30 Days of Local Wine

2009 Aleksander Estate Winery's Pinot Grigio

A dry, crisp, refreshing white wine, the 2009 Pinot Grigio has quickly become Aleksander Estate Winery’s most popular white. Grown in Kingsville by Rob Repko, this wine is boasts the green apple crispness with a round finish. Excellent as an aperitif, alongside appetizers and cheeses, chicken and fish dishes.

Chef Scott Edmunds of Centro tried something different for his recipe to pair with this wine but is confident you’ll enjoy it:

Italian Sauage Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 4 large tomatoes – peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
  • 1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
  • 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
  2. Sauté onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
  3. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.