Gazela Wine & Garlic Beans, Etc.

I enjoyed the Casal Garcia wine yesterday so much that I just had to try another wine from Portugal! Farley at Wine Outlook even commented on how she enjoys Casal Garcia. A good buy for the money. When I was at the wine shop yesterday, I tried to get another bottle but they were out of stock. I think that tells me that lots of folks are enjoying these nice light wines for summer. I am!

So last night I unscrewed the cap off this icy chilled bottle of Gazela Vinho Verde that is produced by Sogrape, Quinta da Azevedo, Portugal. 9% alcohol, nice acidity, fresh and fruity on the palate with flavors of lemon and other citrus. Gazala is made from the Loureira and Azal Branco grapes, which makes this another wine which is pleasingly "fizzy" on the tongue. Totally enjoying the effervescence of these inexpensive, $5.99, wines! (Holler, I think this would be $4.40387 in your currency) Check it out! This wine even looks refreshing with it's almost clear color. Yes, it is definitely refreshing and perfect for an early summer evening on the deck!

Again, like the other night, by the time dinner rolled around, this bottle was history! So on to our next bottle of wine which I will tell you about another time. But, we did have a nice dish to go with our BBQ chicken. A simple dish that is a great "last minute" fix. I had picked up some fresh garlic, fresh as it just came out of the ground, at the farmers market last weekend and was itching to use it. So here it is! It has no name, but goes like this.

Fresh green beans that are blanched in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

Chopped fresh garlic. I use alot as we love garlic. You can adjust to your taste.

Chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil. I use about 3-4.

Option : parboiled small red potatoes.

Heat skillet to medium and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Saute garlic and tomatoes for a couple of minutes. Add green beans and heat through. That is it! Oh you may want to add salt and pepper at this time or wait till plated. If you use the potatoes, put them in right after the beans to heat up also. SO SIMPLE with loads of flavor.

Tomorrow is Farmers Market Day and then I go for my first lesson in "Fly Fishing"! Also holding a wine tasting on Saturday evening for some new friends of mine who are just getting into wines. This should be an adventurous day for sure! Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers!