gemelli wine+spirits october news White Wine of the Month: Domaine des Cassagnoles 2010 Cotes de Gascogne $12 Gascony, France A blend of Colombard, Petit Manseng, and Ugni Blanc from Southwestern France. This one reminds us of a Sauvignon Blanc with a tropical fruit infusion. Light, tangy and citrusy with grassy notes, pineapple, pears, and herbs. A lovely cocktail white for before dinner, and to carry into the first course. Food Pairing Suggestion: This wine is an easy pairing with cheeses, brushetta, shellfish and seafood. A nice match for chicken salad and fall soups. Red Wine of the Month: Razor’s Edge 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon $13 McLaren Vale, Australia A vivid glass of ripe mulberries, both translucent and bright. It has a full aroma of tart dried cranberries, and spiced blueberries. Nice meaty flavors with peppercorns, mocha, and blackberries Friendly and balanced with hints of glycerin and just enough tannins to give it depth. The finish lingers with oak, but politely. Food Pairing Suggestion: This one works beautifully with all your cabernet food-faves: grilled meats, roasts, cheeses……but also makes a lovely late-night patio-sipper with no food at all! new, new, new If you are looking for something new, and delicious…..come check out: Ca’ Vittoria Prosecco Rose $21 (Evie’s new pet) State Landt Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc $18 Shaye Verdejo (Rueda) $18 Mendocino Vineyards Chardonnay $11 Bonacchi Rosso di Montalcino $21 Lastly, it’s not new, but it’s here: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon and: new gemelli email Please note that Gemelli’s email has changed. Add our new address to your contact list, so you don’t miss any of our fascinating newsletters in the future. fall horseracing Keenland opens this weekend. (and Churchill Downs next month) Gemelli will have your DAILY RACING FORMS for sale through the season. Good luck with the ponies! private tastings Gemelli hosts private and semi-private tastings for couples and groups up to eight people on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and some Saturdays. Enjoy 4-5 wines, and yummy snacks. Learn about the history and geography of wine with your friends. upcoming november events Early next month, Gemelli welcomes our esteemed importer, North Berkeley Imports to Louisville for two fun events: First, on November 9th, a Wine Dinner at Le Relais featuring North Berkeley’s fabulous wines paired with chef ‘s delicious cuisine. Call Le Relais directly to Reserve your spot. On November 10th, Gemelli will host an in-store tasting of North Berkeley’s wines for all our customers. Please stop in and enjoy some of the best French and Italian wines out there! 5-7pm.
Not the wine of the Month Every month we put together a red and white “wine of the month” that we feel is a good deal, appropriate wine for the season, and easy drinking. Then there are the wines that we find or rediscover that are, for whatever reason, just so damn good, and really drinking well that we need to tell everyone about them. Chateau Virgile Rose $13 (still tastes like summer!) Nicodemi Montepulciano $17 Joseph Carr Napa Cabernet $25 scary-good beer Our favorite fall seasonal beers are back, just in time for ghosts and goblins, and your Halloween parties.
Sam Adams Octoberfest A blend of five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee. we keep getting yummier Don’t miss the NEW mouth-watering cheeses from Lotsa Pasta, including: Beemster 3 year old Petit Basque Taleggio Gorgonzola Dolce French Comte White Stilton w/ Mango Montenebro French Chevre Nancy’s Hudson Valley Camenbert In addition to the cheeses, Amber McCool’s weekly sandwich selection is delectable. Her catering company Red Clover whips up savory sammies on locally-baked artisanal baguettes. 479 Popcorn is irresistible. Gemelli has a sweet flavor: Fleur de Sel with Caramel, and a salty one: Black Truffle with Cheddar. Both come in grab bags for less than 100 calories. recipes of the Month The month of October gets me excited about one of my FAVE cooking ingredients: Pumpkin. Bring me pumpkin bread, pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin ice cream…..whatever! Now, I’m not sure if it’s the actual pumpkin, or the “pie spices” which turn me on, but it’s ALL good. Here are a couple pumpkin recipes to get your October started in a tasty way. Pumpkin Risotto Serves 6, pair with Cantina Terlano Classico 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 pound fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups) 2 medium white onions, finely diced 3/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 1 teaspoon salt 7 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken broth 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (about 11 ounces) 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the pumpkin and half of the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin is just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine, nutmeg, white pepper and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. 2. In a food processor, puree the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. 3. In another medium saucepan, warm the vegetable stock to a simmer over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the stock hot. 4. Back to your first medium saucepan, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to sizzle. Add the rice and the remaining onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Immediately stir in 1 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. 5. Reduce the heat to moderate and gradually add 3 more cups of the hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until each cup is almost absorbed before adding the next, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Continue adding the remaining 3 cups stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring and cooking as above, until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes longer. The risotto will be quite loose. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. 6. Spoon the risotto into 6 warmed soup plates and sprinkle the parsley and Parmesan on top. Serve immediately. 1. In a small bowl make the pumpkin spice blend by sifting together 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Set aside. 2. Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring the cream, the corn syrup and the 7 teaspoons of the pumpkin spice mix to a light boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over the chocolate in bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and stir gently until it is fully incorporated. Let stand uncovered to cool, stirring occasionally to keep a skin from forming. 3. When the ganache has cooled to the consistency of toothpaste, use a spoon and drop small mounds of ganache onto the baking sheet. Let the truffles harden at room temperature for a couple of hours (or in the refrigerator for 15 minutes), until they are hard enough to roll with your hands. 4. Place the cocoa powder and the chopped pecans in separate bowls. Roll each cooled ball of ganache between the palms of your hands to form into a sphere and to soften the outside of the ball. Immediately drop them into the “topping” bowl of your choice, and roll them around with a fork or spoon to evenly coat the ganache with either the cocoa or nuts. Move to a parchment covered sheet tray, then to the fridge for about 15 minutes to set. Recover any extra cocoa and minced nuts for future use. gemelli wine + spirits 3626 brownsboro road open 7 days a week 502. 895.1400
$45 per couple. Please call to schedule a private tasting class, or party: 895-1400
O’Fallon Pumpkin Beer
The mouthfeel of this seasonal beer is nice: surprisingly thick and creamy. Full-flavored with hints of pumpkin pie…they add real pumpkin to the mash and then season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Delish! Pumpkin-Spice Chocolate Truffles Serves 30-40 truffles