Drinking organic wine: a pleasurable way to help protect your heart.

Cooking with organic wine: a quick way to add sophistication to any dish.

One of the easiest, but underutilized, ways to glaze meat, fish and seafood, salads and veggies, and desserts is to make a wine reduction sauce. As the name implies, you’re simmering wine over a low heat until it reduces by half and becomes syrupy:

The National Organic Program (NOP), has set the same standards for wine as it has for food. USDA certification is strict. It guarantees that grapes are grown without synthetic pesticides or chemicals; and the wine is processed without added sulfites or sulfur dioxide. Bottom line, you can't add preservatives to certified organic food products or wines. And sulfites are considered by the USDA a preservative.

Certified organic wines, can have naturally occurring sulfites (all wines contain naturally occurring sulfites as a byproduct of the fermentation process), but the total sulfite level must be less than 20 parts per million. So for the for those who are super-sensitive to sulfites (asthma sufferers, for example), certified organic wines are the way to go. If sulfites are added to the wine and the total count of sulfites in the wine is taken above 10 parts per million, it must make the statement, "Contains Sulfites."

There are four wineries in California that take the additional step of processing their wine without added sulfites and are certified organic. They are Frey Vineyards, Coates Vineyards in Orleans, La Rocca Vineyards in Forest Ranch, and Organic Wine Works.

If you want to buy organic wines that don't contain added sulfites, my top tip is to read the label.  The ingredients and process used to make the wine will determine the label it carries.

Check out our articles and videos on organic wines:

Red Organic Wine Tasting - Episode 19

Wine and Cheese Tasting - Episode 23

Organic Vines for Better Wines

Interviews with Two Italian Organic Winemakers
Winter Organic Wine Pairings
Organic Wine Crush and Fermentation DIY Wine Making
Organic Wine-A-Tasting DIY Wine Making

Christmas in Napa Valley, Calif., is a wine-centric time. The new vintage has already been crushed and pressed, and bottles are making their way to holiday tables everywhere. 

“This is my favorite time of the year in Napa,” says Colin Crowley, executive chef at Terlato Wines International. “The pace has slowed down, and everyone turns their attention to celebrating the bounty of the season in a very relaxed, yet elegant, way.” 

December dining in Napa “is about classic recipes with contemporary updates that give the food an exciting, enticing vibrancy,” he says. 

Here is Chef Crowley’s recipe for a five-star entrée that pairs beautifully with a chardonnay. All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Halibut with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives 

For the Fish 

• 1 halibut filet (about 4 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste  

1. Coat halibut filet with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 135°F.  

For the Tomatoes 

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) premium tomatoes
• 8 ounces Kalamata olives, halved
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped  

1. In a 12-inch skillet, over medium-low flame, heat the olive oil; add garlic. Cook for 1 minute; do not let the garlic brown.
2. Add tomatoes (undrained), olives, capers and red pepper. Bring sauce to a brisk simmer, and cook about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Spoon sauce over fish, and garnish with basil.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Terlato Wines International

Boxed wine is usually reserved for NASCAR rallies and hanging out behind Wal-Mart, but since Manhattan restaurant Sojourn switched to wine stored in a bag, packaged in a box, and served out of a barrel, they've saved a bundle on shipping costs and cut down the amount of bottles and packaging they go through.

The bag-box-barrel wine has saved Sojourn $30 to $40 per case of wine and the savings are passed on to their customers. At Sojourn a glass of Pinot costs $9 to $11, it can go for $16 at other restaurants. Cheap and green, very cool.

And just look, Sojourn is no Arby's, switching to boxed wine has done little to tarnish their chic reputation. I want some wine out of a barrel stat!

Via Green Inc.

Image credit: GreenIncNYT

We measured the grapes and found they had a sugar level of 24 to 25 which would give them a potential alcohol of 12.5% which is right where we want it, these organic grapes were picked at just the right time by Charlie Barra of Barra of Mendocino to have this perfect sugar level. We also measured the acidity which came out to .76 and the pH 3.3 to 3.4 as well as the relative gravity which was 1.092 to 1.096 which were all desirable measurements.

That night I started the yeast in 50% juice and 50% water and added the yeast to the grapes ever waiting patiently in the trash cans the next morning. This process of fermenting the grape juice with crashed wine berries is known as maceration, during this process the red wine acquirers its structure and color. As a general rule of thumb, the longer the juice and grape solids are in contact, the more tannin and color that will be extracted, and the more full-bodied and colored a red wine will be. Maceration can take from 3 to 21 days but there is a lot to get into for the ease of this wine we macerated the wine till the yeast fermented all or most of the sugar which for this wine was 9 days.

While the wine is fermenting in the trash cans the yeast will raise the solid grape parts to the top, thus you need to punch down the solid grape parts, you can easily do this with an oversize spoon or paddle all you're doing is just pushing the solid grape mass down into the grape juice. I love punching down the grapes for it releases amazing aromatic smells of a winery, you truly know you're making wine at this point. The fermentation process will vary based on the temperature that the grapes are at. I measured the grapes specific gravity percentage of alcohol and temperature on a daily basis to know when we would be ready to press the grapes. For this organic zinfandel it took nine days till it was ready to be pressed.
Stay tuned for my next blog on do-it-yourself organic wine making where I'll talk about pressing the wine.

If you want to read the first part of the series :

Organic Wine - A Tasting - DIY wine making.

You may also be interested in these other articles about wine:

Interviews with Two Italian Organic Winemakers
Winter Organic Wine Pairings
Organic Vines for Better Wines
Organic Wine-A-Tasting DIY Wine Making

Yesterday’s Archives of Internal Medicine reported that men with healthy lifestyles who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may have a lower risk of heart attack, compared with those who drink heavily or not at all. Previous studies have confirmed this finding.

Researchers suspect these individuals have increased levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol”) in their blood. But because there are many risks associated with heavy drinking, physicians do not typically recommend that patients begin consuming alcohol to reduce their heart disease risk. Instead, they focus on other proven lifestyle interventions, including diet and exercise. These habits, however, are not mutually exclusive, according to Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal and his colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

“For individuals who exercise, abstain from smoking, maintain optimal weight and adhere to an appropriate diet, there may be few other standard lifestyle interventions to lower risk,” they write. “Whether alcohol intake is related to a lower risk for myocardial infarction [heart attack] in such individuals is unknown.”

The 8,867 men in Dr. Mukamal’s study had healthy lifestyles, defined as not smoking, having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day and eating a healthful diet, including large amounts of fruits, vegetables, fish and polyunsaturated fats, with low amounts of trans-fats and red meat.

Between 1986 and 2002, 106 of the men studied had heart attacks. This included eight of the 1,282 who drank 15 to 29.9 grams of alcohol per day (about two drinks). This group had the lowest risk for heart attack; those who did not drink at all had the highest.

“There is a complicated mix of risks and benefits attributed to moderate drinking in observational studies, and the individual and societal complications of heavy drinking are well known,” the authors conclude. “It is easy to understand why clinical guidelines encourage physicians and patients to concentrate on seemingly more innocuous interventions, despite the relative paucity of effective, straightforward and generalizable methods for encouraging regular physical activity, weight reduction and abstinence from smoking in clinical practice. Our results suggest that moderate drinking could be viewed as a complement, rather than an alternative, to these other lifestyle interventions, a viewpoint espoused by some authors.”
Suggested Reading

Organic Vines for Better Wines
Winter Organic Wine Pairings
Organic Wine Pairings for Holiday Menu
Organic Wine Pairings: American Classics
Organic Wine Pairings: Chinese & Thai Food
Organic Wine Pairings: Mexican, Indian & Japanese Food

Technorati Profile

Burgers
When you’re picking up organic burgers or grilling your own, bring on the big, bold red Shiraz grape. It has lots of robust fruit and peppery spice to hold its own with juicy, beefy flavors. For white wine lovers, a fermented California Chardonnay is perfect. The toasty-smoky flavor from the barrel complements grilled meats. Organic Authority Recipe Suggestion: Hot & Spicy Organic Portabella “Brisket.”

Barbecue
Wines made from Riesling white grapes are best with barbecue. Their concentrated fruit flavor stands up to even the heaviest meats. For red wine fans, the bold Zinfandel grape works well, offering lots of smoky, spicy flavors that can stand up to barbecue’s bite. Organic Authority Recipe Suggestions: Spicy Cracked Black Pepper Brats and Hot Dogs With Whipped Black-Eyed Pea Spread, Relish and Mustard.

Deli Sandwiches
Pile it high! Smoky-salty deli meats and nutty-sharp cheeses are delicious with a Chilean Carmenere. This red grape has a smokiness of its own and plenty of body to stand up to a big, meaty sandwich. If you prefer white wine, try a Spanish sparkling Cava, whose perky bubbles and acidity cut through the richness of deli fixins’ and stand up to mustard’s tang. Organic Authority Recipe Suggestions: Organic Turkey Sandwiches and Tomato, Bacon, Avocado with Arugula Pesto Tea Sandwich.

Photo courtesy of the Wine Market Council

Mexican Food
Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine has spunky flavors that need a lively, yet rich, wine to beat the chili heat and complement the spark of lime, while matching the richness of avocado and cheese. California and Washington wines made from rich-but-racy Fumé Blanc grapes are perfect with these foods. Another alternative is dry rosé wine, which has the fruity intensity and spice of the red grapes from which it’s made, while providing the lively acidity and refreshment of a white wine. Organic Authority Recipe Suggestion: Latin Tomato and Huitlacoche Soup.

Indian Food
Stick your nose in a glass of white Viognier wine, and you may well find some of the same scents on your plate of Indian fare: sweet curry, cardamom and mint. That’s because Viognier is an exotic white grape with the perfect aromatics to match up to all those exotic tastes. And for smoky tandoori meats, earthy lentil dishes and samosas, try an earthy-smoky Washington state Merlot. Organic Authority Recipe Suggestions: Spiced Lemon Rice and Organic Butternut Squash Casserole.

Sushi and Japanese Food
The super-fresh seafood and seaweed flavors of sushi and sashimi are right at home with the foamy bubbles of a French champagne. Look especially for the demi-sec style. Its touch of sweetness is the perfect contrast to pungent wasabi dipping sauce. Or for a value alternative, try the affordable and festive Italian sparkling wine called Prosecco. You can even mix in a little peach nectar and turn it into a refreshing classic drink—the Bellini—with your bento box. Suggested Reading: Fresh Organic Wasabi and Favorite Organic Wasabi Products.

“Wine and food are meant to be enjoyed together—and that holds true whether you’re having a five-course gourmet meal or a takeout burrito,” says wine expert and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, author of Great Wine Made Simple and Andrea Immer Robinson’s 2006 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone. Robinson, who also hosts the new wine pairing/cooking show, Pairings with Andrea, on the Fine Living Network, has teamed with the Wine Market Council to share wine pairings for America’s favorite on-the-go eats.

Chinese Food

Whether sweet and sour or stir-fried with soy sauce, Chinese food has lots of crunchy-sweet veggies, sometimes with a kick of spice. Pair Chinese dishes with a wine made from the Gewürztraminer grape. The wine’s soft, fruity, spicy flavors complement veggies and contrast nicely with salty soy sauce and spices. Or consider a red wine made from the soft Gamay grape, which complements sweet-and-sour and hoisin sauces. The Gamay’s earthiness also brings out the subtle tastes of soy, garlic and fermented black beans in stir-fry.

Thai Food

Thai chili peppers and curries are some of the hottest, with their heat often toned down by a touch of sweet coconut milk. This makes the hint of sweetness and juicy fruit of a white Zinfandel or white Merlot a perfect choice. The wine’s acidity sets off all the complex layers of curry flavor, while its sweetness and chill cool down fiery curry flavors. Or go a little more exotic with the floral-scented, peachy-fruited and delicately sweet Kabinett-level German Riesling. Known for its delicacy and low alcohol, it won’t fan the flames of the chili peppers’ kick.

Tune in tomorrow for more pairing tips from Robinson.