Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

 @JeffHouck
 The Stew
 Table Conversations
 StewVision
 Foodspotting
 Email Jeff Houck

Most Recent Entries

• USF showcases creationism critic tonight
• Times reporter goes to work at USF St. Pete
• Slutty Brownies, Homemade Snickers And Bacon-Wrapped Beef Hot Dogs [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• USF Poly board member quits, saying USF is scuttling the “Poly model”
• Decision 2012: Florida’s Pizza Primary [Every Slice Of Newsroom Pie Tells A Story]
• USF gets big grant for veterans research
• Merlot Jelly, Korean Fried Chicken and Grand Marnier Souffle [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• Researchers say cell phone waves can reverse Alzheimer’s
• Klasko and Obama grip and grin
• Genocide, memory and art the focus of USF conference
• Poly announces budget cuts; fires top administrators
• Debate turns into test of free speech. Some students failed.
• Homemade Potsticker, Pulled Pork With Fried Egg, And Unstuffed Pork Chops [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• What’s up with the USF debate?
• Local power players work behind the scenes

More

• The Stew
• The Dirt
• Hot Pursuits
• HOMEwork
• Inside USF
• L Archive
  • Green Lite
  • Bring It!

Monthly Archives

• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011

Wines To Buy For Holiday Dinner [Simple Suggestions For Complex People At The Thanksgiving Table]

Posted Nov 25, 2009 by Jeff Houck

Updated Nov 25, 2009 at 05:33 PM

I had the good fortune of chatting on Monday with Stephen Asprinio, chef, sommelier and restaurateur and former contestant on season No. 1 of “Top Chef” on Bravo TV.

Asprinio was the first person on the series to identify himself as a wine expert - and the last, I believe - and thus set himself apart on the show. Not enough to win, of course. Harold Dieterle took that season, but Stephen remained in the mind’s eye of “Top Chef” Nation ever since.

Asprinio went on to start a restaurant in Palm Beach, which he sold. He’s in Manhattan now, plotting his next move, which may include a restaurant in Dubai.

Anyway, I wanted to chat about holiday wine pairings with him and he was gracious enough to agree to record a Table Conversations podcast.

During the interview, I lobbed a hand grenade at him, asking what pairings he would suggest with some of the difficult personalities at the Thanksgiving table. It’s worth listening to, if only to hear his laughter at the question.

For the grumpy grandfather? Asprinio suggests “something tough, lean, mean and green” like a sharp, in-your-face, acidic Italian white wines.

For the perfect brother-in-law and his perfect wife, he’d pair an elegant pinot noir from Oregon, something that’s balanced and has fresh, fruity and Burgundian properties. (His words, not mine.)

And for the aunt who always wants to talk about her surgeries at the table?

“Something that has more style than substance, one of those big Napa Valley Cabs,” he said. “One of those big names everyone wants to talk about but who, at the end of the day, is not really worth the conversation.”

Which got me to thinking: What wines would I employ at the table to combat the awkward people in each of our lives?

I think it might go a little like this:

Louis M. Martini 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $17

Flavors: red cherry, sage, blackberry.

Comments: “Nice and fruity.” “I usually don’t like reds because they’re bitter. This was not bitter at all.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “My, this is a fruit-forward selection.”

Pairs well with: The neighbor who brags about how he got out of the market before the recession.

*

La Crema 2008 Chardonnay

Price: $20

Flavors: This Sonoma coast has lots of citrus personality.

Comments: “The finish on this wine gets better the longer it stays on your palate.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “You may notice the abundance of subtle pear notes.”

Pairs well with: The sister who constantly brags about her children and their abundant hobbies

*

Hess Select 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $17

Flavors: Cherry, plum, mild oak

Comments: “Not as bold as some Cabs … but that’s a good thing.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “This tastes like Mendocino County grapes should taste.”

Pairs well with: Single, misfit, refugee co-worker who unfortunately took you up on an offer to join you at the table despite your wish that she not do so.

*

Santa Margherita 2006 Chianti Classico

Price: $19.95

Flavors: Wild berries, spices and cherries. Subtle oak.

Comments: “This Chianti is one of the more elegant ones I’ve tasted.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “I’m not sure if you know this, but the word Chianti refers to the 35 miles of hills between Florence and Siena.”

Pairs well with: The nosy aunt who insists on checking each year on the status of your reproductive properties.

*

Jordan 2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Price: $30

Flavors: Creamy, yet acidic, with apple, lemon and pineapple notes

Comments: “Can I please have a straw for this bottle?”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “These grapes obviously were harvested in the early morning hours.”

Pairs well with: The sister-in-law with the immaculate makeup, outfit and Martha Stewart-worthy dish that she “just threw together.”

*

Red Diamond 2007 Merlot

Price: $10

Flavors: Plum, a little caramel and red berries

Comments: “Only 10 bucks? This is a steal.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “Washington State produces wonderful wines that rival those in Napa. This drinks like a $15 bottle.”

Pairs well with: The table’s designated food critic who picks at his food and complains how bad things were at Chez Panisse last time he was in Berkeley.

*

Cambria Julia’s Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir

Price: $19.99

Flavors: Dark purple with a round palate, balanced acidity and a slight tannic finish.

Comments: “This is like drinking liquid cranberry sauce, only better. And I like cranberry sauce.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “The nose on this is generous, ripe, earthy, spicy and exotic.”

Pairs well with: The off-color uncle for whom the dinner table is a place to test out his latest blue material. Racial stereotypes, inappropriate language, sexual innuendo, you name it. All get served up with the gravy and stuffing. (And by gravy and stuffing, we mean, oh, never mind.)

*

Folie a Deux 2007 Amador County Zinfandel

Price: $24

Flavors: Raspberry, plum and blackberry with a smooth finish. Strong flavor but not overly tannic.

Comments: “I’d drink this wine with just about anything. It’s that versatile.”

Phrase you should use to fake your wine expertise: “I could swear I taste at least 5 percent Teroldego in this glass.”

Pairs well with: The football cousins for whom Thanksgiving is a holiday to gather and give thanks - for middle-of-the-week marathon NFL games.