International Wine Day!

Hi Everyone! International Wine Day was yesterday but sadly I was too busy to drink wine :( That's Ok though because I can certainly make up for it by drinking twice as much today, right? I thought something warm and spicy on the grill might go well with a rich red wine on this fabulously cloudy spring day. I said to myself "how about something a little different?" so I chose Carmenere. Carmenere is originally from France and it was used to make bold wines as well as red blends. However, most of the Carmenere in the world is now grown in Chile. The funny thing is, many Chilean wine makers thought they were growing Merlot until a little investigation proved it was Carmenere instead. Oops? Whatever its called, it tasted good right? Carmenere translates roughly to Crimson because of the beautiful red color of the leaves during harvest time. (Would love to see that) The flavors are typically rich with dark fruit, cherry, tobacco and earthy spices. The tannins and body are a bit milder than Cabernet Sauvignon and the wines are best drunk young. Perfect for me because it wasn't going to last that long anyway, especially if Tricia finds it! There are many good varieties to choose from and here are some suggestions: Casillero Del Diablo, Concha Y Toro, Casa Silva, Calina and Terra Andina. Pair your Carmenere with anything festive and spicy. Incorporate red flavors of peppers, tomatoes, chile powder and anything else you can think of. The grill is a great match for this wine. Here's what I'm doing:

Grilled Steaks with Ancho Chile Spice Rub and Roasted Red Pepper Butter note: Vegetarian? Ditch the steak and try this with portabello mushrooms, or thickly sliced eggplant.


4 Steaks: (Rib Eye, Filet, NY Strip....you pick!)
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
lime wedges and 1 extra lime
1/2 a stick Unsalted Butter
Roasted Red Peppers (1 jar or homemade.....see below)


Roasted Red Pepper Butter: Soften half a stick of butter by leaving it out on the counter for a little while. You want it soft but not mushy. Take a quarter of a roasted red pepper and place the butter with the pepper in a food processor. Puree away and place in a small bowl. You can refrigerate it until ready. Coat your steaks or veggies with this mixture. If using veggies, mix in some olive oil. Squeeze some lime juice on top and allow to sit for a bit. Then all you have to do is grill and eat! So simple. The grill should be on medium high heat. I like my steak medium rare which is about 3 or 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the steak. Cook it however you like, just make sure to let the meat rest for a couple minutes off the heat before digging in. If using veggies, dig in right away! Serve with a lime wedge and a dollop of pepper butter on top of each steak. Enjoy with good company and some great music! Till next time, Dave Oh wait! if you want to roast your own peppers, try this out: Take a bunch of peppers and coat them with olive oil and salt. Place on a sheet pan and roast in a 400* oven for about 20 minutes or until the skins blacken a bit. Remove the peppers and place in a paper bag to cool. This helps them steam so the skins come off easily. When cool, peel off the skin, pull off the stem and scoop out the seeds. You can slice, dice or do anything you want with them. Great on salads and sandwiches too.