Join us for an impromptu FREE wine tasting

Taste more of the "Great Wines of Savor Dallas" this weekend.

The delightfully food friendly wines from Sonoma's MacMurray Ranch are the stars of the show this weekend as we continue our great showcase of some of the best wines (and soon spirits too) coming to Savor Dallas March 5th and 6th. www.SavorDallas.com.

Our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits are hosting complimentary tastings of three delicious MacMurray Ranch wines today and tomorrow. I'll be stopping by several of the locations, so I hope I get to see you and say hello--and taste with you! Here's the deal:

On Friday, January 29th from 5-7 PM and Saturday, January 30th from 2-4 PM the following stores will be hosting a special complimentary tasting featuring wine from the MacMurray Ranch portfolio. Items to be tasted include: MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris, MacMurray Ranch Central Coast Pinot Noir and the MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. MacMurray Ranch was purchased from the Porter family by famed actor Fred MacMurray in 1941. Fred raised his family on the ranch, and for 50 years the MacMurray Ranch was nurtured under his hand. MacMurray Ranch is quickly becoming known for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Whether from the Russian River Valley or Sonoma Coast appellations their Pinot Noirs express the legacy of the land from which they are produced. The hillside and valley vineyards of MacMurray Ranch offer a rich diversity of soil providing a unique expression of terroir. Susan Doyle, the winemaker, has learned to coax the character from land and vine. "You have to wait for the flavor," she says of the famously finicky Pinot Noir grape.

In-store Tasting locations at the fine Centennial locations:

•6312 La Vista Drive, Dallas.................
214-821-6294
Directions

•1613 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas... 972-506-8193
Directions

•6805 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas... 214-368-4162
Directions

•8123 Preston Road, Dallas.................. 214-361-6697
Directions

•8007 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas............. 214-361-0929
Directions

•5709 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas.............. 214-352-4161
Directions

•15055 Inwood Road, Addison............ 972-239-5891
Directions

Thanks to the intrepid souls who braved the monsoon and stopped by to taste Quintessa Estate with us last night at The Grill on the Alley. Randy Wooldridge with Quintessa conducted a fascinating tasting of Quintessa barrel samples from 2008 along side the 2005 and 2006 Quintessa Estate wines. Outstanding! Thanks for Executive Chef Daniel Winans for the great food, and to GM James Shull, sommelier Paul Doherty and the great service staff for a great job. A special "Dinner Club with Jim White" event happens every month thanks to our partnership with KRLD 1080 and Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. Stay tuned for more details and your invitation to join us for a GREAT wine dinner in February.

Savor Dallas and Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits promote responsible consumption by bringing back the popular "Savor Dallas Shuttle" to the International Grand Tasting on Saturday March 6th. This FREE transportation (with purchase of ticket to the International Grand Tasting) gives you the chance to ride downtown in style and back to your car safely. Or, if you want your commute to be "up the elevator to your room", Savor Dallas' official host hotel, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel (site of the wine tasting seminars, Reserve Tasting and International Grand Tasting on March 6th) is offering fabulous room rates for both Friday and Saturday during the wine and food lovers' weekend. Get all the details at the Savor Dallas website and be sure to ask for the "Savor Dallas special" if you call the Sheraton Dallas for reservations.

Happy trails. Cheers! Jim

Holiday wining and dining ideas

This week we've got dinner specials, artisanal food offerings and wine ideas for your holiday entertaining. Or, to loosely quote Steve Martin, "Waiter! Bring us some of your NEW wine! Not that old, dusty junk you've been trying to pawn off on her!"

The holidays are a wonderful time for dining out.

If you're looking for something on Christmas eve, Tre Amici is offering a four course dinner and 25% off all wines by the bottle. Plus, a 5 to 7 p.m. Happy Hour in the bar. 18020 North Dallas Parkway. 972-250-4400.

Kenny's Wood Fired Grill in Addison is offering special fixed price holiday menus for lunch or dinner for groups. Call 972-392-9663 for details.

Superstar chef Charlie Palmer is offering tips on his favorites from the "Regional New American Holiday Gift Guide". We're please to see a great Texas product makes his list:

Boerne, Texas: Pickle-licious
Made from an old family recipe, Fickle Pickles are probably the best pickles in the world. In the words of the original “Pickle Lady” Billie Shaw, they start out sweet and finish spicy. http://www.ficklepickles.com
Ask them about it when you stop by Charlie Palmer at the Joule at 1530 Main Street in Downtown Dallas.

Coast Global Seafood has some great daily specials going on right now that help make your holiday dining brighter.

Mondays - half price bottles of wine up to $100, including favorites such as Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Layer Cake Shiraz and more.
Wednesdays - Legacy Happy Hour with free appetizers such as calamari, oysters on the half shell and spicy rock shrimp from 4 to 7 p.m.
Thursdays - Cocktail Cruise with $5 house martinis and cosmos, as well as happy hour drink prices and $5 appetizers all night long.
Thursdays through Saturdays - live music from 8 p.m. until close from favorite local jazz duets and trios. Guest can enjoy the great music while taking in a spectacular view of the "dancing fountains" located just outside the COAST patio area.

COAST is located at 7501 Lone Star Drive, Suite B150 in Plano, Texas. For more information or reservations please call (972) 265-4722 or visit www.coastglobalseafood.com.

Paula Lambert and the Mozzarella Company are offering their holiday favorite Christmas Cheese.

As Paula explains, "It's a once-a-year treat that we make only from Thanksgiving through New Year's. It's a crumbly, spreadable round of cheese festively flavored with a combination of chiles. It's a pretty cheese...a vibrant red round topped with a swirl of green jalapenos strips. Some might call it a Mexican cheese, but you'll just call it "good" when you taste it! It pairs nicely with beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Just one bite won't be sufficient.

It all began many years ago as a mistake. Something happened to one batch of our cheese. It just did't turn out exactly as it should have ... it wasn't a bad cheese, it just wasn't the kind of cheese it was supposed to be! So, we decided to convert our mistake into something new. Because Christmas was coming, we wanted to create something good for the holidays. We decided to add a variety of red chiles to make it spicy. We molded it into small discs that would be perfect for serving when guests stop by. We decorated the top with a star made of green chiles. And voila...Christmas Cheese!

Now our mistake has become a Mozzarella Company annual tradition, and many of our loyal customers have made Christmas Cheese part of their family holiday traditions. They flock to our cheese factory for our special, little, handmade cheese. Many buy 10 to 20 cheeses because they make perfect gifts for neighbors, teachers, and friends. And they are great to have on hand for quick, last-minute hors d'oeuvres and hostess gifts. Wheels of Christmas Cheese weigh a little over a half pound each and cost $12. They are great for snacking as well as for melting. They stay fresh for a month or longer...but they won't last that long at your house!
You can order online www.mozzco.com or call 214-741-4072.

How about some wine with that cheese? (Only at my house that phrase is usually "How 'bout some whine with that cheese!") Wine Guy Darryl Beeson explains the secrets of life and mysteries of the universe when it comes to Beaujolais. (Here's the only new wine you want that snooty waiter referred to in the headline to bring you!)

Beau-jest of fine wine

by Darryl Beeson

Most people that enjoy wine know about Beaujolais Nouveau, a fresh and fun red wine made with the gamay grape. It is youthful but maybe simple. For very little money, one may bump up to a cru Beaujolais of which there are ten. Compared to the wines of more central Burgundy, these wines offer bang for the buck. The finest producers would lead with Georges Duboeuf and Louis Jadot.

Brouilly is the largest cru area in Beaujolais. It covers about 20% of the Beaujolais wine region. Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly are two different crus (crus meaning specific growing regions). Cotes de Brouilly is grown on the slopes of the hill. Brouilly is grown at the bottom. Brouilly wine is packed with flavor. Some say that Cote de Brouilly is both aggressive and elegant. The wine is more rich because the grapes get more sun exposure than the ones at the bottom of the hill. Brouilly is better when consumed young while Cote de Brouilly should mature 4 or 5 years before tasting.

Another is Fleurie, meaning "flowery". Duboeuf captures these flowers on their lables and are easy to spot in a wine shop. Fleurie is a fruit-forward wine. Some call it the Queen of Beaujolais. Moulin à Vent would be the counter-point King. In total the ten crus Beaujolais and offer great wine value for an interesting red wine. Most are under twenty dollars.

The name Beaujolais comes from the house of Beaujeu, a name which first appears in the mid-900s. This region became famous in the 19th century for the textile industry rather than wine. The wines are now overlooked by many consumers.

On the subject of Beaujolais Nouveau, it used to be sold as "Beaujolais Primeur." The late Alexis Lichine observed in his first book on French wines that these wines did not merit even a mention. "It was a young, fruity wine sold in barrels and served in carafes in restaurants in Lyon and in specialized bistros in Paris--strictly the cheap places. In the early 1950s, this vin nouveau never saw the inside of a bottle or traveled overseas." Things changed big time. It is now very chic to enjoy this wine of the same vintage of the current year, harvested a few weeks before. It is officially released on the third Thursday of November each year. North Texas has the largest Nouveau Beaujolais festival in the world.

(Note: November 20th was the date this year for the Nouveau Beaujolais celebration in Dallas. The party was a smashing success at the Hotel Intercontinental, thanks to the hard work or Isabelle DeWulf and the French American Chamber of Commerce.)

Our friends with Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits are giving away a great trip for two to Napa Valley! Now, that's the holiday spirit! All you have to do is go to their Facebook registration page.

This is a 6 day, 5 night Napa Valley get-a-way (Monday-Friday) at the Vintage Inn with round-trip airline tickets for two. The Vintage Inn is a AAA Four-Diamond Award-winning elegant French country-style inn located in the heart of Yountville featuring breathtaking gardens and a central watercourse. Stay includes Champagne breakfast buffet. The deadline for entries is December 31st, and the trip has to be used in 2010. Good luck.



Be sure to join us at Centennial Fine Wine in Addison on Inwood for a free holiday tasting of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Thursday December 10th from 4 until 7. Cheers!

How about leaving the driving to us? If you're attending the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting on March 6th at the beautiful Sheraton Dallas Hotel downtown, consider the "Savor Dallas Shuttle"--Ride FREE, clean and green! We'll pick you up and take you to the biggest wining and dining event of the year, and then make sure you get back to your car safely. You'll save on parking, gas, and stress. Check out our website for the Shuttle location nearest you: www.SavorDallas.com.

The Savor Dallas Shuttle is presented by Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits--promoting responsible consumption and eco-friendly alternatives.

Happy holidays. Jim

A toast for the holidays!

Delicious holiday bubbly from Veuve Clicquot brings the Savor Wine and Food faithful (and you know who you are), another fun, free event at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits on December 10th. Come raise a glass or two with us!


Savor Wine and Food—invites you to get you into the spirit of the holiday with a bit of the bubbly—In fact, some of the finest Champagne on Earth: Veuve Clicquot will be featured on Thursday December 10th at the beautiful Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits location on Inwood Road in Addison. Veuve Clicquot’s Cyndi Mendez and I will be on hand from 4 until 7 p.m. to preview three delicious Champagne varietals. Taste them all, and get all your questions answered about pairing Veuve Clicquot with your favorite holiday meals and for entertaining. Centennial will offer special pricing, too. Come join the fun. We’ll see you Thursday December 10th, from 4 til 7 p.m. at Centennial in Addison. While you’re there, be sure to register for some great prizes, including tickets to Savor Dallas---so purchase necessary. Veuve Clicquot Champagne—a special free event for you. Holiday bubbly is waiting for you. We look forward to raising a glass of cheer with you.

More on the way. Doing the "holi-daze" dervish. How 'bout you?
Cheers!
Jim

Wining and dining news you can use from single malts to San Antonio

Savor a night of Ardbeg at the
Second Floor Restaurant

Join us for a dandy tasting of some of the world's finest single malt Scotches on Tuesday November 17th, as "The KRLD Dinner Club with Jim White" and our good friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits roll out another great event. Taste what many call the "smokiest" and "peatiest" single malts from Ardbeg Distillery. Their senior brand ambassador Davinia Small leads the tasting at the wonderful Second Floor Restaurant in the Westin Galleria Hotel. Chef Scott Gottlich will prepare an ample supply of heavy appetizers that will pair with the wonderful elixir of the gods.

Including:

Almonds & Pistachios
With Truffles and Parmesan
~
Tasting of Regional Cheeses
With Traditional Accompaniments
~
Poached Shrimp
Chilled Celery Root Soup and Beet Jellie
~
Salmon Rillette
Watercress and Orange Honey
~
Bresaola
Arugula, Blue Cheese and Golden Raisins
~
Creme Brulee
Chocolate Espresso with Raspberries

This very special tasting is limited to 40 seats only. The price is only $25 per person; incredible to get to try these great single malts and Chef Gottlich's wonderful food.
For more information, or to schedule a reservation for this
Spectacular event, please contact Jason Henry at 972-450-2978
or email him at jason.henry@westin.com

Opa! The Fort Worth Greek Festival is back November 13th through 15th. Have fun--and great food--at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2020 N.W. 21st Street in Fort Worth. Call 817-626-5578 for more details.

There's a great food and wine event going on this week in San Antonio. Please read on for more information on the delightful "New World Wine and Food Festival". A perfect destination if you happen to be around San Antonio next week, or certainly worth making a special trip! Enjoy! And, if you attend, please let us know how you enjoyed it.

A week of food and wine awaits you in San Antonio November 8-15, 2009. More than 25 events make up the San Antonio New World Wine & Food Festival with something for every taste and every budget.

Three of the most popular events of the festival include:
The Best of Mexico
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Vault, 209 N. Presa Street
7:30 p.m.

The Grand Testing
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Grotto at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
7:00 p.m.

Totally Tejas (that’s Totally Texas y’all)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Rio Cibolo Ranch
1:00 p.m.

For more information on this year’s New World Wine & Food Festival, visit nwwff.org or call 210-822-9555.

Aurora has a Sunday brunch on November 15th. What a great way to start the week! Call for reservations: 214-528-9400. And, Avner Samuel has another of his almost famous cooking classes coming up November 21st. The class and four-course lunch with wine pairings is $95, and appropriately, chef's theme is "Holiday Collection".



Here's more good news for folks who want to dine out on Thanksgiving. Steve Fields Steak and Lobster Lounge is offering a traditional Thanksgiving menu--roast turkey and all the trimmings--along with their regular menu from noon until 8 p.m. The Turkey Day spread is $23 for adults and $14 for kids. Call them at 972-596-7100 for reservations.



On behalf of our friends at Share Our Strength (the national counterpart to the North Texas Food Bank), I'd like to offer you these ways of helping with childhood hunger this holiday season. Give thanks for our multitude of blessings.

Send Share Your Season Holiday Ecards
Make a donation to Share Our Strength on behalf of your friends, family or colleagues, and send a holiday ecard, letting them know that they're helping hungry children. Share Your Season ecards will add extra meaning to your holiday gifts this season.
http://action.strength.org/GiveAnEcard

Tell Your Friends about Share Our Strength
The only thing better than being a part of the Share Our Strength community is joining with a friend. Encourage your friends to do something about childhood hunger and to purchase holiday ecards.
http://action.strength.org/FriendSend

Join Our Online Communities
Let your friends know about our holiday campaign to end childhood hunger. Follow Share Our Strength on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook, and be the first to know about upcoming news and events -- then share it with your friends.
http://action.strength.org/FollowUs

By sharing your season in one or more of these ways, you will help provide kids with the healthy food they need every day so they won't have to worry about hunger.

Every child has the right to grow up happy and healthy. Thank you for doing your part this holiday season.

I hope the spirit of the season is filling your heart with generosity.
All best! Jim

Sizzlin' Ranch Style Paella, a Royal recipe, and a sipper to Savor from France

The Paella from Spain stays mainly on West Seventh Street and it's not plain when Michael does it.

One of our favorite all-time chefs, Michael Thomson, whose eponymous restaurant in Fort Worth's beautiful cultural district has been pleasing palates for over 15 years, is swaying to popular demand to serve Paella! Here's the caveat (apparently, this is a bi-lingual column): He's only serving it THIS weekend. In case you miss it, and I know I will 'cause I can't make it to Fort Worth this weekend, I am inviting you to inundate him with calls and emails urging him to do it again! Gently, kindly and courteously, of course. Quoth the Michael evermore: "Paella", is the National dish of Spain. Our "Contemporary Ranch" version of this Classic is a delicious blend of Seafood & Saffron scented rice dish highlighted with Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Chicken, Pork, and Smoked Andouille Sausage. Garnished with Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Green Peas, and our Fresh Seafood~Tomato Ranchero Sauce. Enjoyed with a Bottle of Nice Red Wine, this will be a memorable meal You will be wanting to return for. Make Your reservations for Friday (lunch & dinner) or Saturday (dinner only) by calling the Restaurant at 817-877-3413. BTW, Michael also adds that they have spruced the place up, "newly remodeled". Please support one of our finest chefs whether or not he's serving ranch style Paella. Michael's is located at 3413 West 7th Street, Fort Worth, 76107.

Our friend "The Royal Chef" Darren McGrady (he was the chef at Buckingham for the Queen and also for HRH Dianna), posts a super summer recipe that we share with you now. Check out his website for more great foodie finds. Or, as he puts it: "Eating Royally, recipes and remembrances from a palace kitchen." www.TheRoyalChef.com.

This months recipe:

Summer Ribollita

Next years Royal Chef Culinary Tour will take us to Tuscany

(for more information please call Southlake Travel on 817 657 9866)

So I thought I would share a delicious Italian soup/stew with you. Ribollita means reboiled and the stew tastes even better the second day "reheated"... I cant wait for this tour.

Serves 8

1 lb cannellini beans, cooked (dried or canned)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 medium red onions, peeled and diced
1 head celery, plus leaves, stalks ¾ inch chopped
1 head fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lb Swiss chard stalks and leaves, stalks sliced into large matchsticks
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked from the stalks
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked from the stalks
1 bunch fresh marjoram, leaves picked from the stalks
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
3lb vine ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and rough chopped
salt and black pepper
10oz fresh spinach
2 loaves ciabatta bread, stale if possible, crusts removed

In a large heavy pan heat ¼ cup of olive oil, then add the onion and celery stalks. Stir and cook gently until they soften and brown. Add the garlic and chard stalks and continue to cook. When the garlic begins to color, add the chopped tomatoes. Season and simmer for 30 minutes: the tomatoes should reduce with the vegetables.

Stir in the chard leaves and then the spinach. Drain and add the cooked beans and
the basil, mint, marjoram and parsley. Tear up the ciabatta (1-2in pieces) and add to the soup. Check for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. The consistency should be very thick.

Recipe by Darren McGrady, The Royal Chef

I call your attention to Grapefest, September 17-20 in Grapevine. An exposition of the best Texas wines, lots of fun for the family, and some mighty fine cookin! Our good friend, foodie Debbie Meyer-Gore is hosting the Culinary Pavilion at this year's Grapefest and sends this link to the schedule of demos:
https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/GrapeFest/ENT/culinary.html
It's a great way to welcome Fall, and have a ball! By all means, DO try the grape stomp. It's not as easy as Lucy and Ethel made it look.

Here's another wine find from our friends at Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits:

Taille aux Loups "Clos de Venise" Vouvray 2006

This delicious white wine is yet another example of a perfect summertime beverage that may also alter and change your perception of what a Chenin Blanc can offer. Chenin Blanc (also known as “Steen” in South Africa) is a very versatile grape varietal that can produce multiple styles of wine. As an example, when produced in the Savennieres region of Loire Valley France, it can be vinified bone dry with a mouthwatering acidity and refreshing citrus notes; however it can also produce light, semi-sweet wines with inviting green melon and honey like characteristics.

Specifically, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups “Clos de Venise” Vouvray 2006 (pronounced as Doe-main day la Tie O Lue Clo day Ven-ēs Voo-vray) is completely produced from Chenin Blanc grapes sourced from a few acres of vineyards located just outside the village of Vouvray within Loire Valley, France. The vines average from 50-75 years of age and are grown in soil mostly comprised of a mix of stony limestone and clay, which allow for the perfect ripening of the Chenin Blanc grapes. This Vouvray offers strong tropical fruit aromas and flavors of pineapple, mango and papaya with a hint of fresh ginger. The mid-palate reveals more citrus notes of pink grapefruit, nectarine and blood orange. There is plenty of bright acidity to keep it lively and should be quite long lived. Get it while you

Taille aux Loups "Clos de Venise" Vouvray 2006
Limited supply. Only 10 cases available at the following store.
Sale Price. $24.97. Retail $34.99. Save $10.02

6805 West Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas. 75225
214-368-4162

Remember, KRLD Restaurant Week continues until Labor Day at many of the top participating restaurants. Keep doing your part to enhance your life with fine dining and to help the great work of the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home. The complete list of restaurants continuing the three-course special dinners can be found at krld.com, guidelive.com, or opentable.com. Bon Appétit!