The Grape Exchange

Perfect with a Porterhouse!

Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Grab a bottle of one of The Grape Exchange’s Cabernet Sauvignon selections, grill up your favorite steak, and serve it with a side of these awesome chive and garlic mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (peeled)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic (lightly crushed)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preparation:

1. Put the cut potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot heat the cream, butter, garlic, and thyme.
4. While the potatoes are still warm, press them through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl.
5. Stir in the warm cream a bit at a time, straining out the solids, until the potatoes are fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and gently fold in the chives. Serve immediately.

Pinot Grigio pairs well with seafood and light pastas.

Pinot Grigio flavors can range from melon to pear and even offer some subtle tropical citrus flavors as well. Because of its flavor profile, Pinot Grigio’s tend to pair well with seafood and light pastas. Try one of The Grape Exchange’s many Pinot Grigio offering s with this recipe straight from the New York Fire Department.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon slices, as a garnish

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the wine and lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes. As the sauce thickens, add the shrimp and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes making sure not to over-cook them. As a final touch, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, cook your favorite pasta and top with shrimp and sauce.

Try this easy to make Bearnaise sauce.

Perfect for everything from Filet Minon to Prime Rib. Try this easy to make Bearnaise Sauce and pair it with one of The Grape Exchange’s many Pinot Noir selections.

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup firm butter
• 1 tbsp. minced onion
• 1 tsp. tarragon leaves
• 2 tbsp. white wine

Preparation:

1. In small pan, stir yolks and lemon briskly with wooden spoon.
2. Stir in one half of the butter and all of the onion and tarragon over low heat until melted.
3. Add the rest of the butter and stir briskly until the butter is melted. Be sure butter melts slowly.
4. Serve over your favorite steak.

There’s no need to go “over the top” when looking for a red meat to pair with your wine selection. While a perfectly cooked Filet Minon is a great choice, so is the perfect burger. To prove this point, try this recipe for The CrunchBurger next time you’re in the mood.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 slices white cheddar cheese, each 1/4 inch thick
• 4 potato hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
• 4 slices beefsteak tomato
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 4 slices red onion
• Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise, optional (recipe follows)
• 4 handfuls of potato chips

Preparation:

1. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the burgers (brush with oil before putting on the grill) and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking.
3. Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and, if desired, top with tomato, lettuce, onion, and a dollop of horseradish mustard mayonnaise. Pile on the potato chips, top with the bun tops, and serve immediately.
4. For horseradish mayo: 1/4 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The sauce can be prepared 1 day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. (Makes 1/2 cup).

Join The Grape Exchange at Cook.Eat.Drink.Live in New york City from November 6 – 8.

COOK. Get a taste of the holiday dining season with delicious bites and savory samples from New York City’s best Zagat-rated restaurants.

EAT. All the right ingredients to welcome the Season of Eating in style – with gourmet purveyors and artisan producers providing samples of specialty food products, exotic edibles and tasty treats. Buy what you like on the spot, and take home great gourmet gifts.

DRINK. A sophisticated collection of fine wine for both the novice collector and expert oenophile. The exclusive wine retailer will be The Grape Exchange.

LIVE. Learn what it means to live well through demonstrations and featured products. Gain tips for the dining and entertaining from chefs, mixologists and seasoned experts.

Visit 247365nyc.com for venue information. We’ll see you there!

Glazed Honey-Orange Chicken Wings

We love football here at The Grape Exchange and we also love good wine and good food. So, we figured we’d put all three together to see what happens. Guess what, it rocks! Check back with us every week for a new recipe that’s perfect for the big game and a wine pairing that will knock your socks off.

Since no food is more synonymous with football than wings, here’s a twist on classic wings that we know you’ll enjoy.

Glazed Honey-Orange Chicken Wings

• Orange Juice (reserve orange peel)
• Salt & Pepper
• Fresh Chopped Garlic
• Fresh Chopped Shallot
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Honey
• Soy Sauce

First, determine the amount of wings you’ll be serving (by the dozen of course). Place the uncooked wings in a large bowl and add enough orange juice to coat the wings. Add salt and pepper to taste and then cover the wings and place in the refrigerator for several hours to marinate.

In a small bowl, whisk together a mixture of honey and soy sauce (equal amounts of each). Make enough to use as a glaze for the amount of wings you are preparing (about a 1/4 cup of each for every 2 dozen wings). In a small pan over medium heat, add the chopped garlic, chopped shallots, and orange peel to a few tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the mixture until the garlic begins to change color (be careful not to burn). Whisk this mixture into the honey and soy glaze.

Now, put your wings into a large ziplock bag and add half the glaze. Shake the bag to coat the wings. Marinate the wings while you fire up the grill to a nice high heat.

Cover half the grill with tin foil and place the wings on the foil. Lower the temperature to medium and allow the wings to caramelize on the foil for about 10 – 15 minutes. Baste the wings and move them to the uncovered half of the grill to get those nice grill marks on both sides. Serve immediately and enjoy with your favorite wine, or have a look at our pairing selections below.

Pacific Rim Winemakers Riesling “Wallula” 2007

This Rieslings juice is fermented at cold temperatures for 30 days and then aged in stainless steel tanks. The wine is crisp, dry, and lush with flavors of citrus, jasmine, and minerals. A perfect pairing and priced at $18.99. Grab a bottle now.

Fetish Wines Shiraz “Playmates” 2006

The 2006 “Playmates” is composed of 92% Shiraz, 5% Mataro, and 3% Grenache. Opaque-purple in color, it exhibits aromas of toasty oak, leather, lavender, and blueberry. This leads to a medium to full-bodied wine with plenty of ripe fruit, excellent depth and concentration, soft tannins, and a long finish. Perfect for overtime and priced at $24.99 with a Wine Spectator rating of 91. Grab a bottle now.

We’re on our way, and by than I mean we’ve posted our first YouTube video (watch the video). It’s sort of an introduction to The Grape Exchange and explains what separates us from the pack. You’ll also get a look into our retail store in New Rochelle, New York.

Welcome wine lovers… A love of wine inspired The Grape Exchange and that passion is evident in every facet of Mike Gee’s superb offering to the wine loving community. The Grape Exchange gives its customers extraordinary value in a very simple way – by understanding what people want and offering the best possible silution for the money.

Stay tuned for our first “real” blog entry. We’ll be talking about wines from every angle – vineyards, bottles, corks, vines and everything in between.