Grapes & Grains

Beer, Wine, Spirits and Food from Happy Harry's

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  I’m not, but as you plan your special gathering for next week and prepare your grocery list, don’t forget the wine!  Selecting the right wine for Thanksgiving can often be a tedious task, but don’t worry, I am here to help!  Whether you are serving Ham, Turkey, Prime Rib or Lamb; the following information will make you look like a wine guru!

How much wine to buy?
When trying to figure out “how much to buy,” the usual estimate is one serving per guest per hour or one serving with each course of the meal.  A typical wine “serving” is 4 ounces and you will get six glasses of wine per 750 ml wine bottle.

What to Buy?

There are a couple of universal wines that can cover just about anything you serve!  Most hosts like to offer one red wine and one white wine that will satisfy their guest’s tastes and work well with the meal.  Here is a universal red wine and a universal white wine that can fulfill all your needs.

-Beaujolais Nouveau:    A special wine only released the third Thursday in November each year that celebrates the end of the grape harvest in France and perfectly timed for Thanksgiving.  Nouveau is a delicate red wine with   soft fruit flavors and a silky, smooth finish.  Nouveau is perfect with just about anything including Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib and even dessert like cheesecake.  Best served lightly chilled, put it in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before you serve it to your guests.

-Riesling:  Rieslings can vary from semi-dry to sweet and offer flavors of peach, apricot, apple and honey.  Rieslings tend to be a “crowd pleaser” wine because of their light sweetness and fresh finish.  Rieslings pair perfectly with Ham, Turkey and Pumpkin Pie.

If you are looking for more specific guidelines for your meal, here are some quick notes to help select those perfect wines!

Turkey (Smoked) :  Full bodied Chardonnay or Riesling

Turkey (Baked or Deep Fried): Light bodied or Unoaked Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Pinot Grigio.

Ham (Smoked):  Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Nouveau

Ham (Honey Glazed):  Riesling or Gewurztraminer

Prime Rib/Steak:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec or Pinot Noir

Lamb Chops:  Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Nouveau

Dessert Wines:  Riesling, Moscato, Gewurztraminer and sparkling wines like Asti or Brachetto

Always remember the #1 rule when pairing food and wine, serve a wine that you know your guests will enjoy.  If the pairing recommends a dry red wine and no one likes dry red wine, don’t do it!  I hope these guidelines make selecting your Thanksgiving wines a bit easier this year.  

If you have any special wine and food pairing requests, please e-mail me: greg@happy-harrys.com

Happy Holidays!

Greg

As fall and winter descend upon us, we begin to think about snow, blizzards, 70 below wind chill and holiday gatherings.  This is also the time of the year when a plethora of new items begin to adorn the shelves of your favorite stores.  Here is a preview of a few new items that are now available!

CREAM-ALCOHOL INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM

CREAM offers a new and refreshing experience that takes cocktails, mixed drinks and desserts to a whole new level.  These whipped creams are rich and full of flavor and are perfect with coffee, hot chocolate and numerous other cocktails that call for whipped cream.  Try them with your favorite desserts such as pumpkin pie, cheesecake or even cream puffs!  Cream is currently available in 5 flavors: Cherry, Raspberry, Chocolate, Vanilla or Caramel.  The alcohol content is 15 % or 30 proof.  Cream is for adults 21 years of age and older and does not have to be refrigerated!  Visit http://givemecream.com/recipes/ for some great cocktail ideas!

BIG FAT LLAMA WINES

BIG FAT LLAMA is a new Chilean Winery offering fantastic wines at a very reasonable price!   

Big Fat Llama Chardonnay has flavors of sweet apple and tropical fruit with just the right balance of toasted oak on the finish.  The low acidity of this Chardonnay makes it a perfect food wine.  Try Big Fat Llama Chardonnay with your Thanksgiving Turkey dinner.

Big Fat Llama Merlot is a beautiful, rich, velvety Merlot that is hard to beat at twice the price!  Aromas of blueberry and cherry with a smooth and flavorful finish.  Try with prime rib or beef stew.

Big Fat Llama Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep ruby-red color, juicy flavors of blackberries and just a hint of black pepper.  Try with grilled red meats or even dark chocolate!

SAMUEL ADAMS CRANBERRY LAMBIC 

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic is a fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it’s brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by the weissbier yeast. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries, bananas, cloves, and nutmeg.  While Cranberry Lambic is not really a “new” item, it is the first year it is available outside of Samuel Adams twelve pack sampler.  This seasonal beer will be gone soon, so enjoy now!

JACK DANIELS 160^th BIRTHDAY COMMEMERATIVE BOTTLE

2010 commemorates Jack Daniel’s 160^th birthday.  I’m not talking about the distillery, but Jack Daniel himself.  As a matter of fact, no one knows exactly when Jack’s birthday is because a fire destroyed the courthouse records.  Therefore, in Lynchburg they celebrate Jack’s Birthday the entire month of September. This ebony black bottle is available in limited quantities and is perfect for any Jack Daniel’s aficionado or rare bottle collector.

Cheers!

Greg

Another month has come and gone, good news… it is time for a new “Brewery of the Month.”   You will search long and hard to find a brewery that has the creativity, selection and dedication to brewing that this month’s selection possesses.  So, I present to you BELL’S BREWERY!

Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan began with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, Bell’s has grown into a regional craft brewery that is currently available in only 18 states.

Bell’s dedication to brewing quality and flavorful craft beers started in 1985.  In September of 2010 Bell’s celebrated their 25^th Anniversary, making it the oldest craft brewery in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.”  Craft breweries produce less than 15,000 barrels (about 30 gallons per barrel) of beer per year.

If you love options, Bell’s is the brewery for you.  They brew 8 different beers that are available all year.  Bell’s year round selection includes everything from their smooth, rich Lager to their Kalamazoo Stout which is crafted with brewer’s licorice!

In addition to the year round beers, Bell’s brews 14 different seasonal beer labels and another 15 labels of limited release, small batch beers that are served at their pub in Kalamazoo.  Add it all up and that is over 30 different beers a year. 

 Here is a just a snapshot of some of their great brews:

OARSMAN ALE

Oarsman Ale is lightly hopped to impart a citrus and herbal note to the aroma. Oarsman has a clean, tart flavor that makes it perfect brew with food or all by itself when you are looking for a refreshing, flavorful beer.  Available year round.

TWO HEARTED ALE

Two Hearted Ale is an American-style India Pale Ale known for an intense hop aroma and malt balance. The hops deliver an almost grapefruit like citrus which is perfectly balanced with the malty body of this beer.  Always one of my favorites, available year round!

KALAMAZOO STOUT

Kalamazoo Stout is bold, rich and flavorful.  You will taste hints of chocolate and coffee with just a hint of brewer’s licorice. Kalamazoo stout is one of the oldest beers in the Bell’s selection and is the perfect beer for those cold, fall evenings.  Available year round.

HELL HATH NO FURY… ALE

Hell Hath No Fury… Ale will warm you right down to your toes.  This full flavored and robust ale has a mouthful of chocolate and coffee flavors, roasted caramel sweetness and a touch spice on the finish.  Seasonal only…available now!

Bell’s produces some of the best and most creative seasonal beers in the world!  If you love hops, hops and more hops, one of Bell’s next winter seasonal releases will be their highly coveted HOPSLAM!

Be sure to pick up a 6 pack today and then check out Bell’s website just so you can see the vast array of beers that they produce, you will not be disappointed! 

www.bellsbeer.com

Cheers!

Greg