Wine Without Numbers: Super Bowl XLVIII

Once again family and friends gathered at our house to watch the Super Bowl, chow down and drink some good wines. While the game was for the most part pretty boring, the food, wine and camaraderie made for a wonderful time. Fortunately Mother Nature held off one of her many winter storms of this very cold winter for all to enjoy the day and return home safely.

The menu included traditional (for this party anyway) items, with a couple of new and outstanding additions.

Traditional Plates

Meatball Sliders – my contribution. I serve these on small, fresh and scrumptious party rolls from Nicolo’s Bakery in Montclair.

Pulled Pork Sliders – my good friend Gene has mastered this dish. Also served on Nicola’s party rolls, the pork is tender and full of flavor (his secret ingredient is root beer) and he serves it with two incredible sauces, North Carolina Sauce (a cider vinegar based sauce made mostly from the juices) and Texas Sauce (pork juice renderings and a tomato based sauce, like a homemade barbeque sauce with a chili pepper jolt.)

Nancy’s Italian Wedding Soup – Boy is this good. So good in fact that it was the first item to be finished by the guests (can we get more next year, please). Everyone asks for her recipe, so here it is.

1 lb. ground beef

2 eggs

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

3 quarts of chicken broth

3 cups of baby spinach (Nancy uses bok choy, greens only)

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup Orzo pasta

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Sauté (diced) carrots, onion, and celery in oil until soft and starting to brown.

While vegetables are cooking prepare the meatballs. Mix beef, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl. Form into 1/2" meatballs. I use a melon baller for this.

Lightly oil a baking sheet and cook meatballs in a 375 oven for 12-15 minutes. 12 minutes usually does it.

Add the spinach to the vegetables and let it wilt.

Add the chicken stock to vegetables.

Heat the stock on high heat and add the pasta and the cooked meatballs.

Boil for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Sausage & Peppers – A must at a party like this, and Rosann and John can always be counted on to please all with this Italian classic.

Mixed Arugula Salad – George’s simple, refreshing and delicious salad helps to cleanse our palates and prepare us for the desserts that come at halftime.

Italian Pastries from Vaniero’s Bakery in NYC – Compliments of our NYC friends Peter and Amelia. While I am not a big dessert eater, I look forward to these every year, especially the delectable and decadent Napoleon.

Outstanding New Additions

When Gino asked what he could bring, I said "how about some cheese and paté." Bring it he did…in spades! Venison Paté; Wild Boar Paté; Pork & Chicken Liver Mousse with Truffles; Mousse Truffée (chicken & turkey livers & mushrooms). Hard to pick a favorite here as all were delicious, and hard to stop eating.

Photo compliments of Impressive Impressions

Malgaiola (sheep & cow’s milk); Torregio (cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy); Robiola (cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheese). Three great cheeses from Italy.

Photo compliments of Impressive Impressions

In addition to these he brought along a piece of the famous Spanish Ham, Patanegra (Black Hoof) Jamon from Joselito the most famous and revered producer of this amazing ham in the world. Aged a minimum 2-½ years, this ham is only produced from 100% purebred Ibérico pigs that are fed a daily diet of acorns. Sliced like prosciutto and served on a warm platter, each sliver of ham literally melts in your mouth. The ham has no peer. It is also the most expensive ham there is, usually costing upwards of $200 a pound. It was acclaimed by all as the “dish of the day!”

Web Photo

Crab Cakes – David and Lynn were first timers at the party. Both share my passion for wine, food and cooking. The Crab Cakes David made (on site) were, as Guy Fieri would say “Out-Of-Bounds”. What else can I say, they were delicious and received accolades from all.

Photo compliments of Impressive Impressions

Gamberi Fra Diavolo – Cosmo can always be counted on for a superb dish. Today he made a Shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. Cooked to perfection, they were scrumptious. Sorry no photo available.

Rice Pudding – Along with the sausage and peppers, John whipped up a batch of his signature Rice Pudding. A huge crowd pleaser. Sorry no photo available.

The Wines

We always drink well at this party and today was no exception.

2012 Opella Pinot Grigio. One of the wines Gino is branding and importing, this was crisp and delicious with a focused palate and nice finish. At $15, a terrific bargain at Wine Legend, Sunrise Shop-Rite of Caldwell and Sunrise Shop-Rite of Westfield.

NV Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon Méthode Ancestrale Rosé Magnum. If it seems like I serve this fantastic sparkling wine a lot you are right. The wine is a huge hit, especially with the women. Crisp, fruity, low alcohol (7.5%) it is hard to stop drinking. We went through 3 magnums today. $22. 56º Wine.

2005 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Magnum. Opened, but not decanted 3 hours prior. Deep red color, spicy bouquet and palate. Nicely balanced with the high alcohol (15+%) well integrated. More modern than traditional, a very nice CdP. Wine-Searcher.

2002 Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso del Bepi Magnum. Decanted for 4+ hours. Rosso del Bepi is only made in vintages when Giuseppe feels that the grapes do not meet his strict standards to be labeled Amarone. Thus he declassifies the wine and calls it Rosso di Bepi. It is in fact his Amarone at ½ the price. It possessed a spectacular earthy bouquet that energized the senses to what you were about to drink. Rich, balanced and pure on the palate, it is a great expression of the genius of Quintarelli. Wine Searcher.

We went through the above red wines pretty quickly so I opened 3 bottles of 1999 Quintarelli Valpolicella and a bottle of 2004 Quintarelli Valpolicella that Emil brought with him. As good as the Bepi was these two “lesser” (???) wines were sensational. Both were classic Quintarelli. The same spectacular earthy bouquet of the Bepi was present here. On the palate however, the fruit was much brighter yielding a lush, ripe and balanced palate. Both finished with great length and finesse. Wine Searcher.

We finished with a 1977 Grahams Vintage Port that was sensational. The bouquet tantalized the senses and on the palate was rich and luxurious and finished with amazing length. Wine Searcher.