Champagne wishes and tiramisu dreams

I really start going stir crazy this time of year, itching to get out, go on vacation and try new things.

For example, last week I committed to running a half marathon in May -- and I joined a new club.

I had really wanted to spend my birthday in Napa Valley this February, but February is not a good time to enjoy the fruits of California's wine country. But after Friday, I am confident that my new club membership is indeed the next best thing.

About a month ago, my friend Stephanie asked me if I wanted to start a wine club. I have always liked wine and I love getting together with friends, so my answer to Stephanie was an easy "yes!"

Most of what I know about wine comes from working in restaurants years ago, and from trying them while eating out, but I really could stand to learn more. The point of the wine club is to branch out, get away from your favorites, and gradually integrate a variety of wines into your life.

Of course, great music, conversation and food only add to the fun of a wine club.

So last Friday, I had some friends over and we got the party started. Our wine club is based on author Maureen Christian Petrosky's wine club guide, and for the month of January, our focus was Champagne and sparkling wine (yes, there's a difference). Petrosky gave a few suggestions of different bubblies to try, ranging in price from $10 to $45, as well as some foods to pair with the wine.

We did have trouble finding some of Petrosky's selections in Shelbyville, so some compromising was necessary, but we managed to find a variety of selections to try that none of us had tasted prior to our meeting.

We wrapped all of our selections in foil, and so none of us knew what we were trying until after we had performed various tests of color, aroma, taste, body and finish; had talked about the lingo included in the guide; and had chosen which ones we liked best.

At the end of the day, we all had different favorites. I learned that I like a dryer bubbly in comparison to my friends, which is not surprising since I tend to lean toward dryer wines in general. One thing we all did have a common interest in, however, was the food the author suggested we prepare for the evening (stay tuned).

Next month, we'll learn about cabernet, which will be followed by the spicy syrah/shiraz, the romantic merlot, viognier (never heard of this), riesling, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, dessert wines, zinfandel and pinot. Each type of wine has been carefully slotted into a month that matches its characteristics. For example, Petrosky chose zinfandel as October's wine because she considers it perfect for "an All-American tailgate."

Are you still wondering what we ate? Don't worry, we'll get to that, but before we do, think about starting a wine club. You'll learn something new, and have a lot of fun along the way!

Petrosky's suggested food for January included strawberries tiramisu, oysters on the half shell, spicy sausage stuffed mushrooms, creamy onion tart, cherry-glazed brie and macerated berries. The selections we chose to prepare were simply delicious, but the winner was ... strawberries tiramisu, and that recipe follows.

Strawberry Tiramisu

(Petrosky wrote: "I'm a tiramisu addict. I've tried mascarpone cheese, cocoa powder, and confectioner's sugar on almost everything. Strawberries and Champagne are a classic match, but I made things a little more interesting. With one bite you get the juicy strawberry, creamy cheese, and sweet chocolate. Alone these are delightful, but with bubbly they're straight-up addictive!")

12 large strawberries

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened

2 teaspoons cofectioner's sugar, sifted

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Using a small, sharp knife, remove a small slice from the bottom tip of each strawberry; hollow out the center. Keep the green stem intact.

In a small bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and confectioner's sugar. Spoon cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. (Or place cheese mixture in a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off.) Pipe a little bit of the cheese mixture into the center of each strawberry.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the strawberries into melted chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off. Place dipped strawberries on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Let stand until set. Refrigerate for up to six hours.

-- Sadie Fowler is a staff writer for the Times-Gazette. She can be reached at (931) 684-1200, ext. 214, or by e-mail at sfowler@t-g.com. This column is published each Thursday.