Just Picked

Highlights from our "Meet the Winemaker" Dinner Featuring Milbrandt Vineyards

Every so often we are fortunate enough to have winemakers come and co-host our Wine Dinners here at the Milton store. Attendees can nosh on four courses of amazing food and sample terrific wines, all while they learn about how the wine is cultivated, vinted and bottled. Last Thursday night we were joined by Joshua Maloney, Director of Winemaking at Milbrandt Vineyards in Washington State. In the past decade, Washington State has emerged as one of the premier winemaking regions in the U.S. I think that the happy people at our dinner would agree that the decadent reds and refreshing, elegant whites that they sampled from Milbrandt Vineyards are proof positive that Washington State wines are a force to be reckoned with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The menu, developed by our own Wine Buyer and CIA graduate, Tim Paulus, was tailor made to highlight the featured wines from Milbrandt Vineyards. Guests started the evening by sampling the Traditions Riesling, paired with a Creamy Pear Soup garnished with Crème Fraiche, French Tarragon and a Parmesan Crisp. For the second course, attendees sipped on Traditions Pinot Gris and the Brothers Red Blend, both of which worked perfectly with the Crispy Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Peach Pizza with Arugula and Honey. Traditional Penne Bolognese was the main course, joined by two delicious reds: the Traditions Cabernet and Estates Cabernet.

 

 

 

 

Our ace team of servers assist to ladle out and carefully garnish the Pear Soup.

 

 

 

 

 

The Penne Bolognese garnished with shaved Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, dessert was the stunning and potent Late Harvest Riesling Ice Wine, which was not to be outdone by its companion: a “Drunken” Apple Cupcake with Riesling Buttercream Frosting, garnished with a single leaf of deep fried basil.  On their way out the door guests gushed about the cupcakes, the warm and welcoming service and of course, the wine.

 

 

The cupcake: pretty and pretty delcious.

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who came out for another great Wine Dinner! We’re looking forward to welcoming back Clay Fritz of Fritz Winery on Thursday night May 24^th. Contact Mike Dwyer at the Milton Store to sign up (617) 696-5274. Hurry! Spots are quickly filling up.

Last Minute Gift Ideas - Stocking Stuffers

Who enjoys the last minute hunt for stocking stuffers?  These are some of the most fun gifts to give (and yes - get!).  We still have plenty of great items that are perfect for the stockings.

You can't go wrong with chocolate and candy.  We've got so many different varieties, some from local New England companies such as Taza, Equal Exchange, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates and Lake Champlain.

 
 
 
 

And we have our own line of Fruit Center chocolate bars

 

Here's a couple ideas for the kids - our friends at Ginger Betty's have a Make-Your-Own Gingerbread Man kit that includes a large gingerbread man cookie, frosting and plenty of candy to stick on the cookie.

 

We also have our own hand-dipped caramel apples

 

For wine lovers, we have half-bottles of great wine and wine accessories

 
 
 

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Everyone has their opinions about holiday shopping - some enjoy every moment, others not so much.  Whatever your personal feelings, take heart in the fact the Fruit Center has you covered.  Even just five days before Christmas, we've got plenty of gift options for everyone on your nice list.

Stonewall Kitchen Gift Sets

 

Traditional Holiday Treats

 

Gift Ideas for the Kids

 

 

 

Here's a special gift for wine lovers: we've got Veuve Clicquot at an amazing price. See our monthly flyer for our sale price.

 

Centerpieces and Decorative Plants

 

Fruit Baskets and Gourmet Gift Baskets

 

 

Locally-made Items

 
 
 

Don't forget, we've got party platters and gift cards as well. 

Happy Holidays from everyone here at the Fruit Center!

 

What To Give That Someone Special on Valentine's Day

Here's a virtual tour of what the Fruit Center is offering this Valentine's Day:

Happy Valentine's Day!
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 

The Saveur 100 - What You'll Find Here at the Fruit Center

Last week, we mentioned Boston.com's "food staff's favorite things of 2009" in our post about baby bok choy. This week, our friend Ron Cardoos, food importer and owner of Mt. Vikos, tipped us off to Saveur Magazine's "The Saveur 100", a wrap-up of their reader's 100 best food finds of the past year. Many of the top picks are restaurants, chefs and kitchen gadgets, but several of the top picks are available right here at the Fruit Center. What Saveur-endorsed items will you find here? How about Malbec Wines, South America's signature grape that's growing in popularity due to it's lush flavors and reasonable price-points. Then there's Herbs de Provence; a perfect blend of some six herbs that adds amazing flavor to a variety of dishes. They also highlight wonton wrappers, lemon curd (we've got a tasty one from Stonewall Kitchen) and bulger.

One more product on the Saveur list - one that Ron imports from Spain - is Ines Rosales Olive Oil Tortas. We've featured these tortas many times in our stores (you may have seen our front-end displays or sampled them in our gourmet department). They're so unique in both flavor and texture - slightly sweet with a hint of anise yet light and crisp. And, for 100 years, they've been made by hand (see the photo below). Try them with tea, coffee or a light-flavored cheese.

New Item: Soiree Bottle-Top Wine Aerator

Hate to use a cliche like "just in time for the holidays", but these literally arrived to our Milton store this morning - and what a great gift idea for anyone who loves wine. Alan, one of our wine department staff, was a big fan of this product and had been using it during some weekend samplings. He thought our customers would like it too, so we've now got them for sale. This bottle-top wine aerator from Soiree fits snuggly into your wine bottle. As you pour your wine, the aerator mixes oxygen into the wine creating enhanced aromatics and flavor. Available only in our Milton store.

Wines to Complement Our Cheese of the Month - November

Gruyere, Emmentaler and Jarlsberg are the featured "Cheeses of the Month" for November here at the Fruit Center. (Check out our November flyerfor our special "Cheese of the Month" pricing.) Tim, our wine buyer, picked two wines from the same winemaker, Gonzalez Byass. Tim says these wines are "simple and easy-going and complement the cheese really well".

Altozano Verdejo/Sauvignon Blanc 2008

A crisp, well-balanced blend with velvety structure. This wine is clean and bright with intense tropical and floral aromas. A nice complement with seafood.

Altozano Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Tempranillo and Cabernet grapes complement each other nicely with this wine. Dark ruby in color with aromas of red fruits and blackberries.It's fresh and intense with a long spiced finish. Also a good match for red meats.

Wines to Complement Our Cheese of the Month - September

If you've had a chance to look over our September flyer, you've surely noticed that we're featuring two French cheeses this month:Boucheron and Soignon Goat Brie. The path of least resistance would be to pair these French cheeses with French wines. But Tim, our wine buyer, likes to mix things up and offer creative pairings. In that spirit, this month Tim is recommending an Italian white and an Argentinian red

Marchetti Verdicchio (2007/Italy)

This is another of the Fruit Center's great-value wines. Alan, the newest member of our wine staff, says that Verdicchio is a classic Italian white that pairs well with cheese. This Verdicchio is a very refreshing and delicious white wine for warm weather. The simple citrus and mineral aromas give way to a nice crisp and balanced acidity. This is a perfect match for all types of seafood and chicken.

Altos los Hormigas Malbec (2008/Argentina)

Serious pepper and spice with some crispness and plenty of blackberries and plums. Quite dry yet bursting with fruit.

Let us know if you try one of these wines by posting in our "Comments" section.

Wines to Complement Our Cheese of the Month (July)

This month in our in-store flyer "Just Picked", we're featuring a trio of cheeses from England as our "Cheese of the Month" specials: Cotswold, Huntsman and Farmer's Five. (Download our July flyer to check out the great prices on these features.) Our wine buyer, Tim Paulus, always recommends a few wines that complement our "Cheese of the Month". Here are his recommendations for this month:

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (2008/New Zealand)

One of the most popular sauvignon blancs here at the Fruit Center, Kim Crawford is packed with firm acidity, herbaceous notes and hints of citrus. Also a great match with summer salads.

Layer Cake Shiraz (2008/Australia)

Dark, dense and creamy. Complex aromas of black plum, Bing cherry, blackberry and pepper merge with licorice, tobacco, moca and dark chocolate. Layer Cake Shiraz is an explosion of dark, super-ripe wild blackberry and spices.

Tastes of Summer: Rose Wine

Maybe it's time for an anti-rain dance. Summer has been stubborn in showing it's glory here just south of Boston, but warm-weather products are on our shelves (like native strawberries and grow-your-own herbs). When the sun finally shines and you have an opportunity to dine on your deck (or your boat, or even a dry patch of grass), celebrate with a bottle of rose. Rose is a versatile, food-friendly wine with flavors that match perfectly with summer (think fresh berries and juicy fruits). We've got a few roses at our Milton location that will get you in the spirit of the season:

Domaine Houchart Rose

A rose from Southern France that exhibits fruity and floral notes, good structure in the mouth, freshness and good acidity. This dry wine is fun with shellfish and lighter fish.

Ken Forrester Petit Rose

This South African rose of Cabernet Franc and Merlot has bright aromas and flavors or watermelon and strawberry. Juicy, fruity, fairly dry and easygoing, but with good cut.

A to Z Rose

This 100% Sangiovese rose from Southern Oregon is a Fruit Center favorite. Bursting with full bodied flavors of strawberry and cherry, this ultimate refresher is perfect with seafood.

Charles & Charles Rose

A clean, fresh 100% Syrah rose from Washington made in the French style: light, crisp and refreshing. It's softer in style and restrained with great flavors of strawberries and cherries.

Robert Oatley Rose of Sangiovese

Scents of rosehip and fresh strawberries infuse this light mouth-watering rose. It finishes clean with tightly focused acidity. A little bit of summer to pour with bouillabaisse.

If you've tried any of these tasty wines, let us know what you think in our comments section.