Santa Margherita Wine

Get ready for a food and wine experience that will leave you breathless. Literally!

Here is a pairing that we simply adore! Ribeye steak with our famous Santa Margherita Chianti Classico. How the wine brings out the flavor in the meat is where we find our passion.

How life gets moved to a higher level because of it…we’ll that’s just what happens.

Do NOT simply read this. Take it and embrace it and create it. And open a bottle and savor it!

There are food and wine pairings…and then there is this!

Best!

RIBEYE STEAK
PAIRS WELL WITH
SANTA MARGHERITA CHIANTI CLASSICO

3 Tbsp. sugar
1½ Tbsp. kosher salt
9 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dried Porcini mushrooms ground to a fine powder in a blender
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 20-ounce USDA Prime, dry-aged Rib-eye steaks, cut 2 inches thick
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

In small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, pepper, mushroom powder and olive oil and stir well to form a thick, fairly dry paste. Rub the paste all over the steaks, coat­ing them evenly, and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for 12 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill. Remove steaks from refrigerator and brush off excess marinade with a paper towel. Let sit for 20 minutes so they come to room temperature. Cook on the hottest part of the grill for 20 minutes, turning every 6 to 7 minutes, or to an internal tem­perature of 125°F for medium rare. Allow the steaks to rest for 15 minutes, then slice against the grain. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

This recipe pairs beautifully with Chianti Classico. The acidity and tannins in the wine are a pleasant complement to the richness of the rib-eye cut.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Lindenauer
©2008 Condé Nast Publications

Suggested wine pairing: Santa Margherita Chianti.

Don’t forget that there are still two weeks left to enter The Great Taste Challenge to show off how you pair wines and foods best. Show the world what your kitchen brings out in you!

In the 2009 Great Taste Challenge, Andreann Geise created a food and wine recipe that took our breath away. Her Mint, Fig and Chianti Glazed Lamb with Spaghetti in a Lemon Chianti Cream Sauce would go on to win!!

So we wanted to know what Andreann thought about winning the contest, ONE YEAR LATER.

In her own words, these are her beautiful thoughts…

“Winning the Santa Margherita Great Taste Challenge was such an honor. I still remember my heart pounding in my chest as they announced the winner. One by one each judge told each of us (the finalists) what the liked about our dishes and what they would change.

I am truly thankful from the bottom of my heart.”

Andreann Geise

If you have a passion for pairing great recipes with Santa Margherita wines, we want you to have a chance to win the 2010 Great Taste Challenge. We want you to experience what Andreann did!!!

Cheers!

The Santa Margherita Team

Fabio Viviani’s new cookbook CAFE FIRENZE, signed by the world class chef himself is not being given to the next five entrants into this wonderful food and wine event called The Great Taste Challenge!

An instant food and wine pairings classic, this wonderful addition to your kitchen will be yours simply by entering into The Challenge…now with less than three weeks remaining!

Share your love of food and wines with the world. Join The Great Taste Challenge today and win this amazing collection of pairings, signed by the author himself!

Cheers!

The Santa Marghertia Family

Ready for a new food and wine recipe that will give you a sugary goosebump? Here is a wonderful pairing of delightful maple pecans and our Santa Margherita Prosecco.

Don’t simply read this…let it wash over you.

Let yourself “taste” this pairing before you ever step foot into the kitchen for that corkscrew and apron!

1 lb. pecan halves
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Spread the pecans in a large roasting pan and bake until lightly roasted, about 8 minutes.

Combine the corn and maple syrups. Pour over the nuts and toss to coat well. Bake, stirring occasionally until the nuts have absorbed most of the syrup (about 10 minutes).

Mix the sugar, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and cayenne. Pour the nuts into a bowl. Toss with spoon, gradually adding the sugar mixture, until the nuts are coasted with the sugar.

Cool slightly and break apart any nuts that are sticking together. Pour onto a baking sheet and cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

Suggested wine pairing: Santa Margherita Prosecco.
The spice in the pecans is a great way to start a meal, waking up the palate. The sweeter notes in Santa Margherita Prosecco neutralize the spice and cleanse the palate.

AND DO NOT FORGET!!!

While The Great Taste Challenge 2010 is now in its final weeks, we are now awarding prizes FOR EVERY ENTRY! That’s right…everyone who submits a wine and food recipe video to our contest will become a winner.

Here’s just some of what you WILL WIN BY ENTERING:

A glorious new month is upon us. So what better way to celebrate the arrival of May than with yet another food and wine recipe that is sure to elevate any meal into an occasion.

So without further ado…we give you this wonderful Prime Rib on Baguette with a Santa Margherita Chiati Classico…

Cheers!

PRIME RIB ON BAGUETTE
WITH HORSERADISH AIOLI AND
WILD ARUGULA
PAIRS WITH SANTA MARGHERITA CHIANTI CLASSICO
1 bone-in prime rib (6 to 7 lbs.)
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups red wine (Santa Margherita Chianti Classico)
4 cups veal stock
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup apple cider vinegar
8 slices fresh bread
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup prepared horseradish
2 cups arugula, lightly packed
Thirty minutes before roasting the prime rib, remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350° F. Make small slits all over the prime rib and fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Season liberally with the salt and coarse pepper. Place on a rack set inside a roasting pan and roast for about 2 hours until medium-rare, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 135° F. Remove the meat to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over 2 burners set on high heat. Add the wine to the pan drippings in the pan and cook over high heat until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until it simmers. Cook the onion with salt and pepper in the hot oil for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Add vinegar, bring to a boil and turn off heat. Let pickle for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Slice prime rib into thin pieces. Brush bread with the remaining oil and grill until golden brown. Make the aioli: combine the mayonnaise, horseradish, salt and pepper. Mix well. Evenly spread the aioli on 4 slices of bread, top with steak, then onion, then arugula. Top with other slices of bread and serve.

Wine Notes: The sweet tannins in the Santa Margherita Chianti Classico perfectly balance the richness of the prime rib.

And don’t forget, after you’ve delighted in this food and wine recipe, you need to get your entries in to The Great Taste Challenge as the arrival of May marks the end to this years’ entries.