Here the artist comes out in me as I like to put all the components together of place, food and wine together to share with you all as much as make a memory for me to return to refresh and rekindle this time and place and wonderful meal with my family in one of the late weekend early nights of August 2010.
The counter-top sure is full here with things from pine nuts to Parmesan to olive oil and garlic, wine bottles, basil leaves, miniature blender/grinder, plates, colanders, wine glass : so many colors, textures, patterns, matte and shiny surfaces, reflections of ceiling light and INAO glass, shine and lettering from the pine nuts clear plastic bag container ... I like it : takes a bit of time for my eyes to get focused and settled enough to take it in - gradually, no rush, enjoy the unfolding of the stage, so-to-speak.
There's this other bottle above that I cannot remember the wine but I do like the pattern on the shiny green surface. I will remember what the wine is soon enough and apologize now that I cannot. When I do I will include it here as it was also a part of this " mise-en-scene " of mine as I made this fresh pesto for my family's dinner on this evening at home in northern Virginia in late August. Nice color - golden and warm and vibrant to this wine.
The pesto was great and we enjoyed it over at least four or five meals as I made quite a bit. My daughter took some home with her and she was able to enjoy it again. My son would enjoy it pretty much anytime that he was hungry as he is still growing and would cook some pasta or make some tortellini and he would be off so-to-speak.
I forgot to mention that on this counter top there was also this shiny knife, the bottles of my own home-made vinegar, crackers, jam, paper-towel wooden dispenser and more ...
I have since made another batch of fresh pesto recently and plan to make another in another week or two. That may be the end depending on when it gets cold and things freeze. We will see. I love having made these two fresh batches so far. It's a labor of love but one well worth it.
I enjoyed both the Greek dry mineral white wine as well as the dusty dry Spanish red wine. The dry mineral and citrus Greek white is made from the indigenous grape variety called the Malagouzia grape. We have sold it before at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) where I have now managed the wine department for more than ten years. It was given to me along with many other bottles of Greek wine to sample for our Bog-Theme Greek in-store/ wine-tasting that took place with 28 wines in Cleveland Park on Wednesday August 18th, 2010 I believe. I have already blogged about that here on chatwine.
I liked the wine and it went very well with our fresh pesto meal. It needs food. It's a 2008 from GEORGAKOPOUPOS and it is rather bold and angular and can stand it's own against many a flavor or taste or texture : the more perhaps the better. It needs the food to help soften it and flesh it out. I quite liked this medium-bodied dry white and was happy to have it here.
The Spanish dusty dry red called VA. VINA ALJIBES 2004 Tinto red Vino De La Tierra De Castilla ( 14% alc by volume Merlot and Syrah blend , made at more than 900 meters altitude, aged in French oak barrels for six months ) Spanish wine also needs food to fill it out. It was rather bold, too and spicy and earthy and gritty and " grippy " and the food would give it some more roundness and flesh and be a good thing overall.
It's from a great year 2004 and from Chinchilla Montearagon ( Albacetes ) Spain. We have over the years sold so very much of the VA. VINA ALJIBES dry and flavorful/aromatic rose. I will have to inquire about that as well as we are out now. The pesto was just the thing and with a slight chill of twenty or so minutes I quite enjoyed it. I would not want to have more than a glass by itself without some food whether some cheese or cold-cuts, crackers and or bread.
It's Monday Labor Day morning here in northern Virginia as I type and get ready to proof and then post this blog from home on September 6th, 2010 at 9:42 AM. It's another drop-dead gorgeous morning here with blue skies, bright and refreshing sunshine and low humidity and hopefully very few mosquitoes as I go out to enjoy breakfast with my wife on our patio/deck as she has just returned from walking our terrier-mix dog.
Last night we watched the great movie on cable called " My Big Fat Greek Wedding " and I laughed and smiled and grinned and beamed pretty much all over and was happy to have been enjoying so many Greek wines recently ( here at home and at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ) and selling and promoting them, too. It makes me feel good to be teaching people about all the indigenous grape varieties, places and styles of these excellent food and sometimes sipping wines. The quality level is very high now and here I have been having a blast bringing them to the attention of many of our local Washington D.C. metropolitan area customers.
Happy Labor Day to one and to all on this simply magnificent day here in northern Virginia. Can't wait to get outside now ... TONY
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