
good paring with the pound cake. [17] $13.00

The next Wine Dinner at The Buzz, will be an Italian treat! Look for a lot of good Italian reds and some super good Italian food. 2nd Tuesday in January. Mark your calendars!

Weekend Specials at Parma Ridge Winery

Here is the latest from Parma Ridge Winery. Great weekend specials!

Join us for delicious food, a glass of wine and a beautiful view. Check out our specials this weekend!

Friday Happy Hour Specials from 4-7 p.m. with purchase of glass of wine or beer:
2 Sliders with Rosemary Truffle Fries: Pork, Mesquite Ground Beef, “Triple B“ or “Deluxe” – $6.50
Chargrilled Kielbasa on Pretzel Bun with Black Cherry BBQ sauce, Deli Mustard and Caramelized Onions – $5.95
Personal size Flatbread: BBQ Pork, Grilled Chicken, “The Patricia,” or Pepperoni – $5.95

Ridge House Salad: Mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese and poached pear – $5

Basket of Rosemary Garlic Truffle Fries with House-made aioli – $5
Sunday Only, in addition to our regular menu items, you can choose from:
Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich with Cheesy Bacon Fries – $5.95

Best Ever Biscuits and Gravy with a Fried Egg – $6.95

Slow Braised Beef Short Rib over Mashed Potatoes with Grilled Asparagus and Fresh Baked Bread – $10.95

Now serving our
Creamy Northwest Clam Chowder
all weekend!

Try our Desserts:
Viognier Poached Pear – Brown Butter Sautéed Pears with a hint of coriander and star anise deglazed with Parma Ridge Viognier and honey served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – $5
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Chocolate Drizzle – $5
Dining Room and Tasting Hours are Friday 12 -7 p.m., Sat & Sun 12-5 p.m. and we offer our regular menu all weekend.

We were joined by Bob and Robin Young this past weekend, thanks for the awesome write up about Parma Ridge! https://boisefoodieguild.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/brunch-again-at-parma-ridge-winery/#comments

We are now offering gift certificates, nothing says “Merry Christmas” like the Parma Ridge Experience.

See you this weekend!
Cheers,
Steph & Storm
Parma Ridge Winery
208-946-5187
info@parmaridgewineandspirits.com

Storm’s Deluxe Burger – An All-Beef Patty with American cheese and Old-School Diner Sauce served with Fresh Cut Truffle Fries, offered all-weekend

photo courtesy of Bob Young

Northwest Creamy Clam Chowder with Storm’s Fresh Baked Bread, offered all weekend
photo courtesy of Bob Young

Copyright © 2015 Parma Ridge Wine and Spirits Co., LLC, All rights reserved.

24509 Rudd Road, Parma ID, 83660
208-946-5187
http://www.parmaridgewineandspirits.com
https://www.facebook.com/ParmaRidgeWineandSpirits

Superb Wine Buffet at the TVWS

Wow! If you missed this one, you missed an awesome and very full Wine Dinner. Almost 66 people were there! Robin did such a great job in selecting the wines, suggesting the menu to Chef Jake and presenting the program. Some little known facts about her wine education and background. Eight wines were donated from our wine cellar. All a range of reds from the 2007 Cinder Rosé of Syrah – which was wonderful – to the awesomely bold and big 2008 Saviah Petit Verdot. Here are the wines that were presented, and if you liked the Cheese Ball that we made, a link to the recipe is below.

The wines that were presented.

Light –
Appetizer Wine with Cheese Balls (Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Dip) and Assorted Berries
2007 Cinder Rosé of Syrah SRAVA, ID
2005 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Carneros, CA

Medium –
2004 Don Miguel Gascon, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
2005 Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere Maipo, Chile

Full Bodied –
2006 Parma Ridge Reserve Merlot ID
2004 Bitner Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ID
2004 Ridge Buchiqnani Ranch Sonoma Carignane CA
2008 Saviah Petite Verdot WallaWalla, WA

But what about the scrumptious dinner that Chef Jake prepared for us? Here ’tis! And for Members, first time Guests and Wine Industry people? Just $25.00 per plate. Non-Members? $35.00 per plate. Such a deal!

Appetizer Assortment of Cheeses

Baby Spinach Salad
with
warm bacon dressing, crumbled Bacon, sliced red onion, tomato wedges, pomegranate arils, walnuts and goat cheese

Haricot Vert
(aka French Green Beans)

Roasted Duck Breasts
(So very, very good!)

Cherry Cranberry Sauce

Dinner is plated!

Flourless Chocolate Tort

The appetizer table was a popular gathering place.

Robin preparing for the “wine talk”.

The 64 attendees start to arrive!

More of the crowd arrives.

Blind Tasting at The Buzz

Now here is a different program for a Wine Dinner. Serve the wines, but don’t tell anyone what they are. Can you identify the varietals? Good test! I failed! Robin won! Figures. But really a great and fun night. And the food Cristi served for dinner. I want the recipe for two of the dishes – the salad and the soup. They both were terrific! Delicious. We started off with two wines for Cristi’s Choice – she selects the wines that may, or may not, correspond to the wines and the food we are having. The white wine that she served was a White Pinot Noir from Oregon. I scored it a [18]. It had a great nose and was surprisingly good. The second wine she presented as a Cristi’s Choice was a Red Petit Verdot from Washington. It had to get a [19] and was, in my not so humble opinion, the best of the night. Petit Verdot is by far one of my favorite wines and to me, again IMNSHO, should NEVER be blended.

Brie Tarts and Stuffed Mushrooms
2014 St UrbansHoff White Riesling
went very well with the sharpness of the brie and the earthiness of the mushrooms [18]

Apple Mushroom Soup
(This was delicious! I want the recipe.)
2013 Carol Shelton Zinfandel
not my favorite tonight, even though I do like Zin. Somewhat light and not full bodied. Good though, with the soup. [16]

Mexican Potato Salad – Ensaladilla Rusa
(Delicious! Loved the mixture of ingredients. I want this recipe, too!)
2012 Clarksburg Merlot
the wine was good, but just didn’t go well with the salad [16]

Tommy T Meatloaf
Root Vegetables
Mac ‘N Cheese
2012 True Myth Paso Dobles Cabernet Sauvignon
good wine that went with the entree, especially the root vegetables [17]

Inside Out Apple Pie
2014 Zaganen Pinot Grigio
good wine that went well with the apple. [17]

Brunch at Parma Ridge Winery

Yea! Parma Ridge Winery, 24509 Rudd Road, Parma, ID has re-opened! Under new owners Chef Storm and Stephanie Hodge, the venue has changed also. They are now serving a wonderful Sunday Brunch from 12 noon to 5:00pm. The space indoors is limited in the winter season to about 25 seats. The deck is open in season. Wonderful owners. Wonderful location. Wonderful food. The wine pictured is really a good Rosé of Merlot. Not too sweet and with a little spice to it. It was named after their daughter. You might want to call for reservations if you have 4 or more people. Or visit their website at Parma Ridge Wine and Spirits. From their website, “Tasting Room hours are 12-5 p.m., Friday – Sunday. Now open for Happy Hour Friday from 4-7 p.m. Join us for a glass of wine, a bite of food and take in the amazing view!” Enjoy the creations of Chef Storm and/or the artwork of Stephanie. Here is what we had and some photos of the area. Enjoy! Ranks very high for winery food – 5-Stars! It’s that good! I have also listed it on TripAdvisor.

The sign at the entrance.

The tasting room and restaurant.

View from the patio at the tasting room.

There is a variety of herbs from the garden for the kitchen.

Artist Stephanie Hodge at the tasting counter.

Chef Storm Hodge in his kitchen.

The seating area in the restaurant.

Happy Hour menu.

Sunday Brunch menu in addition to the Happy Hour menu.

Cheese and Salami Platter
smoked provolone, Boursin, dill Havarti, muenster, fresh mozzarella, warm brie and bleu cheese with dry salami and fresh baked bread

Parma Ridge House Salad
mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, Bleu cheese and poached pear with grilled bread

Sliders and Rosemary Garlic Truffle Fries choice of
1. Ground Beef with smoked provolone, bacon and mesquite aioli
2. “Triple B” Ground Beef with bacon, bleu chees and BBQ Braised
3. Pulled Pork with black cherry BBQ sauce

Best Ever Biscuits and Gravy with a Fried Egg

Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs
rosemary mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, homemade bread

Fall at the TVWS Wine Dinner!

Ah yes! It is the season of Fall colors and Fall flavors. And the TVWS had a wonderful Fall Tasting last night and a superb dinner to accompany it.
They opened the evening a Chimay Yellow that is generally brewed to 8% alcohol. This Belgian Tripel was created in 1966. It pours a cloudy gold color with some centered bubbles and one finger of foam. The aroma is clove, sweet pears, banana, herbs and hints of caramel. Also served was a Chimay Reserve, Blue Label. 9% alcohol. “The copper-brown Trappist Belgian Strong Dark Ale, has a creamy head and a fragrance of fresh yeast and roasted malt. Considered to be the ‘classic’ Chimay ale, it exhibits a considerable depth of fruity, peppery character.”

It being Fall and the season of some delicious apples, it was fitting to pour two Hard Ciders from Longdrop Cider, from Eagle, Idaho. One of the ciders, was absolutely delicious and full of herbs and spices. The best cider was a Vanilla Honey Cider. “Longdrop Vanilla Honey, Offered: Year round in 12oz cans, draught. ABV: 6.0%, SG: 1.015. Apples: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith.”
The other cider was a “Longdrop Semi Sweet. Offered: Year round in 12oz cans, draught. ABV: 5.5%, SG: 1.015. Apples: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith.”

Then came 4 German wines. A 2014 Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer, a light, clean and fruity wine and a delicate hint of spice and a finish of fresh roses. Then there was a 2013 Dr H Riesling. From the Mosel River region with depth and a concentration of spicy aromas and tropical fruit flavors. That was followed by a 2011 Rietburg Dornfelder Trocken. This was a dry wine, as signified by the word “Trocken” in the name. Blackberry and blueberry flavors with some red cherry on the finish. The last wine served was a 2012 Cuvee Noir Pfluger. Intense granite tones lend elegance and complexity to this plump, cherried blend of Merlot, Dornfelder and Lemberger.

That was it for the beer/ale, cider and wines. But wait! If you read on, you will see the delicious meal that Chef Jake prepared for us. Enjoy! And please understand, this is a buffet, so help yourself. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.

Appetizer Plate of Cheeses and Fruit

Green Salad

German Potato Salad
(This was delicious!)

Red Cabbage
(It was good but I missed caraway with the cabbage.)

Brätwurst
(This was delicious, but whole grain mustard to accompany it would have been great.)

Sauerbraten

Our plated meal.

Apple Strudel

Can’t forget the Blue Label Chimay!

Some of the 32 people who were there.

More of the people. Hope to see you there next time.

A Ghoulish Night At “The Buzz”!

Even the Ravens were there enjoying some Candy Corn Cheesecake!

“Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as “Nevermore.”” – Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

Oh well, you get the idea! It was a fun night, although the attendance was low. We are happy that Marnie and Mac got to join us. The dinner was good, although I have had better at The Buzz. It is still the best bargain for a Wine Dinner in Boise, $20 per plate and 6+ wines. Here is what we had. See you next month!!!

Eerie Empanadas
2012 Flying Bear Red
went well with this appetizer. [17] $16.00

Ghoulish Goulash
NV Big Red Monster Sonoma Blend
13.5% alc. good color and body. long finish, good price[17] $15.00

Eye Ball Salad with Blood Wine Vinaigrette
2013 Matchbook Chardonnay
14.3% alc. great match and paring with this salad and the cheese. [17] $21.00

I really liked this salad.

Stuffed Pumpkin
2012 Dry Creek Cabernet
14.5% alc body was light but finish was superb. paring with the pumpkin. [16] $$24.00

I’m not a pumpkin fan, but this was good!

Candy Corn Cheesecake
2012 Asylum Zinfandel
14.6% alc. best match of the night, but then I’m a zin fan. good balance and finish good paring. [18] $16.00

Even the raven liked this. Maybe that’s why,

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.” The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe

The raven wanted my cheesecake! Nothing more!