Holiday Wine Cellar

Whether your wine cellar is a sophisticated, temperature-controlled room – or a designated space in your kitchen – you’ll want to have plenty of wine on hand for the holidays. Try a Spanish wine like Malena Garnacha to sip with tapas-style appetizers. Select a sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon for a wine-and-cheese party or to create a signature finish to a great steak.

Having a smooth and aromatic wine to complement a hearty meal is a must during the fall and winter months. As the popularity of Spanish wines continues to grow, full-flavored choices like the Malena Garnacha can appeal to a wide range of tastes at gatherings, and it is noted as one of the top wine-buys in the world.

At the top of your holiday entertaining shopping list, write down a light and refreshing wine. Breaking out the bubbly is the classic way to toast a holiday celebration – but don’t stop there. Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine and Sam’s Club’s senior wine buyer, says, “There are lots of wines to complement every occasion and meal while pleasing your guests. Often times, selecting the right wine is what makes the meal memorable.” Paulinski recommends a good brut for celebrations, but also urges party hosts to try a nice, sweet wine like Beviamo Moscato.

For easy, one-stop holiday shopping, visit your local Sam’s Club or samsclub.com.

Pairing White Wines with Food

Having several bottles of a refreshing wine like Beviamo Moscato chilling in your refrigerator means that holiday hospitality is just a pop of the cork away.

Sweet wine pairs well with fall and winter fruits and desserts, especially treats like shortbread cookies or delicious tarts. A wine like this keeps your taste buds dancing with the lovely flavors of dessert and the fresh wine. Moscato is also up to the challenge of pleasing the entire crowd as well, as it’s a natural with varied groups and wine palettes.

Wine should always be sweeter than the food with which it’s consumed, or the wine will taste bitter. So, Moscato isn’t at its best alongside ultra-sweet citrus flavors. However, a crisp, light wine can provide delicate flattery for an after-dinner tart of winter fruit or a luscious crème brûlée.

Serving Sparkling Wine in Style

First of all, sparkling wine should always be served well chilled, at least 40 minutes in an ice bucket, or two to three hours in the refrigerator.

Sparkling wine is at its finest served in a flute-shaped glass (a bowl with tall straight sides and a narrow mouth resting on a delicate stem). This shape has two advantages over the flat, saucer-shaped coupe popular in the ‘50s; the narrow form keeps the effervescence in the glass and allows you to admire the dancing bubbles.

Rib-Eye Steak with
Cabernet-Glazed Mushrooms
Classic sautéed steak is easy to dress up with a signature finish like these cabernet-glazed mushrooms prepared in the steak’s juice and marinade.
Makes 4 servings

1 cup VEO Grande
Cabernet Sauvignon
3 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper
2 (1-pound) rib-eye steaks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

1.Stir together wine, garlic and a pinch each salt and pepper in shallow dish. Add steaks and turn to coat. Set aside 30 minutes, turning once or twice.
2.Drain and dry steaks, reserving marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry steaks in oil to preferred doneness. Transfer steaks to cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm.
3.Sauté mushrooms in the same pan over medium-high heat until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade and continue cooking until liquid is almost fully evaporated and mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
To serve: arrange steaks on warmed plates, spoon mushrooms over and around.

Estofado de Pollo
(Spanish Chicken Stew)
This hearty stew is typical of central Spain – where winters can be cold, and a one-dish supper with a little spice is a tradition. The addition of the Malena Garnacha brings out the rich flavors of the Spanish countryside. Serve this over long-grain rice for a complete main course.
Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 to 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes,with liquid
1(15.5-ounce) can garbanzo beans, with liquid
1 1/2 cups Malena Garnacha wine
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoons dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste
3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, cubed
6 chicken thighs (with skin, bone-in)
6 ounces Spanish chorizo, linguiça or other fully-cooked, spiced pork sausage, casing removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1.Heat olive oil in medium Dutch oven (or other oven-safe casserole) over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion has softened and turned translucent. Pour in tomatoes, garbanzo beans and wine; season with paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in carrots and potatoes; then place chicken thighs skin-side up on top of vegetables.
2.Bring to boil over high heat; then reduce heat, cover and transfer to preheated oven. Cook with liquids simmering until chicken and carrots are tender, about 35 minutes.
3.Remove stew from oven and raise oven temperature to 400°F.
4.Remove chicken from stew and set aside. Stir in chorizo slices. Place chicken thighs back on top, skin-side up. Bake uncovered in 400°F oven until stew has thickened and chicken skin is crispy, about 20 minutes.
To serve: sprinkle with parsley and spoon over rice.

– Family Features
– Materials courtesy of Sam’s Club