I found some baby sweet potatoes at Whole Foods the other day, problem is I really haven’t cooked with sweet potatoes very much so I don’t have a good recipe handy.
Saveur.com to the rescue, they really have a wealth of great recipes. In fact most of my tried and true Thanksgiving recipes come from the pages of Saveur. This one is Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges w/ Yogurt Dipping Sauce.
In any case this one looks easy and yummy and I am going to make it. I think a nice Pinot Gris from Alsace would make a good pairing. They tend to be a little richer and riper than the typical offerings. My choice is the Klement Klur 2006 Pinot Gris, $26.99.

You Are So Fine Vouvray 2007

21.99 / 18.69 solid case

A real standout. This unfiltered, organic and naturally-made 100% Chenin
Blanc from Vouvray is a richer version of the style due low yields and aging in 5 year old barrels.

Vouvray is the French region of the Loire Valley located in the Tourraine district just east of the city of Tours in the commune of Vouvray. The Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) is dedicated almost exclusively to Chenin Blanc.

It is a bone dry, fuller-bodied wine with notes of tropical fruits, honeycomb and a little nuttiness. Fermented in a style with a little fizz left in to keep it lively.

Unusual and so fantastic, this may be the most memorable wine of the day.

Pair it with this Cheesy Potato Spoonbread recipe.

It’s just about time for some turkey and we have five recommendations for a perfect Thanksgiving Day. Your favorite locally-owned retailer has once more scoured the globe for the best wines we can find, here’s the list:

Oveja Negra Sauvignon Blanc/Carmenere 9.99 / 8.49 solid case
This neat Chilean white is a blend of of a white wine grape (Sauvignon Blanc) and red wine grape (Carmenére). It stays a white wine by using only the pulp of the Carmenére which gives the otherwise tart Sauvignon Blanc a softer finish. The result is a zippy white with flavors of lime and ripe fruits.

Bugey Cerdon NV 18.99 / 16.14 solid case
This delicious sparkler is a crowd pleasing wine with loads of wild berry, tart apple flavors and a hint of spice . Made from 95% Gamay and 5% Poulsard in a refreshing, rosé style. Use it to pair with cheese plates and hor d’eauvres or as an after dinner quaffer for your Turkey Day celebration.

Donkey and Goat Syrah ‘El Dorado‘ 2008 25.99 / 22.09 solid case
If you are looking for a rich red wine that will still pair well with the meal this little gem is sure to fit the bill. Featured in the New York Times as one of the few winemakers in the US to produce natural, organic wines and with very minimal added sulfites. This Syrah is a concentrated red with notes of dark berry liqueur, black raspberry and a pronounced spiciness. Worth the splurge!

You Are So Fine Vouvray 2007 21.99 / 18.69 solid case
A real standout. This unfiltered, organic and naturally-made 100% Chenin Blanc from Vouvray (France) is a richer version of the style due low yields and aging in 5 year old barrels. It is a bone dry, fuller-bodied wine with notes of tropical fruits, honeycomb and a little nuttiness. Fermented in a style with a little fizz left in to keep it lively. Unusual and so fantastic, this may be the most memorable wine of the day.

Bielsa Garnacha 2009 10.99 / 9.34 solid case
Old vine and unfiltered, this juicy Spanish red is sourced from 50 year-old Grenache vines that are dry farmed and then fermented in stainless steel at a cooler temperature. Fresh and fruity, with notes of black fruit, spice and dry earth.
The Bielsa is one of the best values at kybecca now.

retail pricing shown, view all our picks online at kybecca.com

Every year we start looking for great Thanksgiving wines about mid-summer. By then we are sick of the heat and dreaming about fall, Turkey and cozy dinners in. For Matt and I Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday of the year, truly a great American Holiday. No buying gifts or frenetic shopping, just one beautiful day to spend with friends and family to cook, eat and enjoy each other. I love it.
Needless to say the planning starts early with menus, ordering the Turkey (this year we reserved a Heritage turkey at Olde Towne Butcher) wine pairings, what cocktail to make and of course making sure the whole family will be together. Can you tell how much I love it?
Even at the shop I enjoy thinking about what other people’s Thanksgivings will include and figuring just the right wine. My criteria is a wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods, is a great value and is something different than the usual.
Enter the Donkey and Goat Syrah ‘El Dorado’ 2008.
If you are looking for a rich, red wine that will still pair well with the meal this little gem is sure to fit the bill. Featured in the New York Times as one of the few winemakers in the US to produce natural, organic wines and with very minimal added sulfites. This Syrah is a concentrated red with notes of dark berry liqueur, black raspberry and a pronounced spiciness.
Worth the splurge at $25.99 (retail)!

The sad bankruptcy of importer the Grateful Palate means no more Bitch Grenache, Evil Chardonnay and many more brands our customers probably recognize. While many small importers are secretly cheering (the word I got was that these brands were not well regarded by many family producers who viewed them as a bit of a sellout), I think this is a real loss for small Australian producers. While the big brands were probably the most profitable for the company they also imported wonderful and really unique small-production wines. A few that come to mind are the dry-farmed Grenaches from Burge, the ridiculously delicious Samuel’s Gorge Tempranillo and the Hazy Blur Shiraz. All these wines are made by hand on small estates by winemakers using very sophisticated techniques. In other words, the opposite of the vast majority of Australian wine. We have two bottles left of the 2003 Hazy Blur Shiraz and one is currently in the Enomatics. Here is what Robert Parker thought of it.

“From 40-year-old vines, the extraordinary, super-intense 2003 Shiraz Barossa Valley possesses an opaque purple color as well as a big, full-bodied bouquet of creme de cassis, blueberry, creosote, smoke, and background oak, and a heady alcohol content. This limited production cuvee boasts purity and intensity in addition to a multidimensional personality. It should drink well for 7-10 years, possibly longer.” 94 points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate #161

This is how it’s done!

For Matt’s 33rd birthday he requested I make lobster rolls from Thomas Keller’s (of Bouchon & French Laundry fame) lobster rolls from the Ad Hoc cookbook. I was a little leery at first because while I admire Keller’s precision and formidable skills his recipes seem a bit unnecessarily complicated. Turns out it was no big deal. The work is all in the prep (hello picking 5 lobsters) and then assembly. Plus you end up with tons of shells to make stock for a winter fish stew.

Matt brought a gorgeous Champagne that has a great balance between dry and citrusy and bready, toasty notes. Larmandier-Bernier ‘Terre de Vertus’ NV is a naturally made, grower Champagne that retails for $78.99. It is a Brut Nature Blanc de Blanc which means no sugar was added during fermentation (also called dosage this is a common practice for many Champagnes, some more than others) and it was made from all Chardonnay grapes. The result is a superb wine that reminded me why Champagne is so special.

Quite simply, it all rocked.

This past April I took a trip to Spain (partially solo, the other part with my brother Luke) and explored as much as I could of Madrid and Barcelona. No trip of mine is complete without looking up hot restaurants and exploring the food. Did I tour wineries? Nope, this trip was about anything but work. Of course I can’t help notice things that relate to work along the way, and this is a topic I knew I had to blog about when I got back: Wine Lists.

One would think that being in a country that produces so much excellent wine would mean that every place I went would have wonderful, interesting wines. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the places I went to eat the wine selection was mediocre at best with lots of mass produced juice featured prominently. While this seemed surprising at first when I thought about it made sense. These wines have known brand names, most restaurant owners know little about wine (this seems to be universally true) and putting together a great wine list is serious work. It requires wine knowledge, research, good relationships with small distributors, the aptitude to bring in wines in multiple styles and price points and a little bravery to feature wines that need to be explained to be appreciated. One exception was Bar Mutt in Barcelona. The food was divine, the wine list fantastic (recognized many of our labels) and the service dismal. Oh well, can’t wine them all.

So the next time you visit an independent restaurant with a great wine list keep all that in mind when you order a bottle. A great wine list is a thing to be appreciated all on its own.

Let’s celebrate love!

We have been hard at work on a great menu for Valentine’s Weekend and wait until you see it. It is prix fixe for the first three courses and the desserts are all new. We will have great wines just to pair with each course, to celebrate and just enjoy.

We are accepting reservations so please call as early as possible, 540-373-3338.

Our Valentine’s Weekend Menu -

Starters
Arancini, Fried Risotto Balls w/Virginia Grayson Cheese
or
Kyle’s Famous Baked Oysters with Creamy Bacon and Leeks

Soup/ salad
Roasted Tomato Soup
or
Fennel and Arugula salad

Main Dish
Sweet Paprika Garlic Chicken w/ Pasta
or
Tenderloin Tagliata

Desserts (not inclusive in prix fix dinner)
Buttercream Frosting Whoopie Pie
House-made Icewine Marshmallows

$35 per person, not inclusive of dessert, wine flights, tax or gratuity.

We will also be offering a flight of wines to pair with each course.

kybecca Consolidates Retail Stores To Downtown Location

As a result of Ukrop’s closing kybecca has decided to consolidate the store at 4264 Plank Road with the original location at 400-402 William Street. Ukrop’s was the anchor tenant that provided traffic and synergy, and their closing has made this location redundant. Our last day at the Plank Road store will be March 2, 2010.

Our downtown location of kybecca wine bar & shop will absorb the inventory, web store and services. All gift cards sold remain effective at our downtown Fredericksburg retail shop and wine bar. We look forward to placing our full attention and resources into making kybecca wine bar & shop a continued success.

Thank you to all who patronized the Plank Road location and voted us once again ‘Best Wine Selection’ for the Fredericksburg Guidebook’s Freddy Awards. We will continue the tradition of sourcing the best small producer wine and beer and knowledgeable customer service that kybecca has built its reputation on.

Cheers
Kyle, Rebecca & Matt

P.S. From now until March 1 all cigars, magnums and glassware are 25% off.

Last night I sat down at the wine bar with my good friend Kellie to have dinner. This is always a risky proposition because the unspoken rule when you own/run a restaurant is if you are on the premises and needed, you are working. However I really wanted to eat the menu for restaurant week. Kyle had been working on it diligently and I had sampled enough of his trials that I knew it was going to be really good. So I took a chance, picked out a bottle for us to share and sat down.
It is always a challenge to pick out one wine to go with several courses, and mostly nearly impossible. However I had just tasted this new Spanish wine that had really impressed me and thought it’s weight just might do the trick, even with the beef.
Ovo is a new import to the US and the kind of wine only a small, devoted wine shop can sell. It is a varietal not too many people have heard of (Albarino), from a relatively unknown region (Rias Baixas), that retails for $30 ($45 in the wine bar). Not exactly a slam dunk in the world of wine sales, but I had to bring it in even if I was the only one drinking it. Albarinos tend to be very fresh, clean wines with a zippy backbone and lovely orchard fruit aromas. This one is left on the lees in open cement containers for 6 months to become this rich, mellow white with flavors of pear, almond, orange peel and candied citrus. It is bone dry and unusual in the best possible way.
I am happy to report it went perfectly with all three first courses and stood its ground with the truffle-butter tenderloin very well. What this proves is that the rules of wine pairing can be broken, you just have to know when. That’s what we are here for.