March 12, 2003

Winemakers in the kitchen
Vintners explore their chef side

Santa Cruz Mountains winemakers have received numerous honors for their wines, but they also have other talents not so well-known.

Not surprisingly, several of them are grand chefs. Others have artistic talent, and still others have passions that are a bit more unusual.

Paul Wofford, Bargetto Winery
For Paul Wofford, winemaker at Bargetto Winery, wine making and cooking are similar. He starts with a mental image of how he wants the finished product to taste and appear. When creating an enjoyable meal, he blends the differing components of the food, adding the nuances of spices and cooking techniques to enhance the overall enjoyment.

He follows a similar process in making wine. In the end, presentation, aroma and flavor have all been combined to please the senses. With food, however, he gets to enjoy his accomplishments much sooner.

"The ultimate in self-gratification is to be able to share a splendid meal and a wonderful bottle of wine, both of which you have created," says Paul.

Another of Paul’s passions is fishing in Monterey Bay. This recipe for Chinook (King) salmon is an old favorite.

Grilled Salmon with CilantroYogurt Sauce
½ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped cilantro
16 oz. plain yogurt
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup chopped green onion Lemon juice (2 lemons)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large grapefruit (see alternative grilling method)

Marinate the salmon in the olive oil and half the cilantro for 1 to 4 hours. Mix together the yogurt, remaining cilantro and green onions. Slowly mix in the white wine and lemon juice. Warm slightly on the stove or next to the grill.

Grill salmon steaks or fillets as you normally would and top with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro and nasturtiums.

As an alternative for grilling the salmon, cut a grapefruit, orange or other citrus into rounds. Place the rounds directly on the grill and place the salmon steaks or fillets on top of the citrus rounds. This allows the salmon to slowly steam on the grill. Add more rounds when you turn the salmon. It’s almost impossible to overcook the salmon using this technique. You will not get the grill marks unless you put the fish on the grill for a short period and then transfer it onto the citrus rounds. Serve on a heated platter covered with the sauce.

This grilling technique works exceptionally well with a whole salmon, and nothing is more impressive than bringing a whole fish to the table. Sauce serves 6 to 8 people.

Paul says many wines can complement this dish, but his two favorites are pinot noir and Gewurztraminer, from Bargetto Winery of course. The bright cherry and smoky oak flavor of pinot noir provides a balance to the richness of the fish and the cilantro sauce. Dry Gewurztraminer’s pronounced forward-spice aromas, and crisp delicate finish also work well with the richness of the salmon. Not recommended are oaky Chardonnays or heavy red wines.

Milan Maximovich, Thunder Mountain Winery
Milan, a retired rocket scientist from Stanford Research Institute, not only enjoys producing wine, he also makes beer, vinegar and has a world-class sourdough bread starter that is claimed to have been around since 1898.

When he was in college, his mother taught him to make Beef Stroganoff. He now makes breakfasts, dinners, desserts and specializes in Chinese, French and Russian dishes.

"My husband is a trip in the kitchen," said Milan’s wife, Sue Broadston. "He can spend a whole day creating something yummy and dirtying every dish in the house, but in fact, he cleans up after himself pretty well. He sings and hums while we talk about the folks who will be joining us, or who we could invite next time. We talk about crazy things like heat transfer or the challenge of creating emulsions. It’s our quality time together. If one of us cooks the whole meal, the other does the cleanup," she says.

"Once some friends had to decline an invitation, and for years have reminded us it was the biggest mistake they ever made. You just don’t turn down dinner at Thunder Mountain!"

Anyone who would name his winery Thunder Mountain would surely make a thunderous chili.

And what wine does Maximovich recommend to go with his chili?

He doesn’t.

This will come as a surprise from a vintner, but he says some things go better with beer or water, and hot chili is one of them.

MILAN’S HOT ANDPOWERFUL CHILI

Ask the butcher for a center section of beef, fore or hind shank. You want the part with the little round marrow bone, not the knuckle. You’ll need about four pounds of meat after you’ve removed the shank bone so be sure to get plenty. There’s no sense making anything less than a big pot of chili.

4 pounds lean tough beef shank
¼ cup oil 1 medium onion, minced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 habanero peppers, minced (optional — this is Milan’s secret)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce bottle of beer (this is what he drinks while making wine!)
4 to 6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons masa harina or 1 tablespoon flour mixed with 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Cut four pounds of lean, tough shank meat into cubes about the size of your thumb. Heat oil in a good sized heavy pot and put in the meat. Stir with a long wooden spoon so the oil will coat the meat. Cook over low heat stirring once in a while until the meat turns gray. Don’t let it brown. Add onions, garlic, and habaneros. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and beer. Put the cover back on and simmer for another 10 minutes.

While that simmers, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and sugar in a small bowl. Add all the spices to the pot and stir it up a bit. Put the lid back on, lower the heat, and let it cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir once in a while so it won’t stick, but keep the lid on as much as possible so all that good rich "pot likker" stays inside.

Just before serving, mix the masa (or flour with cornmeal) with enough cold water to make a thin paste and stir it into the chili to achieve just the right consistency. Serve topped with chopped onions and accompanied with a cold beer!

Contact June Smith at rsvwine@pacbell.net

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