Spirited meals

Every year at this time, wineries around the world celebrate the end of the grape harvest. In Italy, it is called vendemmia, the French name it vendage and, in Spain, it is vendimia. The grapes have been picked and sorted and will be turned into every conceivable type of wine.

South Philadelphians have been making wine since the first Italian families came here many years ago. In honor of this ongoing tradition, the Eighth Annual Vendemmia Festival will be held Sunday, 2-6 p.m., in Girard Park, between 21st and 22nd streets and Porter and Shunk streets. Food, drink and music will be abundant and judges will determine the best local homemade wine during the wine-tasting contest.

Dr. Gerald V. Vernose, founder and chair of the Vendemmia Festival, said winemaking has an important place in modern society.

"Making wine is a way of reclaiming ethnic color and reaching back for tradition and simplicity in today’s hectic and somewhat stressful times," he said.

Tickets are $35 and proceeds benefit South Philadelphia health, education and arts programs through the Vendemmia Foundation. For information or to purchase tickets, call 215-551-3859.

Wine tastes good on its own, but I always have believed it tastes better with food. Forget the rules of red with meat and white with fish. You should drink what you like.

Still, certain wines enhance certain foods. The French are a bit strict about which wine goes with what. For example, you would not pour a robust red to enjoy with a dish prepared in a rich cream sauce. Nor would you drink a light white wine with a big, juicy grilled steak. Fortunately, champagne can be sipped with anything.

Certain wines are meant to be consumed young while others enjoy years in the bottle. For example, the 2000 Bordeaux was hailed as one of the finest recent vintages in the world. I sampled several of these fine reds in the autumn of 2001 and began to buy dozens of bottles, for I knew they would keep well for years to come. I spent $10 to $12 per bottle. Luckily for us, we can still find this vintage in wine shops and state stores.

In France, people often drink wine that is used to cook a specific dish. For example, a hearty beef bourguignon is prepared with a Burgundy, and Burgundy is poured at the table. The Italians often do the same. When enjoying a cheese course, the French and Italians drink a wine from the same region in which the cheese was produced.

Offer a crusty loaf of bread and a green salad with a wine-based dinner. For dessert, arrange a course of French and Italian cheeses. You might wish to open another bottle of wine to enjoy with the cheese. If you have a craving for something sweet, slice up a few ripe, juicy pears.

In honor of the vendemmia, here are autumn recipes for dishes prepared with wine.

Beef in Red Wine

Ingredients:

3 pounds top-quality chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup flour
3 (13.75-ounce) cans beef stock
1/2 bottle Burgundy
2 heaping teaspoons tomato paste
Sprinkling of dried thyme
1 heaping tablespoon rough Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Wipe the beef clean with paper towels and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 4-quart heavy Dutch oven. Add enough beef cubes to cover the bottom of the pot, but do not crowd them.

Brown the cubes on each side and remove with a slotted spoon. You will brown the beef in batches. Return all the beef cubes to the pot and sprinkle with flour, using a wooden or plastic spoon to coat thoroughly.

Add the beef stock, wine, tomato paste and thyme, and stir. Bring the stew to a boil, lower the heat to simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for at least two-and-a-half to three hours, checking occasionally to see if the liquid has evaporated too much. The beef should always be covered with liquid, so add more wine if needed.

When the beef is fork-tender, add the Dijon mustard, kosher salt and pepper, and serve. Serve the stew with boiled potatoes or buttered noodles. Enjoy with Burgundy.

Escallop of Veal

Ingredients:

6 (6-ounce) slices of veal, cut from the leg, pounded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Light Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Est! Est! Est! or Orvieto
Sprinkling of baby capers, rinsed

Directions:

Wipe the veal slices with paper towels and set aside. Melt the olive oil with the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour on a plate and add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well. Dredge each slice of veal into the flour, shaking off any excess. Add the veal to the skillet and saut� two minutes on each side. Remove the veal to a warm platter.

Add about 1 cup of wine, raise the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat a bit, add the veal and capers and warm through. You might wish to add a bit more butter to enrich the sauce. Serve with the wine of your choice.

Serves six.

Salmon Baked with Red Wine

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets or steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Red wine such as Pinot Noir, Barbera or Dolcetto

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Place fillets in a shallow baking pan. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour about 1-1/2 cups of the red wine of your choice over the salmon. Place the salmon in the center of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Check for doneness. Since every oven is different, you might have to bake the fish another five to 10 minutes.

Place the fish on a serving platter and pour on the wine sauce. Serve with the red wine of your choice.

Serves four.