Layer Cake Wine Blogroll: Dr. Vino

Over the weekend we celebrated the first birthday of the youngest member of our family. We had a few friends over and one of them brought the Layer Cake shiraz from Australia as a birthday wine (find Layer Cake). Appropriately enough, it was from his birth-year vintage of 2008! (I’ll have to remember that trick for parents of young children at their kids’ birthdays.)

I didn’t get a chance to try the inky black, 14.9% alcohol shiraz before the bottle was drained by other guests. But I did ponder for a moment the name, Layer Cake, which is the absolute antithesis of what I would think the wine is all about or what I would pair it with. Apparently, there’s also a wine called “Cupcake” that makes cabernet and chardonnay among other dry wines. Frankly, I think these names are headed down the wrong track since cakes may be fun, but they aren’t really amenable to wine pairings.

Or wait: are they? Which wine would you pair with cupcakes? Or are they…impossible?

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

San Francisco Chronicle: 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz

2008 Layer Cake South Australia Shiraz ($15). For this wine’s third vintage, winemaker Jayson Woodbridge used more than 90 percent McLaren Vale fruit sourced from small growers. Aged in 50 percent new French oak, which adds layers of spice to the deep blackberry, plum and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Rich, with weight, substance and long finish, it has plenty of fruit to take on barbecue with aplomb.

— Lynne Char Bennett
San Francisco Chronicle

From the Layer Cake Blogroll

This is a great blog posting from ‘chaosinthekitchen’. Many thanks to Katie for the write up!

You might see a lot of red Zinfandels reviewed here, they tend to be a favorite of mine. I like that they are very “complex” as the wine guy puts it. And they really are complex, they tend to taste like berries and spiciness both. They are not too thin or watery feeling but they aren’t so thick you feel like you’re chewing your wine. Layer Cake Primitivo is awesome for these reasons. It is not too peppery and not too fruity. It is just a really delicious wine that gives you the opportunity to taste it’s complexities without being overwhelming or difficult to drink.

Layer Cake also makes a Malbec which is equally delicious. Both wines are very similar: fruity and peppery. With the Primitivo being more peppery with some bite over the fruit and the Malbec being more fruity and soft but still with some interesting spiciness (see they are complex! many layers! cakes have layers!). The best cheese I’ve had with the Malbec is an aged Manchego. Yum!

Both of these bottles are on the expensive side and will run you about $13-$15. They are great wines to bring a wine-enthusiast hostess, as they are pretty middle of the road: not too light or too full-bodied.

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone: Food Pairing

Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone

As I write this, the smell of rosemary is permeating the air. It’s such a calming and gorgeous scent, but, coupled with tinges of garlic that is just getting warm in the oven, the smell is just heaven.

Today’s pairing is for the last bottle of Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone I own. There’s a little more around, but, after tasting it for the first time a year ago, the 100% Syrah product from Jayson Woodbridge is just hitting it’s stride. Let’s put it this way, just the smell alone of roasting chicken is a perfect pairing for what has evolved into a very robust, gushing and slightly untraditional effort (Cotes du Rhone typically is more Grenache). So my pairing is one of the land where the wine was borne. A simple roasted chicken with mirepoix top heavy in garlic and rosemary.

Moral Imperative (Step I): Unscrew the cap of your Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone and have a hearty glass near you while cooking.

Ingredients:
3-5 pound Chicken Whole
4 Spanish Onions
4-6 Heads of Garlic
6-8 Carrots
1 Bunch Rosemary
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil, a little virgin, but not too pure
Unsalted butter

Equipment:
~ Roasting Pan
~ Cutting boards X2 (NEVER PUT RAW CHICKEN ON A SURFACE YOU WILL USE FOR OTHER PREPARATIONS).
~ Mixing bowl, salad bowl or any bowl that has enough room for your cut mirepoix
~ Meat thermometer

Preheat your oven to 450F

Technique:

Whole chicken

As your oven is heating, you should be able to clean, dress and season your bird. I always start by rinsing off the chicken in ice cold tap water and removing (in the sink the neck and giblets that are in the chicken). Allow to dry for a moment on some paper towels, but, you DO NOT WANT TO PUT YOUR CHICKEN ON YOUR CUTTING BOARD. I typically use one board for the raw chicken and then place in the sink immediately. There is no room for error on this.

To prepare your mirepoix:
~ cut your onions into four wedges
~ cut your carrots into nice size chunks (2 inches long). If the carrots are very big, you may want to cut them in half (length wise) first
~ cut the garlic heads in half

I don’t peel my mirepoix/aromatics; I like the rough side and use the roasted vegetables as a piece of dinner. I prefer to have the skins involved, but that’s up to you. In bowl, place your cut mirepoix and coat with Olive Oil, season with salt and black pepper and put to the side.

Chicken:
~ Lay breast side up in a roasting pan. (Yes, you can truss your bird, but, I am at home and the chef isn’t watching, so it’s optional)
~ Season the entire bird (including the cavity) with salt and black pepper. Don’t forget the wings…you know you eat those first.

OPTION: In a professional kitchen, I would typically lift the skin covering the breast meat and put a mixture of chopped rosemary and garlic so the fat would carry that flavor throughout the flesh. Today, I am not that professional, so it’s up to you.

~ Once the chicken is seasoned, pour the bowl of mirepoix around the body of the chicken. I like to fill the cavity at this point with a little bit of everything including a few sprigs of my fresh rosemary.

~ Add as much rosemary as you prefer to the mixture; I tend to leave it

Rosemary is used to scent the roasted chicken

right on the ‘sprig’ as opposed to removing the leaves. It makes it easier to remove at the end and by that time, the rosemary will have done it’s job.

Drizzle olive oil over the entire bird; not too much, she should just shine once you rub it into the flesh. I would also slice several pats of butter to place around the chicken. The idea is to enable caramelization of the skin and to create juices that will cook your mirepoix in the pan as the chicken roasts.

At this point, your oven should be well heated to 450F. The idea is to use high heat to color the skin or caramelize. What happens during this time is the high heat will melt the fat and crisp the skin. While waiting for your chicken to caramelize, it’s going to be very obvious that you have a beautiful thing in the oven. The scent alone will fill your kitchen and house. I’d celebrate with having a taste of Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone, thats optional of course, but mandatory in our house.

How Long? It’s up to your oven, nose and eyes. This isn’t a recipe, it’s a technique that uses your senses. I’d say 20 minutes at this temperature, but, it’s a moving target. The optimum outcome is that the chicken and mirepoix become golden brown. I will often turn the pan while in the oven to insure any variance in the oven is considered but, your eyes and nose will tell you everything. NOT THE CLOCK

As you achieve the optimum color which will be a golden brown to mahogany, turn the oven back to 350F to finish the roasting of the chicken.

The internal temperature of the chicken when done should be 165F. That’s what we have to say in order to insure you don’t serve raw chicken. However, once the skin between the leg and the body of the chicken is so crisp that it ‘cracks’ is when you know the bird is truly done.

It’s always good to allow a few moments for the chicken to ‘rest’ before plating. I like to serve a breast and a little leg meat with roasted sweet potato or polenta and some of your roasted mirepoix (i.e roasted garlic cloves, carrots and roasted onion) but it’s up to you.

As you serve the chicken and pour glasses of Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone the pairing will be very obvious to you. Sweet and moist chicken with crispy skin, rosemary scented and heavy perfume of garlic will couple in your mouth with the one hundred percent pure Syrah from the Southern Rhone we all know and love as Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone.

Food Pairing: Layer Cake Shiraz

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

Lamb Shanks

Lamb in general and Syrah/Shiraz are great friends as it pertains to food pairing. It’s not a given, it’s a certainty. So when I got a call today from a friend in Washington, D.C. about what to drink with Layer Cake Shiraz, I thought I’d share the recipe for lamb shanks I passed along to my amigo.

Technique:

Lamb Shanks pair so well with Layer Cake Shiraz

I think it would be appropriate to start with dealing with the braising technique I suggested for the Lamb Shanks. Realize braising is the art of taking what can be a tough meat product with a bone often in the middle (i.e. Osso Bucco/Beef Short Ribs) and ‘over cooking’ it in a highly seasoned braising liquid. The idea is really to cook the product so long that it gives all of its juices to the broth and then becomes so dry that it actually reabsorbs this unbelievable stock to become very tender and fall off the bone. Braising as a technique is one that many chefs use world wide to minimize expense of their protein and maximize the flavors. For the home chef it’s also a great technique for preparing the night prior for a dinner and being able to ‘control’ the outcome of your meal be reheating your short ribs, Osso Bucco or Lamb Shanks in their broth to serve. This recipe is going to be essentially in three steps which will entail:

~ seasoning the lamb shanks and then searing them to seal the meat before braising
~ creating a braising liquid
~ braising the lamb shanks

Mis en Place

~ Stock pot, dutch oven or any pot that you have that will hold the liquid and the lamb shanks when you put in the oven.
~ x2 Saute Pans or one very big rondou

Ingredients:

4 Lamb Shanks
5-6 Carrots
4 Heads of Garlic
3 Onions
Fresh Ginger (6-8 oz)
Chicken Stock
Beef Stock
Half a bottle of Layer Cake Shiraz (because you drank a few glasses while you were cooking)
Olive Oil
Tomato Paste, ketchup or crushed tomatoes (essentially any tomato product will work)
Seasoned Flour (you season the flour, it doesn’t come that way)

Aromatics:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Cardomom
Cinnamon
Smoked Paprika
Cumin

Step 1. Twist Cap off of Layer Cake Shiraz and pour yourself a glass (repeat if and when necessary, but save enough to deglaze your pans)

Lamb Shanks:

~ Preheat your oven to 375F
~ Open cans of chicken stock and beef stock

Step I. Braising Liquid

To prepare so everything goes smoothly, rough chop your braising solution mirepoix (i.e. carrots, onion, garlic and ginger). You aren’t building a watch, so it’s not imperative to make everything beautiful. Essentially you want each item to be the same size so they cook at a similar rate. Place your stock pot/dutch oven on a medium to high flame and add enough olive oil to begin cooking your mirepoix (carrots, onion, garlic and ginger). You’ll want to watch this and allow it to go slowly because the idea is to maximize the flavors of each component. To quote a chef I worked for many years ago, “slow cooking is good cooking”…you’ll know you are doing the right thing as the scent perfumes your kitchen.

As you begin to obtain color on your mirepoix and the scent becomes heavenly, add some tomato product of your choice. Ketchup or tomato paste are my choices; you just add enough to mix into the mirepoix. No more than 6oz total. Allow the tomato to cook for three to five minutes with your mirexpoix, then deglaze with Layer Cake Shiraz. As much as you like, but allow for the wine to reduce and absorb into your mirepoix.

Then add stock: I prefer the ratio of 2/3rd chicken stock to 1/3rd beef stock. It’s like faking lamb stock and easier than adding this step. The shanks are going to cook in this solution which will be very effective in flavoring the broth.

Bring your solution to a boil and simmer on a burner. DO NOT TURN OFFthe lamb shanks will need to go into the hot broth and then into the oven.

Step II. Lamb Shanks

Season some AP flour with Salt, Black Pepper, Cumin, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Smoked Paprika. (the only essential parts of this are the flour, salt and pepper…you can omit any flavor your desire). Then roll the shanks in the flour and tap each one lightly so it’s not more than a coating.

Heat your saute pans to HIGH (don’t over crowd the pans…use two if necessary for all four shanks) and add 1/8th of an inch of olive oil to each. This process requires more oil than normal because you will be ‘frying’ the flour on the outside of the shanks which tends to absorb some oil.

Sear each shank completely so the color is golden brown all the way around then remove from the pans. By this time; your broth should be rolling, not boiling and smelling fantastic.

Step III, Braising (3hrs)

The lamb shanks need to be 3/4′s covered with braising solution to start. So drop your seared shanks into the broth and then place in the oven.
~ If you have a cover for your casserole, dutch oven or pot…you can cover but, it’s not imperative.

I tend to check the lamb shanks every hour or so. The way you know they are done is when the meat is EASILY pulled off the bone; there’s no set time, but, 3 hours seems to be right around accurate.

When you are satisfied that the shanks are cooked, strain off a little bit of your braising solution and reduce it down into sauce consistency and add just a little bit of butter to finish.

Then serve with polenta, cous cous, sweet potato or mashed potatoes…

Trader Joe’s Layer Cake Shiraz Sighting

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to the Chicagoland area for my sweet cousin Allison’s wedding (Hi, Ally!). A wonderful time was had by all, and somewhere in the midst of all the nuptial events, I managed to squeeze in a trip to Trader Joe’s, that popular paradise-themed specialty grocery that has yet to grace Dallas with its presence.

In case you’ve been living on another foodie planet, Trader Joe’s is known for its unique selection of international products, colorful island decor and last but not least, bargain-basement prices. (You’ve heard of Two-Buck Chuck, right? They invented it.) Here’s the blurb from the website:

“Just what is this thing we call Trader Joe’s? Well, we’re a grocery store, sure, but really so much more. Our shelves are stocked full of delicious foods and beverages from the basics like milk, bread and butter to more exotic fare like imported cheeses, organic produce and hand-tossed pizza from Italy. We taste every product before we decide to sell it, and we guarantee you’ll like it. You might expect indulgences like these to come with unbecoming prices. But at Trader Joe’s, we’re as much about value as we are about great food…So you can afford to be adventurous without breaking the bank.”

Thing is, though, Trader Joe’s only has locations on the West Coast, East Coast and a few states in between – no Texas. So when I noticed an outpost near our hotel in Northbrook, IL, I motored on over in the rented Subaru to take a look. And that’s where things got dicey…

Excited as all get-out, I speed-walked into the store with camera in hand, ready to document every inch of the place for DallasEats. Snapping away, I’d only made it about three yards into the store before a hula-shirted fellow sporting a wide, toothy grin approached me and asked why I was taking pictures. “I’m a blogger from Dallas,” I replied (thinking the eager tourist routine was the best tack to take). “We don’t have Trader Joe’s, and I’m so psyched to finally visit one!”

1. The place was overflowing with snacks, both traditional and unusual. Wasabi Tempura Seaweed crisps and Lightly Salted Crunchy Green Beans were just a couple of the more adventurous offerings. (Personally, I’m of the opinion that most snacks of this ilk are purchased for shock value – so people will ask “WHAT are you eating?” when they see you eating it. You know, like Wasabi Peas ten years ago.)

2. GREAT prices on meal/energy bars. Luna bars and CLIF bars were both 99-cents a pop. Lara Bars were $1.29. Also, good prices on protein shakes and powders.

3. The wine selection was as wide and low-priced as I’d heard it would be. I was especially impressed with the up-and-coming varieties:

Zarafa Pinotage from South Africa ($4.99)
Espiral Vinho Verde ($3.99)
Abrazo del Toro Cariñena from Spain ($5.99)

Also:

Layer Cake Shiraz (love this one!) for $14.99 – not bad.
Santa Rita Chardonnay for $6.49 – a stock up price!

…But great wine prices can also be found right here in the Metroplex at lots of different places (Albertson’s is one of my fave bargain wine stops – always something great on sale!).

2007 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2007 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

($28) Medium red-ruby. Slightly medicinal aromas of cassis and blackberry complicated by mineral and smoky nuances. Lush, spicy and full, with enough harmonious acidity to keep the very sweet, ripe fruit flavors lively. A firmly built and rather serious cabernet for the price, finishing with excellent dark fruit intensity

Layer Cake Wines are always 100 percent pure

Layer Cake Winemaker Jayson Woodbridge

Although this blog entry is more about Jayson Woodbridge’s brand Hundred Acre; I thought the read would give you insight to the man that makes Layer Cake Wine.

Shameless Plug:

I met Jayson (Woodbridge) nearly a decade ago outside of the once St. Helena hot spot Tra Vigne. Even then as a newcomer from Canada his presence was felt from everyone in the room and the immense patio filled with the St. Helena wine establishment. There was something about him that you couldn’t miss even casually. Maybe it’s his size, maybe it’s his aura or maybe it’s that look on his face like he’s willing to compete at any moment with anyone for the top rung of the industry. I have to say since I’ve been in the wine business, there’s not been one star that has risen faster.

There’s not been one guy who’s put his not so proverbial balls on the line to make what he’s passionate about which is really good wine. And yes, from my estimation, he’s not competing with you, Bobby Parker or anyone who critiques wine from an armchair hidden behind a bow tie and some lofty impression of themselves. He’s competing against himself, because in his mind, much like Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobby’s daddy, Jayson knows “if you aren’t first, you are last” Since 2000, Hundred Acre wines have taken top scores from every wine critic in the land. From my estimation, it’s much deserved place for a guy who risked it all to act upon what his circadian rhythm alone told him to do: “cut no corners and make the finest wine possible, from every corner of the planet need be”

I have had the luxury, pleasure and honor of tasting Hundred Acre “Kayli Morgan” Napa Valley Cabernet on many occasions over the last ten years. To many it would be an esteemed experience alone. However, to speak to the man behind the curtain, the one experience that stands out in my mind was the first time I ever tried the wine with Mr. Woodbridge in 2002.

He opened his cellar door and said, “go in and get any two bottles of wine you want so we can try them with my first vintage of Hundred Acre. The only caveat; it has to be Bordeaux varietal based, outside of that, regardless of expense, I want your opinion.” I was urged to pick appropriate world class wines, given free reign with very little fear from the vintner of the unreleased Hundred Acre. So I chose carefully, but realize, he had every great wine in the world to chose from…I got sweaty considering the options.

Not wanting to cherry pick or over extend my welcome I emerged from the cellar with two bottles that were well recognized about $100 a bottle a piece. I was chided immediately and laughed at by Jays, he goes, “go back in and get some real wine; you are my guest and I want you to try the best in the world against Hundred Acre” I shuddered to think I had Carte Blanche with his cellar, but, I did what I was told and emerged with two of the finest wines in the world.

The lineup was the 1990 Le Pin from Pomerol and the 1997 Harlan Napa Valley Cabernet; without checking references I believe they were both rated 100 points by Parker. Jayson pulled the corks and decanted each wine like he was opening beers at a bachelor party. He didn’t care one bit about what he was going against; he wanted an honest opinion from people who barely knew him at the time, but, moreover trained palates.

Each wine was stunning, without hesitation. Each wine had it’s values that you could see would offer a 100 point experience to someone. That notwithstanding, the Le Pin was 30 years too young, but may have been one of the greatest opportunities to try what ‘will be’ a world recognized legendary wine forever. The Harlan was ripe, abundant, classic 1997 vintage, but, I got to tell you, I wouldn’t have closed my eyes and thought 100 points. I am not enamored with expensive wines not having shelf life and at this point the secondary market was getting $800-$1200 a bottle for a wine that had five years left in it.

Then the 2000 Hundred Acre was tried. The wine was so polished and palate encompassing that it made my mind swirl; yes, I had tried these other two wines prior, but, the thought that $125 was going to get me a 95-100 point experience was what I thought about. The price to value ratio worked. Moreover, the idea that Jayson would expose himself to potential criticism over his new creation made me respect him even more.

He said, “SteveO, it’s what it takes to make this type of wine. I will never compromise, spare expense or stop making what I believe to be one of the best wines Napa Valley will ever see.” To date Jayson Woodbridge has continued to develop critical acclaim while never compromising his creative integrity. His results are proven year over year by anyone and everyone that is in the business of evaluating wines. His mailing list is closed to newcomers and to be honest, the opportunity to taste something that has taken so much dedication should be hard to obtain. Hundred Acre wines are a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget.

Layer Cake Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 SOLD OUT

Layer Cake Wines are always 100 percent pure

Thanks to everyone who purchased our first bottling of the Layer Cake Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We can tell you without hesitation it’s been made with nothing but Pure Love and a dedication to creating wines that everyone can enjoy.

We’ll keep making Layer Cake Cabernet if you keep drinking them!!

Where to find Layer Cake Wine: Chelsea Wine Vault

The 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz at Chelsea Wine Vault

Over the weekend at the Chelsea Wine Vault we found a healthy stack of 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz. The store was bustling with thirsty shoppers as usual, but, I found it so cool to see Layer Cake Shiraz standing front and center in the middle of the Australian wine section.

David Hunter, General Manager of the Chelsea Wine Vault took his time to talk to us. He was cordial, direct and really knowledgeable. Not only was it cool to see the wine placed amongst so many other great Australian Shiraz, but, frankly, David’s demeanor (since I came unannounced) was really refreshing. He took his time to discuss the other great Layer Cake wines (i.e. Primitivo, Cotes du Rhone, Cabernet and Malbec) but said without hesitation, “when Layer Cake Shiraz is available, it’s a must for the store!”

Then he went back to business as usual. Hats off to a great wine shop and a superlative effort on David’s behalf to offer our wines.