Qorkz Kitchen - ZaZa Zin & Smokey Chipotle Chili

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iStock-865801062_Chili.jpg

Our own, Jill Hoffman is making this chili in Dunphy Park in Sausalito for the city’s 40th Annual Chili Cook-off! If you are surprised by the addition of the chocolate, remember that Mexico is the origin of the cocoa plant and chili peppers! And who doesn’t love wine and chocolate?

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, diced*

  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted and diced

  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 15 oz. cans dark red kidney beans

  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar

  • 2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes

  • 2 tbsp. chili powder

  • 2 tbsp. cumin

  • 1 can chipotle peppers, diced (use to taste, these will be smokey and spicy)

  • 4-6 oz. dark chocolate

  • 1/2 cup red wine, zinfandel recommended

  • ½ cup beef broth

  • 1 tsp salt

  • Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

  • Sour cream (optional)

Directions

Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or the bowl of a slow cooker with a sauté function. (Alternatively, complete steps one and two in a separate pan on the stove and then transfer to a slow cooker.)

Add the olive oil, onions, peppers and garlic to the browned beef, sauté until the onions become translucent.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat/cook on the slow cooker's low function for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Crush the tomatoes as you go.

Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Note: This recipe makes eight 1 1/2 cup servings. 

To celebrate this recipe Calstar Cellars is offering a special sale on it’s 2014 ZaZa Zinfandel for $200 a case. Use the Promo Code: CHILI ZIN

You can also buy on the 2012 Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2016 Pinot Meunier Rose and 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay for $250 a case using Promo Code: CHILI

2012 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir - Wine of the Day

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2012 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir

2012 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir

$40

Bright ruby violet color carried by lovely aromas of rich, ripe blackberry, cassis liqueur, black licorice, fine leather and rhubarb.  A hint of gamey roasted meats give the wine immediate complexity and interest.  On the palate, the wine follows the nose with dark marionberry and black plummy flavors. Juicy acidity provides balance for the round, soft tannins and lingering finish of cola, coffee and sweet oak.

2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay - Wine of the Day

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 2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay

$35

Straw colored, with aromas of baked apple, Meyer lemon and buttered pastries.  A great balance between bright, ripe apple and pear and toasted wheat.  Opulent and round on the palate, yeasty richness is followed up by baked pear, lemon curd and sweet oak.  The finish is carried through by honeyed fruits – apple, quince and pears- with a subtle spice of vanilla and clove.  Nuanced and luxurious.

The Sonoma Coast is a renowned growing region known for its cool microclimates that contribute to slow grape maturation and optimum ripeness.  The well respected and highly sought after Sangiacomo Vineyard produces a rich, palette-driven Chardonnay with great texture and nuance.

The Roberts Road Vineyard, located at the northern end of the Petaluma Gap with cobbled alluvial soil and bench deposits, has proven itself to be the ideal location influenced by morning fog, warm days and strong afternoon winds leaving the grapes plenty of hang time and development of distinct flavors.

2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay - Wine of the Day

/

2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay

$35

The Sonoma Coast is a renowned growing region known for its cool microclimates that contribute to slow grape maturation and optimum ripeness.  The well respected and highly sought after Sangiacomo Vineyard produces a rich, palette-driven Chardonnay with great texture and nuance.

The Roberts Road Vineyard, located at the northern end of the Petaluma Gap with cobbled alluvial soil and bench deposits, has proven itself to be the ideal location influenced by morning fog, warm days and strong afternoon winds leaving the grapes plenty of hang time and development of distinct flavors.