This little guy doesn’t have a guilty bone in his body. Neither should you. Every Wednesday (though it could be Tuesday or Thursday) I will write-up a wine that I feel delivers good value for drinking in the middle of the week. Aside from quality, my only other criteria is price. To start, less than $15, but ideally less than $10, for a 750 ml bottle.
I will also add any recipes that I paired with the wine. I hope to leave you with a recipe that you can use to match up with a wine of your choice if you can’t locate the one I recommend.
No-Guilt Wednesday is not about compromising on quality. It’s all about drinking good wine that does not break the bank, eating good food and of course, it’s about sharing with the ones you love.
Wednesday again? My 20-year old Sybarite-Daughter asked me out to the movies tonight. Could I say no? Wine is important. Food is important. Ms. R is important. But nothing so important than the Sybarite-in-Training. The movie– not so great. But since I’m not going to start reviewing film, no need to name.
After the movie, on arriving at Casa Sybarito, the Wednesday urge took the form of the Beronia Crianza which called out to me with its siren song. There is no secret that I really like this wine. I have reviewed it before.
Beronia Crianza 2007 ($13). A little smokiness on the nose to start that transitioned to, and I mean this in a good way, Smith Bros. cherry cough drops. I know, this is supposed to be “medicine”, but we ate these things like candy back in the 4th grade and I simply love that smell. This is another example of how personal wine is and why even after having tried a wine previously, I can still find a new taste sensation and a remembrance of my personal history in a wine bottle. This vino hits all the pleasure centers on my tongue. It has a pleasing viscosity. On the palate, there are savory elements, leaving an almost tarragon like sensation mixed with blackberry in the back of the mouth. Finishing with acidity and softly elegant tannins and a lingering desire for another sip. You could spring for the $20+ Reserva from Beronia, and that would be great, but for $13 this is one you should not pass up. Rated **1/2
Tonight, the Sybarite-in-Training and I arrived too late to really think about a meal more elaborate than a grilled cheese sandwich. The Beronia brought me back to my childhood. The sandwich, transported me to my college years. Years ago, a great friend of mine was attending an all Women’s College with a cafe that featured an inexpensive sandwich known as the “Syrian” (Pita with Muenster Cheese and Tomatoes). As a result, I don’t eat this thing, or a variation of it without thinking of her and those times.
Sometimes, the simplest things provide the greatest pleasure: an honest wine, an uncomplicated sandwich, a smile from your child, or a memory created many years ago. I have all of these.
Now it’s probably politically incorrect these days to name a sandwich after a country that has been ruled by the Assads for as long as I have been politically aware. What to call this thing?
The Patty Melt
Ingredients
- 1 Pita, cut around the edges to create two halves
- Jarlsberg cheese thinly sliced and enough to cover the two Pita halves
- 1 Heirloom tomato chopped (a Campari tomato will do as well)
Procedures
- Split the cheese slices between the two Pita halves
- Split the chopped Heirloom tomato between the two Pita halves
- Bake in a 400° toaster oven for 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbling
- Pull out of the oven and place one half over the other (as you would with a grilled cheese sandwich)
- Cut the sandwich in half and serve warm
Serves 1 (Or can be shared; in fact, it tastes better when shared. But you will be making more of them.)
© Sybarite Sauvage
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