By Kara Sweet

The days are getting longer. The sun is shining more. Spring has sprung.  

For many, this means spring cleaning. Time to clear out cupboards, organize closets, and declutter garages.  

Wine lovers spring clean too…they clean out the wine fridge! One of the best ways to do this cleaning is by using the philosophy “I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.”

Here are a few favorite summer recipes using wine. They are quick, easy, and tasty dishes that are perfect ways to clear out wine that is taking up space or—which is more likely the case—use wine just purchased at the liquor store.

 

The Before-Dinner Drink

Start a beautiful spring evening enjoying the South Dakota sun with a Bellini. The more-commonly known mimosa is always a brunch favorite, but take this wine cocktail a step further with this historic Italian sipper. Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, was a fan of Giovanni Bellini, the famous painter whose works often featured a beautiful, pink glow. Cipriani used the abundant white peach to make freshly-squeezed juice, then added Prosecco—the famed north-eastern Italian sparkling wine—to create this pink glow in a glass.

Bellini

Bellini

2 oz. white peach or peach juice, chilled

4 oz. Prosecco, chilled

– Pour Prosecco in a Champagne flute.  

– Slowly top with peach juice.

Enjoy!

 

The Main Course Marinade

Now it’s time for the main meal on the deck. Choose either a red or white meat for this course. Use a red wine to make a marinade for beef; use a white wine to make a marinade for chicken or pork. Then serve the wine used in the marinade with the meal. This is a marriage pairing, when the wine sipped with the meal is used in the actual preparation of the meal.  

Red Meat Marinade

1-2 lb. beef—cut into strips or cubes

¼ c. olive oil

¼ c. red wine—also serve with meal

1 pkg. or 2 tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning from McCormick (or similar)

Directions:

– Combine wine, oil, and seasoning packet.

– Pour over beef in plastic container.

– Marinate up to four hours.

– Remove beef. If cubed, put on skewer sticks.

– Cook on an outdoor grill at medium heat until medium-rare to medium-well.

– Serve with grilled veggies or rice and a glass of the wine from the marinade.

White Meat Marinade

White Meat Marinade

1-2 lb. chicken or pork—cut into strips or cubes

¼ c. olive oil

¼ c. white wine—also serve with meal

1 pkg. Garlic, Herb, and Wine Seasoning from McCormick (or similar)

Directions:

– Combine wine, oil, and seasoning.

– Pour over chicken in plastic container.

– Marinate up to four hours.

– Remove chicken or pork. If cubed, put on skewer sticks.

– Cook on an outdoor grill at medium heat until juices run clear.

– Serve with grilled veggies or rice and a glass of the wine from the marinade.  

 

The Delicious Dessert

After a wonderful, wine-centered meal, a dessert is a must. However, in the heat of the spring and summer, no one wants to fire up the oven and warm up the house. That means it is time for a super-easy treat that others will believe took hours…it’s time for the delicate and rich chocolate pots de crème that takes no baking and very little prep time. Use port in the preparation, make a port-reduction sauce, and serve with the port for a great final course.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Pots de Creme

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp. sugar

Dash salt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

1 tsp. port

¾ c. hot milk—heated to just boiling on stove top

Directions:

– Put chocolate chips, sugar, salt, egg, vanilla, coffee, and port in a blender.

– Slowly add the hot milk.

– Cover the blender lid with a cloth to prevent excess splattering; blend to mix well.

– Pour into demitasse cups or small ramekins.

– Refrigerate until set.

– This makes a small batch of roughly four servings.

– Easily double the batch to serve a larger group or make larger serving sizes.

– Top with whipped cream and port-reduction sauce.

Port Reduction Sauce

3 c. port—Tawny, Ruby, or other

1 tbsp. orange or lemon zest

Directions:

– Combine the port and zest in a small sauce pan on the stove top.

– Bring to just boiling.

– Reduce heat to low and simmer to reduce the consistency of the liquid to syrup-like, about 20-30 minutes.

– Stir frequently.

– If mixture becomes too thick to pour over pots de crème, mix in just enough water to thin the reduction sauce.

– Drizzle over the top of the pots de crème.

– Top with whipped cream and serve with a sniffer of port.

 

The After-Dinner Cocktail

The dessert is digesting, and it is time to sit and relax…with a glass of sangria. Sangria is a wine cocktail that originated as a Spanish punch with a base of red wine, historically from Rioja or the surrounding regions. These base wines would generally be from tempranillo and/or grenache grapes. Later, Bordeaux wines from France called Claret—a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc—may have been used. Today, any bottle of red wine can be the perfect base for this summer-fun sipper.  

Sangria

Sangria 2

1 bottle red wine (a mid-priced, dry, red wine)

¼ c. Triple Sec

1 can pineapple tidbits; drain juice

1 can light peaches or pears; drain juice; dice fruit into small pieces

1 cup strawberries; diced into small pieces

1 lemon; juiced

1/2 cup sugar or honey

Directions:

– Mix wine, Triple Sec, pineapple juice, peach or pear juice, lemon juice, and sugar/honey.

– Mix until sugar/honey is dissolved. (Adjust the amount of sugar/honey for more or less sweetness.)

– Set aside and chill for 24 hours.

– At the same time, chill the pineapple, peaches/pears, and strawberries in a separate plastic or glass container. 

– One hour before serving, put fruit and wine together in a decorative pitcher.

– Serve chilled. 

 

The Weekend Coffee

Yes, some people believe that certain times of the day—such as very early in the morning—are off limits to drinking wine. Okay, okay, this may be true. However, there is a way to enjoy wine with the Sunday morning cup of coffee on the patio—use wine in the making of a crisp biscotti for dunking. Shellie Croft, “better-half” of the Firesteed winemaking team of Bryan and Shellie Croft, has an absolutely amazing biscotti recipe, using wine in the biscotti and the chocolate sauce. This is the perfect way to enjoy wine, even in the early-morning hours.

Biscotti

Biscotti

Biscotti

1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

2 tsp. orange zest

2 tbsp. riesling wine—Shellie, of course, prefers Firesteed Riesling

2 c. flour

½ c. miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

Chocolate Sauce

1/3 c. semisweet chocolate pieces

1 tbsp. pinot noir—again, Shellie recommends Firesteed

1/2 tsp. shortening 

Biscotti Directions:

– Grease a large cookie sheet or use a silicone liner; set aside.

– In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds.

– Add sugar and baking powder.

– Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. 

– Blend in eggs and riesling until combined.

– Mix in as much flour as possible; stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

– Stir in orange zest and ½ c. chocolate pieces.

– Divide dough in half.

– Shape each half into 9-inch rolls.

– Place rolls about 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

– Flatten down to 3 inches thick.

– Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean from center.

– Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

– Transfer bread to a cutting board.

– Cool for an hour.

– After rolls are cooled, cut into ½ inch thick slices.

– Place slices, cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

– Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.

– Turn cookies over to other side and bake for 7-9 minutes more until dry and crisp.

– Do not over bake. 

– Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. 

Chocolate Sauce Directions:

– In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the 1/3 c. chocolate pieces, pinot noir, and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly.

– Dip very top of biscotti into chocolate sauce; drizzle any excess sauce over biscotti cookies.

– Let stand until chocolate is set.

– Serve by dunking into an enjoyable cup of coffee.

 

As spring takes over the state and the sun shines longer each day, this is a perfect time to spring clean…including cleaning out the wine collection. A great way to use wine, especially in beautiful weather, is to cook with it. If there happens to be no wine taking up extra space in the fridge or cluttering up the countertop, that’s okay. Go purchase some soon.

It’s time to cook with wine…and even add it to the food!  

Enjoy this amazing spring weather. Take to the patio. Make amazing food that just happens to have wine in it. Enjoy spring time as it leads summer. A great way to relish in this beautiful time of year is to include wine with—and in—every meal.

 

Related:

Taking a Spring Break…From Wine

Wines to Love: Beyond the What 

Drink More Wine – Start in South Dakota

The Gift of Wine

Holidays and Wine: A Perfect Pairing 

Legends of the Fall: Grape Harvest in the Black Hills

By Its Cover: Trends in Wine Labeling 

Jerry Lohr Brings South Dakota Value to California Wine Making 

Sweet Sommelier Summer Vacation: No Whining in Wine Travel

Summer, Summertime! Top Ten Black Hills Patios

Serious Side of South Dakota Wine

Celebrate Yourself! Wine and Chocolate Pairings for Valentine’s Day

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