“Scoop of the Day”: Fun and Flavorful Ice Creams for Any Occasion

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…“Semi-Homemade” ice-cream? Straight from the test studio of the “Kitchen Princess” (aka my other alias)….This is an inside look at my top secret ingredient for the ultimate, yet easy dessert!

I would never classify myself as a pastry chef, nor say that I could ever win a Betty Crocker award. I do love to cook, but I consider myself more of a “freestyle” chef, as I have a hard time following recipes or even using them at all; which is why desserts have never really been my strong suit, especially since 99% of the time you must following a recipe.

When I host a dinner party, I typically dread planning what to make for dessert. Over the past few years, I have either gotten older and wiser, or just a little more savvy with my time and skills on the dessert front. Which brings me to my signature go-to-sweet-creation…Ice-Cream! And my secret ingredient for this: Häagen Dazs- Five, Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream (pint)

So, you might be scratching your head thinking…is she really going to try to pull off serving a scoop of store bought vanilla ice-cream, and claim it’s her own?

Well, sort of… it’s actually simple! Homemade Ice-Cream is made from 5 straightforward ingredients: Milk, Cream, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla. So, basically, I make it easier on myself and skip that step (mainly since I don’t have room to store an ice-cream maker at my little, yet adorable NYC apartment). I choose buy the already “made” base, then make it my own by adding signature ingredients. It’s not cheating…it’s getting creative! I like to select interesting flavor components, so that it is unique and has a sense of “artisanal” style.

Some of my favorite combinations include:

• Earl Grey Black Tea with Lavender and Honey
• Fresh Cinnamon Stick with a hint of Nutmeg
• Fresh Basil and Thyme
• Peanut Butter and Jelly with mini Chocolate Chips
• Smore’s: Mini Chocolate Chips, Graham Crackers and Marshmallow Fluff
• Carmel with Salted Pretzels

To jazz it up a bit more….I like to serve the ice cream in a cool eclectic dish or vintage tea-cup and garnish with either a thin almond cookie (also store bought), a chocolate hand-dipped fortune cookie wafer, or a pretzel rod, depending on which flavor combo I am serving.

This is a step-by-step guide to create my - 5 minute, fool proof dessert:

Buy a pint (or two) of the Häagen Dazs- Five, Vanilla Bean Ice-cream (low fat frozen vanilla yogurt can also be used if you are watching your waist line) Which retails for about $5

Measure ¼ cup heavy cream or ¼ cup whole milk. (*best to use whole milk with the herbs such as basil, since these ingredients tend to need more mixing and you don’t want to make whipped cream)

Then in a blender or food processor, add your milk or cream, your ingredients of choice and give it a quick pulse/mix. More time will be needed for herbs to fully chop/puree

Next step add the pint of vanilla ice-cream to the blender or processor, and give it several jolts from the pulse button to mix. The key is to do it fast and not let it get to a soupy state. I usually use a spatula or large spoon to help mix in between pulses from the blender.

Once your mixture is fully incorporated, pour into a container and place in the freezer immediately. Again you do not want it to be soupy, or the end product will tasty icy not smooth and creamy. For containers I like to use small (2 cup) plastic Tupperware style containers with lids, or small glass mason jars. *Tip if using glass jars, place them in the freezer to chill before adding your ice-cream mixture.

Freeze for 2-4 hours before serving…. Voila, you have a fabulous, gourmet-esc dessert you can impress your guests with. And it is really that easy!

And as a bonus....here is a fun party idea/theme I came up with that you might want to try at your next gathering-

The Ice-Cream Social

As the host, create a list of interesting ingredients, from fresh herbs, berries, candy, cookies, coffee/tea, etc., then send the list around with your invitation. Ask each of your guests to select 1-2 ingredients that best describe their personality and why.

Prior to the party review the selected ingredients and create a few different ice-cream

combinations that best reflect your guests’ choices (mixing different guests’ ingredients together). Feel free to get creative! As you make the ice-creams, come up with interesting names for the flavors to showcase your guests, i.e. Mike’s “Mellow” Mint with Rachel’s “Sassy” Raspberry. Place a sticker label or gift tag on the container to remember the flavor combo.

During the party bring your ice-creams out on a serving tray with bowls, spoons and some garnishes. Let guests serve themselves and try the various combinations.

Since I love to connect different groups of friends and match-make as well, I always find this a fun way to break the ice. It is definitely a conversation starter with the notion of “how well do we mix together”?

Thanks for reading…and I look forward to hearing from you about the interesting combinations you come up with!

Cheers and Happy Eating,
Em a la Mode aka Kitchen Princess

Photo and Styling Credit: by my dear friend Victoria del Rico *Luckily she works for food… And loves Cinnamon/Nutmeg Ice-cream J

1 Fork-Five Boroughs: A Food Frenzy to Celebrate New York’s Favorite Fare!

Last night, on a blissful evening, Tuesday, March 13, it seemed as though the New York weather was finally in full “spring” ahead. I gladly shed my winter coat as I headed out for the 5th Annual Village Voice Choice Eats Event at the 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue.

The event, hosted by by Village Voice resident food critics, Robert Sietsema and Lauren Shockey, hand-picked each of participating restaurants to showcase. Choice Eats is one of New York City's favored food fête’s where one can sample food from the most sought after restaurants across all the cities boroughs all under one roof for one night.

After a short cab ride downtown, I arrived on the scene and quickly toured the space before the crowds started flooding in. I was lucky enough to map out my food journey ahead for the evening,but in order to prep my palate, I stopped by to get an icy cold beverage at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka table, where Matt Purpura, Tito’s Brand Ambassador graciously mixed up a special “spirited” cocktail before sending me on my way.

My first stop was the Meatball Shop, they were dishing out an herbed chicken meatball garnished with sautéed asparagus tips and mushrooms in some sort of brown gravy-ish sauce. It was well seasoned and hit the spot in true comfort food fashion!

I then moved on to see my friends over at Ditch Plains. Chef Marc Murphy was serving up his infamous Mac-n-Cheese Hot Dog! With a big smile on his “good looking” face, he handed me a bite which was oozing with melty, decedent cheese! It was dangerously good! As I swallowed the last morsel, I saw fellow food friend, Emily Karpin, who recently took a job with Chef Murphy and was helping to man his table for the evening. I always love to catch up with friendly faces at these large scale events, as they can be quite overwhelming at times! After chit chatting for a few minutes, I saw the crowds rolling in. I decided to get moving, especially if I wanted to taste my way around, as this event was expecting over 2000 hungry New Yorkers!

Next to Ditch Plains was the Red Hook Lobster Pound table, where a Lady Gaga look-a-like was providing some form of entertainment (I think). Either way, I made sure to grab one of their shrimp rolls before the lines got too intense. I didn’t particularly care for the roll, unfortunately, as there were scallions on top (and those of you who know me well, know I despise any form of raw onion), and it was also a little too heavy handed on the mayo. But, I will give props to them for the bun, it was toasted to buttery perfection and the inside was pillowey and soft!

Across the room I noticed a circus like novelty, the Dirt Candy table was making Tomato Chipotle Cotton Candy. I maneuvered my way through the wall of people and get a stick of the fluffy stuff. It was sweet on the initial taste, but lingered with a spicy smoky savory finish. It was definitely the most interesting thing I tried throughout the evening! Not saying I loved it and I’m craving more, but I have to give it up to them for uniqueness!

As I made my way around the event, I was able to try many different bites from several of the featured restaurants. It seemed that pork was the most popular ingredient of the evening, and noticed at least 10 restaurants dishing it out in some form.

The longest food lines seemed to bellow out from Luke’s Lobster Bar, Goat Town and Red Hook Lobster Pound, along with any of the wine, beer and spirit tables. One complaint I had about the event, was the location of the beverage tables. They were all grouped together, making it a cluster to get to them, rather than spacing them throughout the room.

After a few hours of sampling in a room that now felt like a sauna, my stomach was full and I was beat, so I decided to call it a night!

Food highlights included:

Ample Hills Creamery (Brooklyn): Salted Carmel Ice-cream! This was hands down the best thing I tasted all night…and I’m not even an ice-cream person. It was rich, smooth, artisanal, with the perfect amount of sweetness, and had some sort of toffee style cookies in it, making it ridiculously good!

Porchetta (NYC): Toasted Crostini with braised porchetta ragu. This was craveable! It had a rich tomato back from the ragu and pork that was perfectly braised. It was also easy to eat (only 2 bites and no mess), which is always a big plus at events.

Resto (NYC): Boudin Noir Baked Beans with House Made Jersey Pork Roll. I love this restaurant…they are always serving up quality food in my book, and it held true for this dish.

The Blue Stove (Brooklyn): Decadent Chocolate Bourbon Balls. These girls had the cutest and well-designed table and overall concept. They also made some mean balls, yum!

Brooklyn Brine (Brooklyn): Damn Fine Pickles…and they were! Served whole, and had a smoky note, not too salty. The main pickler said he ages them in Whiskey Barrels which is why they have a bit of char of the nose.

Xi’an Famous Foods (NYC): Cold Skin Noodles. These were awesome! The noodles are all hand-pulled and were served in a citrus spicy vinegar sauce, with veggies and shrimp

Dean Street (Brooklyn): Pulled Pork Sliders on Brioche Buns. The pork was cooked and seasoned perfectly….’nuf said!

All and all it was a fun event and I’m glad I was able to partake!

Cheers and Happy Eating until we meet at the next soirée

xoxo,

Em a la Mode

FYI: Food Republic

If you haven’t seen it already, please make sure to check out the newly launched Food Republic Online Magazine, which explores the new culture of food through stories, interviews, global conversations, and experiences, geared towards men who want to eat and drink well, and live smart! The online magazine already has some very intriguing content such as the Daily Meat Guide, Chef Talk and exciting drinking tales by the Imbiber himself, Dan Dunn! Also, yours truly will be writing for the site as well, in fact take a look at my first post: an Interview with Eddie Huang

I am so excited to be part of this great new publication and am thrilled for the possibilities for the stories ahead!

Happy Reading and Eating!

A Spring in My Step

Hello! I am in the process of cleaning up and dusting off the cobwebs from my sweet little Em a la Mode Blog, call it Spring Cleaning! I know there is not a good excuse to have neglected it for so long, but I promise have been very busy with some travel and other projects that took most of my attention the last several months…and to boot, I had a small bout of writer’s block! So please stay tuned as I promise to have some exciting content coming soon! xoxo, Em

It's Been Awhile!

I would like to sincerely apologize for my lack of blog updates over the last few months; it has been a whirlwind of a time in which I have been doing some extensive traveling, was busy working on a few projects and got caught up moving apartments in NYC (which is a job in itself)! So, to all of my loyal readers, thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoy the next few installments of Em a la Mode, I have a few fun items to share: my South Africa adventure, a very cool wine experience, some great new recipes and much more! I vow to not abandon you for this long ever again.

Cheers,
Em

A Smooth Start to Spring

The clock is moving forward tomorrow, which can only mean one thing…Spring time is almost here! It’s time to shed the “winter coat” and start to get in shape for the warmer weather. I have created a delightful breakfast smoothie recipe that can help to jump start the motivation. It might sound like a strange combination, but I assure you it is very tasty and refreshing! Since it is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, it helps to curb hunger until lunchtime so you can avoid the mid-morning snack attack. A bonus: It is completely “raw” and vegan as well. So move over Jamba Juice, there is a new smoothie in town!

Em’s Super Smoothie

Ingredients:

¾ cup Fresh Baby Spinach (rinsed and frozen)

¾ cup Fresh Frozen Berries (I like a combo of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)

1 TBS of Dried Goji Berries

1 TBS of Steel Cut Oats (soaked overnight in water)

1 TBS of Ground Flax Seed

½ cup Fresh Pineapple Juice (or freshly squeezed Orange Juice)

½ cup Water

Directions:

I like to hit the market on Sunday and pre-prepare my ingredients for the week. I buy a large portion of fresh baby spinach and fresh berries, when I get home I rinse the spinach and berries with water and measure out ¾ cup serving of each then divide them into individual plastic bags then throw them in the freezer. This way everything is done and it makes life easier. Also at this time, I soak the raw steel cut oats in water and place in a sealed container in the refrigerator, a good ratio to follow is 4 TBS of oats to 8 TBS of water.

Now for the fun part: Place the ingredients into a blender and mix until everything is well incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Then pour yourself a serving and enjoy the healthy treat…how easy is that!

Welcome to Miami, notes from the South Beach Wine & Food Festival!

Each year over 50,000 people flock to Miami’s Beaches at the end of February to attend the cool gastronomical event known as the SOBE Wine & Food Festival. Many festival guests travel from as far as California, while others come to escape the chilly East Coast temperatures, to indulge in the 4 days of epicurean delight. Now in its’ 9th year, the festival has become a major attraction to industry professionals and culinary enthusiast alike.

When an event is hosted by a tri-fecta of industry leaders, in this case; Southern Wine & Spirits, one of the nations largest liquor distributors, The Food Network and Food & Wine Magazine, you know it’s going to be a great party!

So, as the event kicked-off on Thursday, February 25th and the crowds of people started to populate the beachfront hotels hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite food personality or chef, I reviewed the schedule of my “liquid” journey ahead!

First stop: Tony Abou-Ganim’s, aka The Modern Mixologist, Cocktail Book Launch party at the Florida Room in the Hotel Delano. Tony and his bartender friends mixed up a variety of mouth-watering drink recipes from his book. My favorite was the Bardstown Sling:
1 ½ oz. Maker’s Mark
¾ oz. Marie Brizard Peach liqueur
1 oz. Yellow peach puree
2 oz. Fresh lemon sour
2 dashes of Fee Brothers peach bitters
Chilled seltzer water to top
Served in an ice-filled Collins glass
After trying a few of his signature cocktails, I said my goodbyes and thank you’s and hi-tailed it over to the tented beachfront of the Ritz Carlton where my next stop was awaiting me: The Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Allen Brothers Meats and hosted by Rachael Ray.The Burger Bash is not your typical beach BBQ; it is a super-size burger extravaganza for 2,800 people, with 27 different burgers prepared by a culinary team of 120 in a 25,000 sq/ft tent. Just to give you a scope on the size of this event, here is an inside look of the ingredient list: over 7,500 lbs. of 10 different varieties of ground meat to make up 48,600 burger portions, 400 lbs. of smoked bacon, 500 lbs. of coleslaw, 1.5 tons of Idaho Potatoes, 125 gallons of Heinz ketchup and mustard. And what better way to wash it all down, than with 7,000 servings of Amstel Light Beer! It was nice to see some of the great chefs put their personal spin on the classic burger, for instance Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto made the Pork “Kakuni” Burger, a seasoned beef burger topped with glazed pork belly and Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit made the Crunchy BBQ Kobe Burger with Kobe beef, chunky BBQ sauce served with an interesting arrangement of pickles. With so many amazing burgers it was hard to choose a favorite, but if I did it would be a toss-up between, Michael Schwartz’s, of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami, Bacon Cheeseburger with house smoked bacon, white cheddar, heirloom tomato, lettuce on a Brioche Bun served with a side of crispy spiced hominy

or former Top Chef contestant, Spike Mendelsohn’s of Good Stuff Eatery in D.C., Farmhouse Bacon Cheeseburger served with a Pink Cotton Candy Shake.

Now, officially in a meat-coma,

I left the bash and headed over to my next destination: The Food Network’s VIP Beach Party at the Shore Club. The event was incredible and the décor was genius. As I enjoyed a Maker’s Mark cocktail, and rubbed elbows with Guy Fieri, Michael Chirarello and other Food Network personalities, I found myself in a conversation with Bruce Seidel, the senior vice president of programming for the “Cooking Channel”. This is the new sister channel of the Food Network which will feature more chefs and food content launching in May. Mr. Seidel said, “The new channel won’t have any competition based shows, those will all remain on the Food Network, but it will incorporate new content such as shows based on wine and cocktails.” Fabulous I thought, it was about time to have some shows about beverages!
Just as I was about to throw in the towel and get to bed, I ran into my good friend Chef Roberto Trevino from Puerto Rico, a featured contestant on this season’s Next Iron Chef. He convinced me to make one last stop of the evening, the Patron’s Great Debate Party hosted by Chef Aaron Sanchez, at the W Hotel. I thought, what the heck, “when in Rome”, so we ventured over to the party and indulged in a few margaritas and danced the night away.

The next day (Friday), I was pretty tired and hurting a bit, but decided that I must power through since there were many exciting events ahead of me. As I made my way over to the Grand Tasting with my partner in crime, Lauren Allison, we took a moment to enjoy a little beach time. The sun was shining, the sand was warm under my toes and the water was crystal blue. It was a picture perfect day in South Beach!
Once we arrived at the Grand Tasting Village, we eagerly started imbibing and nibbling. Highlights included, the Hornitos sand castle, the Cruzan Rum steel drum band, tasty pestos from Maison Le Grand, and some cool Aperol branded sunglasses! It was a fun afternoon to say the least. Later that night I attended the Best of the Best at the Fontainebleau Hotel, presented by Wine Spectator. This was an extraordinary French inspired event, with dishes prepared by over 35 renowned chefs and wine served from top wineries from around the world. Standouts included: Chef Douglas Keane from Cyrus in Healdsburg, Chef Michael White from Marea in NYC, Chef Cesare Casella from Salumeria Rosi in NYC, Chef Stephan Pyles from Dallas, and dessert by Mindy Segal from Mindy’s Hot Chocolate in Chicago. I also enjoyed some lovely wines from Vine Cliff, Ladera, Bodegas Caro, Hanzell, Jordan and Ruinart Champagne.

After munching my way through the event, I decided to turn in early as I knew I had another big day ahead of me, and let’s face it I was still tired from my rock star tour the night before.

The next morning I woke up refreshed and well rested. I started the day off with a delicious mimosa filled brunch from BLT at the Betsy Hotel, and then continued on with the festivities of the Wine & Food Festival.

At the Grand Tasting Village I was able to catch Chef Michelle Bernstein at her book signing, see Sandra Lee’s cooking demo, Emeril’s cooking demo and chat with Duff Goldman and Geoffry Manthorne from Ace of Cakes.

I tried some fun drinks from Rums of Puerto Rico, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and St-Germain; and also tasted some decent wines from Mouton Cadet, Jarvis and Mionetto.

Since it was my last evening in South Beach I kept the energy going by attending a few wonderful parties: Rachael Ray’s Sound Check Beach Bon Fire at the Raleigh Hotel and the private Two12 Access House. At Rachael’s party, Seven Daughters Winery supplied the libations and Rachael’s husband and his band provided the entertainment.

The Two12 Access House, run by Scott Feldman, hosted a secure space for the chefs to play and let loose. Superstar chef Daniel Boulud was taking shots, wine guru Josh Wesson was shaking his booty and Chef Todd English was chatting up the ladies. All and all it was a fabulous night to top off a great couple of days!

At the end of the weekend before I headed back to New York, I had a chance to catch up with Festival Founder and Producer, Lee Schrager. He was gleaming with delight and was extremely happy with the success of the event. I asked what his favorite cocktail of the weekend was, and if I could get him one since I’m sure he could use one after planning such a massive event-a-thon, he replied “The Belvedere Mojito at Tap Tap during the Kitchen Aid Benefit.” Gotta love a mojito! I also asked about the Festival’s 10th Anniversary in 2011, and he revealed a few details, “The festival dates are February 24 – 27, 2011, and prior to the event we will release of the first ever Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook which will be available 11/23/2010.” Sounds like many exciting things are on the horizon for Mr. Schrager and his South Beach team; I know I am already looking forward to next year! For more information and ticket sales please visit: www.sobewineandfoodfest.com

Recipe: Up-tini

Cheers and Happy New Year’s Eve! 2009 was a wonderful year full of excitement, opportunity and lessons. Looking back, I realized how fortunate I was to have been able to travel extensively this past year: Peru (Machu Picchu), Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, Napa Valley, New Orleans, Montauk and more. It was truly amazing!

This year I am looking to toast more than a glass of Champagne, I am looking to keep the energy flowing in 2010, so I created a fun Espresso based cocktail that will be sure to help you sustain the party long after the clock strikes midnight!

2010 Up-Tini

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Vodka (I like to use Tito’s)
1 shot (or 1 oz.) of freshly brewed espresso (chilled)
½ oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
½ TBS. Vanilla Infused Simple Syrup
Espresso Beans for garnish
Ice

Directions:
To make simple syrup, combine ½ cup water to ½ cup sugar in a small sauce pan and heat on low until sugar is melted; make sure not to boil the liquid. Remove from heat and add ½ of a vanilla bean sliced open, or you can use ½ tsp. of vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool and steep.

In a cocktail shaker, add ice and pour in the vodka, espresso, Bailey’s and vanilla simple syrup. Shake for a minute until chilled. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a few espresso beans.

Then enjoy!

Cooking with Wine: Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs

This is a wonderful and hearty slow-cooked recipe that I created for a holiday dinner as an alternative to turkey. The Cabernet gives the ribs a nice rustic and earthy flavor that can bring warmth and comfort to any table! The meat is so tender it falls right off the bone and the sauce (braising liquid) is packed with rich flavors from the mushrooms, herbs and tomatoes that makes it bread-dipping worthy. This dish goes great with creamy polenta or garlic smashed potatoes. Serve with a nice bottle of Cabernet to enhance the flavors of the dish!

Ingredients:
6 (6-ounce) pieces bone-in beef short ribs
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
10 button mushrooms coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or crushed)
1 (14-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, puréed in a blender with juice
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
3 cups beef stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cooking Utensils:
3- to 5-quart heavy stock pot with a lid
Tongs
Food processor or blender

Directions:
Pat beef dry, mix flour, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a bowl, then dust beef with the flour mixture. Heat oil in the stock pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add beef to the oil, and brown beef on all sides, turning with tongs, about 8 minutes total. Remove beef from pot and transfer to a plate, sprinkle each rib with salt and pepper.

Add chopped carrots, mushrooms and garlic to the oil in pot and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup puréed tomatoes (reserve remainder for another use) and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.

Add Cabernet and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes.
Next add beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, vinegars, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to sauce, bring to a simmer about 10 minutes.

Add beef along with any juices accumulated on plate and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Turn stove burner to low and slow cook for 5-6 hours, stirring twice throughout the cooking process, until meat is tender and falls off the bone.

Let stand without heat for 15 minutes to let flavors further develop before serving.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
Em a la Mode

To Decant or Not to Decant, That is the Question?

The other night while making dinner for a friend, I decided to serve a bottle of 1995 Il Palazzone Riserva Brunello di Montalcino, a coveted Five Star Vintage that I have been eyeing in my collection for quite some time. Since I was busy cooking I gave my friend the task of pouring the wine. Just as I was taking the rack of lamb out of the oven, I looked over and saw my friend about to pour the wine straight from the bottle to our glasses. I quickly interjected and suggested we decant it. With a puzzled look on my friends face, he asked why? I responded (with a slightly unsure answer), letting him know that I typically decant older vintage wines as it helps to remove any sediment and to coax in the development of the flavor profile.

Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most famous and prized red wines produced anywhere in the world. It is made entirely from the Sangiovese grape and it is one of the longest-lived red wines of Italy, with most bottlings drinking well for 12-30 years. According to Alder Yarrow, of the blog Vinography, he suggests to decant Sangiovese as far in advance as possible. As Sangiovese, more so than any other grape, seems to require a lot of oxygen contact to open up. The younger the wine, the more he says to decant it, but even when serving a 20 year old Sangiovese, he suggests should remain in the decanter for at least an hour prior to drinking.

Since it seems there is some controversy about the notion of to decant or not to decant a wine, I decided to do a bit of research and get down to the bottom of it! Many experts say yes to decanting as it helps to soften the wines tannins, where others say it may ruin a wine by overexposing it to oxygen.

Decanting can be defined as pouring a liquid from one vessel to another to separate it from its sediments and to allow it to breathe, to improve its taste. In my research I found that many wines on the shelves today have no real need for decanting. The modern winemaking process ensures the wine is thoroughly clarified before it is bottled, by a process of fining (passing egg whites or bentonite clay through to collect solid matter) and mechanical filtration.

But wines which have aged in bottle (10 years of more), typically red wines rather than white, may acquire sediment. This sediment can be displeasing to the eye, and can also be unpleasant in the mouth, which is why they would deserve decanting.

Some young wines such as bold reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, Bordeaux) and even some whites (Mersault , Chardonnay) can also benefit from decanting, although not for the removal of sediment (as there is rarely any such sediment in young wines), but rather to aerate the wine. The action of decanting softens the youthful bite and encourages the development of the more complex aromas that would normally develop when aged in bottle. But, be careful what you choose to decant, author Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible, notes that it could be harmful for more delicate wines like Chianti and Pinot Noir.

The effectiveness of decanting is still a hot topic with some wine experts like Emile Peynaud claiming that the prolonged exposure to oxygen when decanting actually diffuses and dissipates more aroma compounds than it stimulates. And that the process of decanting over a period of a few hours does not have an effect of softening tannins. The softening of tannins occur during the winemaking process and oak aging when tannins go through a process of polymerization- decanting merely alters the perception of sulfites and other chemical compounds in the wine through oxidation, which can give some drinkers the sense of softer tannins in the wine.

So how do you know if a wine should be decanted? When in doubt, it is always good to verify if a wine needs to be decanted before unloading an entire bottle into a vessel. I suggest, start by pouring a small sip from the bottle to taste, then swirl it around in the glass to incorporate air and let it breathe for a minute or so, next take another sip, if the wine seemed to benefit and opened up after the second sip, then you may want to decant it. This can be slightly different for an older wine, I typically take a candle or flashlight up to the bottle to gage the amount of sediment before choosing to decant, but also tasting the wine works here too.

The How-To of Decanting:

Older Wines:
Since the decanting process in older wines is mainly for removing the sediment, it is best to stand the bottle in which you will decant upright the day before (or at least for several hours) to allow the sediment to settle. When opening, take the cork out and slowly pour the wine at a 60 degree angle into the decanter. Stop pouring when you see sediment start to pour with the wine. Set the wine down and repeat again after 5 minutes. You may have to do this a few times to get all the wine out of the bottle. But since older wines are a bit more fragile, as it could possibly ruin a wine by overexposing it to oxygen, they should be decanted and served immediately.

Younger Wines:
Since the decanting process is to aerate younger wines, simply open the bottle and pour completely upside down into the decanter, this “beats up” the wine a little, giving it more air as you pour, which can speed the aerating process along. Once it is in the decanter, give it a few swirls and let it sit for a bit before serving. Another way to “decant” a younger wine is through an aerator pourer. In recent years several companies have designed these portable pourers, which attach to the opening of the bottle, allows the proper amount of air to be drawn into the wine, letting it breathe instantly. This is a great tool, if you only want a glass or two, as it allows you to pour as much as you want rather than decant an entire bottle.

Cleaning a Decanter:
Some decanters (such as the Eve by Ridel) may be a bit tricky to clean in a standard kitchen sink, so Maximillan Ridel suggest utilizing your bathtub or shower when rinsing one out. It is best to rinse it with mineral water to remove any residual chlorine odor. Never clean your decanter with detergent, because the shape of a decanter makes it very difficult to get the soapy residue out. When storing a cleaned decanter, same as nice stemware, be sure that it is spotless and free from any musty cupboard aromas.

Types of Glass Decanters:
Decanters come in all shapes and sizes, as well as price points. One is not particularly better than the other, but rather a personal preference. Some people like having a simple, clean designed decanter where others, like having a “show-piece” at their dinner table.

Riedel Decanter (from Williams-Sonoma $49) Riedel Amadeo Lyra Decanter ($395)
Decanter Helpers:

Cascadia Aerating Wine Funnel with Stand ($18.99)- Directs wine towards sides of decanter or glass while you pour enhances the bouquet & softens young wine, bringing out flavors that would take hours by simply decanting.

Types of Aerator Pourers:
Much like a decanter, these aerators come in different shapes and sizes, as well as price points. I have the Wine Soiree pourer, and like it, but have also had wine poured from the different aerators, which I think work nice as well. So again, it is up to personal preference!

Wine Soiree Decanter Aerator Pourer ($19.99)
Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator ($39.99)
Versovino Wine Decanting System ($40)