Seafood Pasta & Vermentino Pairing

Linguine allo scoglio

Seafood Pasta & Vermentino Pairing

Recipe Date: February 8th, 2023
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)

Linguine Allo Scoglio Recipe

From cucineditalia

As the warmer months inch closer on the calendar, a rich seafood dish could be exactly what you’re missing. Look no further than this Italian seafood pasta recipe known as Linguine allo scoglio, linguine pasta cooked al dente in a tomato-based sauce with mussels, clams, and shrimp. The ideal accompaniment to this dish is a medium-bodied soft rosé, such as the Italian Rosato Gioia, a wine capable of balancing out the slight acidity of the tomato sauce. Dry white wines are a wonderful pairing as well. The best white wine with this traditional Italian seafood pasta is our Vermentino from Temecula Valley. A lively and crisp white wine with tropical aromas of white peach, and citrus complemented by a bright acidity and subtle minerality make it the perfect pairing for this seafood dish.

Seafood Pasta & Vermentino Pairing

  • 350 g (12 oz) of Spaghetti
  • 1 kg (2 pound) of Clams with shells
  • 1 kg (2 pound) of Mussels with shells
  • 300 grams (2/3 pound) of Squid
  • 300 g (2/3 pound) of Shrimps
  • 200 g (1/2 pound) of ripe Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Fresh hot chilli pepper
  • 2 Cloves of garlic
  • 5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 150 ml (1/2 cup ) of dry white wine
  • Bunch (1/3 cup) of fresh parsley
  • Salt to taste

Directions

1) Rinse clams under running water and then let them soak in plenty of cold water with a handful of coarse salt. The clams should remain in the cold water for at least an hour, preferably two, to purge. Keep this time in mind when you decide to make this recipe. Place the clams in a pan and cook over high heat covered with a lid. Wait for them to open, this will take about 3 minutes.

2) Now strain the clam sauce with a fine strainer but DO NOT throw away their water, keep it aside. Finally shell the clams, keeping some clams with their shells that you will use for the final decoration of the dish.

3)Clean the mussels by scraping off any impurities with the blade of a small knife. Tear off the byssus, that is the bearded part that comes out of the shell. Then, with the help of a stainless steel sponge, clean well their shells. Place the mussels in a pan and cook over high heat, cover with lid. Wait for them to open, this will take about 3 minutes. We prefer to cook clams and mussels separately in case the clams release a lot of sand.

4) Now strain the mussels sauce with a fine strainer. Finally shell the mussels, keeping some of them with their shells: you will use them for the final decoration of the dish.

5) Wash the squid under running water, then remove the entrails, the eyes, the central beak and the internal bone. Finally remove the skin and cut them into rings. Set aside.

6) Clean the shrimps, taking care to remove the dark filament, all the shell and the heads. Set aside. Wash and chop the cherry tomatoes then chop the parsley. Set aside.

7) In a large saucepan, sauté the peeled garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the red hot chili pepper and the squid. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.

8) Then raise the heat and add the white wine. Stir and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Finally add the mussels and clams and lower the heat. Add a ladle of clams water and then the chopped tomatoes. Mix and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes.

9) Finally, add the shrimp and chopped parsley. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes (shrimp have very short cooking times). Italian seafood sauce is ready. Remove the garlic cloves and chili pepper (see note below).

10) Now cook the pasta. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the cooking times described on their packaging. Using a slotted spoon, drain the spaghetti 3 minutes before the end of cooking time.

11) Place them directly in the pan with the seafood sauce. Stir and finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan for another 3 minutes over high heat. This way they will better absorb the flavor of the seafood sauce. Stir well and transfer the best Spaghetti allo Scoglio you have ever eaten to a serving dish. Garnish with the shells kept aside and serve.

Notes

Garlic & Chilli Peppers: We chose to leave the garlic and hot chili pepper whole. This way you can easily remove them from the sauce. If you prefer, though, you can chop them up and leave them in the sauce, depending on your taste.

Pair w/ Our Vermentino, Enjoy and cheers!

Wine Pairing – Vermentino

by Bradley Aden

Winemaker

2022 SF Chronicle Wine Competition!

Bradley Aden

February 2nd, 2022

2022 SF Chronicle Wine Competition – Gold Medal Wines

2022 was a great year for our wine, as we received 9 Gold Medals at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. We were also awarded Best of Class award for our 2019 Chardonnay Reserve. For a taste of our featured double gold medal wines, shop our Award Winning Wine Pack and experience these winning bottles for yourself!

Please join us in congratulating our entire winemaking team, including head winemakers Brooks Painter & Peter Velleno for their hard work. Special thanks to our vineyard manager David Bejar who oversees Castello properties year-round.

Winemaker

Awards from the 2022 SF Chronicle Wine Competition

There were over forty-eight judges, representing various North American wine regions, evaluating 5,816 wines from nearly 1,000 wineries for the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Bob Fraser, SFCWC executive director, says, “The response from the wineries of North America at our 2022 competition was outstanding. Sweepstakes awards hail from California, Washington and Georgia.

We had a number of wines win Gold and Double Gold Medals, along with a Best of Class medal for our 2020 Reserve Chardonnay. Check out the complete list of award winners:

SF Chronicle Best of Class: 2019 Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley

SF Chronicle Wine Judge Mike Dunne, longtime SFCWC wine judge and the former food editor, wine columnist, and restaurant critic noted “Castello di Amorosa 2019 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay: Of course any Chardonnay that comes from a castle should be seen as being kingly and queenly, which this is in its golden luminescence, regal carriage, vivid citric fruit and ticklish spiciness. Castello di Amorosa is part of the same royal family that includes V. Sattui Winery, which also won best-of-class for a lighter but nonethess correct interpretation of Chardonnay.”

Chardonnay Reserve Napa Valley

by Bradley Aden

Napa Valley Award Winning Wine

2021 Wine Competitions!

Bradley Aden

August 10th, 2021

2021 Wine Competitions: Gold Medal Wines

2021 was a great year for our wine, as we received 15 Gold Medals between the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition & The American Fine Wine Competition. We were also awarded 3 Best of Class awards between the two competitions. For a taste of our featured double gold medal wines, shop our 2021 Award Winning Wine Pack and experience these winning bottles for yourself!

Please join us in congratulating our entire winemaking team, including head winemakers Brooks Painter & Peter Velleno for their hard work. Special thanks to our vineyard manager David Bejar who oversees Castello properties year-round.

Awards from the 2021 SF Chronicle Wine Competition

The 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition invited 50 judges representing winemaking, wine education, trade, hospitality, culinary, media, and other wine/food sectors to judge over 5,700 wines from over 1,000 North American wineries in early March, 2021. Over the past two decades, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) has grown to become one of the world’s most respected and highly publicized wine competitions.

We had a number of wines win Gold and Double Gold Medals, along with two Best of Class medals for our 2017 Spumante, Rosé & our 2018 Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio. Check out the complete list of award winners:

SF Chronicle Best of Class: 2017 Spumante Rosé

Winemaker Brooks Painter noted “Spumante del Castello is a classic Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine, is sure to elevate any occasion to something truly memorable. This elegant Brut Rosé boasts a light shade of coral pink, with refreshing flavors of raspberry, citrus, and melon. It will be sure to impress at your next celebration!”

SF Chronicle Best of Class: 2018 Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio

Winemaker Brooks Painter noted “An elegant and refined single vineyard Pinot Noir from the famed Petaluma Gap region of Sonoma County, revealing an expressive bouquet of cherry and spiced Christmas berries with subtle hints of cola and black tea. A sleek Pinot Noir boasting both lush texture and vibrant acidity.”

Mary Davidek, who runs our highly acclaimed Royal Food & Wine Pairing Tour at the Castello notes that “Terra de Promissio is evocative of the best of Sonoma fruit with the finesse of Willamette Valley and the classic earthiness of Burgundy which we all aspire to.”

Awards from the 2021 American Fine Wine Competition

This year marked the 14th anniversary of the competition, which took place on Memorial Day weekend this year.

More than 550 wines from 125 wineries vied for top honors at this invitation only event. The Judging was conducted by a 28-member blue ribbon panel from across the wine industry, included educators, restaurateurs, retailers, journalists, and top sommeliers from across the country.

We received a number of Gold and Double Gold Medals in this competition as well, along with a Best of Class medal for our 2020 Vermentino. Check out the complete list of award winners:

AFWC Best of Class: 2020 Vermentino

Jacqueline Coleman is a published wine + travel writer, wine judge, & consultant. She is the monthly “Vino” columnist for Biscayne Times newspaper, and a regular contributor to Winetraveler.com. Her new podcast, “Wine Uncorked,” is out on all major podcast sites and the Podmany app. An International Sommelier Guild (ISG), U.S. Sommelier Association, and FIU Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Wine Program. She said: “This Vermentino stood out among all the other white single varietals.  Floral, sweet fruit and honeysuckle. It personified what a Vermentino should be.”

Patrick Sullivan, a wine journalist, consultant, and educator, is the Wine & Spirits editor for DINE Magazine in Florida. He said: “This Vermentino, a rarity in California, displays beautiful minerality and near perfect balance between its classic citric acidity and generous fruit!”

by Bradley Aden

Winter White

Mary Davidek

January 21st, 2015

Winter White Wine | Wine for the Season | Castello di Amorosa

While most of us have a go-to favorite wine taking permanent tenancy in the ‘most preferred’ zone, often we explore other varietals– particularly when entertaining or in my case, looking for the just-right pairing. Entertaining and pleasing guests with diverse palates, seasonal influences, even extreme weather can bring wine-drinking-enjoying challenges. When it is 100 degrees and the mercury is soaring it can be a test to feign enthusiasm about a glass of inky rich Cabernet for the thick Porterhouse grilling on the ‘cue. Likewise, when you spy frost on the pavement and the windshield is icy, a chilled crisp white wine may be less than heart-warming. What to do when some of the satisfying hearty wintertime favorites are rich and creamy and just screaming for…. well….not a red wine.

My winter white is Chardonnay. Specifically, Castello di Amorosa Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay. This is not the ‘Castello sommelier’ pontificating on the many virtues of this award winning chardonnay, this is me, the ‘wine drinker’ who is generally not excited about most California chard.

Castello’s Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay is different—this fruit is exceptional. The vineyard is located on the central coast of California and exposed to the Pacific. The coastal morning fog provides cool temperatures early in the day but warm late afternoons drenched in the Pacific sun. This gives the slow ripening grapes longer hang time on the vines while enjoying the real estate and the luxurious coastal influence. The juice shows its mettle when barrel fermented but not over manipulated so the gorgeous bright backbone of zippy acidity shines through. This balanced chard displays a soft nuttiness with fruit and focus. Juicy Comice pear, white peach and light vanilla flavors; full bodied and rounded–perfect for the rich creamy cold-weather foods we crave.

While winter white wine may not conjure up warm cozy images outside–

when you are inside, winter white can be an absolute delight!

 

Quick and Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

♦ ½ lb.  fettuccine, uncooked

♦ 1lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

♦ 4tsp.  flour

♦ 1-1/4cups  chicken broth

♦ 4oz.  Mascarpone ( sub cream cheese)

♦ 1/2 cup Grated Parm, divided

♦ ¼ tsp.  garlic powder

♦ 1/4tsp. white pepper

Cook pasta to slightly firm. Sautée chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 to 7 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Mix flour and broth in same skillet with whisk. Stir in Mascarpone, 2 Tbsp. Parm, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min. or until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken. Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining Parm.

by Mary Davidek