Moore ... Wine Stuff
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Some do's and don'ts about buying a corkscrew

1. Do Not use one of those gas cork poppers, it will destroy your wine. It is possible to get a good wine for just a few dollars. Don't assume because you didn't pay lots of $$$ that you can't ruin it by infusing it with CO2.

2. I don't care how much they cost wire cork screws will only encourage the cork to split use a screw with a blade (the deeper the pitch the better) this slices into the cork creating a much larger surface area of metal to cork to pull against (see photo). I have seen corkscrews that cost over a hundred dollars that are all but useless, especially some of the new fangled things you see on the TV. I know a couple who purchased one for about $80.00 it opened about 30 bottles before it died.

3. Make sure the thread is long enough, French corks as well as many better quality wines have much longer corks if the thread on yours only goes 1/2 or 2/3rds. of the way down you will have more failures than if you are pulling against the whole cork.

4. Some of the " Prong type "(see photo) can work very well if your wrists are strong enough, I quite like them but my wife can't use them at all. They don't damage the cork or push bits into the bottle.

5. One last tip get to know your corkscrew. Screw it in far enough so that it allows you to pull against the whole cork without piercing the bottom of it, that way you will never have to scoop out bits of cork from your guests glass.

PS     Although you see waiters using the wire type remember they probably pull more corks in a week than most others pull in a year, experience counts.

Click to enlarge

Simple Cooking With Wine (and Grapes)

We love super easy sauces:  After sautéing meat or poultry, deglaze the pan with red or white wine to dislodge the flavorful drippings, then simmer the wine until it’s slightly thickened and beat in a little cold butter at the end.  Save any leftover wine to add to marinades, to replace vinegar in dressings or (when you’re using sweet wines) to macerate fresh or dried fruit.  Whatever you choose to cook, remember this cardinal rule: Never use a bottle that you wouldn’t want to drink (that means anything labeled “cooking wine” too).

(WM comment.... Oh yes, been there done that!)

Cooking With Grapes

Salads:  Toss halved seedless grapes in an Asian-accented salad with shrimp, lettuce and chopped jicama.

Sauces:  Add whole red grapes to the roasting pan after cooking game birds to help flavor the juices.

Chutney:  Coarsely chop red grapes with walnuts for a fresh chutney to serve with Cheddar cheese or chicken.

Tarts:  Lightly moisten grapes, then toss with shredded sweetened coconut and use to top fruit custard tarts.

Sangria:  Place grapes in a single layer on a tray and freeze them.  Add them to sangria instead of ice.

Pizza:  Scatter red grapes and pine nuts over a prosciutto-Gorgonzola pizza before baking.

Best Wine & Health News

Wine drinkers are not only healthier than nondrinkers, but smarter and psychologically more stable—at least according to a 2001 study at Copenhagen’s Institute of Preventive Medicine.

Best Antique Corkscrews

Frank Milwee Antiques in Washington, D.C., has one of the country’s top collections—about 500 choices.  Some date back to the 18^th century, others to the 1980s.  Whatever the vintage, Milwee guarantees they all work (from $10 to $5,000: 2912 M St., NW; 202-333-4811.

U.S. Wineries Time-Tested Picks

Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA; winery founded 1972

Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA; winery founded 1876

Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley, CA;  winery founded 1882

Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, CA; winery founded 1885

Qupe, Santa Barbara County, CA; winery founded 1982

Caymus Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA; winery founded 1972

Edmunds St. John, Alameda County, CA; winery 1985

Calera Wine Company, Central Coast, CA; winery founded 1975

Cline Cellars, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA; winery founded 1982

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley, CA; winery founded 1972

Schramsberg Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA; winery founded 1862

Best Wine Primer

It took a whole decade to produce, but Karen MacNeil’s 927-page The Wine Bible never reads like an encyclopedia.  Instead it offers intelligent and poised prose on everything from the basics (how to use a corkscrew) to esoterica (it turns out that Kekfrankos, from Hungary, is the same grape as Austria’s Blaufrankisch—who knew?).

Best Pronunciation Guide

The “living” wine dictionary at Stratsplace.com will sound out tricky terms for you.

Best Sites For Wine Gossip

In the www.weimax.com Rantings & Ravings section, Weimax store owner Gerald Weisl vents about the apparent idiocy of famed wine pros.  The site www.egullet.com offers a less contentious forum for discussion.

Top Wine For Asian Cuisine

Image problems aside, Riesling is truly cosmopolitan.  Its high acidity and mineral-rich taste make it a brilliant match for a wide range of cuisines, especially Asian ones.

Best Cheeses Made With Wine

For those of us who love to pair wines with cheeses, ubriacos cut out the middleman.  Italian for {“drunken,” ubriachi refers to cheeses soaked in wine during the aging process.  Our favorites are the light, fruity Fragola Clinto, make with wine from two types of Concordlike wild grape, and buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Testun al Barolo, with spent grape skins pressed directly into the rind ($15 per pound each at Citarella: 212-874-0383 or www.citarella.com)

Recipe, Wine Bar Snack

This delicious roasted nut mix is adapted from The Casual Vineyard Table by Carolyn Wente and Kimball Jones.  For 6 cups, preheat the oven to 350degrees F.  In a bowl, combine 2 cups each of pecans, almonds and walnuts.  Add ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced mixed herbs (such as rosemary, sage, savory and thyme) and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; toss well.  Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper and toss frequently until cooled.  The nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate & Port Pairing

Jacques Torres, the owner of Jacques Torres Chocolate, has found inspiration for pairing chocolate and port in the infamous tequila slammer.  After smearing caramel, downs the port and eats the cup.  To re-create this experience, you can buy Body Butter caramel at Torres’s fabulous little shop, on a cobble stoned street in Brooklyn between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges (66 Water St; 718-875-9772 or www.jacquestorres.com), or you can create your own version; simply smear caramel sauce on your hand (we like Smuckers dulcet de leche), lick it clean and take a sip of port and then a bite of dark chocolate.

Pairings Wine And Cheese

Drink high-acid wines with younger, more acidic cheeses, sauvignon blanc with fresh goat cheese.

Choose light wines for young cheeses, orvieto with young pecorino.

Try lower-acid wines with older cheeses, chardonnay with gruyere.

Pair big red wines with creamy cheeses, cabernet with brie de meaux.

Have strong wines with strong cheeses, syrah with aged cheddar.

Match earthy wines with herbed cheesed Corsican red with brin d’amour.

Best Wine-Stain Remover

We have a lot of ad hoc experience at F&W (perhaps too much) removing red wine stains from clothes and tablecloths.  Recently we put our favorite methods to a test, which confirmed that Erado-sol erases all traces of both fresh and old stains ($7; 800-525-6262).  A solution of equal parts Dawn dishwashing detergent and drugstore hydrogen peroxide is also effective, and Spry ‘n Wash works well on stains that have not set in.

Glasses For Sommelier Wannabes

Spiegelau glasses are durable and inexpensive (about $10 each) yet graceful; the stems are long, the bowls are well-shaped (800-999-6347)

Best Wine From A Box

It took some cajoling to get F&W editors to a tasting of boxed wines.  The surprisingly  delicious winner; a blend of Cabernet and Merlot from Washington State’s Tefft Cellars.  Juicy and ripe, at $30 for 4 liters (the equivalent of five bottles) it’s a great deal.

Quirkiest Wine Napkins

A man in pinstripes sticks his nose deep into a glass of red wine…A Botticelli-esque woman holds a glass of rose….These are two illustrations from Jensco’s “Six Stages of Wine Tasting” line ($4 per package; 800-270-4202.

Best Theme For A Hotel

The six Hotel du Vin properties throughout England have all the luxurious amenities, plus something more; a passion for wine.  Rooms are named after wine producers and lobbies are decorated with wine memorabilia.  Cofounder Gerard Basset may be Britain’s leading sommelier, and his wine picks for the hotel restaurants (including the one at Tunbridge Wells) are at the heart of this fast growing micro chain.  The wine courses he’ll be co-hosting at the Birmingham property are clearly a labor of love (from $175 a night; 011-44-121-200-0600).

Best Steak Sauce – Beurre Rouge

This luscious red wine-based sauce is from Terrance Brennans Seafood & Chop House in Manhattan.  For 1 cup, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in a saucepan.  Add 2 thinly sliced shallots and cook over moderate heat until softened.  Add 1 ½ cups red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, ¾ cup ruby port and 2 thyme sprigs.  Boil over moderately high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons and syrupy, about 15 minutes.  Discard the thyme sprigs.  Over low heat, whisk in 2 sticks of cold unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and season with salt and pepper.

Best Infused Wine – Spiced Raspberry Grappa

This recipe is adapted from Lidia’s Italian Table by Lidia Bastianich.  Fill a 1-quart jar with raspberries, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and ¼ cup sugar.  Add grappa to cover, seal and store in a warm, dark place for 3 weeks.  Drape a double layer of cheesecloth over a 1-quart jar and strain the grappa through it.  Remove the cheesecloth; discard the solids.  Seal the jar and let the grappa age at room temperature for 1 month.

Our Favorite Corkscrew

Le Creuset’s Lever Model Classic Screw pull was designed by an inventor who also created jet engine parts ($100 at Bloomingdale's; 800-232-1854)

Palm Pilot Software

Wine Enthusiast magazine’s Wine Guide for Palm OS Handhelds lets you turn your favorite handheld device into a tiny trove of wine wisdom, with 10,000 different wines, all searchable by categories like price, rating, vintage, style and varietals (from Land-Ware; 800-526-3977 or www.landware.com).