Deep Purple Zinfandel, Cinnamon Brownie Bites

6 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Deep Purple Zinfandel
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
6 ounces Good quality Semi-Sweet chocolate
1/4 Cup Hershey’s Syrup
3/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray.
2. Bring wine and butter to a low simmer over medium heat.  Remove from direct heat and add the semi sweet chocolate and cocoa powder.  Stir until mixture is melted.  Let cool slightly.
3. Put sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of electric mixer and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes.  Add chocolate mixture.  Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon.  Beat, scraping sides of bowl until well incorporated – don’t over mix.  Fold in with a spatula the Hershey’s syrup.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 25 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Yields about 9 large or 16 small brownies. 

We cut them into tiny mini bites…. Great for nibbling with a glass of Deep Purple Zinfandel!

Optional:  Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the top before baking!

We’ve been pouring all day at the Boston Wine Expo and want to say thanks to all the great wine lovers who came by our table and tasted our wines. But now our thoughts turn toward football and the big game tomorrow between New Orleans and Minnesota. We’re not taking sides, you understand. But we did kind of like what our friends at Wrangler did to support our favorite old guy, Brett Favre. (Sure he loves that). Anyway, they turned their logo purple in honor of the Minnesota Vikings. Click on the link to read all about it.

You see, Wrangler and Brett have a long-time relationship, with Brett acting as spokesperson for Wrangler Jeans. Wrangler and our own Purple Cowboy work together to raise funds for breast cancer awareness through the Tough Enough To Wear Pink? organization. And the Favre family, especially Deanna, who is herself a breast cancer survivor, have done incredible work to fight this disease.  So maybe we do feel just a little bit of love toward the QB who’s wearing purple tomorrow.  Wrangler has asked their fans to post this logo to their walls during the playoffs (The Wrangler logo is usually red)

So until we make a Purple Viking wine, Purple Cowboy and a posted logo will have to do.  So go out and have a great game!

Our Thirsty Girl Friend Leslie Sbrocco praises Purple Cowboy in a segment this morning about the Boston Wine Expo and food and wine pairing. Check out the link to Fox Channel 25. Our wine looks fab and so does Leslie–especially considering she got into Boston at 2am and had to be at the studio by 6. She’s a rock star! If you’re coming to the tasting, be sure to stop by the Thirsty Girl booth and say howdy. We’ll be pouring the Cowboy Tenacious Red as well as Middle Sister Rebel Red and Middle Sister Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, PromisQuous Red and Monogamy Cab. We have a treat for you if you’re a Wine Sister or want to be one…just ask.

http://bit.ly/4MuLH2

Leslie Sbrocco
Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing, and Sharing Wine
http://www.lesliesbrocco.com/
http://twitter.com/lesliesb

Meet wine enthusiast and accomplished wine writer Leslie Sbrocco. An award-winning author, writer, speaker, wine consultant, and television host, Leslie’s entertaining approach makes learning about wine and food fun. Her first book, Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine, won the coveted Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year award. Her second book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide, was released in October 2006. Her work has been published in outlets such as O, the Oprah magazine; Coastal Living; Woman’s Day; Good Housekeeping; Glamour; and Santé. Prior to completing Wine for Women, Leslie was a columnist for The New York Times online and Cooking with the Times and General Manager/Co-founder of WineToday.com, the wine site of The New York Times Company. Here’s our interview with Leslie…

Wine Sisterhood: Tell us about “Wine for Women” and what inspired you to write it.
“Wine for Women” is a guide to learning about wine in a fun and entertaining, yet functional way. I geared it towards women because we do the majority of wine buying and tend to focus on how to integrate wine into our lifestyle and buy on recommendations from friends as opposed to buying wine on ratings. Being a wine educator and communicator for more than a decade, I noticed that women tend to approach wine from a unique perspective and I wanted to address that.

WS: Why a book specifically for women and how does it differ from one for men or both sexes? How do men and women treat wine differently?
I don’t recommend different wine for men or women. As I say in the book, it’s not about what’s in the bottle but how we approach the bottle. Women want to know what the wine tastes like, what it goes with and how to enjoy it in the context of everyday life. The subtitle of the book is “A Guide to Buying, Pairing, and Sharing” and that’s how the book is structured. Each chapter looks at a particular wine type or variety and I build what I call the essential wine wardrobe. For example, Merlot, due to its characteristic suppleness, is my cashmere of the wine world. I highlight great places where the wine comes from, top producers, and give recipes for each wine category. By the way, it won the Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year Award because men can read it too.

WS: What is your favorite “Wine Moment?”
I’ve had so many favorite moments. A great one was when I got to bungee jump in New Zealand after tasting Pinot Noir in Central Otago. That morning I actually swallowed instead of spitting all the wine at the tasting in preparation for jumping off a bridge! I survived, and it was an amazing experience.

WS: What is your best advice to wine newbies about pairing wines with foods? What are some common myths about wine you can clear up for us?
My best advice is not to worry about pairing food and wine. Drink what you like and eat what you like. But there are guidelines for making magic when pairing. Things like matching the textures of the food and wine and complementing aromas and flavors. In my second book,”The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide,” I have a whole chapter on how to pair wines. I even talk about wines with take-out food. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio and Thai noodles are fabulous.

WS: What is an example of a “wine-friendly”meal that is easy to prepare?
Try pairing this Eggplant and Mushroom Sandwich with a Merlot or Bordeaux:

Saute several portobello mushrooms in olive oil and slice into wide strips. Cut 1 eggplant into rounds about ¾ inch thick and sprinkle salt on each round. Fry each piece in a generous amount of olive oil for 5 to 6 minutes, until brown on both sides and soft in the middle. Place them on paper towels to drain. Toast crusty bread cut in half lengthwise and spread with Dijon mustard. Layer on the cooked vegetables and fresh spinach leaves. Cut into portions and serve warm.

Leslie will be at the Boston Wine Expo January 23-24 promoting her new book “The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide.” She will be pouring Canopy wines at her table, so drop by for a sip!