february wine club!
vins et délices. a curated wine list and recipe pairing.
Introducing a new segment of the Sub: Wine Club! A monthly curated wine list and recipe pairing.
It’s been my dream to open up my own shop with all my favorite things, that I can bring Bakery Darlene back to life in the morning, and Dining With Court dinner parties by night. While pouring a bottle and chatting with customers in-between… And maybe it’s because I also just signed up for my very first wine club membership at my neighborhood wine shop that got me excited to curate a little list we could share, ‘virtually’, together. Annnd maybe it’s because I’ve been self-studying/prepping for continuing my WSET-wine ed journey, so I thought I’ll feed two birds with one scone. I already share my ‘food’ by recipes here, along with my favorite things/brands/products/producers… so the first Dining With Court wine club is here! It may not be a physical space, and I may not get to have face-to-face interactions with you, but we can pretend we’re in this little virtual shop together.
The wines I’ve chosen for this month are heavily… if not purely… chosen for the sake of it being the month of Valentines. They are wines I’ve gifted in V days past, and/or planning on sipping myself. They are wines you can gift your galentines or loved ones, or pop open yourself…. love is in the air after all, which includes self-love, so get that bottle for yourself, too!
First, a note on pairings
Below you’ll find the recipe pairing for this month: a beet and citrus salad. But on the note of pairings— Valentine’s Day and chocolate go together, but wine and chocolate is a different story. If you are drinking a dry red and take a bite of dark chocolate, the wine will start to taste bitter and sour. That’s because of the different types of tannin that are in both wine and chocolate. White chocolate (because it’s not a ‘true’ chocolate) is the best to pair with dry reds. A Pinot or Beaujolais would be best. Milk chocolate is a little easier to pair with wines, mainly late harvest wines like Syrah, Petite Syrah, or even Pinot. When it comes to dark chocolate sweeter bodied wines, like Port are best to balance the bitterness. However Zinfandel, Malbec, and Petite Sirah are wines that can shine with spiced dark chocolates (ie. cayenne, ginger, nutmeg spiced chocolate).
2023 Martha Stoumen Post Flirtation Rosé NV No. 3, Sebastopol, California
75% Zinfandel, 15% Valdiguié, 10% Nero d’Avola
A Galentine’s necessity. Grab your jacket, roll out your picnic blankets, and share this bottle with your best gals. If weather doesn’t allow, this wine is perfect for brunch or craft night where fresh berries, grapefruit, and blood oranges are present, to remind us of the spring days ahead.
Martha Stoumen is a first generation winemaker in California. She is one of my top favorite producers in the state, and… dare I say globe. She practices dry farming and natural wine fermentation.
If you’re into vinification specs:
“Whole cluster Zinfandel was loaded into the press and briefly tumbled for a hint of extraction before pressing. The pressed juice was then racked off its juice lees to ferment in stainless steel. Whole cluster Valdiguié was sealed in a tank for two days (carbonic maceration) before pressing to neutral vessels for continued fermentation, and then aged on fine lees in neutral oak barrique. Whole cluster Nero d’Avola was first foot-tread for an overnight maceration on skins before pressing, then fermented and aged on its fine lees in neutral vessels. Each lot was fermented to complete dryness (less than 1 g/L sugar) before blending and bottling. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.” [MS Website]
2023 Stolpman Vineyards Love You Bunches Orange, Los Olivos, California
White Blend: “Pinot Gris for depth, richness, and color; co-fermented with just a touch of tropical Orange Muscat. Tocai Fruilano delivers more texture and brightness. Gewurztraminer adds further color and more exotic tropical notes.”
Crunchy, bright, and citrus pops! It reminds me of a day laying under citrus trees, and walking hand in hand with your loved one in the Spring breeze, on your way to get an al pastor taco. With it’s perfectly balanced sweet and acidic pineapple-tropical notes.
Stolpman Vineyards prides itself on preserving it’s natural environment through conscious farming, dry farming, & sustainable employment. They have native fermentation & minimal intervention wine making practices. This Orange wine endures 7 days of skin-contact.
2023 Lucy Margaux Vino Rosso, Basket Range, South Australia
Red Blend: Merlot, Syrah
A deep inhale to a flower bouquet. Eating freshly picked red berries in the garden. A bite into a perfectly ripe and juicy cherry. This wine is pure romance with hints of spice and minerality. Just like that bowl of ripe red fruit you can’t put down, you’ll want another sip. All that’s left to add to this romantic night is a plate of spaghetti bolognese and a caesar salad.
Lucy Margaux is founded by Anton van Klopper. He is an natural wine producer, from organically farmed fruit, in the Adelaide Hills of Australia. A creative spirit who also designs his beautiful and creative wine labels.
2023 Yann Bertrand Saint Amour 'Les Bambins', Beaujolais, France
100% Gamay
Alright. The last date (bottle) brought us over to their house and made us a spag bol. This date (bottle) however is taking us on a trip this Valentines. Specifically, to the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. This date is a 5-course dinner. With highlights of a roasted rack of lamb or duck, and braised veggies. This date is charming. Semi-carbonic makes it juicy and fruity but shows you it’s spicy and robust side.
Yann Bertrand is a certified organic and biodynamic winemaker. He took over the family domaine in 1992 and worked to transition the vineyard to be certified organic by 2013. The vineyard is loaded with ancient vines–the youngest are 30 years old, with the oldest vines at 110 years of age.
If you’re into vinification specs:
From the single vineyard ‘La Côte de Besset,’ 40 and 70 year-old bush-trained vines. The blue stones from mica schist and sandstone scree in this parcel lend this particular bottle a robust and spicy dimension. Semi-carbonic ferment, seven months in old barrel, .5g SO2 added at bottling.
Feb Recipe: Beetroot and Citrus Salad
‘Tis the season of citrus, and hearty root veg. This salad has vibes of a crudo and aguachile, or at least like to plate it as such. The raw beetroot being a sub for your raw fish. It’s fresh, bright, and acidic. It’s also very versatile to whatever you have laying around your pantry and fridge. Great to prep the beets ahead, making it quick to assemble for your Valentine’s date or party!
Ingredients
1 lb beets, scrubbed clean, peeled, and thinly sliced (if you don’t want your beets raw, then roast or boil your beets first, and then slice)
1 oro blanco grapefruit, cut into suprèmes or wedges, 1 tablespoon juice reserved separately
1 cara cara or blood orange, cut into suprèmes or peeled and into rounds, 1 tablespoon juice reserved separately
1/2 small shallot, finely minced
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup water
1/2 apple cider vinegar
Olive oil, 1/4 cup
Kosher salt
Optional Add-Ins / Toppings
Pistachios, roasted and salted
Fennel, thinly sliced
Watermelon radish, thinly sliced
Castelvetrano olives, pitted and crushed
Ricotta, ricotta salata, or feta
Mint, roughly chopped
Instructions
Note: This step can be done hours/day(s)/week before.
Place beets and a pinch of salt in a heat proof container. Set aside. In a small pot, combine the 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vin, and 1/2 tbsp of honey. Bring to a light boil, remove from heat, and pour over the beets.
While your beets are ‘quick pickling,’ this can be the time to prep your citrus, veg, and optional add-ins, if you haven’t already.
After your beets have cooled, drain the beets but reserve 2 tbsp of pickling liquid into a small bowl. Then add 1/4 cup olive oil, reserved citrus juice, and minced shallots. Mix to combine. This is our dressing.
Assemble in a serving bowl or platter. I like layering the beets on the bottom, topped by the citrus, and then add-ins, and all drizzled with the dressing.