Strawberry Moscato Lemonade
Strawberry Moscato Lemonade
Summer is in full blaze and our delicious and boozy Strawberry Moscato Lemonade is the perfect summer cool down drink, and it’s too good to not share!
What you’ll need:
1 Bottle of Strawberry Moscato, 750mL (this one has great reviews or use your homemade Muscat!)
6 Cups of Lemonade
1/4 cup of Strawberry Vodka (this one scores an 87 at the Beverage Testing Institute)
Frozen strawberries, chopped or sliced
Lemons, sliced
What to do:
Combine your Strawberry Moscato, strawberry vodka and lemonade into a pitcher.
Add your strawberry pieces into the mixture
Garnish with lemon slices
Serve chilled and enjoy!
If you’re looking to really cool down, throw everything except the lemon slices into a blender with ice to make this yummy drink into a slushie!
Want to make your own wine?
Musto Wine Grape Company is here to provide everything you need to make the wine of your dreams, and the support along the way to ensure your success! Give us a call at (877) 812 – 1137 to speak with a member of Musto’s crush crew to get you started!
Brasato al Barbera (Beef Braised in Barbera) Recipe
Brasato al Barbera (Beef Braised in Barbera)
A Piedmont style braised beef recipe cooked in red wine.
Known as “the people’s wine”, Barbera is an everyday drinking wine from the Piedmont region.
Barbera is a palate pleaser because it is easy to drink, well balanced and affordable.
Our 2017 Barbera has flavors of cherries, strawberries and raspberries, and intense aromas of blackberries. This Barbera is very low in mouth-drying tannins and high in acidity, which makes it the perfect wine to pair with rich foods like cheeses, meats and earthy mushrooms.
What you’ll need:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, patted dry
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 bottles (4 1/2 cups) Barbera
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
What to do:
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper.
- Add the beef to the pot and cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, to brown on all sides.
- Once browned, remove the beef from the pan, add the pancetta to the fat in the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt; cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the beef to the pan and add the wine, 2 cups of the stock, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover tightly and transfer the pot to oven.
- As it’s cooking, turn the roast every 30 minutes until fully tender and a meat is starting to fall apart when poked with a fork (3 1/2-4 hours). Remove the meat from the pan and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Remove the rosemary, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, and place the pot over high heat. Cook about 10 minutes.
- Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot sauce into a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the hot sauce then add slurry back into the sauce in the pan and cook another 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste and turn the heat off. Place meat onto a platter. If it has not completely fallen apart, thinly slice the beef across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Serve the beef ladled with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Want to make your own Barbera? Musto Wine Grape Company is New England’s largest supplier for winemaking products and services. From home winemakers to wineries, we’ve got you covered! Give us a call at 877 – 812 – 1137 to speak with someone to get you started.
Apple Pie Bites Recipe + Wine Pairing
Apple Pie Bites Recipe + Wine Pairing
If you’ve been in the mood for a crispy, flaky treat you’re in luck – we’ve taken this delicious pie and turned it into your new favorite bite sized treat! There are a few different ways to approach this and it may depend on your level of expertise. I personally suck at making pie crust so I take the easy way out by buying the premade refrigerated ones. If making your own crust is your own personal super power, I say go for it! It’s just a battle I can’t win. The filling is easy for even the earliest of beginners, but you can also buy premade fillings to save time – I just love using fresh apples! If you’re in Connecticut, Lost Acres Orchard in North Granby, Scott’s Orchards in Glastonbury, Lyman Orchards in Middlefield and Rose Orchards in Branford are a few favorites to get the freshest apples!
Let’s get started with what you’ll need:
You’ll need about 2-2 & ½ cups of sliced or diced apples (about 1 pound or 3 medium apples)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ cups of water
¾ cups granulated sugar
8 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
You have the freedom to adjust each ingredient as everyone’s preferences are different, that’s what fun about making things from scratch – you have total control over what you’re making and the taste you’ll yield!
What you need to do:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
Unroll the pie crust, and using a 3-4 inch cookie cutter cut 6-8 circles of crust. Roll out scraps of dough and cut and additional circles you can.
Place your apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice.
Place water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium sauce pan. Stir to combine then bring to a boil over medium heat stirring often. Once the mix comes to a boil, let it boil for 2 minutes. Let cool and allow the mixture to thicken.
Once cooled, place your apple filling in each circle. This can be a spoonful if you diced your apples or about 1-2 slices.
Fold the crust in half and pinch around the edges to close.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
Once cooled, melt butter and whisk with powdered sugar, vanilla and half a tablespoon milk to make a loose drizzle to add on top.
But before you enjoy – grab a bottle of Chenin Blanc! The wine’s bubbling crispness and high acidity helps offset the pie’s rich and buttery crust. Now you’re ready to kick back and enjoy your well earned treat!
Want to make your own Chenin Blanc? Musto Wine Grape Company is New England’s largest supplier for winemaking products and services. From home winemakers to wineries, we’ve got you covered! Give us a call at 877 – 812 – 1137 to speak with someone to get you started.
Milk Loaf Recipe Using 71B Yeast
Have you run out of ideas for what to keep yourself busy with during quarantine? We’ve decided to experiment and the results were delicious. Using 71B yeast and Scott Lab’s recipe for milk loaf, we put our baking skills to the test and had a whole bunch of fun doing it!
Prep time runs just about two and a half hours, and bake time is about 25 minutes so this will surely keep you busy!
Here’s what you’ll need (for a yield of 2 loaves. If you’d like more increase ingredients as needed):
- 4 cups of bread flour
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2 sachets (9 grams) of Lalvin 71B Yeast (Don’t have this on hand? No worries! We have it in stock. Give us a call/visit and we’ll get you what you need!)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 1 cup tap water
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then, add butter, milk and water. Mix everything together with a spatula.
- Once the wet ingredients have been absorbed, remove dough from bowl and transfer to a counter or workspace.
- Extensively knead the dough by stretching and folding it repeatedly. Once the dough is smooth and slightly shiny, divide it into two pieces. Cover each with plastic and let rise for 40 minutes.
- Flatten each piece of dough and roll into the shape of a football. Let the dough rise again for another 40 minutes.
- Place the dough into a bread pan (about 6”-7” long, 3.5” deep) and cover with plastic and allow to rise for another 60 minutes.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 420 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Show us your finished loaves on Instagram and Facebook by commenting or tagging us @mustowinegrapeco and using the hashtag #mustocrushcrew
Super Bowl Party Food Guide
Super Bowl Party Guide
It’s that time of year again. The sound of grown people screaming at the TV. Watching grown men chasing each other over a ball, you can probably guess its super bowl season again. So we’ve put together a guide for some super bowl foods and what to pair with them to win the party on game day.
Pregame Wine
We all like to get together and pre-game for the big game! It’s nice to have a smooth and easy sipper to enjoy with friends while getting ready for the big event. One of our traditions is to watch the Puppy Bowl, as an adorable warm up to the big game. What goes better with good friends and adorable puppies than a sweet refreshing glass of Moscato? Rosabianca Moscato has delicious honeysuckle, orange, and pear notes and that make it a refreshing and delicious glass of wine.
7 layer dip
This ultimate combination of Mexican flavors including refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and black olives is a classic dip that’s easy to make. The best part is it can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and served cold or at room temperature (LINK to 7 layer dip)
Rose Vineyards’ Symphony wine is the perfect wine to pair with this dip. This white wine is from one of CT’s newest wineries! This new, coming varietal has refreshing pineapple, citrus and tropical fruit notes that will quench the spices within the 7 layer dip. All of the great, tongue-tickling fruit flavors within the Symphony wine will pair well with the many flavors of the dip.
French Onion Beef Sliders
This is basically a bit of a fancy slider – delicious and easy to make, this is sure to take the party to the next level. (LINK to French onion beef sliders)
Some folks reach for a big IPA to drink with burgers – and that’s awesome. However, we think that beers with some toasty malts, caramel sweetness, and a dry, clean finish can work wonderfully with these sliders without being too heavy. Try Ommegang’s “My Watch has Ended” Brown Ale or Armada’s “Sorcerer’s Temple” Dunkel Lager.
If you want wine with this one, Try Chamard Winery’s 2015 Syrah – This full bodied Syrah has a rich fruity nose, with firm tannins that will pair well with the rich French onion beef sliders. The savory notes of anise and black pepper will pair perfectly with the intensely savory and rich French Onion style sliders.
Philly cheese steak queso dip
This dip is a party staple; you can’t have a party without it. It’s a unique twist to the dip category, and all the Philly cheese steak lovers will thank you for it. (LINK to the philly cheesesteak queso dip)
For beer, we like a crisper, cleaner, hopped-up, somewhat bitter IPA to cut through the delicious cheesy, fatty goodness of this dip. Try Connecticut Valley Brewing Company’s “Cross Country” IPA or Kent Fall’s Brewing Company’s “Line Aversion” IPA.
For wine, try R. Dee Winery’s Slainte – what’s more quintessential game day food than a Philly cheesteak? Pair this bold Petite Syrah with luscious blackberry and tobacco notes with the cheesy, decadent cheesteak dip. The firm tannins will cut through the rich cheese and refresh your palette to keep you coming back for more.
Bourbon Bacon BBQ Chicken Skewers
There has to be some sort of BBQ chicken at your super bowl party, or it’s really not a super bowl party. Instead of going the traditional route of chicken wings, try these instead. Your guest will really enjoy the mess free convenience of these BBQ chicken skewers. (LINK to the bourbon bacon bbq chicken skewers)
We think you can go in 2 directions with a beer pairing with this one. Something crisp but also a bit smoky can complement the BBQ tastes of this dish like schwarzbiers, rachbiers, etc. You can also go with a smooth, slightly creamy, more delicate IPA that won’t overpower the great flavors of this dish. Try Fox Farm Brewery’s “The Camp” Smoked Lager or New Park Brewery’s “Cloudscape” IPA.
For wine, try Hawk Ridge Winery’s Mad Hawk Spanish style blend – Bold, bright fruit and smooth tannins make this Spanish style wine a delicious accompaniment to BBQ! The fruitiness of the wine will compliment the sweet flavors in the BBQ and the smoother tannins will not over power the chicken. A very fun new wine to try.
Post Game Celebration
When your team brings home the big win, you need to celebrate! Paradise Hill’s Celebration sparkling wine is the perfect accompaniment to any touchdown dance you can come up with. Nothing says victory and rejoice, like a sparkling wine. Try one of CT’s best to celebrate the big Super Bowl win!
French Onion Beef Sliders
French Onion Beef Sliders
These French Onion Beef Sliders will be a huge hit with the crowd. Seasoned and buttery buns are packed with caramelized onions, melted cheese and flavorful ground beef to create the sort of appetizer that flies off of the plate.
What you’ll need
8 Tablespoons or 1 stick of butter
2 large sweet onions, sliced
2 pounds of ground beef
2 Tablespoons of beef base
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
24 slider buns
1 pound of shredded swiss cheese
2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
How you’ll do it
Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add onions and reduce the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes or until the onions are lightly caramelized. If the onions start to dry out or burn, add a tablespoon of water to the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with half of the beef base and half of the Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Add beef to the skillet full of onions, increasing the heat to medium high and brown the beef. Mix with the onions as you go. Drain off excess grease.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Separate the tops from the bottoms of the slider buns. Fit the slider buns tightly on the baking sheet.
Evenly distribute the beef and onion mixture over the bottom buns. Top with the cheese and cover with the top buns.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter with the remaining beef base. Stir in the remaining Worcestershire sauce, until well combined. Using a pastry brush, brush the beefy butter mixture over the top buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, thyme, onion powder and garlic powder.
Baking for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the tops of the rolls are lightly browned.
Serve and enjoy with your party crew, who will definitely snag these up quickly – and maybe ask for more!
Philly Cheesesteak Queso Dip
Philly Cheesesteak Dip
This hot, cheesy philly cheesesteak dip is one of the best queso dip you will ever have! It’s easy to make, a little bit zesty and a perfect addition to your game day grub.
What you’ll need
1 cup of chopped yellow onions
2 cups of chopped green bell peppers
1/3 cup of bottled zesty Italian dressing
8 ounces of cream cheese
¼ cup of plain greek yogurt
½ pound of white American cheese slices
½ pound sliced roast beef
Salt and pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Sliced French bread
Tortilla chips
What you’ll do
Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add onion, pepper and Italian dressing. Stir frequently until onions become translucent and soften, about 5 minutes.
Add cream cheese to the pan and break it into chunks.
Once cream cheese starts to melt add greek yogurt and American cheese. Stir constantly until all the cheese melts. Turn heat off and stir into chopped roast beef. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy with sliced French bread and tortilla chips!
Bourbon Bacon BBQ Chicken Skewers
There has to be some sort of Barbecue chicken at your super bowl party, or it’s really not a super bowl party. Instead of going the traditional route of chicken wings, try these Bourbon Bacon Barbecue Chicken Skewers instead. Your guest will really enjoy the mess free convenience of these Barbecue chicken skewers.
What you’ll need
8 ounces of Barbecue Sauce – We use Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce!
1/8 cup of bourbon
2 pounds of chicken breast
6 Slices of uncooked bacon
½ teaspoon garlic Powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons of salt & 1 teaspoon of pepper
What you’ll do
Heat your grill to medium-high.
In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and bourbon and mix well.
In a food processor, combine your salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, and bacon. Pulse until completely smooth, forming a paste.
Put the pieces of chicken in a bowl and rub with the paste. Once well coated, thread the chicken pieces onto skewers.
Place on the preheated grill, and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Brush with the bourbon BBQ sauce mixture and cook for an additional minute on each side.
Pairing
We think you can go in 2 directions with a beer pairing with this one. Something crisp but also a bit smoky can complement the BBQ tastes of this dish like schwarzbiers, rachbiers, etc. You can also go with a smooth, slightly creamy, more delicate IPA that won’t overpower the great flavors of this dish. Try Fox Farm Brewery’s “The Camp” Smoked Lager or New Park Brewery’s “Cloudscape” IPA.
For wine, try Hawk Ridge Winery’s Mad Hawk Spanish style blend – Bold, bright fruit and smooth tannins make this Spanish style wine a delicious accompaniment to BBQ! The fruitiness of the wine will compliment the sweet flavors in the BBQ and the smoother tannins will not over power the chicken. A very fun new wine to try.
Red Hot Chicken Mini Pizzas & Riesling
Red Hot Chicken Mini Pizzas & Riesling
Heat things up with these Red Hot Chicken Mini Pizzas!
Whether you’re munching on it while binge watching your favorite TV show, or serving at your next party – it’s perfect for virtually any time and place!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Frank’s original red hot sauce
2 8” pre-made pizza crusts
¼ lb Colby jack cheese (shredded or sliced)
2 tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, diced
¼ lb rotisserie chicken (pulled apart and marinated in Frank’s hot sauce)
Blue cheese salad dressing
Celery and carrot sticks
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 425 degrees
- Spread 1 table spoon of Frank’s hot sauce over each crust, leaving ½ for the edge.
- Top with chicken, tomatoes, onion and cheese.
- Place pizzas directly on an oven rack. Bake 8-10 minutes.
- Cheese should be melted and crust should be golden brown.
- Slice and serve, alongside blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
Don’t forget the Riesling! The combination of sweet and acidic is what makes Riesling a great match for spicier foods, taming the intense heat with a honeyed splash.
Valentine’s Day Wine Infused Strawberries
A delightful treat for you and your sweet heart on Valentine’s Day
What you’ll need:
– One Container of Strawberries (16 oz)
– One cup of white chocolate chips
– One cup of strawberry Moscato
– Pipette tubes
How it’s made:
– Start by melting your white chocolate chips. You can do this by boiling water in a double boiling pot. You only need about 1 inch of water, giving some space between the water and the top half of the boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, try using any pot and metal bowl combo that fit together securely. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, and add your chocolate chips to the top bowl.
– Remove the melted white chocolate from the heat after a majority of it has melted. If there are still clumps, no worries, the chocolate will continue to melt as you stir it around. Stir until smooth.
- (Optional) Add a few drops of red food coloring to bring your white chocolate to a sweet pink or a romantic red! Next, dip the strawberry ends into the melted white chocolate and twist the strawberry around to get all sides covered.
- (Optional) Before the white chocolate hardens on the strawberries, quickly roll through some heart-shaped sprinkles. How cute!
– Now for the fun part – fill the pipettes with your strawberry Moscato, insert into the strawberries and enjoy!
Like Moscato?
Check out Shirley’s White Chocolate Chip Cookie and Moscato recipe and paring.
Want to make your own Moscato d’Asti? Musto Wine Grape Company is New England’s largest supplier for home winemaking products and services. We’ll get you set up with all of your juice, grape and equipment needs and have you on track to making your own perfect pairing. Visit juicegrape.com or give us a call at (877) 812 – 1137 to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!
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