2007 Santa Julia Organica Torrontes
$8.99

This Argentinean white is made from a grape called Torrontes. Torrontes is the most widely planted white grape in Argentina. This wine is slightly perfumey on the nose, but not as aggressive as a Gewurztraminer. It is dry, but fruity and light with refreshing citrus and peach notes. This pairs well with lightly spicy foods such as certain Vietnamese dishes, sushi with wasabi, nopalitos with eggs or a piquant ceviche.

www.familiazuccardi.com

2007 Santa Giustina Malvasia
$12.99

This intriguing white comes from the Colli Piacentini DOC of Emilia Romagna in Italy. The nose is very aromatic with floral and herbal components that carry onto the palate. The wine is dry, but it has a rich, fruity character that almost exudes a slightly sweet note. Try with a spicy Aglio Olio pasta dish with peppers and anchovy, fresh fish grilled with hot pepper seeds or poached chicken with a mild verde salsa.

www.uswineimports.com

2005 Frey-Sohler Muscat
$21.99

This is a very unique Muscat. Most Muscats are mildly to intensely sweet. This Alsation Muscat is relatively dry. It still has a typically fragrant, floral nose, but is not sweet at all. It is dry and refreshing and the perfect match for a milder Pad Thai, fish sautéed with ginger, garlic and chili oil or an aggressively spiced roasted chicken.

2006 Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee California Zinfandel
$14.99

This big, bold, juicy red is the perfect compliment to a spicy piece of meat. Whereas many of the sweeter wines pair well with spicy foods because the sugar counteracts the spice, this spicy red is complimentary to the warm and bold flavors coming from a grilled/smoked/barbequed piece of red meat. This Zin has rich raspberry fruit with peppery and brambly spice notes. Great with a spicy Texas brisket, Cuban-style roasted pork, cumin and ancho rubbed leg of lamb or pork ribs with a spicy BBQ sauce.

www.fourvines.com

2007 La Sera Red Malvasia
$16.99

This Italian red from the Piedmont region is fairly unique. It is sweet, but not cloying. It has rich notes of raspberry, cherry, and strawberry and is made in the frizzante style. It has a gentle effervescence, but it is not fully sparkling like a Champagne. Consider it a red counterpart to a Moscato d'Asti. This fresh and fruity red would pair very well with spicy Mexican dishes, pasta Arrabiata, a spicy chili with chipotle or grilled duck breasts with a spicy mole. Also great with a pizza with lots of pepper flakes!

2006 St. Antonius Kreuznacher Kronenberg Riesling Spatles
$8.99

This late-harvested Riesling from the Nahe region of Germany has been a favorite value wine at Merchant's for some time now. This gently sweet white with notes of green apple, pear, citrus, peach and subtle honey is also great with spicy foods. Great with grouper with a spicy fruit salsa, Chile Rellenos, grilled chicken marinated with jalepeno, poblano, citrus and cilantro or Korean barbeque.

Jaillance Clairette de Die Cuvee Imperiale Tradition NV
$18.99

This subtly sweet and delicate sparkling wine from France is made from a blend of Muscat and Clairette grapes. This wine pairs great with fresh fruits and desserts, but try this fresh, fruity sparkler with some of your favorite hot foods. The sweetness counteracts the spice and the bubbles help scrape some of the spice off the tongue. Try this with some of the most incendiary dishes you can palate. Great with your favorite Thai, Indian, Malay, Szechuan, Taiwanese and Korean dishes. Try it with lamb Vindaloo, green curries or your favorite Thai dish (extra hot).

2004 Fitz-Ritter Gewurztraminer Spatlese
$17.99

This great late-harvested Gewurztaminer from the Pfalz region of Germany is something very special. It has a wildly exotic, perfumed nose with notes of rose petal, lychee, and subtle clove. It is sweet, but it is not over-the-top or cloying. Its unique aroma and exotic fruit notes on the palate make this a great wine to pair with uniquely spiced foods. Try this with green and red vegetarian curries, spicy chicken stews with kaffir lime and curry leaves, fish tacos, wok sautéed fish with spicy XO sauce, or a spicy tuna roll.

Hot Summer Recipes!

Pad Thai

8 ounces dried wide rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons tamarind juice
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled with tails on
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, sliced
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into small wedges
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and are almost cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and toss in the garlic, shallots, and chile; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Push the garlic and shallots to 1 side of the wok and pour the egg into the center. Scramble the egg lightly until set, breaking it up into pieces with a spatula. Add the drained noodles to the wok, stirring and tossing quickly with 2 spatulas to separate the strands. Pour in the fish sauce mixture, tossing well to coat the noodles and keep them from sticking (if the noodles are still too firm, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help them cook.)

When the noodles are in good shape, toss in 1/2 of the bean sprouts and peanuts; save the remaining for garnish. Continue to stir-fry, to combine. Return the shrimp to the wok and toss the pad thai together to warm everything through. Serve the pad thai on a platter, pile the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts on 1 side of the dish and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.

Malay Green Beans and Potatoes

2 pounds large Red Bliss potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 yellow onion, coarsely minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh, young, green beans, trimmed

Wash the potatoes under cold running water. Peel and cut into 2-inch chunks.

In a carbon-steel wok, heat the oil over medium heat until just smoking. Add the shallots, onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until the onion is wilted. Add the curry and cook for 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the coconut milk, broth, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the beans are just done.

Green Chicken Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut in 8 wedges
1 green bell pepper, cut in 8 wedges
1 stalk lemon grass, white bulb only
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, recipe follows
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk, 2 (13.5 ounce) cans
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch strips
Sea salt
1 lime, juiced
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish

Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. Saute the onion and green peppers for 3 minutes to soften. Split the piece of lemon grass down the middle and whack it with the flat side of a knife to open the flavor. Add the lemon grass, ginger, curry paste and lime leaves to the skillet and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth. Lay the chicken pieces in the mixture to poach; add a pinch of salt. Stir together and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice and shower with basil and cilantro; serve in dinner bowls with lime wedges.

Thai Green Curry Paste:
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
8 fresh Thai green chiles
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Small handful of fresh cilantro sprigs
2-inch piece galangal, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 lemon grass stalks, white part only, coarsely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste
1/2 cup water

Heat the coriander, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a small dry skillet for 2 minutes until fragrant. Put the seeds in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill and buzz the spices to a powder.

Put the spice blend and remaining ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to combine. Pour in the water to help grind everything down into a paste.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Chiles Rellenos

4 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
1 (2 second) spray nonstick cooking spray
1 cup low-fat Cheddar, shredded
1 cup tomato salsa

Place a wire rack over a burner on the stove. Roast the poblanos on the rack and turn with tongs until blackened evenly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a medium heavy nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, tomatoes, green chiles and corn. Continue to cook until the mixture is almost dry.

Meanwhile, use a paper towel to rub off the skins from the poblanos. Make an incision on 1 side, and remove seeds and membranes from inside, while making sure to keep the poblano intact.

Heat a medium heavy nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with canola cooking spray for 2 seconds. Evenly stuff the 4 poblanos with the zucchini mixture and the shredded cheese.

Carefully place the stuffed poblanos in the heated saute pan and sear on each side for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with tomato salsa.

Szechuan Spareribs

1 (4 pound) slab pork spareribs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons chile garlic sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Using a sharp knife, cut the slab of ribs between the bones into individual ribs. Place in a stock pot or large soup pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook until the ribs are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming the surface of any scum that rises to the top while cooking. Remove the ribs to a large bowl and set aside to cool completely. (Reserve the pork stock for another purpose.)

Combine the rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, garlic, chile garlic sauce and five-spice powder and whisk to blend. Pour half of the marinade over the cooled ribs and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or up to overnight. Reserve the remaining half of the marinade in a non-reactive container and refrigerate.

Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.

To the remaining half of the marinade, add the honey and sesame oil and whisk to combine. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and transfer to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with some of the remaining marinade-honey mixture and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the ribs are crispy on the upper edges. Remove the ribs from the oven and turn to the other side, brush with some of the remaining marinade mixture and broil again for about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve hot.