What is real food, wine and beer???

Real Food and Wine???

You can't miss articles about real food. The farm to table movement, organic food, natural food etc. Same things goes for wine and beer. I have written about ingredients in wine and how there are no rules or laws regarding putting ingredients on labels. See my 9/21/2013 post.
For years I thought that nitrates were bad for you so I bought bacon without nitrates. Now it turns out that nitrates are not so bad and bacon without nitrates actually has nitrates. It confusing but bottom line, eat bacon in moderation if you like it. In fact take some whole wheat toast, bacon, lettuce, a little mayo and some NJ tomatoes and make yourself a BLT. Simple and yummy.

Beer

Have you noticed lately that beers are beginning to be made in place other than where they started. Check out Beck's beer. A German beer, right? However I guess it was bought by the company that owns Anheiser Busch. Look at a Beck's bottle closely and you will see it is made in St Louis. The bottle says in big letters "originated in Bremen, Germany" and in small letters "product of the USA" "St Louis,  Mo.". Check out this article. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer

How about Bass Ale. Look at the bottle. Brewed by William Bass and Co's, Baldwinsville, NY. A good English ale! If you look at the boxes they come in it is almost impossible to tell where they are made.

If I told you that Chateau Lafite Rothchild is now made with grapes grown in NJ would it still be Lafite Rothchild. I always thought that the water is what gives a beer a special flavor. Newark always had lots of breweries since it had good water.

Beer made in places other where it originated just doesn't cut it with me. I'm sure there are many other examples of these types of foods. Italian cheeses made in Wisconsin. Can't the folks in Wisconsin give the cheeses a new original name. Brie comes from France, not Wisconsin. Champagne has gone to great lengths to protect their name. Champagne is sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Can you believe that there are still several very cheaply made American sparkling stuff that have been grandfathered and can still use the name Champagne in their cheap stuff. I think Andre is one.

I am not sure where to draw the line with food and drink. I was in Whole Foods the other day looking for ricotta cheese. As I mentioned last time, I have noticed lately that most ricotta cheeses have all types of additives like guar gum and other stuff. Polly-o is a big offender. In Whole Foods  they have their 365 brand that says it is made from milk that does not have Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone with a note that says ' The FDA has said that no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from RBGH treated and untreated cows." Yet the Whole Foods ricotta has all kinds of additives not necessary for ricotta. Ricotta only needs milk, vinegar and salt. So which is better for you a cheese with no RBGH or one with no additives. Of course we would like to have both but???

Wine

This summer I have been checking out low alcohol wines and coming up with some winners.

2012 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
7/12/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Best 2012 inexpensive Ore PN that I have tasted so far. Interesting fruit, tannins are balanced, medium bodied representative of the 2012 vintage, my only quibble is the finish; slightly sour and not the taste that you want to remember; will try again; the price is compelling.
  White  2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland 
7/9/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Great value. Good fruit and balanced acidity.
  Rosé  2012 Château Montaud Côtes de Provence Rosé
7/6/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
Decent French rose, nothing special, clean taste, dry, low alcohol, Drank at the Borgata'a Italian restaurant for $28, cheapest on a good wine list. We enjoyed the bottle but their arer much better rose's out there.
  White  2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri 
7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points
Light, refreshing and some fizz; just enough fruit; a really good white wine; drank with grilled shrimp and paprika potatoes. Wiil drink again although not a cheap wine.
  Red  2009 Barbet Saint-Amour Domaine des Billards Cuvée RéserveGamay 
7/3/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Medium bodied, still quite tannic but it opened up as we drank it; complex and subtle; an excellent Beaujolais, a serious wine, drank with grilled chicken; will drink again.

All of these wines are low in alcohol but big in flavor.

I made my first cherry tart last week and mys second tonight. Almond paste lattice with traditional pie crust and fresh sour cherries pitted by my wife.

Friends came over recently. Grilled swordfish, scallop[s., eggplant and asparagus over risotto. All NJ except for the rice.

We visited Atlantic City again last week. The Borgata was great as always. They had a sand sculpture contest on the beach and the results are fascinating.

Enjoy.