Q. Why is it that our 100 percent Sangiovese benefits from aeration: tight at first, within 15 minutes its aromas are on full show? Our super-Tuscan, which is the very same Sangiovese blended with a little Cabernet, doesn’t need aeration at all. ~ Michaela Rodeno, Napa’s Villa Ragazzi winery.
A. I think of Cabernet Sauvignon, in a blend of any kind where it doesn't predominate in the great majority, as a sort of 'spine' or 'beam' on which the other wines/grapes hang or are affixed. It's what allows them, then, to show off or be sensed.
To me, Cabernet is a presence; you always know when it's in the room, even if it's one of many. In its way, it may make the others in the room more “present” too. You notice it along with all else, but you see them because of it, because you see the Cabernet first.
So, I am guessing (along this line) that an all-Sangiovese may take time to flower, whereas one “boosted,” as it were, by Cabernet struts its stuff right away.
Q. How do I get a really good edge on an expensive knife? ~ Dave F., Denver.
A. Over the years, I've found that Jacques Pépin always has great info on sharpening knives. Click here for a 5-minute video from his foundation that covers the basics.
If in downtown Denver, you might stop by Element Knife on Platte Street and speak with Elan Wenzel about knives. He knows everything knives-wise, and also offers a sharpening service (which is the way to get the best edge on a good-quality knife).
Q. One thing about [your] “Short History of French Fries,” what about people using vegetable oil? . . . It is all processed with hexane. . . . Just wondering what you think about that. ~ Patricia R., Denver.
A. Hexane, a hydrocarbon in liquid form, is often used as an extractive solvent in seed (soybean, canola, sunflower) oil production. The hexane is then evaporated, leaving only trace, if any, amounts. Nonetheless, some eaters express concern about hexane residue. (Hexane is toxic in gaseous form. The FDA does not regulate or monitor hexane in seed oils. In some way, therefore, it is difficult to ascertain what level of hexane, if any, is in conventional seed oils.)
Expeller-pressed (sometimes called “cold-pressed”) oils use pressure only, not chemicals, to extract oil. Some grapeseed or flaxseed oils are labeled as such. (Oils from fruit such as olives or avocados, or from nuts such as coconut, by and large are also extracted mechanically and, if no chemicals are used to further extraction, will be labeled “virgin,” “cold-pressed” or “expeller-pressed.”)
Other fats used in frying foods, such as beef tallow, duck fat or pork lard, don’t contain hexane or are not rendered using hexane. But because they are high in saturated fat, they pose other hazards for the diet, according to some. (For some killer, Belgian-style, twice-fried French fries, try those cooked in duck fat at Satchel’s on 6th, in Denver.)
I do appreciate the perspective on hexane in seed oils (whether present or not) provided by Harvard University’s Medical School: “Regarding hexane, for example, the average person's intake of any possible residual traces of this chemical in oils and other foods is dwarfed by exposures from other sources, such as gasoline fumes.”