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Authors Posts by Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

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By Bob Lipinski

The Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving Day in the autumn of 1621 to celebrate their first successful harvest season. Thanksgiving signifies family, food, drink, fun, history, and tradition, all wrapped up into one mid-week day.

Before you roast the turkey, check out my two cooking tips:

1) Roast the turkey with the back side up (except for the last hour of roasting). Fat from the fat glands in the back will melt and baste the turkey during roasting.

“Fill every beaker up, my men, pour forth the cheering wine: There’s life and strength in every drop, thanksgiving to the vine!”

— Albert Gorton Greene, 1802–1868, American judge and poet

2) Truss up the Thanksgiving turkey with dental floss. It’s cheap, it’s sturdy and it’s easy to work with. Just be sure you use unwaxed and unflavored floss.

Turkey is inherently dry, especially when overcooked, unless brined or basted. Before I recommend a few wines, let’s give some thought to what we often spread over or eat with pieces of turkey.

I hope that you said cranberry sauce! Cranberry sauce is sweet and tart, offering moisture, flavor and a berry character to the turkey. Therefore, we want to pair turkey with dry or even off-dry red, white, and rosé wines, providing they have plenty of fruit. My wine suggestions for Thanksgiving are:

Whites
◆ 2011 Cairdean Napa Valley “Unoaked” Chardonnay; California
◆ 2014 Rapitalà “Piano Maltese” (blend of Catarratto and Grillo grapes); Sicily, Italy
◆ 2014 Re Manfredi “Bianco” (blend of Müller-Thurgau and Traminer grapes) Basilicata, Italy
◆ 2014 Bodega El Esteco “Don David” Torrontés; Cafayate Valley, Argentina

Reds
◆ 2013 Elena Walch “Lagrein;” Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
◆ 2013 Amity “Pinot Noir;” Willamette Valley, Oregon
◆ 2012 Bethel Heights “Pinot Noir” Estate Black Label; Willamette Valley, Oregon
◆ 2013 Castello Banfi “Rosso di Montalcino;” Tuscany, Italy

If you like rosé wines, my recommendation would be a bottle of 2014 Maison Belle Claire Rosé, from Provence, France. It is light, dry and very refreshing, with considerable fruit and a pleasing hint of cranberry.

After the feast, complete your Thanksgiving holiday with a tumbler filled with ice and a heavy dose of Wild Turkey bourbon whiskey from Kentucky.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple,” available on Amazon.com. He conducts training seminars on wine & cheese; sale;, time management; and leadership. He can be reached at boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

Wine has a long history of use as a medicine, often being recommended by doctors, including Hippocrates, considered the father of medicine, and alchemists. It was consumed as an alternative to drinking often-contaminated water as well as to disinfect and dress wounds, as a digestive aid, to purge fever and sufferings from child birth, as cure-alls for man’s ailments, love potions and guarantees of everlasting life, for rejuvenation, and sexual potency, and even as an aphrodisiac. Wine was easy to make; ancient winemakers used whatever grapes were available and relied on the natural yeast on the grapes to ferment the wine. Wine was easy to drink (not high quality) and the high alcohol content made dissolving herbs and other medicines much easier.

Among the many ancient drinks was one called Hippocras, a highly spiced honey wine that was made more than 2,300 years ago by Hippocrates. Hippocras was quite popular in Europe until the time of Louis XV of France.

Wine, consumed in moderation, has long been thought of as heart-healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in wine, called antioxidants, may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the “good” cholesterol — and protecting against artery damage.

During the past several decades, there have been hundreds of studies confirming the health benefits of consuming wine, especially red wine, in moderation.

Numerous studies have found that a powerful polyphenol known as resveratrol is found in the seeds and skins of red grapes, which has antioxidant properties. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol because the skin and seeds ferment in the grape-juice during the winemaking process. White wine also contains resveratrol, but seeds and skin are removed early in the winemaking process, reducing the concentration of the compound in the finished wine. Resveratrol can also be found in blueberries and cranberries.

Scientific research has suggested that resveratrol may have very desirable health benefits, from fighting cancer and heart disease to slowing aging. The amount of resveratrol in wine varies by the grape variety, country of origin, and the winemaking process.

There is some research showing that wine may have other health benefits as well, including slowing memory loss, preventing dementia, fighting weight gain, protecting against dental disease and reducing risk of depression.

As a part of a healthy lifestyle, we often find ourselves reading food labels, looking for the number of calories, grams of fat, sodium and so forth. Regarding wine, there are calories present, which vary depending on the number of ounces, alcohol content and amount of sugar present. With few exceptions, most red and white wines fall between 11 to 14.5 percent alcohol. In restaurants, the “standard” glass of wine is about 6 ounces.

Let’s not forget Hippocrates’ wise words on wine’s health benefits.

“Wine is a substance that is wonderfully appropriate to man, in health as well as in sickness, if it be administered at the right time, and in proper quantities, according to the individual constitution,” the physician once said.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food, and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected]

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By Bob Lipinski

Burgundy, a historic wine-producing region of France, is located in the central eastern part of the country just southeast of Paris. Burgundy is one of France’s six major wine-producing regions, making red and white dry wines, along with dry sparkling wines. Most red wines are produced from pinot noir grapes and most white wines are produced from chardonnay grapes. Approximately 80 percent of wine produced there is red.

Burgundy has a lengthy wine-making history that dates back nearly 2000 years. Some of the world’s most famous wine villages and vineyards are located in Burgundy, and many can trace their origins back to the Christian monks of the Middle Ages. One district of great importance is the Côte d’Or or the “golden slope” of Burgundy. It is divided into two sectors: the Côte de Nuits (north) and the Côte de Beaune (south).

I recently had the opportunity to taste the wines of Domaine Faiveley located in the Côte de Nuits, which was founded in 1825 by Pierre Faiveley. The winery owns approximately 330 acres of vineyards and produces nearly 50, dry red and white wines. My tasting notes follow:

“The first duty of wine is to be red. The second is to be a Burgundy.” — Alec Waugh, 1898–1981, British novelist, “In Praise of Wine,” 1959

2013 Bourgogne Blanc: Clean, crisp bouquet of pineapple and citrus. Overtones of almonds and green apple in the mouth.

2013 Gevrey-Chambertin: Deep cherry-colored with a full, rich bouquet and flavor of black cherry, black currant and spices; powerful and structured with a firm tannic backbone and ever-present earthy notes.

2013 Mercurey Blanc: Light yellow in color with a bouquet and taste of citrus, apples and butter. A sort of minerally flavor is present with a great finish and lingering aftertaste.

2013 Meursault “1er Cru Blagny”: Light lemon color with a fresh bouquet of grass, almonds, lemons and green apples. Light-bodied with a pleasing flavor of pineapple, lime and pear.

2013 Nuits-Saint-Georges “1er Cru Aux Chaignots”: Ruby-colored with a bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, violets and cedar. Dry, medium-bodied with plenty of fruit, hints of black pepper and oak.

Burgundy also produces some fine cheeses, most of which are considered farmhouse with strong, rustic aromas and flavors. Recommendations are:

Aisy Cendré: A thin disk-shaped cow’s milk cheese with a creamy white interior and soft texture. It is very strong smelling with a tangy flavor. The cheese is cured with marc and then stored in grapevine ashes (or cendré) until it matures.

Bleu de Bresse: A cow’s milk cheese with a dusty, white exterior, sometimes foil wrapped. Small wheels or cylinders with a velvety and creamy texture. In 1950, Bleu de Bresse was developed to compete with the Italian gorgonzola.

Bouton-de-Culotte: A goat’s milk cheese from the Mâcon area. It is made into shapes resembling “trouser buttons,” which is soft when young but becomes dry and crumbly with age. It has a grayish-brown exterior with blue specks and a pale yellow interior, with a strong peppery and nutty flavor.

Époisses de Bourgogne: A cow’s milk cheese with an orange-brown, edible rind (which is washed in white wine or marc); pale yellow interior; disk-shaped. It has a strong, spicy, pungent, tangy flavor, sometimes flavored with black pepper, cloves or fennel. When aged, hints of ammonia arise. The cheese has been made in the small town of Époisses since the late 1700s.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine & cheese; sales, time management and leadership. He can be reached at boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

“A waltz and a glass of wine invite an encore.”
— Johann Strauss, 1804–1849

Although archeological evidence dates wine making and grape growing in Austria back thousands of years, its wines have always been overshadowed by those of Germany. Austria’s four major grape-growing regions are Burgenland, Niederösterreich, Vienna and Styria — each producing dry red and white wines, as well as semisweet and sweet whites, and even some very fine sparkling wines.

The major grape varieties are (whites) Grüner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau, Welschriesling, Riesling and Weissburgunder (pinot blanc). Red grape varieties include Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Blauer Portugieser.

At a recent press event, I had the opportunity to taste the wines of Stadlmann, a winery that dates back to 1780, located in Thermenregion, Lower Austria. My tasting notes follow:

2014 Gruner Veltliner: A dry white wine with a spicy, fruity aroma with a flavor of green apples, citrus and grapefruit.

2014 Zierfandler: A dry white wine with a fruity aroma of oranges and peaches, with hints of citrus, honey and spices.

2014 Rotgipfler “Anninger”: A dry white wine with a subtle aroma of apples and pears; light-bodied with a fruit flavor of apricots and peaches.

2013 Rotgipfler “Tagelsteiner”: A dry white wine with an intense aroma of apricots and melon. Flavors of mint, green olive and pears abound.

2013 Pinot Noir Classic: Crimson-colored with a distinctive bouquet and taste of blueberry, cranberry and wild cherries. Dry and soft in the mouth with flavors of cola, dried fruits, plums and spices.

While Austria produces many cheeses, most, unfortunately are not imported. I have three cheeses below, which can be found (not in a supermarket) in cheese shops that will easily pair with any of the above wines. Before serving the cheese, allow it to sit for 30 minutes to one hour at room temperature, which will soften the texture, release the aromas and maximize the flavor.

Mondseer: A soft, disk-shaped, cow’s milk cheese with a yellow-tan exterior and yellow interior with few irregular holes. It has a very pungent and robust flavor, and, when sold in small wooden boxes, it is known as Mondseer Schachtelkäse. It was first made in Salzburg in 1830 and named after the monastery of Mondsee.

Saint Michael: A wheel-shaped, cow’s milk cheese with a brown rind and no internal holes. It is smooth-textured with a pleasant, but mild flavor.

Tiroler Graukäse: A most unusual cow’s milk cheese made from sour-milk curds that are washed with Penicillium mold during the ripening period. Square-shaped with a gray exterior and a very strong, pungent odor and very sharp, piquant, tangy, sour taste. Graukäse translated means “gray cheese.”

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

Every Mediterranean country, in addition to California, and even Chile and Argentina, grow olives and produce various types of olive oil, including the much-praised “extra-virgin oils.” They are available in local supermarkets, as well as gourmet shops, and even stores specializing in these green-gold colored offerings.

Extra-virgin oil comes from a cold, first-pressing of olives, crushed using the traditional millstone method. The oil that comes from this first cold-pressing qualifies as extra-virgin if it contains not more than 0.8 percent of oleic acid. This cold-pressing method also produces an olive oil that retains both its intense natural aroma and a delectable flavor. Extra-virgin olive oil must also meet other high standards of flavor, color, and aroma. The color of an extra-virgin olive oil usually ranges from a deep golden to dark green; color however, is no indication of quality.

Extra-virgin olive has a low smoking point and is not recommended for frying and especially not deep-frying. Add it after cooking to finish a dish and add a rich, deep, fruity-olive flavor. In a shallow bowl, I like to add one cup extra-virgin olive oil, a head of mashed roasted garlic, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, fresh black pepper, a hint of salt and hot pepper flakes. I mash it all up and spread over freshly toasted bread with a glass of red wine.

Balsamic vinegar is not wine vinegar, but rather vinegar made from the juice of freshly pressed grapes that is filtered and boiled, with no fermentation taking place during the process. After the juice has been reduced, it is aged in various types and sizes of barrels, for many years. Some of the barrels used are oak, chestnut, ash, cherry, and even mulberry, each imparting a different flavor and subtle nuance. These red-brown, pungent vinegars with a robust, sweet-sour flavor have been made in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy for than 1,000 years.

Balsamic vinegars are great in salads, to dress grilled vegetables and meat. Older versions are great lightly drizzled over some fresh chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or even sweet strawberries for a special treat.

With olive oil and balsamic vinegar “It’s about tasting.”

Bob Lipinski has written nine books, including “Italian Wine Notes” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple.” He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food; and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached atwww.boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

Quotes are like recipes for our happiness. We enjoy their wit and often cite them; they inspire us, guide us, and often make us laugh. And sometimes, we need them just to keep our sanity. Below are 20 of my favorite cheese quotes.

■ “A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be oversophisticated. Yet it remains cheese, milk’s leap toward immortality.” (Clifton Fadiman, American writer and editor; New Yorker book reviewer)

■ “A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.” (Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1755–1826; French politician and writer)

■ “Age is not important unless you’re a cheese.” (Helen Hayes)

■ “Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.” (Old English rhyme)

■ “Cheese complements a good meal and supplements a bad one.” (E. Briffault, French gastronome)

■ “Cheese has always been a food that both sophisticated and simple humans love.” (M. F. K. Fisher, “How to Cook a Wolf,” 1942)

■ “For lovers of wine or beer, cheese would have had to be invented had it not grown up with these two drinks.” (Edward and Lorna Bunyard, “The Epicure’s Companion”)

■ “How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” (Charles de Gaulle, 1890–1970, president of France, 1962 speech)

■ “I don’t want the cheese. I just want to get out of the trap.” (Spanish proverb)

■ “If I had a son of marriageable age, I should say to him, Beware of young women who love neither wine nor truffles nor cheese nor music.” (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette “Colette,” 1873–1954, French novelist, “Paysages et Portraits”)

■ “Never commit yourself to a cheese without having first examined it.” (Thomas Sterns “T. S.” Eliot, 1885–1956, British poet and critic)

■ “Once we hit forty, women only have about four taste buds left: one for vodka, one for wine, one for cheese, and one for chocolate.” (Gina Barreca)

■ “The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath.” (W. C. Fields, American comic and actor, 1880–1946)

■ “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” (Stephen Wright)

■ “The only way to learn about cheese is to eat it.” (Ernest Oldmeadow, English gastronome)

■ “The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” (Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1874–1936; English poet)

■ “There were cheeses from the North, there were cheeses from the South. There were dozens of one which melted in the mouth.” (T. A. Layton)

■ “What is a harp but an oversized cheese slicer with cultural pretensions?” (Denis Norden, English comedy writer)

■ “Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures.” (M. F. K. Fisher, introduction, “Vin et Fromage”)

■ “You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.” (Anthony Bourdain)

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food; and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

Your mouth is on fire, your heart is pounding, your forehead is perspiring, your eyes are watering, your nose is running, your throat is dry, and still — you want more fire in your mouth. Why do some people enjoy this “fire” while others keep a safe distance from these incendiary little green or red peppers?

Capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the chili’s heat, causes the body to release endorphins (neurochemicals), the body’s natural painkillers that are akin to morphine. These chemicals give the body a sense of well-being and contentment, sparking desire for another round of eating fire. In addition, capsaicin also stimulates pain receptors in the mouth and on the tongue. The brain then orders the mouth to salivate, the nose to run and the gastrointestinal tract to step up its work. The body sweats to cool itself.

Contrary to popular belief, the heat in a chili pepper is not in the seeds. You will find most of the capsaicin in the placenta — the white membrane or veins in the pepper’s middle. However, because the seeds can pick up capsaicin on contact, it’s wise to remove both membrane and seeds if you’re heat shy.

Water does not put out the fire in your mouth because the oily resins in capsaicin are not water soluble.

Green chili peppers are high in vitamin C — in fact, one pepper has more vitamin C than an orange; when the red chili deepens in color, the hotter it is and the more vitamins A and C it contains. Chilis are high in fiber and low in calories and they contain no cholesterol or fat.

With chili peppers, the shape generally indicates flavor and heat level. The smaller and narrower the chili, the hotter it is; however, there are exceptions, e.g., the habanero pepper. Hot chili peppers originated in South America, and the precise birthplace is believed to be in the Andean foothills of central Bolivia.

Handling hot chili peppers
When handling chilies, wear rubber gloves, which protect not only the hands but also the face, eyes and other sensitive areas with which the hands come in contact. After working with chilies, wash your hands, the cutting board, the knife and the rubber gloves thoroughly with hot, soapy water.

Putting out “The Fire”
Water does not put out the fire in your mouth because the oily resins in capsaicin are not water soluble. It’s the protein casein in milk that acts like a detergent, stripping the capsaicin from the receptors. Milk products such as yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, cheese or even milk puts out the fire. Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes or rice tend to absorb or dilute capsaicin. Sweet desserts or even honey also helps modify the intense burning.

Pairing chili peppers with beverages
Most people prefer a cold beer to “put out the fire.” Beer and sparkling wines help cleanse the palate with their carbonation while at the same time they slightly anesthetize the inside of mouth. Fruity wines, such as riesling, chenin blanc, Gewürztraminer and white zinfandel afford a good contrast to heat and the fruitiness offsets some of the pepper’s heat. A glass of cold saké, dry white vermouth or even a dry sherry also pairs well. Avoid oaky wines and those full-bodied, red wines that are loaded with tannins. However, smoked chili peppers, such as chipotle, pair well with a red zinfandel or syrah.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “Italian Wine Notes” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food, in addition to sales, time management and leadership. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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“I made a mental note to watch which bottle became empty soonest, sometimes a more telling evaluation system than any other.” — Gerald Asher, “On Wine,” 1982

By Bob Lipinski

As an author and professional taster, I generally sample and evaluate more than 50 alcoholic beverages — wine, spirits, beer, and sake — per week. And no, I don’t need an assistant. Some are good, some are very good to excellent; while others are, how do I say it, not very good. I prefer to talk about the beverage rather than assign it an arbitrary number rating.

For many, the wines of France evoke pictures of lush vineyards filled with ripe grapes, huge fermentation tanks and rows of barrels filled with some of the world’s finest wines. France’s reputation as a great wine-producing country is solidly based on centuries of winemaking experience and the country’s climate and soil, which are ideal for growing the world’s great wine grapes. France is divided into six major wine-producing regions. They are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire Valley, and the Rhône Valley.

Here are my French wine picks:

2010 Frédéric Mallo Riesling, Réserve Spéciale, Alsace, France. Pale yellow color with a fresh aroma of stone fruit, citrus, pears, and red apples. Medium-bodied with a good balance and flavors of apples, cantaloupe and peach nectar. Serve it chilled with softshell crabs, raw clams or oysters, or just a dish of spaghetti with white clam sauce.

2010 Domaine Charles Baur Riesling, Grand Cru Brand, Alsace, France. Bright golden-colored with a lush, full bouquet of honey, apricot jam, dried fruit and nectarines. Full in the mouth with citrus, Granny Smith apples, and some minerality. I would pair with smoked salmon, smoked cheddar and Gouda, or some honey-cured ham.

2014 Grange des Dames, Ventoux, Rhône, France. A blend of grenache, carignan, and cinsaut grapes. Salmon-colored with an explosive, fruity, spicy bouquet; quite floral. Light-bodied, grapy and somewhat citrusy. Flavors of Red Delicious apple with an aftertaste of red cherries. Serve it with lobster, crab, or shrimp salad. It would be perfect with paella or jambalaya.

2013 Château d’Aquéria, Tavel, Rhône, France. A blend of grenache, syrah, cinsaut, and clairette grapes. Rich, deep rosé color, from brief skin contact with the grape juice. Red berry aromas, including cranberry and raspberry. Medium-bodied with flavors of musk melon, peaches, and red cherries. It drinks like a red wine, so don’t over-chill. Match this wine with grilled sausages, eggplant, and zucchini. Wonderful for light, red-sauced foods.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “Italian Wine Notes” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple,” available on Amazon.com. He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits, and food, in addition to sales, time management, and leadership. He can be reached at boblipinski.com or at [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

A storybook region dotted with picturesque villages in France, Alsace occupies a narrow strip of land between Strasbourg and Mulhouse. It is no more than four miles wide and about 40 miles long, with a total area of approximately 40,000 acres. It is nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, just east of Champagne and Burgundy. Alsace is divided into two sections — the Bas-Rhin in the north and Haut-Rhin in the south.

Alsace produces one-fifth of all of France’s white wines entitled to the AOC designation. Because it is located so far north, there is generally insufficient sunshine for the red grapes to ripen fully. Therefore, better than 90 percent of all wines are white.

Some of the better-known wines of Alsace are Riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, sylvaner, pinot noir, pinot gris, muscat à petit grains, chasselas, and Klevener de Heiligenstein. The wines range from very dry, through semisweet and even sweet. There is also a fabulous dry sparkling wine called crémant d’Alsace.

I recently attended an Alsatian wine press event featuring the wines of Hugel et Fils and Domaine François Baur, which are perfect for hot summertime weather. Below are the wines that I tasted and highly recommend:

2013 Hugel Gentil, a blend of primarily gewürztraminer paired with varying amounts of pinot gris, Riesling, muscat and sylvaner.
2013 Hugel Riesling.
2008 Hugel Riesling Jubilee.
2012 Hugel Gewürztraminer.
2013 Hugel Pinot Blanc Cuvée Les Amours.
NV Domaine François Baur Crémant d’Alsace, made from a blend of Riesling, pinot blanc, pinot gris, and chardonnay grapes, while pinot noir is used for the rosé version.
2013 Domaine François Baur Pinot Blanc Herrenweg.
2012 Domaine François Baur Riesling Herrenweg.
2007 Domaine François Baur Gewürztraminer Grand Cru– Brand.
2013 Domaine François Baur Pinot Gris Herrenweg.
2010 Domaine François Baur Gewürztraminer Herrenweg.
2013 Domaine François Baur Pinot Noir Schlittweg.

When searching for cheeses to pair with these wines stay with the soft, mild style, and definitely not too salty. Two cheeses that I like from Alsace that are worth searching for are:

Lingot d’Or (lan-GOH dohr) A brick-shaped, cow’s milk cheese, which is quite similar to Munster.

Munster (MUHN-stuhr). A semisoft to firm, cow’s milk cheese with a somewhat edible, ivory or orange to red exterior; creamy white to buttery yellow interior with small holes; cylindrical, rectangular, and wheel-shaped.

It has a pungent smell sometimes of mushrooms; complex, strong and tangy flavor; slightly salty, nutty taste; sometimes flavored with aniseed, caraway, or cumin seeds. The word Munster means monastery and it was the Benedictine monks, who came from Ireland, in the Munster valley of the Vosges Mountains who introduced cheese-making to this area as early as the seventh century.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “Italian Wine Notes” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple,” available on Amazon.com. He conducts training seminars on wine & cheese, sales, time management and leadership. He can be reached at boblipinski.com or at [email protected].

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By Bob Lipinski

Beer, one of the world’s great social lubricants, is ideal for celebrating Father’s Day, or any other day for that matter. Beer is a generic term for all alcoholic beverages that are fermented and brewed from malted barley — other ingredients can be used such corn and rice — hops, water and yeast. Beer is subdivided into two distinct categories — ale and lager.

bob-lipinski-beer-wAle is fermented fast and warm, producing richly flavored beers with a slightly darker color than lager beer. Ale usually has more hops in its aroma and taste, and is often lower in carbonation than lager-type beers. It is usually bitter to the taste, with a slight tanginess, although some ale can be sweet. Ale is originally from England, where it is referred to as bitters. Some examples of ale are brown, pale, scotch, Belgian, Trappist, stout and porter.

Lager is fermented slow and cool, producing delicately flavored beers. It was developed in Germany around the 15th century. The Germans first introduced it into the United States in 1840, in Philadelphia, through a Bavarian brewer named John Wagner. Lager comes from the German word lagern — to store — and is applied to bottom-fermented beer in particular because it must be stored at low temperatures for a prolonged time. Lagers were traditionally stored in cellars or caves for completion of fermentation. They are bright gold to yellow in color, with a light to medium body, and are usually well carbonated. Unless stated otherwise, virtually every beer made in the United States is a lager. Some examples of lager are pilsner, bock (including doppelbock, eisbock, maibock), märzen/fest beer, Vienna style, dortmunder, Munich helles and pale lager.

Beer, a most versatile beverage, can also be used in cooking in place of wine in most recipes.

Cooking suggestions: Replace the wine with beer in your favorite marinade for chicken, pork, beef, turkey, or even lamb. When making a flour, water and egg batter for frying foods, such as eggplant or zucchini, substitute beer for the water. For seafood pasta with shellfish, like shrimp, scungilli or calamari, cooked in tomato sauce, add a bottle of dark beer and some hot pepper flakes for increased flavor and texture.

Bob’s Beer Bread
3 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 12-ounce bottle of your favorite beer — not light — at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, melted
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Sift flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the beer and continue to stir until dough no longer sticks to sides of bowl (about 1 minute). Put dough into a lightly greased and floured 9” x 5” loaf pan. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour or until golden brown. Spread melted butter over the top of the bread during the last 10 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 -20 minutes before slicing.

This Father’s Day, sit down with dad and enjoy a frosty cold one.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written nine books, including “Italian Wine Notes” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple,” available on amazon.com. He can be reached at boblipinski.com or [email protected].

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