As a descendant of Italian immigrants, I’m grateful for and proud of my heritage, and for our government’s recognition of Italian Americans by establishing Columbus Day. On Monday, I plan to cook up something Italian, and pair the dish with vino from the country that has been called: “a boot full of wine.”

Alas, what has been celebrated as Columbus Day since 1792 is now officially known as Indigenous Peoples Day. With all due respect to the folks who existed in North America before Christopher Columbus was credited with discovering our continent, I’m still observing the former holiday.

To be perfectly honest, Columbus was directionally challenged. He left Italy on a trade mission to the orient, but he sailed west instead of east, and ended up discovering North…. AMERICA. But I’m thankful for his navigational mistake. In honor of that fortuitous error, I’m providing you with a recipe for a special cavatappi pasta casserole, and recommending two wines that pair seamlessly with the dish.

And since cavatappi is shaped like a corkscrew, I could think of no more appropriate pasta type than one which is screwy – kind of like Christopher Columbus. 

Columbus Wrong Way Pasta

Ingredients:
One pound of cavatappi
One pound of Italian sausage links
Eight ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
Four tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese
One half cup each red, green and yellow bell peppers chopped
One small onion chopped, and three garlic cloves minced
Three ounces of olive oil
One-quarter chopped fresh basil, and one ounce hot pepper flakes (optional)
One tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns, and salt to taste
Two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes – preferably San Marzano
One small can of tomato paste
One pint of water

Preparation:
Boil cavatappi in a large pot until al dente, drain and allow to cool
Fry or microwave sausage links, and chop roughly
Saute’ onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil in a large pot
Open cans of whole tomatoes, and crush them by hand into the pot
Stir tomato paste into pot and add the water
Add sausage to the mixture along with salt, pepper, hot pepper and basil
Cook the sauce for one to two hours until it thickens.
Cover bottom of a casserole dish with cavatappi
Mix in sauce and cover with a portion of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan
Add layers of sauce and cheese until casserole is full
Top casserole with mozzarella, cover with foil and bake @ 350 degrees for one hour
Allow to rest for 20 minutes, cut in squares and serve

My wine selection for the recipe is Chianti which is made in Tuscany. The Italian government requires that Chianti must contain no less than 70 percent sangiovese grapes. Chianti Classico must be comprised of 80 percent sangiovese and be aged for 12 months, while Chianti Classico Riserva must be aged in barrels for at least 24 months before it can be bottled. Here are the two wines I recommend for Columbus Wrong Way Pasta.

2021 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva ($22) With intense notes of black cherry and blueberries, this wine is medium-bodied with chewy tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. It is a subtle, but delicious accompaniment to this robust pasta dish.

2021 Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ($30) Aromas of tobacco and toasty oak lead to flavors of ripe red currants with a finishing note of red cherries. A fuller flavored Chianti than the Frescobaldi, this wine stands up to and enhances this bold and spicy cavatappi recipe.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

For decades now, I’ve experienced both agony and ecstasy in the pursuit of the perfect wine. Allow me to amend that last sentence because I’m pretty sure that nothing is perfect. But I am always searching for wines that surpass those that are considered to be good -or even excellent. Wines that go above and beyond expectations and become something more than a really pleasant quaff. These are bottles that are refined and the wine in them is exquisite.

They are wines that can also elevate a meal from simply excellent to sublime. And the wonder of these beauties is that they can run the gamut of styles from deep, full-bodied reds, to silky, subtle whites, and even to delicate and complex sparkling wines. Many of these stellar wines are expensive bottles that are more than a decade old. Happily, I can report from personal experience that reasonably priced bottles can benefit from extended aging as well.

First, though, and this may come as a surprise, the vast majority of wines in the marketplace are meant to be consumed now, or within a couple of years. In fact, around 95 percent of all wine is ready to be consumed right off the shelf. So how can you judge when a wine you buy will be a candidate for aging, and then ultimately turn into something special over time?

If you would like to lay a few bottles down for future enjoyment, there are some important issues to consider. First, you’ll need to collect wines that have the best chance of morphing into something special over time. That means buying red wines such as Bordeaux, California cabernet sauvignon or other sturdy reds like Chateauneuf Du Pape, Barolo and Brunello Di Montalcino. Zinfandel, syrah and even pinot noir – particularly ones from Oregon or Burgundy – are also candidates for extended aging. Even white wines such as chardonnay from Burgundy, late harvest sweet wines like Sauternes from France and riesling from Germany can also improve with age.

The next critical element in selecting wines to collect for aging is the particular vintage year from which the grapes were harvested. By doing a little research using search engines like Google, you can determine from critics and wine rating publications which vintages are touted as having the best chance of success for long-term aging. And, because of weather conditions and other viticultural factors, the quality of vintages may vary from one world wine region to another in the same year.

Once you’ve decided on a likely age worthy vintage, read up on the specific wines and what critics are reporting about them. Oftentimes, you’ll see a lot of attention directed to the “superstar” and often very expensive wines for sale from famous places like Bordeaux or the Napa Valley. Unless money is no object, you should look for alternate, less expensive wines from those same highly touted areas. And believe me, there are excellent value wines that turn into very special bottles over time.

Now that you’ve selected a particular wine from an age worthy vintage, be sure you buy at least three bottles of the wine. This will allow you to open a bottle every five or so years to make sure the wine is making “forward” progress. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of finding out that I waited too long to assess the bottle, and the wine had passed its prime.

Another critical factor in the process is to make sure you store the wine properly. You don’t have to buy one of those expensive wine storage closets, but you should age the wine in a dark, vibration and odor-free area. And make sure the temperature doesn’t vary more than 10 degrees from summer to winter, and where the humidity is pretty high – around 70 percent. Purchase one of those temperature and humidity gauges and check out your designated area ahead of time to make sure it’s appropriate. If you absolutely want to be sure the storage system is ideal, you can buy temperature-controlled wine cabinets for as little as $300 or considerably more. You might check out these storage units at online sellers such as the Wine Enthusiast or Vinotemp.

Follow the suggestions mentioned above and you may be able, in a decade or so, to replicate the experience I had last Christmas. That magical night, I opened a bottle of 2004 Ridge Lytton Springs (79% zinfandel) from Sonoma County that paired seamlessly with our Christmas bone-in prime rib roast dinner. The price sticker on the bottle read: $21. It was Magnificent!

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

I’ve written many times before of my affection for all things rose’, and there is no better time to open a bottle of that sometimes pink, salmon colored or even orange hued wine than in the heat of the summer. And while it may seem counterintuitive to suggest pairing rose’ with a hearty, meat-centric dish,  I’m going to suggest you do just that.

Years ago, in a galaxy far, far away (actually a decade or so ago), I regaled the wine-obsessed creatures that read my vinous scratchings with a recipe for pork shoulder, also known as pork butt. With that barbecue-enhanced chunk of swine meat, I recommended you pair the dish with hearty  red wines such as petite sirah, malbec or Chianti classico. And I still favor using those types of reds to marry with the flavors of roasted meat such as pork butt.

But not in the summertime! When temperatures soar, the thought of sipping heavy, robust reds is about as appealing as wearing an overcoat to go running in the desert.  And while some of you may think of rose’ as a one-dimensional, inexpensive sweet wine, many are produced classically dry, and are made to accompany food. You may also be surprised to know that rose’ is made in just about every fine wine region on earth using just about every red grape variety imaginable. The wines I’m suggesting you pair with the “Pink Butt” recipe below are definitely food wines.

The Pink Butt

– Purchase a five-to-eight-pound pork butt (shoulder) roast ,and make several half-inch deep cuts all over the meat with a sharp knife.

– Blend a tablespoon each of kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper and minced garlic, along with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a half teaspoon of ground fennel seeds.

– Add two tablespoons each of olive oil, whole grain mustard and balsamic vinegar to the dry ingredients, mix together and rub all over the pork butt. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.

– Remove the plastic wrap and roast the meat for eight hours indirectly on a charcoal grill by moving the coals to either side. Then place the roast in the center of the grill over an aluminum pan filled with hot water.

– Adjust the air flow dampers on the top and bottom of the grill to control the heat and  check the temperature gauge regularly to roast the pork between 225 – 250 degrees F.

–  Alternatively, you may cook the butt entirely in the oven by placing it in a roasting pan and onto rounds of sliced onions. Add the liquid from a can of beer to the pan and roast at 225 degrees F for eight hours.

– Remove the pork from the grill or oven, and allow it to rest for an hour, saving some of the (fat skimmed) pan drippings. Then slice the roast and add some of the pan liquids to each piece of meat.

Pink Butt Rose’ Pairings

2022 Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Rose ($15) – From Washington State, this rose’ is round, but crisp, with a refreshing dose of acidity that marries well and enhances with the  smoky richness of the roasted pork. It’s also nicely thirst quenching.

2022 Chateau Miraval Cotes du Provence Rose’  ($23) This wine from the southern Rhone region of France has a blend of ripe, red fruit flavor. It is  medium-bodied with a touch of oak and a spicy finish which is seamlessly compatible with the grilled pork butt.

2022 Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir  ($40)– From the southern Napa Valley in the Carneros region, this 100 percent pinot noir rose’ is intensely scented with aromas of ripe apples floral tones and full of rich, yet balanced, citrus flavors, this rose will pair wonderfully with the smoky, spicey heft of the pork butt.

2022 Chateau De Segries Tavel Rose’ ($30) Tavel is traditionally known for its crisp, dry finish, and for being very food friendly. The wine, from the southern Rhone Valley, is a full-bodied rose’ that stands up to, and pairs exceedingly well, with the full-flavored Pink Butt recipe.

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

 

While we suffer through extreme heat and humidity in the waning days of summer, I generally prefer to sip light, white wine with my meals. Chilled sauvignon blanc, riesling, unoaked chardonnay and pinot grigio top the list of wines I choose to accompany with many of my summertime dishes. But I adamantly refuse to eliminate red wines from my list of summer sippers just because Mother Nature is in a bad mood.

However, I do select less intense reds because they are better companions to more casual, picnic or warm weather meals. And, importantly, I always chill my summer reds in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before opening them. Today, I’ll provide you with the recipes for two easy-to-make summertime meals and suggest the perfect red wines with which to pair them.

Calabrian Fried Peppers and Valpolicella

This dish brings back fond memories of my Calabrian grandmother. I can see her lovingly frying peppers just picked from her garden. I don’t have a garden, but I get my peppers from local farmers who sell them at the Capitol Market in Charleston. In addition to yellow, red and green bell peppers, I add Hungarian (hot) wax peppers which approximate the heat of a jalapeno. The beauty of this recipe is that you can adjust it to accommodate your tolerance for spiciness by limiting or omitting the hot peppers.

Preparation
Slice any combination of peppers into equal length strips. My usual mix is two each red and yellow bell peppers, one green bell and two Hungarian hots. To the mix, add one whole onion sliced into one-third inch rings, three large cloves of chopped garlic and two tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil. In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, heat three ounces of olive oil, and then sauté’ the pepper mixture on medium heat, turning the ingredients frequently to prevent scorching.

During cooking, salt the mixture to taste and liberally sprinkle freshly ground black peppercorns. The dish is ready to eat when the veggies are supple and limber. Plate the peppers and top them with more chopped basil. These fried peppers can serve as a main course or as a spicy accompaniment to any meat or fish entrée. And the peppers make a sensational sandwich when heaped on slices of baguette or ciabatta loaves, like the tasty ones baked at Charleston Bread.

Valpolicella, located in Italy’s Veneto region, is a lovely accompaniment to the dish. Produced from a combination of relatively obscure grapes (corvina, rondinalla and molinara), this red is a wine full of ripe cherry flavors and provides a delicious, refreshing and thirst-quenching paring for this spicy Calabrian pepper dish. Try these wines: 2022 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico ($20) and 2020 Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore ($18).

Barbecue Chicken Thighs and Rioja

Barbecue means different things to different people. For some, it’s a verb as in: “I’m going to barbecue some hamburgers.” For others, barbecue is a noun and usually refers to a type of cooked pork or beef that is chopped, immersed in various sauces and served on a bun. To me, barbecue means a style of roasting various cuts of meat, seafood or vegetables on the grill. One of my favorites is dry-rubbed, barbecued chicken thighs.

Preparation
Purchase a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and rub them with a simple mixture of two parts brown sugar, to one part each of kosher salt and smoked paprika. Combine the ingredients and rub them all over the thighs about 15 minutes before placing them on your gas or charcoal grill.

Pair these sweet and savory thighs with Rioja – a red wine from northern Spain. Rioja (pronounced Ree-Owe-Hah) is made from tempranillo, a grape that features spicy, bright, red fruit flavors which marry seamlessly with the chicken thighs. I suggest you pair the dish with 2019 Marques De Riscal Rioja Reserva($24) or 2020 Marques De Caceres Rioja Crianza ($17).

John Brown is also a novelist. His two books – Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are available online and in bookstores around the state. The third book in the Augie Trilogy- Augie’s Wine – will be released later this year. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

When I find compatible wine and food combinations, I have to force myself to try different pairing options and think outside the box… er…bottle. I suppose it’s because I’m a firm believer in the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so I am very reluctant to risk suffering through, heaven forbid, a meal where the wine and food pairing is not simpatico. That would be as devastating and unpalatable as a loss to Pitt on Homecoming Day in Morgantown.

It’s all about priorities, and mine are rooted in hedonism and the endless search for gustatory nirvana. So, it is sometimes difficult for me to pass up tried and true combo’s like: grilled ribeye paired with a full-bodied, robust cabernet sauvignon; or lobster dunked in drawn butter and accompanied by a glass of rich and oaky chardonnay; or how about a silky pinot noir with roasted salmon or even a refreshing glass of sauvignon blanc with capellini slathered in a basil and pine nut pesto?

You get the picture, right? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s time to live a little on the wild side and try some wines that are not in your vinous wheelhouse. Today, I’ll suggest a few whites and reds that you might not have sipped, but which can serve as tasty alternatives to the old tried and true wines mentioned above.

White Wine Alternatives

If you are a chardonnay aficionado, you might try a wine called aligoté’ (Al-ee-go-tay). The aligoté grapes are planted in the Burgundy region of France where the more famous and expensive white (chardonnay) also grows. Like chardonnay, aligoté has ripe apple flavors, excellent acidity and a rich finish. Try it with roast chicken or pan sauteed white fish like cod.

If you regularly enjoy the flavors of sauvignon blanc, you probably would relish sipping falanghina (Foul-en-geen-uh). Falanghina is grown in the southern Italian region of Campania near Naples, and it has some of the same flavor characteristics as sauvignon such as herbal, floral and tropical notes. An excellent pairing to dishes like Frito Misto (fried seafood), or meals that feature asparagus and other herbs, falanghina is also a superb accompaniment to the aforementioned pesto pasta.

If you enjoy sipping pinot grigio on the deck or paired with appetizers and lighter seafood dishes, you should give picpoul de pinet (Pick-pull-da-pee-nay) a try. The wine is a mouthful to pronounce, but it is chock full of citrus flavors with a lovely nuance of minerality that pairs especially well with dishes like bouillabaisse or lighter flavored cheeses. This wine from southern France is also a great value with retail prices around $15 a bottle.

Red Wine Alternatives

Most wine lovers enjoy cabernet sauvignon and other full-bodied reds with hearty dishes like beef and pork roasts or full-flavored stews. If you’re tired of the same old, same old, switch things up with Chinon (She-non.) This red hails from the Loire region in France and is made from cabernet franc – a genetic relative of cabernet sauvignon. Chinon has many of the same flavor profiles found in cabernet sauvignon with a bit more herbal tones. Cabernet franc is often combined with cabernet sauvignon and merlot to create a supple blend. Chinon, however, is made with one hundred percent cabernet franc, and it’s a lovely accompaniment to roast pork tenderloin and grilled lamb chops.

I probably consume more pinot noir than any other type of red wine. That’s because of its suitability to a wide variety of foods from meat to fish and even spicy dishes. However, when I need a great red alternative to pinot noir, I often select Aglianico (Al-yawn-ee-ko). This southern Italian grape has earthy, smoky aromas with black cherry and blueberry flavors. It is, like pinot noir, a great accompaniment to spicy barbecue as well as smoked salmon and grilled burgers.

If you’re a fan of full-bodied California zinfandel and/or syrah, grenache might make an excellent alternative to those purple monsters, especially ones grown and produced in either Spain (where it is known as garnacha) or in Australia. Like zinfandel, grenache is a very versatile grape. Depending on the whim of the winemaker or the geographic location where it is grown, grenache can produce a medium-bodied wine or a really full-bodied, lush and dark berry flavored whopper. I usually seek out the fuller-flavored ones and, if that’s your preference too, be sure to have your wine shop salesperson know what youi’re looking for. My two favorite wines are Alto Moncayo Garnacha from Spain and Clarendon Hills Grenache from McLaren Vale in south Australia.

So, live dangerously and take a chance on alternatives to your everyday go-to bottles. You might be pleasantly surprised. If you’re disappointed, it still won’t be as bad as losing to Pitt.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book, Augie’s World, is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. Both novels are available in print and audio at Amazon. You can find out more about his novels and wine columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

Homo sapiens are complex beings. We like to think that we know what we like, and then we change our minds and make choices that surprise us. Take wine for example. For years, I had an aversion to drinking  any type of sweet wine. But I  know that was  the result of too many traumatic youthful experiences with sugary, high-octane liquids pretending to be wine. And then, low and behold, I had the occasion to sip a late harvest riesling with dessert at a fancy restaurant and I realized that sweet wines, in moderation, can be truly enjoyable.

Yin and yang,  ebb and flow, hot and cold:  seemingly incongruous terms that oftentimes can complement each other. How about sweet and sour? “Agrodolce” (Ag-row-dole-chee) is a sweet and sour sauce that is featured in many Italian recipes to enhance meat and fish dishes. Today’s menu showcases a rendition of agrodolce that combines its sweet and sour components to enhance the delectable flavor of roasted pork.

Recently, I purchased  a center cut pork rib roast (also referred to as rack of pork) from the great folks at General Steak and Seafood in Charleston. This roast is the pork equivalent of a standing beef rib roast or a rack of lamb. I used the agrodolce, like an Italian barbecue sauce, to baste each piece of meat that I cut from the roast once it was cooked. And, while I paired the roast with an Italian Chianti Classico Riserva (see below), pinot noir would make an equally good pairing with the dish. Pork roast, unlike beef or lamb, does better with light to medium bodied reds like sangiovese and pinot noir. You could also use white wine such as sauvignon blanc, viognier or a lighter-styled chardonnay to pair with the pork roast, but without the pungent agrodolce sauce.

This  pork roast was cut from Berkshire hogs –  a heritage breed originally imported from England in the early 1800’s. Berkshire meat is considered more juicy, flavorful and tender than meat from American bred pigs. However, I’ve also enjoyed the same type of roast from domestic animals, and the price per pound is about half of what you’ll pay for Berkshire pork. Regardless of what type of meat you choose, it’s important to note that pork roasts are significantly less expensive than beef or lamb. So Enjoy!

Here are my two wine recommendations for “Rack of Pork Agrodolce.”

2019 Castello di Bossi Berado Chianti Classico Riserva($30) This Brunello-like, ruby red, medium-bodied Sangiovese is replete with dark plum, chocolate and spice flavors with a kiss of oak. It also features a nice dollop of bright acidity that makes it a perfect match to the savory richness of the agrodolce-enhanced rack of pork roast. 

2021 Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. ($50) One of the coolest climates on the west coast, Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County has a very long growing season and a place where pinot noir flourishes.  With aromas of  strawberries and spice and flavors of ripe cherries and nuances of vanilla and earthy mushrooms, the wine stands up and enhances the rich roasted pork agrodolce.

Rack of Pork Agrodolce

Ingredients:

One four or eight rib pork roast

Two tablespoons ground black pepper, kosher salt, minced garlic, rosemary and tomato paste

One quarter cup each balsamic vinegar, plain white vinegar and dry red wine

Three tablespoons: honey and pan drippings from pork roast

One half cup of chopped onions

One teaspoon red pepper flakes and  chopped parsley

One mashed anchovy

Preparation:

Mix one tablespoon each, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil and rosemary

Score the fat side of roast with a knife and rub the mixture all over the meat

Allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least eight hours or overnight

Remove meat from refrigerator one hour before roasting

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and roast meat for 15 minutes

Lower oven to 325 degrees and roast until internal meat temperature is 145 degrees

Determine cooking time based on 20 minutes per pound

Remove meat from oven and tent up with foil for 20 minutes

Slice the meat into individual pork chops, and baste agrodolce over each piece

For the Agrodolce:

Saute onions, parsley, anchovy and garlic in a small pan, adding salt and pepper

Add vinegar, tomato paste, pan drippings, wine, honey and red pepper flakes

Simmer agrodolce for about 15 minutes until liquid is reduced and thickened

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book, Augie’s World, is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. Both novels are available in print and audio at Amazon. You can find out more about his novels and wine columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com