Holiday Gift Guide 2018: You Can’t Carry Around a Magnum (Stocco or Otherwise) in Just Any Old Case. Think Inside the Box!

Stocco Wines has created special wood boxes for transporting its maganums. Photos from Stocco Wines website.

HEADS UP: Dear reader don’t fret / We didn’t forget / You don’t have a clue / Thankfully we do … Until 24 Dec., the elves at The Wright Wreport will introduce at least one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe are worthy of consideration as holiday gift(s).

BY VW

YOUR magnum of wine is ready to hit the road. But how to transport it to the celebration? In style?

Out of the question is a paper or plastic bag. A wine-carrying tote is a couple of rungs up the ladder but rather blah. You’re getting warm with the notion of a gold or silver bag.

You are carrying a magnum, though. You wish to make a statement. For that, you need an elevated affair. Just the thing then, is the Stocco Magnum case.

The Italian winemaker, whose best practices are steeped in centuries-old traditions, has produced a custom wooden box for its magnum series: Botis, Doghis, Sericus, Roos dai Lens, Refosco dal Peduncolo, Rosso Ribolla Gialla Brut and Prosecco Extra Dry. It is made from a sturdy, blond wood with a fastener of some kind of hard medal and short handle made of what appears to be thin braided rope.

The carrier box bears the Stocco name and its logo – a sword that is also the family crest. Incidentally, “stocco” is derived from the Italian word for sword.

The Refosco dal Peduncolo
is loaded and ready to be locked.

Naturally, at some point the box will hold magnums that are not Stocco. However, it is not at all clear whether one can get one’s hands on a box without a Stocco magnum inside. But the good people at Stocco may part with a box – for a price, of course – unaccompanied by a signature magnum.

Can’t hurt to inquire, for the case is a looker. Happy carrying!

Visit http://www.vinistocco.it/stocco/en/magnum-series.html to learn more about the Stocco wines and the Stocco Magnum wine case.

@NYCWFF 2015: Day 2 BBD's Judged Winner of Burger Bash, But the People Choose Black Tap and Really Like EMMY

The 45-Day Day-Aged Burger is very flavorful, helped by D'Affinois cheese and red wine caramelized onions on a brioche bun. Photos by Yours Truly.

MANY have cheese. And, of course, pork. Collards cole slaw? Yes. Bone marrow is in a couple. Then, there is the one with grits on the side.

All of this culinary convo is about the Blue Moon Burger Bash, a crowd favorite and the main event on the second day 2 of the New York City Wine & Food Festival (No. 8). For the first time, the burger bash features an official mac&cheese emporium, the Smack Down.

The judge’s winner of the burger bash: Second-time contender Ralph Perrazzo for the BBD’s Steamed Double with diced onions and pickles. On the side, BBD’s Garbage Fries (a little bit of everything from the kitchen).

The favorite of Yours Truly is The Standard Cheese Burger from The Standard Grill Why? With lettuce, tomato, pickle and sauce, it is a reminder of the classic American hamburger. No frills, thank you very much.

The people’s choice winner: Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer by Joe Isidori. Runners-up are Shake Shack and another favorite of mine, Matthew Hyland’s EMMY Burger (from Emily).

It boasts dry-aged beef, EMMY sauce, sautéed onions, Grafton cheddar and cornichon on a Tom Cat pretzel bun. That melted cheddar takes it to another good place.

Among the more than 20 competitors are some really good burgers. Listed through out this dispatch are the burger the ingredient{s} that brought it.

From The Standard Grill, a simply, delicious hamburger.

Some of the stuff on tap today, Day 3 of NYCWFF: Stacked: Sandwiches and Sides, Rose Brunch, Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate, New York Yankees Pinstripe Brunch, Washington State Wine Road Trip hosted by Rob Bigelow, A Dinner with Sebastiano Lombardi of Hotel Il Pellicano and Mark Ladner, Caviar, Champagne and Cocktails, WSJ+ Talk: Why We Love Meat, Ramen Party and Midnight Jazz Breakfast

EMMY BURGER (the melted Grafton cheese)

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer (the people's choice winner)

Lil BRGs (combo of Wagyu beef, special sauce and jalapeno cheddar grits)

BBD's Steamed Double (the judges' winner)

Visit http://www.nycwff.org/ to learn more about the 2014 Food Network Wine & Food Festival, including schedule, tickets and venue.

Visit http://www.foodbanknyc.org/ to learn more about Food Bank For New York City;

Visit https://www.nokidhungry.org/ to learn more about Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign.

What the Wine Aficionado Really Wants (and Will Appreciate): A Decanter

The Final Touch Wine Scent and Flavor Enhancing Decanter answers the aerating question. Photo from Bed Bath & Beyond Web site.

HEADS UP: Dilemma: The last days. YOU: bewitched, bothered and bewildered. US: elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are, of course, on the case. Practically every day through 24 Dec., we will introduce at least one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). Now, stop your fretting.

BY TAMARA FISH

PEOPLE take note: No one needs more than two corkscrews. Full stop.

A golf clubby snuggly to plug a wine bottle? Really? Are you 12? It’s called a vacuum cork. And as for that chiller on a sizzling summer day: if the bottle must be opened in order to insert some iced plastic gadget, then that white wine will age faster than a natural blonde on a beach. A wine lover will never use it.

Beyond the one good corkscrew, a wine aficionado’s perfect gadget is a decanter.

Far from being a frou-frou accoutrement (that’s French for “seriously prissy thingy”), decanters are imminently practical. In the past, unsophisticated bottling techniques made decanting essential.

The granddaddy of them all, the Lismore Collection Decanter by Waterford, is worthy of “Downton Abbey’s” Mr. Carson. Hand-cut lead crystal, the decanter is a weighty statement of elegance. $275; Available online at Crystal Classics and Macy’s. (http://www.bit.ly/1vaxR5i)

Natural sediments, which can make a wine bitter, mucked up most bottle bottoms. Sediments are less of a problem today, but there’s another lesser-known reason to decant: many wines need to open up in order for their fullest flavors to be revealed.

That is why connoisseurs may recommend that a particular wine sit uncorked for a while (breathe) before serving. Oxygen reacts with the wine, aging it but also allowing it to mature gracefully.

But how much oxygen can really react with wine if the bottle has just been opened? Not that much. The exposed surface area is about the size of that of a quarter. Professional tasters swirl wine in their glasses before sipping for this very reason. More oxygen needs to react with the wine. In essence, decanting is wine-swirling for a bottle of wine, instead of a glass.

The Vino Wine Decanter is modern and minimalist. Photo from Pottery Barn Web site.

The Vino Wine Decanter has a terribly repetitive name, akin to shrimp scampi but its classic lines are flawless. The minimalists and modernists will love it, for nothing distracts from the wine within. $29. Available online and at Pottery Barn. (http://www.bit.ly/1xeOd4m)

In practical terms, a decanter is simply a glass vessel that exposes wine to air. No more, no less. The basic technique is simple: pour wine slowly and smoothly along the decanter’s interior until only the sediment remains in the bottle. Tilting the decanter helps.

Tired of the coordination? Consider using an aerator, a wine glass with a hollow stem that sits atop a decanter. No need to hold both the bottle and the decanter at odd angles. The aerator does the work instead.

What should be decanted? Well, the debate rages on and on. School of thumb: recently made robust red wines such as Barolo, Syrah and some exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon. Less robust red wines, such as Pinot Noir and Chianti, typically do not require decanting, but if a certain one produces serious mouth-puckering sensations (tannins), then by all means, pour pour pour.

Elegance is etched into the Lismore Collection Decanter by Waterford. Photo from Crystal Classics Web site.

Some experts suggest decanting – how shall we put it? – value wines – to make them taste better, but the overexposure may actually make them taste worse. And don’t even think about decanting most white wines. Air kills them, rendering most flat and nasty.

The Final Touch Wine Scent and Flavor Enhancing Decanter is a jeopardy-style answer to the decanter-aerator question. Place the aerator on top of the decanter and pour with ease.$50. available at Bed Bath & Beyond. (http://www.bit.ly/1GVug3G)

What should a decanter look like? Remember: all it has to do is expose wine to air. Anything else is a matter of taste and wallet-size.

Bordeaux Wines' Meal Plan for Special Day(s)

SAY what you will about the French, but don't say they don't know their way around food and drink.

Case in point is the good people at Bordeaux Wines (http://www.bordeaux.com/). What are they up to? In a word, commerce. They know what time it is. That is, they are fully aware that tomorrow is Independence Day, or the 4th of July, in the United States.

To celebrate the occasion, they offer five dishes that can be made at home and five wines - rose, white and Bordeaux, bien sur - to complement them. It should go without saying that these are not hotdog and hamburger recipes, but it will not.

For those who want to move outside of the bun and away from beer, introducing:

Photo from Spice Market NY.

SHAVED TUNA CHILI TAPIOCA
By Anthony Ricco
Adapted from Spice Market

Ingredients
7 oz. large pearl tapioca
5 shallots peeled and sliced thin
2 ancho chilies toasted and chopped
9 chipotle peppers toasted & chopped
6 dried thai chilies
4 tbs. Annatto seeds
¼ c. Grape seed oil
1 tsp. Cloves toasted
4 cinnamon sticks toasted and smashed
1 tbs. Sichuan peppercorns crushed
4 tbs. Salt
3 tbs. Sugar
7 c. Water
Chili oil
1 tsp. Salt to finish

For the lime-coconut broth
5 stalks lemongrass
40 kaffir leaves washed & chopped
3 cup coconut juice
¾ cup coconut milk
¾ cup lime juice + 3 oz to finish
¾ cup sugar
1½ tsp. Salt

To serve
Tuna
Tapioca
Asian pear, peeled, cut into ¼” diamonds
Jicama, peeled and cut into ¼” diamonds
Red bell pepper char grilled, peel, cut in ¼” diamonds
Scallion greens cut on bias
Lime infusion

Image from Bordeaux Wines.

For the tapioca
Sweat all but tapioca, sugar, salt and water in oil until golden. Add water, salt and sugar and bring to boil, simmer for 30 minutes then strain thru a chinois. Bring back to a boil then add tapioca and cook, stirring until clear. Drain under cold running water until cool. Put in a container and just cover with chili oil, then season with salt and reserve.

For the lime-coconut broth
Clean, crush & chop lemongrass fine Combine coconut juice, milk, chili, lime juice, sugar and salt and bring to boil. Add lemongrass and kaffir, mix well and let cool, uncovered. Strain through chinois and finish with lime juice.

To serve
Slice tuna into 1-inch long, ½-inch wide and ⅛-inch thick pieces. Serve 10 pieces per order. Arrange in a chilled shallow medium size bowl and fold each piece in ½. Season tuna with salt then scatter with chili tapioca, then with jicama and pear. Sprinkle with scallions and then scatter with red pepper. Add coconut-lime infusion to cover halfway and serve.

Ingredients
1 green finger chili washed & chopped
3 cup coconut juice
¾ cup lime juice + 3 oz to finish
¾ cup sugar
1½ tsp. Salt

For the lime-coconut broth
Clean, crush & chop lemongrass fine Combine coconut juice, milk, chili, lime juice, sugar and salt and bring to boil. Add lemongrass and kaffir, mix well and let cool, uncovered. Strain through chinois and finish with lime juice.

Pair Tapioca with Saint Glinglin 2012. Characteristics: Simple yet lively with crisp acidity and a classic Sauvignon Blanc nose. The palate is medium-bodied and tropical with notes of lime, jalapeño and grapefruit. Color: White; Tasting Note: Dry, Fresh & Fruity; Price Range: $10-19

Image from Planet Bordeaux.


GRILLED FISH SARDINES
Adapted from Planet Bordeaux

Ingredients
8 very fresh sardines, scaled and gutted
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
2 lemons, cut in wedges

Image from Bordeaux Wines.

Instructions
Wash sardines and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Brush mixture onto the sardines and let them marinate while you prepare a hot barbecue fire.

Cook sardines quickly on a hot grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, carefully turning once. Fish should be just cooked through and the skin golden and slightly charred. Transfer to a warm platter.

To serve, mix the capers and parsley and sprinkle over sardines. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Pair Sardines with Château Chaubinet 2011. Characteristics: An aromatic and well-balanced wine with a fruity nose and refreshing floral and citrus notes.
Color: White; Tasting Note: Dry, Fresh & Fruity; Price Range: $10-$19

Photo from Canlis Seattle.


CANLIS SALAD
Taught to him by his Lebanese mother, the Canlis salad was perfected by Peter Canlis and introduced to the world on opening night, 11 Dec. 1950.

Ingredients
1 large head Romaine hearts, cut into 1 inch squares
(Wash individual leaves in warm water, drain and dry in colander and refrigerate. Don’t ever, ever toss a Canlis Salad with warm or wet leaves!!)
Ten cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
¾ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup chopped bacon, cooked
½ cup thinly sliced fresh mint*
1 tablespoon thinly sliced oregano leaves
½ cup croutons**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the dressing
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 coddled egg***
Serves 4

Image from Bordeaux Wines.

Instructions
To make the dressing, put the salt and pepper, lemon juice, oil, and coddled egg in a bowl and whisk vigorously, then reserve. In a salad bowl, add the prepared romaine, green onion, cheese, bacon, croutons, oregano, and mint. Pour dressing over salad and toss thoroughly. Arrange the salad onto chilled plates and finish with cherry tomatoes.

Notes
* Mint: you can’t use too much mint so experiment with the amount
** Croutons: It’s fun to make your own baguettes, butter and minced herbs.
*** Coddled Egg: Pour boiling water into a cup and put a whole egg (in the shell) into the hot water, let sit for one minute, then remove from the water. You may substitute with pasteurized egg mixture (found in the dairy section in cartons).

Pair Salad with Dourthe La Grande Cuvee, 2011. Characteristics: Cool, medium bodied in the traditional Bordeaux style of sauvignon blanc. Herbal, grassy, with hints of lemon zest and citrus. Color: Light yellow; Tasting note: Bright, crisp, and refreshing; Price range: $12-$14.

Photo from Fotolia.com


FEUILLETE OF ASPARAGUS AND FRESH COD
Adapted from Planet Bordeaux

Ingredients
2 bunches asparagus (1 white and 1 green, if possible)
1 egg yolk
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator and cut into 8 rectangles
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 lb. filet of fresh cod
4 large scallops
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 large green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Instructions
400 degrees F. Peel asparagus stalks and steam them until tender. Set aside.
Beat the egg wolk with 1 tablespoon water. Lay the puff pastry rectangles out evenly on a cookie sheet and brush tops with eggwash. Bake them 15-20 minutes, or until puffed, dry inside and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Image from Bordeaux Wines.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and saute the cod gently, turning once, just until cooked through (fish should be opaque and can be flaked with a fork). Salt and pepper the fish. Remove and separate into large flakes; set aside, keeping warm. Slice the scallops a couple of times across the grain and sauté them quickly in same pan, just a minute or so. Set aside with cod.

Mince the green onions and sauté gently in same pan 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and parsley, then the lemon juice. Reduce slightly and add the cream. Season to taste.

To fill the feuilletés, separate them in half. Lay bottom halves of pastry on a sheet pan and top with asparagus spears. Top each with seafood mixture, then the sauce. Replace the pastry tops and return to oven for about 5 minutes to heat through. Serve immediately.

Pair Asparagus/Cod with Château Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet 2011. Characteristics: After agitation it quickly reveals aromas of fresh red berries, crushed strawberries and raspberry. The entry is sharp, the palate rich and round, with a lingering fruit. The middle palate is more spicy and the finale fruity.
Color: Ruby; Tasting note: Engaging nose, Price: $14 (See tres comical video review of the wine at top)

Photo from My Little Jar of Spices.


SLAW WITH ORANGE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
By Camille
Adapted from My Little Jar of Spices

Ingredients
1 cucumber, quartered and sliced
1/2 of a fennel bulb, sliced into long strips
5 radishes, finely sliced cross-wise
1/4 of a white cabbage head, sliced
1/4 of a red cabbage head, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
3 kumquats, finely sliced cross-wise
1 starfruit, sliced cross-wise
2 scallions, minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon of ginger, minced
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
A handful of mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
For the orange-balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1/2 an orange
1/2 tablespoon of dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Serves 6

Image from Bordeaux Wines.

Instructions
Finely chop the red and white cabbage and the fennel into long, thin strips. Using a julienne peeler, peel long strips of carrot. Peel the cucumber and chop into small quarters. Slice the radishes, scallions, starfruit and kumquats crosswise into thin slices. Mince the ginger into very small pieces.

Make the vinaigrette: using a magic bullet or a fork and a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and top with toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro and mint.

Pair Slaw with Château Fonfroide 2012. Characteristics: A floral and soft fruit nose with notes of pear, nectarine, peach, orange blossom and citrus on the palate. Color: White; Tasting Note: Dry, Fresh & Fruity; Price Range: $10-$19.

Visit http://www.bordeaux.com/ to learn more about Bordeaux Wines.