I wish I had an Italian Momma!

This week’s topics include an old school ristorante in Scottsdale, oenophiles that put me to shame, the Wannabe Foodie acts as your wine drinking therapist, and the best summer cocktail ever. 

Restaurant Review.  Ristorante Giuseppe, Scottsdale, Arizona.  Ristorante Giuseppe, Scottsdale, Arizona.  First, the backdrop.  For those of you who’ve never been to Scottsdale, it is a city north of Phoenix that is filled with lots of fancy restaurants and fancy people.  Ristorante Giuseppe is in Scottsdale, but it is very un-‘Scottsdale’. 

Imagine a little Italian ristorante owned and run by a gregarious Italian man and his son.  Now imagine that its first come first served, they don’t accept credit cards, you can bring your own wine, and there’s no corkage fee for opening the wine.  And finally, imagine Italian food how your momma would make it, if she was first generation Italian.  That’s Ristorante Giuseppe. 

My friends J&K (foodies and oenophiles in their own right) suggested this place and called it a ‘good dive’.  Naturally, I’m in!  A side note – to say that J&K are oenophiles in their own right is akin to saying that I have an affinity for BBQ.  A gross understatement. 

J&K brought 2 fabulous wines.  The first was a straight up American Cab.  The second was a blend.  Both were very nice, wine, though I surprised myself by liking the blend more.  To my taste, it was a more complex wine.  

J&K also ordered for us.  I trust their choices, so I didn’t even ask what we were ordering.  We had a classic antipasto salad, followed by Pasta Alex - large penne pasta tossed with chicken in a light cream sauce, some spices (not all of which I could identify), some tomatoes, and some red pepper flakes (it was somewhat spicy), all topped with some fresh grated parmesan. 

Great dish and quintessential Italian comfort food and it went very well with J&K’s wine choices.

After dinner, we order espresso and cannoli, both of which were some of the best I’ve ever had.  The espresso had robust aromas and flavors, without the bitter flavor you often associate with espresso.  The cannoli was allegedly made by the owner’s mom, and I believe it.  The filling was creamy (not gummy like most cannoli), with a hint of ginger, and chocolate chips.  Too bad the Red wasn’t there.  She would have absolutely loved that dessert!

All in all, Giuseppe’s is a great family-owned restaurant with truly fabulous, no-frills food.  You want value?  How about 3 big pastas, 1 big salad, 3 cannoli, and 3 espressos, all for $91, plus tip.  That’s a bargain for the level of food they’re serving.  Plus, check out the old school bill: 

I can’t wait to take the Red to this place.

So Wannabe Foodie, I’ve been embarrassed to ask someone, but what does it mean when a wine ‘opens up’ and why is it important?    

Frankly, I get these questions.  There is way too much snobbery around wine, perceived or otherwise.  It’s sometimes intimidating to ask a question that other wine drinkers seem to know, or one that seems to be so basic.  This is not a basic question.

A quick side note.  Care to guess the secret to good wine?  It’s the wine you like, whether it costs $5 or $150.  If you like it, that’s all that matters.  Personally, there are lots of wine I like that’s in the $10-15 range.  I also believe that any wine over $50 better take my breath away and cause me to hear angels singing.

So back to opening up - what is it?  I think an analogy is the best way to explain it.  I like to think of foggy sunglasses, a steamy mirror in the bathroom, or the first few minutes in the morning when neither your head nor eyes seem to be in focus.  Given a little time, you’re able to see clearly in all of these analogies.

I think wine opening up is the same way.  When red wines are first poured, their flavors are muted, like looking through foggy glasses.  I think this is true for young wines, but particularly older wines.  Keep in mind that wines have been stored in a low oxygen environment for quite sometimes.  Often, it’s many years. 

When the surface of the wine is exposed to oxygen, it’s almost like the wine breathes and comes to life.  The more surface area that is exposed, the faster this process takes place.  As the process unfolds, you start to notice complex flavors in the wine that weren’t there before.  They become more pronounced as the process continues.  Of course, if left unchecked, this process will also turn the wine to vinegar.

I personally believe that all red wines, young and old, need to breathe before they can be truly be appreciated.

So, WF, how do I open up wines?  Aerate them.  The first, and easiest approach, is to pour the wine into a large red wine glass, swirl it around, and let it sit.  Easy and simple way to get a lot of the wine’s surface area exposed to oxygen. 

The second approach is to gently pour the wine into a decanter and let it sit.  Lots of surface area exposure. 

The third approach, and my favorite, is to use a small aerator that you pour the wine through.  My favorite is the rabbit aerator, as you stick it on the bottle and pour the wine.  The Rabbit 

This puts a ton of oxygen into the wine and immediately opens it up.  Don’t believe me?  Pour you favorite wine straight from the bottle into a glass.  Then pour some through the rabbit into another glass.  Try them side by side.  The difference is truly remarkable.

If I’m pouring a wine that really needs to open, I’ll pour it through the rabbit into a decanter.  This jump starts the process fairly dramatically. 

My recommendation?  By a small aerator like the rabbit and use it all the time.  It’s cheap and easy, and will increase your wine drinking enjoyment.

The Best Summer Cocktail.  Ever.  A John Daly.  Ever had an Arnold Palmer?  That’s half lemonade and half iced tea.  Very refreshing.  A John Daly is half sweet tea vodka (yes, they make that) and half lemonade.  Well, if I make them, they’re half and half. 

Very refreshing on a hot day, but be warned – they’re dangerous as they go down WAY too easily.  A bit of advice – don’t bother buying expensive sweet tea vodka.  The Seagram’s version is about $10 and is fine.  After all, you’re mixing it with lemonade!

Happy cooking and eating!

WF