A Week on the Stephen Taber: Food, Wine and Racing: Lobster Bake

I woke up to the muffled sound of a lobster boat motor.  It wasn't the guy in cabin 3 snoring.  (that's my story and I am sticking to it) what I found when I made my way above deck was fresh hot coffee, and the smiling faces of some other early risers.  Kat and Will were putting away the oil lanterns and swabbing the deck, and I sipped my Rock City Roasters Coffee and watched morning begin at Isle au Haut.

We had adventure ahead of us.  After a delicious breakfast of galley made hot biscuits, local jams, herbed scrambled eggs and locally made sausages, we took a shore trip for a walk to Black Dinah chocolates.  Just as we were boarding Babe, the Tabor's yawl boat, Captain Barnes announced that he was going to make a call out to the local Lobster men and try to buy some lobsters for a lobster bake. (I know, they aren't baked, they are steamed....  Humor me).

Black Dinah Chocolates is a well known artisanal chocolate company run by some Silicon Valley escapees. They fled California for a remote, island off the coast of Maine, and they haven't looked back.  (even though all of the chocolates are made on the island, they did open a retail store on the mainland - but most of their business is mail order thanks making good products and praise from Martha Stewart, they have a firm foothold in the market )

After an hour or so of wandering Isle au Haut, fueled by a delicious breakfast, and some chocolate, we made it back to the dock to wait for our ride back to the Tabor.  But Becky and Andy (two of my favorite guests that week) were already chatting up a local lobsterman.  Some of us rode back in Babe that yawl boat, and Becky, Andy, Will and Lindsay rode back with our luncheon main course on the lobster boat.

As soon as they pulled aside, Kat was hauling out the Tabor's lobster pot, Captain Barnes was talking business and I had the camera at the ready.

Now Chef Anna and Meghann kicked into high gear.  As we set sail, the goal was, ready the picnic lunch, and find the perfect spot to cook it.  We found the perfect spot, a deserted island with a whole lot of history behind it:  Wreck Island.

I was surprised that Captain Barnes didn't salt it up and start telling the story of wreck Island, especially after we found a deserted campsite that looked like it was fled from.  (seriously, who leaves a full case of beer behind?  Well, it was Miller Light) The fact is, Wreck Island is Haunted.  Yes, Haunted with a capital H.  Hey, we were only there for lunch, and I didn't tell the story, but just Google it.  I was thrilled to be there, and even though I left stuffed to the gills, I never felt a chocking sensation (unlike the crew of the ship that mistakenly went ashore there in the 18th century...)

Enough about ghosts, let's talk wine and the food that pairs with it!!

The advance party set up the fire and laid out the appetizers.  Epicurious FRENCH ONION DIP.  No soup mix to be found, chef Anna made this dip from scratch, and I could have licked the bowl clean.  (but someone beat me to it!)

And, they laid out the wine.  Box Head `10 Australian Shiraz in the shade (there were some non seafood eaters in the group.  They got steak, I left the shiraz for them), and the most delicious Vihno Verde that I have had in a long time.  Some bottles of Vera Vinho Verde`10 were chilling in a bucket until I got my hands on it.  It was perfect.  Just a hint of citrus, some minerality, and with the lobster dredged in butter??? On of my top 10 meals EVER.

I'll shut up now and just leave you with pictures of lunch:

Quatro ??? $17.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

A four grape variety Portuguese wine, Blanche our pourer was very nice, but I have no idea what the name of this wine is.  It is a good burger wine.  I think that I can fix this post after the live blogging when I add the picture, but for Twitter, this is all you will get...  It is a dark fruity wine kind of like a Tempranillo with a light touch.

Ciconia Vinho Verde `10 DOC $7.99 (Not TJ's) ****

If I had to give a star for each time we drank a bottle of this Portuguese DOC Vihno Verde, it would be a 7 star wine.  Even though this is a wine that we have been drinking all summer long, I seem to only have two pictures of it. Here it is with tamari glazed bluefish, fresh corn on the cob and white rice.

Ciconia Vinho Verde is a bright, light, grapefruity wine with a hint of sweetness on the finish.  VERY REFRESHING and low in ETOH (12.3% according to their tech sheet, it says 10% on the bottle).  Made from strains of the varietals  Antão Vaz, Verdelho and Viognier, it has a minerality that makes it almost effervescent. And you know what?  Opening a screw-top wine bottle in the summertime makes it even more refreshing. (Instant gratification, you don't have to go running to get the corkscrew!)

This wine is a hit; we've had it well chilled with a variety of meals:  grilled fish, a spicy southwestern dinner, fresh morel and asparagus risotto (right), as well as a stand alone sipping wine, with a handful of salted pistachios. What a great summer find.

I wrote about Portugal's Herdade SÃO Miguel when I reviewed their Ciconia Touriga Nacional Syrah Aragones NV $7.99 (not TJ's) ***(*).  They are a huge producer which made me leery, but so far, both of their economical screw top wines that I have tasted were fantastic for the price point.  Really great, inexpensive wine.

It has taken me weeks to review their Vihno Verde because I am in the middle of a very busy summer.  I am off to the Wine Bloggers' Conference in a few days and there will be a flurry of posts.

Until then, here are the sunflowers 

that were bringing summer right into the kitchen 

when I returned home from Maine on Monday:

 

Ciconia Touriga Nacional Syrah Aragones NV $7.99 (not TJ's) ***(*)

photo by MEH

Impromptu, rustic, flavorful.  How's that for a mouthful.  I am LOVING Ciconia wines this week. We had some of their Vihno Verde and really liked it over the weekend.

What made it impromptu:  I wasn't planning on reviewing a wine tonight, but as dinner was cooking on he grill, JPH presented me with this familiar label picturing a folk drawing of Ciconia ciconia, the White Stork of Portugal.  How could I resist trying a sibling to the Vihno Verde that we had liked so much?

What I loved: The light fruitiness up front, and the lovely floral smell, and then the deep slightly oak finish. It is complex, yet served at room temperature on a hot/sticky day (it was muggy 80's) this wine was flavorful and refreshing. So refreshing that I can't imagine it on a cold day.  It is a great, mid weight summer red.

What I didn't love:  DON'T aerate this wine.  It made it bitter, woody and tart.   There is a threatening undertone that could be chocolate or could be bitterness.  It is like you are drinking something that could turn on you, but for the moment, it is really, really easy to drink, and flavorful, with just a hint of spiciness.

Either sip this wine alone or have it with savory food.  I tried a bite of our grilled pineapple with lime, and then drank some wine and it was like brushing my teeth and drinking a swig of orange juice.  Just don't do it. Some flavors just don't play well together.  This wine wants a nice steak with some char and a pristine ear of corn. Or anything with a full flavor that can be complimented by the deep cherry and tart raspberry with a hint of oak taste to this wine.

This wine comes from a major producer in Portugal Herdade SÃO Miguel.  There is a slight discrepancy between their tasting notes and our bottle.  Our bottle said 14.5% ETOH, their notes say 13.2%.  I believe the higher content.  It is a blend of some very interesting varietals:  Aragonês (the joke is on me, that is the Portuguese name for my beloved Tempranillo), Syrah and Touriga Nacional; a varietal used in the production of Port... mmm Port, now that is an after dinner elixir that I enjoy. 

So, there we have it, a cheap, cheerful blend of two of my favorite flavors.  The rustic coffee/leather/earthiness of Tempranillo, the heavy smooth fruitiness of the Touriga Nacional, and a light spritzer of Syrah to give it some highlight.  Well done.  It may be mass produced, and it may be a wine that you drink as soon as you open it - but for $7.99 why not?  I am a fan.

We had a simple dinner tonight.  Grilled skirt steak, fresh corn on the cob and for dessert, grilled fresh pineapple with a hint of lime, salt and rum.

I'll leave you with a shot of our dessert of grilled pineapple.  

I have been told that the leftovers may even go into some 

pineapple upsidedown muffins for breakfast.   

I am a very lucky girl.

W. & J. Graham's 10 Year Tawny Port $32.99 ( Not TJ's) ****

I am a pyromaniac -  in the sense that I derive intense pleasure in seeing and smelling a properly placed wood fire (or a nice candle for that matter).  It is fall, the leaves are off the trees and we're so close to winter that the sky threatens snow every day.  Dinner was over, the dishes were finally done (after JPH declared that S. and I were not worthy because we left three pans to "soak" - geeesh.... But then again, he did build a fire in the fireplace....) and MEH brought out Bethump'd With Words: Discovery Edition. As she was setting out the game and assigning our colors, S said the magic word "Port?".  I dashed to the cabinet and opened this bottle.

Tawny Port is a beautiful thing.  Thick, sweet and perfect as a relaxing glass (or two or three) to sip. There are layers of flavor that are simply comforting.  A bit of orange peel, a lot of caramel, a hint of spice, and a wicked kick of 20% ETOH - seriously, you should ONLY sip this from a small glass and make sure that you hydrate yourself before going to bed. Port is shelf stable, so there is no need to finish a bottle in one sitting (unless you have a big crowd). Savor it, because at $32.00 a bottle, it needs to last for at least a few evenings. Port is a luxury, all wine is a luxury, but sometimes it just adds the perfect touch. If you haven't tried Port, and you live in a cold climate, try it, you might like it!

As for our game?  It was fun. I came in second to S. the champion. We spent over an hour playing by the fire, refilled our glasses a few times and then the evening was over. It was a great way to finish a Saturday night.

I'll end with one of the Christmas decorations that are slowly making their way out of boxes and populating the house (A Playmobil Santa set up on the chessboard):

Auratus Quinta do Feital Alvarinho-Trajadura `09 $15.99 (Not TJ's) ***

After a very bad experience with Vinho Verde, I drank my first sip with trepidation - it was a good sign that this wine is a pretty, light gold hue  - which was dramatically different from my last foray into Vinho Verde.

This is a Portuguese white wine made with with Alvarino and Trajadura grapes. After tasting, I simply considered it grapefruit in a glass (which to me is a novelty, as with a kidney transplant, I am not allowed to have grapefruit - it interferes with my medications).  This blend is tart, refreshing and has a slight mineralty with a crisp citrus taste. Auratus is easy to drink both with and without food. Serve well chilled and this is a solid, refreshing summer wine.

We had it with a dinner of "Saturday Surprise" - yummie leftovers and a fresh quiche straight from the oven. This wine held its own against the buttery homemade crust of the quiche and the custardy filling with a hint of nutmeg and pancetta. It also fared well with the leftover braised smoked duck in red cabbage. I could imagine this wine in a variety of informal meals where a refreshing, tart white wine is called for.

Espiral Vinho Verde $3.99 *

It was Fish Taco Night! I really, really wanted to like this wine.   I hated it.  It was dry and tasted like crisp grapefruit with a hint of grass. It was also slightly sparkling which was just a tease as far as I am concerned.  It did taste better with the tacos, but no, I still didn't like it.  The remains of the bottle went down the drain and there was Miller Light in the beer drawer - thirst was quenched.

This may be a taste issue.  Maybe I just don't like Vinho Verde - you can't beat the price.  I'll try another bottle by a different maker and see, but as it stands, I am giving it one star.