Tag Archives: Buttery

M by Martellotto

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Garlic Butter Cod Fish Recipe

Cod Fish Recipe

© Photo by Primavera Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

  • Cod fish fillets – This is an affordable white fish that takes on the flavors it’s cooked with. Haddock, Pollack, or Mahi Mahi would make great substitutes.
  • Olive oil – Or use another neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, avocado, or safflower oil.
  • Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper
  • Unsalted butter
  • Garlic Lemon zest
  • Green onions, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Season the fish

  1. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel so the seasonings adhere better to the surface. It will also help the fish crisp on the outside when seared.
  2. Season both sides of the cod fillets with the spices. It may help to mix them together in a small bowl first to get even coverage.

Cook

  1. Next, sear the fish on both sides in hot oil.
  2. Continue cooking until the fish flakes apart, flipping again halfway through.
  3. Melt the butter in the pan with garlic and lemon zest. Coat the fish in the garlic butter.

Garnish and serve

  1. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the fish to a serving dish.
  2. Then, sprinkle chopped green onions over the top and serve with your favorite sides.

© Recipe courtesy of Olivia of Primavera Kitchen

FEBRUARY WINE CLUB:

Silky stylem-by-martellotto-chardonnayMartellotto Winery
M by Martellotto
Sta. Rita Hills, California

SILKY WINE STYLE

“A Chardonnay lover’s Chardonnay. Sourced from the Spear Vineyards, located a few miles west of the winery in Buellton, off Highway 246 in the Santa Rita Hills. This area is famous for the best, cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Spear Vineyard is CCOF certified organic and located near Seasmoke, which charges $100-200/bottle of their wines!” – Martellotto Winery

The wine was stainless tank fermented and then rested in neutral French oak barrels for 12 months. This Chardonnay has a lovely natural acidity and a light zip in the mouth from the sandy loam vineyard that was covered by the Pacific Ocean millennia ago. The wine is light, delicate, and an eminently drinkable quaffer that pairs with a variety of foods. If you love Chablis and dry, nuanced Chardonnay, then you will love this wine. The M by Martellotto was naturally produced and organically farmed.

Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
AVA: Sta. Rita Hills
Soil: Sandy Loam
Farming: Organic
Production: 14 barrels
Oak: 11 months, neutral French Oak

© Photo by Martellotto Winery

“Santa Barbara remains one of the most fascinating regions in the world. Rich history, a culture of site-specific wines and reasonable pricing make Santa Barbara one of the most exciting and rewarding regions for consumers who want to discover distinctive, high-quality artisan wines that speak of place.” – A. Galloni

ABOUT MARTELLOTTO WINERY:

Winemaker, Greg Martellotto

Winemaker, Greg Martellotto

The Martellotto family roots trace back to a 17th century winery in Alberobello in Puglia, Italy. Over four centuries later, winemaker Greg Martellotto continues his family’s viticultural legacy, by making enticing, vibrant wines that speak to his own viticultural passion. From his ancestors’ traditional winemaking in Southern Italy, to his grandfather’s homemade wine during Prohibition, to production in an innovative warehouse facility shared with Barbieri Wine Co. and Lo-Fi wines, Martellotto Winery produces remarkable wines of consequence, consistency, value, and varietal expression. With each bottle, it is the Martellotto family’s desire to share extraordinary, artisanal wines.

THE MARTELLOTTO LABEL:
Professor John Langdon is famous for creating Ambigrams and inspiring Dan Brown to incorporate his graphics in the books and movie around The DaVinci Code. He has only designed one wine label, and that is for Martellotto Winery. The Martellotto label is a spiritual totem, symmetrical down the middle, and a mirror image. The ARTE of the name engages the Art & Science of winemaking. The bottle enumeration demonstrates the handmade, limited availability of these wines.

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

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Martellotto Melodeon

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Brown Butter-Sage Chicken Wings Recipe

Credit: © Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Credit: © Todd Porter & Diane Cu

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 to 8 small sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon ground sage
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 pound chicken wings, split
  • Kosher or sea salt, to taste
  • Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup all-purpose flout, for dredging
  • Vegetable Oil (or other high flashpoint oil), for frying

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and stir in the garlic. Continue cooking the butter until it is light brown and develops a nutty aroma.

  2. Remove the butter from the heat and stir in the sage leaves, ground sage, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.

  3. Rinse the chicken wings and pat them dry. Generously season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Dredge the wings in flour, shaking off any excess flour, and set aside.

  4. In a large saucepan or deep fryer, heat the oil to about 375°. Fry the chicken wings in small batches until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Shake off any excess oil and place on paper towels to drain. Continue frying the chicken in batches until all of the wings are cooked.

    Toss the wings in the brown butter sauce and serve warm.

© Recipe courtesy of Todd Porter and Diane Cu of Food and Wine Magazine 

FEBRUARY WINE CLUB:

Martellotto ChardonnaySilky styleMartellotto Winery
Melodeon Chardonnay
Sta. Rita Hills, California

SILKY WINE STYLE

“A Chardonnay lover’s Chardonnay. The fruit in the Martellotto Chardonnay is from the Spear Vineyard, located a few miles west of the winery in Buellton, off Highway 246 in the Santa Rita Hills. This area is famous for the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes and we are pleased to be sourcing such high quality fruit. Spear Vineyard is farmed organically and located very near Seasmoke, which charges $100-$200/bottle for their wines!” – Martellotto Winery

This Melodeon Chardonnay was barrel fermented and has a lovely natural acidity and a light zip in the mouth from the sandy loam vineyard that was covered by the Pacific Ocean millennia ago. A broad mouthfeel and yummy vivacity combine with layers of vanilla, toasted hazelnuts, and nutmeg singing into the finish. If you love Chablis and dry, nuanced Chardonnay with layers of depth and a crunchy deliciousness, then you will love this wine.

Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
AVA: Sta. Rita Hills
Soil: Sandy Loam
Farming: Organic
Production: 14 barrels
Oak: 11 months, 20% new French Oak

“The daring, innovative spirit embodied by the region’s young producers and a vast range of first-class sites creates conditions that are idea for the production of distinctive, pedigreed wines of the highest level. Best of all, with few exceptions, these wines remain under the radar and very fairly priced relative to global peers.” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

© Photo by Martellotto Winery

ABOUT MARTELLOTTO WINERY:

Greg Martellotto

Winemaker, Greg Martellotto

The Martellotto family roots trace back to a 17th century winery in Alberobello in Puglia, Italy. Over four centuries later, winemaker Greg Martellotto continues his family’s viticultural legacy, by making enticing, vibrant wines that speak to his own viticultural passion. Located in Buellton, California – in the hottest new AVA region of Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara – Martellotto Winery focuses on vibrant Bordeaux varietals, with a vineyard first philosophy of gentle handling and minimal intervention.

Through a deft combination of sourcing sustainably farmed grapes from California’s choicest vineyards and deploying creative, progressive blending and fermenting techniques, Martellotto produces outstanding wines that capture pinpoint varietal expression.

Greg has nearly two decades of diverse experience in all facets of the wine business, including import and distribution and working with some of the greatest wines and wineries in California, Piemonte, Tuscany, and Bordeaux, as well as Spain, Chile and Argentina. Consultant Mike Roth, an authority in the fields of biodynamics and natural winemaking, has working under Napa pioneers Mike Grgich and Nils Venge. He has made wine in Santa Barbara at Koehler, Demetria, Martian Ranch, and for his own Lo-Fi brand.

THE MARTELLOTTO LABEL:
John Langdon designed the Martellotto label as a spiritual totem, symmetrical down the middle, and a mirror image. The ARTE of the name recognizes the Art & Science of winemaking. The bottle enumeration demonstrates the handmade, limited availability of these wines. Prof. Landon’s signature ambigram design is located on the bottom right of the back label. Turn the bottle upside down to visualize how his name reads left to right.

Greg Martellotto video

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn More >

August Cheese Club: Iowa

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cheese_club_logo-1240x1240Abondance CheeseAbondance AOP
Rodolphe Le Meunier
Haute-Savoie, France

Abondance, is a semi-hard, traditionally French, mountain cheese produced in the Abondance Valley of Haute Savoie, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The cheese is made exclusively from unpasteurized cow’s milk sourced from its own breed of cattle, Abondance, as well as Taurine and Montbéliarde. Abondance features a slightly grainy and creamy paste with floral, vegetal, and nutty aromas. On the palate, there’s a beautiful balance of sweetness to acidity; it tastes intensely fruity and buttery with a hazelnut flavor.  Before eating, remove the natural rind its gray layer underneath.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRINGS:
Abondance cheese pairs wonderfully with a dry white wine from the Savoie region; or a light red, such as a Gamay Beaujolais or a light Pinot Noir.  Additionally, this cheese pairs well a crisp, pale lager or a kolsch.

WINESTYLES: Crisp and Fruity
BEERSTYLES: Crisp and Clean

PRODUCTION:
Abondance cheese has had an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) designation since 1990.  AOC designations were created to ensure products with long histories and strong senses of terroir will guard their identity and uniqueness in the marketplace. With this designation, a cheese producer cannot call a cheese Abondance if it is not made within the confines of a singular region, or according to traditional methods and specifications, similar to wine AOCs like Bordeaux, Bourgogne, and Champagne.

Abondance was originally made by monks at the Abbaye d’Abondance (Abondance Abbey) in the 12th century. In the late 1300s, the monks were the official supplier of cheeses to the Avignon popes. This rich, ivory-yellow cheese is made in the area’s mountain chalets from batches of raw milk that combine morning milk with milk from the previous evening. The milk is heated in a copper cauldron to 90° F to warm the curd that is formed, without cooking it. The curd is then cut, drained, put into a round wooden mold, and pressed for a day with a weight on it. It is then salted either by hand, or soaked in brine, then cave aged on spruce planks for six months at a temperature of 54° F and a humidity level of 95%. The cheese is brushed with brine and turned while aging.

Tomme d’Abondance

Comté Fort Saint-Antoine CheeseComté Fort Saint Antoine
Marcel Petite
Jura, France

Comté Fort Saint Antoine is a semi-firm, unpasteurized, aged, cow’s milk cheese from the Jura and Franche-Comté regions of Eastern France. Century-old techniques are used to make Comté, which is the most produced and consumed cheese in France. Made with unpasteurized cow’s milk, from Montbeliarde Cattle or French Simmental (or crossbreeds of the two), the taste is complex, nutty and caramelized with a lingering, but not sharp, flavor. The combination of sweetness and saltiness give this cheese an intriguing flavor. This mature Comté is firm but supple, with a buttery and oily texture. It is traditionally sold in huge blocks and matures for a year before it is ready for sale. The natural cave atmosphere of the fort allows this longer aged Comté to have a rich, nutty, fruitier and more flowery taste than its younger aged counterparts. Considered one of the finest cheeses in the world, a wedge of Comte reveals a pale yellow interior and a texture that can vary from silky, flabby to crystalline.

WINE & CRAFT BEER PAIRING: Comté Cheese is very versatile and pairs beautifully with a Chablis (Chardonnay), a Champagne, or a Pinot Noir. It also pairs well with a light lager, a blonde ale, or a pilsner.

WINESTYLES: Silky, Bubbly and Mellow
BEERSTYLES: Crisp and Clean

PRODUCTION:

In 1966, Marcel Petite discovered a defunct military fort in a forest of Haut Doubs, at 3600 feet altitude. The fort’s structure of cut and vaulted stone, covered with a thick layer of soil, providing ideal conditions for “affinage lent” (slow maturing). Petite realized that his Comté cheeses should be aged in their natural environment, near the mountain cheese dairies where they are made. This hard mountain cheese is matured to perfection in the silence and darkness of special caves where the cheese gets its unique taste, texture and color. There are several maturing cellars in the region where Comté is ripened for a minimum of 4 months to 18 or 24 months. Comté generally will get its name from the cellar where it was ripened, such as Comté Fort Saint-Antoine. Today, over 100,000 wheels are ripened for 10 to 20 months, in the Cathedral of Marcel Petite Comté.

Comté was one of the first few kinds of cheese to receive an AOC status in 1958. It is one of the most popular AOC cheeses in France with around 40,000 tons of annual production.

Comté Cheese Production

© Comté Marcel Petite

Comté Production

© Comté Marcel Petite

 

Monthly Cheese ClubDon’t let your Wine Club go home alone!

Join our Cheese Club and bring home a match made in heaven!

If you enjoy pairing cheese with wine, this is your club!  Each month you’ll discover specialty and artisan cheeses to pair with your Wine Club. Monthly cheese selections are chosen by your local WineStyles participating location. It’s the perfect opportunity to Taste, Learn and Enjoy® amazing artisan cheese every month! Only $19.99/month and your wine won’t be lonely!  Click to learn more >