#winemakerwednesday Hoorah for Syrah with Bench 1775

We like to keep things fun, approachable, and educational in our Wine Club. That is why we are extremely excited to sit down and chat with Winemaker Valeria Tait of Bench 1775 Winery April 18th at 8pm MST/7pm PST Via Facebook Live in our Facebook Group: Vine Life a Group for Wine Lovers

How does a tasting like this work? Well, we all grab our bottles of Bench 1775 2014 Syrah, then log onto Facebook and sit and chat with Val from the comfort of our couches! Could there be a more laid back setting? We think not!

To grab their Syrah, Visit their Website or:

BIN905 Wine and Spirits – Calgary
Metrovino – Calgary
Highlander Wine and Spirits – Coopers Crossing Airdrie.

For alternative retailers in Alberta – you can use the handy search tools via Liquor Connect

Then join us at 8pm MST for some delicious, educational, and relaxing fun!

We firmly believe that great wine deserves great food to compliment it, and this wine is stellar with bbq, or for something heartier, try our short rib recipe!

RED WINE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Ingredients

6 large beef short ribs (14 to 16 oz. each)
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves, plus 3-5 whole sprigs
4 cups hearty but fruity red wine (like Zinfandel or Côtes du Rhône)
5 cups homemade or low sodium beef broth
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Preparation

Put the short ribs in a large mixing bowl and rub them with the thyme leaves and 1 Tbs. black pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2hrs to overnight. Before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30min-1hr before beginning to brown
Position a rack in the lower/center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
Heat a 8-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium/high heat
Once heated, pour in the olive oil, and wait until it begins to lightly smoke. Add as many short ribs as will fit in the bottom as a single layer. Brown on the three meaty sides , approx 2- 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the browned short ribs to a large plate or bowl. Repeat with the remaining ribs and transfer those as well
Once all ribs are browned and removed from the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add your onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the onions become lightly translucent (approx 7mins).
Add the balsamic vinegar and then the red wine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, return the ribs to the pot, making sure the vegetables are in the broth and not on top of the ribs (the short ribs should be nearly submerged). Tuck the full thyme sprigs in around the meat, and cover with the lid. Put the pot in the oven and braise until the meat falls away from the bone when poked with a paring knife, about 3 hours.
Once cooked remove the short ribs from the oven and set aside entire pot for 30 minutes before serving.Serve atop mashed potatoes, and top with braised vegetables and pan juices.