Page 63 - The Hunt - Fall 2022

in the trial by fire. Plus, it’s an expensive practice. Some local winemakers like to cook with their vintages. Other don’t. “Using our own
wines for food preparation wouldn’t be the best use of them,” says Lele Galer, co-owner of Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery in Kennett Square. “I’d use a cheap heavy red for beef Bourguignon or a similarly cheap white for a different sauce reduction.”
At Penns Woods Winery in Chadds Ford, Carley Razzi uses her Viognier in infused mushroom fondue and her pinot noir in spaghetti chitarra alla carbonara, both in the sauce and with a rose-colored, pinot-infused pasta.
On a daily basis, Vietri uses Va La Vineyards’ red wines in things like iron skillet steak, slow-cooked beef roast, polenta and sausage, and beef stew. “We also like to use our La Prima Donna [white blend] for dishes like sautéed chicken thighs, beans and greens, as well as seasonal dishes like spaghetti with oyster mushrooms
“Always use a wine you’d want to drink. If it says ‘cooking wine’ on the label, stay far away.”
—Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar’s Doug Ruley
and wild dandelions, sautéed wild broccoli rabe, and roast rabbit,” he says.
Our local chefs also suggested some interesting wine-based dishes. “We use Sancerre for our mussels dish with andouille butter,” says Akin. “We use it
to glean some minerality. It’s enough of a full-bodied wine to be assertive, but not so full that it would overwhelm or challenge for primacy within the dish.”
“A real simple way to use wine is to slowly reduce it and use in a dressing for salad,” adds Ruley. “A reduced syrah chilled and blended with a bit of Dijon, minced shallots, fresh herbs and a nice extra-virgin olive oil, then tossed with some local greens, is a great way to kick off a meal.
Pan sauces are also a great way to incorporate wine to a dish. Mussels come to mind—steamed in chardonnay with hints of garlic and finished with butter and a pinch of red chili flakes. The chardonnay makes a great sopping sauce after the mussels are finished off. You’ll definitely need crusty bread.”
Wine and spirits can also go well with dessert preparation. Plain ruby or vintage port is especially flexible. Wood ports like tawnies don’t work as well because of the oak flavors.
My go-to dessert for company is a sabayon (or zabaglione) flavored with vintage port, then spooned over fresh blackberries in a balloon glass—followed by a small glass of the same port and a double espresso, of course. TH
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