One of the faithful Thanksgiving traditions in our Italian American family involved spirited discussions around the holiday table. The decibel level of these emotionally charged altercations could sometimes exceed the sound of cicadas at war. During these holiday debates, no subject was too grand, obscure or off limits. We would debate everything from presidential politics to sports to whether the moustache on our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Costanza, was intentional or not.

Through the years, my brother and I have kept up the family tradition by arguing over which wines are best to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. After exhaustive and sometimes heated discussions, we have come to an uneasy truce and have concluded that almost any wine can marry nicely with at least one menu component of the Thanksgiving Day meal.

For years, I have written about the culinary versatility of turkey to be successfully paired with white, red, or rose’ as well as both lighter-styled and full-bodied wines. The reason is turkey is blessed with meat that has different flavors, colors and textures. Add to this the way the turkey is prepared – from traditional oven-baking to deep frying, to charcoal grilling or to smoking -and you have a plethora of wine choices from which to select. And since most of us will prepare a stuffing or dressing to the meal, you add a whole other flavor dimension that opens up even more vinous possibilities.

For example, one year I stuffed a charcoal grilled turkey with cornbread, ancho chili peppers and chorizo sausage. What wine, you might ask, did I serve with this non-traditional turkey and stuffing? Well, I started with Veuve Clicquot Champagne as an aperitif with the customary Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvres, proceeded to open a bottle of Trimbach Alsatian Pinot Gris for those who preferred white wine with the turkey, and I uncorked a bottle of Chateau de Beaucastel for those who preferred red. For dessert, I chose a bottle of Joseph Phelps Late Harvest Riesling to accompany pumpkin pie with whipped cream. And guess what, everything worked out well. Then, full of tryptophan, I plopped down on the couch and snoozed while some NFL team beat up on the Detroit Lions.

So here are some wines for you to consider as you plan your Thanksgiving dinner.

Sparkling Wine: Bottega Gold Prosecco; Cantina Zaccagnini Brut Blancs de Blancs; Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs; Iron Horse Russian Cuvee; Segura Vidas Cava Brut; Veuve Clicquot Champagne; and Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne.

White Wine: St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc; Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay; Argiolas Meri Vermentino; Trimbach Riesling; Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer, Rombauer Chardonnay; Carol Shelton Wild Thing Viognier; Verdicchio di Matelica; and Beaumont Chenin Blanc.

Red Wine: Camino de Navaherreros Red; Chateau La Fleur Saint Bonnet Rouge; Easton Amador County Zinfandel; Greenwing Cabernet Sauvignon; Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino; Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Chateau de Pitray Rouge; Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Oregon Pinot Noir; and Georges Duboeuf Morgon Beaujolais.

Dessert Wine: Michele Chiarlo Moscato; Chateau Ste. Jean Late Harvest Riesling; Veuve de Vernay Ice Rose; J Vidal-fleury Muscat de Beaumes de Venise; and Rosa Regale Brachetto.

Happy Thanksgiving!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

I’m convinced that my obsession with wine and food can be attributed to fifty percent of my ancestral composition – the Italian half. I suppose I should credit the other half (Irish) with my fondness for stronger beverages, and for blarney – my penchant for long-winded descriptions of things (like wine and food) most normal people simply consume.

So, on this most revered of Italian American weekends, when we celebrate Christopher Columbus – we’ll take a look at a special Italian wine, its versatility in pairing with a multitude of dishes, and its lofty standing in the world of wine. Unfortunately, most of us think Italian wines should only be served with Italian foods like pasta in a red sauce. But what I love most about Italian wine is its tremendous diversity in pairing with a whole host of foods. Within the geographic confines of its 20 regions, Italy produces a virtual sea of wine from a dizzying array of grapes.

Today I’ll tell you about a wine that is arguably one of the most revered and coveted bottles on earth – Barolo. Nestled in the northwest corner of the country and in the shadow of the Alps, Barolo is a dark, tannic and full-bodied wine that can improve over an extended period. Another famous red wine of the region is Barbaresco which is made from the same grape (nebbiolo) as Barolo, but the flavors and intensity of the two wines are completely different. Barolo is a wine which can take decades to mature while Barbaresco is a lighter colored and less intense version of nebbiolo that is more approachable in its youth than Barolo. The fertile soil of Piedmont also produces several other excellent red wines such as Barbera and Dolcetto, and is also home to a number of white wines, including Gavi and Arneis, both of which feature light, bright, fruit- forward flavors.

Barolo is named after the town around which the grapes are grown. For a wine to be labeled Barolo, it must be made in the geographical confines of that government-designated appellation. In addition, Barolo must be aged for two years in oak barrels and one year in the bottle before it can be released for sale. Barolos can range in price from about $40 to several hundred dollars a bottle. One way I’ve found to speed up drinkability of young Barolo is to decant the wine for extended periods. For wines under 10 years old, I will pour them into a carafe for up to 12 hours before consuming them.

Here are some of my favorite Barolo producers to look for: Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2020 Ludo ($50); 2020 Borgogno Barolo ($70); 2019 Eraldo Viberti Barolo ($58); 2019 Pertinace Barolo ($34); 2018 Pio Cesare Barolo ($80); and 2020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo ($135).

So, what foods can stand up to such full-bodied red wines? As the original home of the “slow food” movement, the Piemontese believe in using local and seasonal ingredients as the centerpiece of the meals they consume. In the fall, mushrooms and squash along with red and yellow peppers predominate along with rich, hearty and flavorful dishes like roasted beef, pork, lamb or game pair especially well with Barolo. In addition, pasta with earthy and intense foods like truffles and mushrooms are also excellent accompaniments to the wine.

Piedmont’s most famous culinary delight is the white truffle – an aromatic, very expensive delicacy that looks like a stone, is hunted and sniffed out by trained dogs, and then surreptitiously dug up by devious sorts who would rather see their first born taken by gypsies than give up the location of their buried treasure. On my last trip to the region, I passed on the white truffles and instead feasted on less expensive fare that paired just as well with the reason for my visit – Barolo!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

My brother fancies himself a gourmet cook, but rather than disagree with his delusion, I usually just nod and let him go about blissfully concocting his latest comestible contrivance. I must admit, though, that he does usually deliver on his culinary creations, but the kitchen devastation left in his wake requires HazMat-like intervention to clean and reassemble.

However, one such dish was so good that I did what all male siblings unabashedly do: I claimed it for my very own. And today I’ll share that recipe with you and tell you what wines to pair with it. This recipe is actually a knock-off of a famous Italian dish called Cotoletta alla Milanese (or Veal Milanese). Today’s dish, Pork Milanese, substitutes pork chops for veal and is not only delicious, but significantly less expensive to prepare. My brother’s version (see photo) features a bone-in pork tomahawk, but my recommendation is to use bone-in, center cut pork chops that are equally delicious, much less expensive and readily available at most grocery stores.

Another advantage of Pork Milanese is that it can be paired with both white and red wines. White Italian wines such as Verdicchio from the Marche region or Arneis from northern Italy would be excellent choices. Try 2023 Bisci Verdicchio di Matellica ($20) or 2023 Michele Chiarlo Le Madri Roero Arneis ($28). Lighter styled reds such as pinot noir or Sangiovese will work well too with this dish. Try 2022 La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($25) or 2023 Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico ($26).

Pork Milanese
Ingredients
Four bone-in center cut pork chops – half inch or less
One cup flour
One teaspoon of Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Two large eggs
One cup panko or other breadcrumbs
Four ounces of grated parmesan cheese (Reggiano if possible)
Two ounces extra virgin olive oil
Four sage leaves and four sliced lemon rounds

Preparation
Place the pieces of pork between sheets of plastic wrap
Use a meat mallet and pound the pork into ¼-inch thick cutlets
Whisk the flour, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl
Stir and beat the eggs in a separate bowl
Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in another bowl
Dredge chops: first in flour, next in eggs and then finish in breadcrumbs
Heat olive oil in a large skillet, sauté sage leaves for 30 seconds and remove from pan
Pan-fry the breaded cutlets until each side is golden brown
Add sage leaves to each cutlet and serve with fresh lemon rounds

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

The best summertime red wine that pairs well with the widest variety of meals from salads to pastas is pinot noir. Of course, the most revered pinot noir in the world is produced in the Burgundy region of France, but only Russian oligarchs and Saudi princes can afford to drink that stuff on a regular basis.

And with all due respect to Burgundy, there have been other pinot noir producers, principally in the US, that have begun to challenge the vinous supremacy of France to make exceptional wine. The most accomplished region to give the Burgundians a run for their money is Oregon where the pinot noir grown and crafted in the Williamette Valley is not only qualitatively competitive, but also within the economic reach of most wine lovers.

The northern Willamette Valley, just south of Portland, is where the most famous Oregon wineries are located within several American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s), including Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill Carlton. Within these AVA’s, more than 700 wineries produce pinot noir. From a taste perspective, Oregon pinot noir combines the fruit and richness of California pinot with the earthiness, balance and elegance of Burgundy.

This summer my wife and I have had the pleasure of matching Oregon pinot noir with a variety of meals at home, and we have also paired them with some of the best entrees at several local restaurants. I’m always amazed at the quality of restaurants in Charleston, and Huntington too, and the chefs who create their menus. Paul Smith owner of 1010 and Paulies Fine Italian as well as Chase /Collier of Ristorante Abbruzzi have both been recognized nationally by the James Beard Foundation for their culinary excellence.

Chef Noah Miller of Noah’s Restaurant in downtown Charleston is equally masterful in preparing unforgettable meals. One I enjoyed recently had as it’s delicious and rare centerpiece locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms. Chef Miller actually picked the mushrooms in the forest adjacent to his home and then added the chanterelles to a mouth-watering, creamy pasta dish with which we paired pinot noir. It was an absolutely stunning food and wine combination.

Here are some of my favorite Williamette Valley pinot noirs that you should consider adding to your summertime menus or as accompaniments to restaurant meals: Ken Wright Cellars, Domaine Drouhin, Cristom Vineyards, Chehalem Winery, Adelsheim Vineyards, Domaine Serene, The Eyrie Vineyards and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Enjoy!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

 

One of my pet peeves with the wine industry over the years has been their occasional practice of inventing a new term to describe an already defined word. This results in only further confusing we already bewildered American wine consumers who must regularly deal with labels in foreign languages and nonsensical descriptions of wines as being “ethereal.” Anyway, I was reminded of this recently when someone asked me to describe the difference between red wines syrah and shiraz. Well, for those of you who don’t know, syrah is the world-famous grape that has been grown and produced in the Rhone Valley of France for centuries.

Shiraz, on the other hand, is an invented word that some wine marketer decided to call the syrah made in Australia and South Africa – and now sometimes even in California. You won’t see the word syrah mentioned on any Rhone label because the wine there is identified by the producer and the place (like Cote-Rotie or Cornas) but most red wine from the region will be comprised of that grape. I mention this because if you don’t sip syrah, or even the stuff labelled shiraz, you’re missing out on wines that, while different in name, place and in the way they’re vinified, are both excellent and worthy of your exploration.

The best Rhone producers are E. Guigal, Paul Jaboulet Aine, M. Chapoutier, J. Vidal-Fleury and Delas Freres. These wines are more restrained, complex and less highly alcoholic than most of the Australian, South African and American versions of the syrah called shiraz. In the US, wine labelled as syrah was not widely available until the 1980’s when the “Monty Python” of California wine makers, Randall Graham (Bonny Doon Vineyards), was one of the first to introduce syrah and other Rhone varietals to California. If you’ve never read one of Graham’s pun-filled, semi-wine related, opera-inspired tomes, you’re missing a great opportunity to add knowledge and humorous wine education tidbits to your appreciation of the fruit of the vine. Check out his book: “Been Doon So Long.” It’s a riot!

If you would like to sample syrah from California, some of my favorite labels are Qupe, Onx, Ascent, Cayuse, Babcock, Alexander Valley Vineyards and Beckman. The Australians, particularly in the Southeastern Barossa region around Adelaide, make a fuller-bodied style of shiraz. My favorites from Down Under are Clarendon Hills; Torbreck Woodcutters Red, Penfolds Kalimna, Lindemans Bin 50, Elderton and d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz. Whether you call it syrah or shiraz, go out and experience the tasteful versatility of these delicious wines.

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I remember a time – just a couple of decades ago – when perusing a wine list in a West Virginia restaurant took about ten seconds. The choices usually included a “house” white, red and rose’ usually supplied by some mega jug wine producer in California. If you wanted a varietal like pinot noir or chardonnay, the wine list might have a “Burgundy” red or a “Chablis” white. If you wanted anything more upscale, you’d need to drive over to The Greenbrier. But thankfully, times have changed, and our state boasts some excellent restaurants that feature a wide selection of domestic and international wines. To recognize restaurants that have the most exceptional wine lists, each year Wine Spectator Magazine singles out eateries for special awards.

Congratulations to four West Virginia restaurants that have been recognized by the Wine Spectator for having award worthy wine lists. The Final Cut Steakhouse at Hollywood Casino and Racetrack in Charles Town received a “Best of award of Excellence” while three other state restaurants rated an “Award of Excellence,” including The Wonder Bar Steakhouse in Clarksburg, Bistro 112 in Shepherdstown and Sip Downtown Brassiere in Huntington.

And a special shout out to The Wine Down, Charleston’s new wine bar at 114 Washington Street West in Elk City. Open most afternoons and early evenings, The Wine Down features a rotating selection of reds, whites, sparklers and rose’s along with charcuterie plates and other wine friendly small tapas-like dishes to pair with their eclectic and always changing list. Check it out.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

 

Once the weather moderates, some folks can’t wait to hit the pool, dust off the old golf clubs or dig in the dirt and plant things. Not me. Warm weather gets me in the mood to create delicious  salads and follow that course up with a stick to your ribs, spicy and hearty entrée of grilled meat or fish. Of course, then I get to enjoy pairing the courses with wines that further enhance the enjoyment of this summertime meal.

I’ll admit right up front that the two courses I’m suggesting you try are a bit odd (kind of like beauty and the beast), but, honestly, they really work well together. And the wines I’m recommending – both white and red – will benefit from a little chilling in the refrigerator before serving. So here we go.

Salad

The sine qui non of summer salads for this Italian American is Caprese. Visit the Capitol Market in Charleston where you’ll be able to buy the ingredients for this quintessential summer treat. Slice ripe tomatoes into quarter inch rounds and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil like the exquisite one, Villa DiTrapano, harvested and produced by local owners. Then sprinkle the tomatoes with artisan sea salt from JQ Dickinson. Finally cover the tomatoes with fragrant basil leaves and fresh buffalo mozzarella. The etymology of Caprese translates to “of or near the Island of Capri” so I suggest pairing the dish with either of these two Italian white wines:

2022 Mastroberardino Falanghina ($23) Grown and produced in the hills above Naples. The wine features ripe apple flavors and floral notes with bright acidity, and it complements the Caprese beautifully.

2023 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica ($25) Vinified in eastern Italy between the mountains and the Adriatic Sea. This delicate white wine has fresh, bright citrus flavors with a distinct nuance of almonds. A bit rounder than the Falanghina, it’s also a great accompaniment to Caprese.

The Entree

Baby back (pork) ribs are my favorite meat to barbecue on an outdoor grill. And I prefer to use charcoal when grilling baby backs because of the smokiness it imparts to the meat. You can also get good results by using a metal smoking box filled with wood chips that is placed inside a gas grill. Either method will give you good results. Here’s my recipe for grilled baby back ribs that’s easy to prepare and delicious to eat. Purchase a rack or two of baby backs General Steak and Seafood  and Johnnie’s Meat Market -both in Charleston – are my go-to purveyors.

Next, make a dry rub consisting of one tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Rub this onto both sides of the ribs and then slow cook the ribs indirectly (placing them away from direct heat) for three hours. About 15 minutes before the ribs are cooked, baste both sides with a store bought or homemade barbecue sauce. Here’s my recipe for a delicious sauce: Combine a cup of ketchup with half a cup of white vinegar in a cooking pot. Add a bottle of pilsner or light beer into the pot along with a tablespoon each of brown sugar, molasses, dried mustard and bring the sauce to a boil. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes before basting it on the ribs.

Oregon pinot noir and Cotes Du Rhone from France wines are my choices to accompany just about any barbecue, and especially grilled baby backs. Try either (or both) of these wines:

2023 Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($27) This Oregon pinot noir has spicy, bright red cherry flavors and excellent acidity that balances and enhances the richness of the baby backs.

2022 Saint Cosme Les Deux Albion ($23) – This southern Rhone red is a blend of mostly syrah and grenache that is fermented in open cement vats and then aged briefly in stainless steel. What you get are pure, deep, dark fruit flavors with freshness that marry exceptionally well with the sweet and smoky baby backs.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com