One More Time
My dinner last month at the Nashua Wine Outlet was so delicious, I had to return. This time my wife accompanied me. With these dinners, the state liquor commission really has something special going. Roughly once a month they work with Ruby Wines to host a wine & food pairing dinner in their kitchen at the back of the store. Be aware, they only have about 40 seats, so these events sell out fast! (Late-breaking update: this event was streamed live on Facebook, where it was viewed over 44,000 times. Apparently it’s popular!)
The events are at the Liquor & Wine Outlet in Nashua on Coliseum Ave., just a few turns off Rte. 3 at exit 6, immediately west of the Nashua Mall, so easy to find.
These dinners are described as “designed to inspire, educate, and delight,” and they have not disappointed. Just like last time, the food was delicious and the wine was delightful. More events are coming to the same location, read on for details.
Acting as event organizer and master of ceremonies was Craig Drollett of Ruby Wines, an importer and distributor of wine and spirits serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, and also brokering in Maine & Vermont. They have been family owned for four generations, and represent a curated portfolio of wines from around the world.
Regarding this series of events, David Duhamel, VP and COO of Ruby Wines said, “Any time you can have people try food with wines, learn how a dish is prepared from a Chef like Ed, who will teach you the fundamentals, and pair it with a wine professional for the background on the winery and wines – it creates an event like no other.”
THE PLACE
The Coliseum Avenue location, immediately west of the Nashua Mall, is one of the state’s newer locations. The back of the store features a fully functional kitchen with studio, including overhead controlled cameras that can capture the chefs in action and zoom in on their preparations. Yes, New Hampshire’s own Cooking Channel. The events are frequently streamed live online.
Arranged around the kitchen area is seating for approximately 40 guests / audience members, who are treated to watching the preparations on large overhead screens, with explanations provided by the chefs in action. The guests then are served the prepared dishes, paired with wines specifically chosen to best match each dish.
THE WINES
The evening’s selection of wines were curated by Charlie Master of the family-owned company, Master Wines. (See their Instagram page here.)
Charlie’s education in food and wine began at a young age as his father was in the wine business and his mother was a Chef. He was educated, and has lived and worked in three locations: the South of France, England and the USA. He worked at Château Prieuré-Lichine in Margaux, Bordeaux, where he learned all the aspects of the wine trade.
With his father he developed the family wine brand “Les Jamelles,” a successful brand in southern France. He started and ran a french wine brokerage, worked at Caribou Club in Aspen, opened Brix, a restaurant and wine bar in Denver, then returned to his first love, wine and the family business, Master Wines. Today, Master Wines is truly a family-run effort, where his parents remain closely involved in the company.
Over the course of the evening we tasted:
The wines were described lovingly and entertainingly by Charlie. He also related how after years with the family business he finally got his name on a label—”Charmel” being a combination of CHARlie and his father’s name MELvyn.
Charlie is a larger-than-life personality who went to high school in NYC in the 80’s, and explained how that experience was everything you might expect, and more. While there he met Mick Jagger’s daughter and wife. He was wearing Rolling Stones socks in commemoration, and because his father’s favorite band was the Rolling Stones.
Unsurprisingly for this event, all wines were terrific. A few notes:
- Tiamo Organic Prosecco – Italian
- The bubbles here were much finer and more delicate than what I associate with most proseccos. I found it to be a much more pleasant drinking experience than most.
- Le Charmel Rosé do Provence – French
- A delicate rosé. With my eyes closed I would have thought I was drinking white. The flavor profile of the wine, or just my unsophisticated palate? I cannot say. Either way, the wine was delicious.
- Le Charmel Pinot Noir – French
- A delicious pinot noir, much lighter than I am accustomed to.
- Tiamo Organic Chianti – Italian
- A very good chianti. As with the other wines, lighter than I’m accustomed to.
As for my personal favorite, that would be a tough choice. It would be either the prosecco or the rosé. Both were extremely good.
THE FOOD
The evening’s food was prepared by Ed Aloise, his wife Claudia Rippee, with Matt Rankin serving as sous chef for the evening. Ed and Claudia opened and ran the much-loved Republic Cafe in Manchester starting in 2010. In 2012, they were James Beard National Semi Finalist for Best Restaurateurs, and they also received extensive local awards. In 2014, they opened sister restaurant Campo Enoteca, which continues today under new ownership. Today, as Republic Restaurant Consulting , Ed is helping other restaurateurs find success.
Note that the Republic name also lives on as a brewery in Manchester, which makes a great NEIPA called Story, and a great IPA called Mt. Mosaic. Definitely worth a visit.
In Ed’s occasional spare time he writes fiction, which can be found here.
But back to the food. We opened with two appetizers in a Venetian style called cicchetti (pronounced chee-KET-tee), sometimes shortened to “chichi.” Served in Venetian wine bars, they are typically enjoyed standing while drinking a glass of wine. Each of our chichis was made with bread baked by Claudia (as was much of the bread at Republic and Campo). One was a delicious egg salad, some topped with anchovy (for a big thumbs-up from me), while some went anchovy-less (preferred by my wife). One of each is visible in the photo. The second was a walnut pate with fig jam and balsamic reduction—to die for! Blue cheese was also present.
These cicchetti were served with the Tiamo Prosecco which made for a delicious combination.
We then moved on to Venetian Shrimp in Saor w/ Polenta. If you’re sheltered like me you’ve never heard of “saor.” One of the great things about attending a dinner with Ed Aloise is that he will happily educate you.
He explained that the word means flavor in the Venetian dialect, and refers to onions with pine nuts and raisins cooked in oil, vinegar, and white wine. Often served with sardines, but can be served with a variety of fish. With shrimp it was absolutely delicious. Served with the Le Charmel Rosé do Provence, it made for a terrific pairing.
Finally Mediterranean Braised Chicken Thighs with Orzo Pilaf. This braise was truly delicious, elevating the chicken thighs far beyond the ordinary. The rich and varied flavors of the braise paired well with the not-overpowering Le Charmel Pinot Noir. We followed with the Tiamo Organic Chianti with also went well with the braise.
As I finish this article my mouth is watering. Recipes for the Shrimp and the Chicken may be found here.
A recipe for Claudia’s walnut pate with fig jam and balsamic reduction is below.
Walnut Pate Cicchhetti with Fig Jam and Blue Cheese
- 130 g Walnut pieces. 1 cup
- 270 g Cannellini beans – one 15oz can drained
- 32 g Lemon juice 2T
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 15 g Olive oil – 2 tsp
- 12 g Agave – 1 tsp
- 1 t Rice wine vinegar
- 1 T Lemon/olive oil vinaigrette (or 1T Olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of Italian seasoning blend)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Toast walnuts for 7 – 10 minutes
- Transfer walnuts to food processor
- Add the remaining ingredients plus scant ¼ cup water
- Puree until smooth
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Finely chop ¼ cup each: parsley and pimentos for color.
- Fold into the pate.
Spicy Fig Jam
- ½ Cup fig jam
- ½ tsp Calabrian peppers in oil
- ¼ cup Rum
- 1 T lemon juice
- Lemon zest from half a lemon
- 1 – 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
In a small saucepan bring the rum to a boil and boil one minute. Quickly add the jam and the rosemary stir well and bring back to a boil. Once the surface of the jam is bubbling across the saucepan keep on the burner for 3 minutes. Then remove from the burner and add the Calabrian pepper, lemon juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Stir to combine and remove the rosemary. Allow to cool and set before using.
To assemble each cicchetti:
- One 2” square of focaccia or slice of a baguette
- Top with a generous tablespoon of the walnut pate.
- Make a small indentation in the pate and add a generous teaspoon of the spicy fig jam and then top with mellow blue cheese crumbles.
COMING SOON
Current plans are for Ed Aloise to return to this same store in Nashua on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Details to be announced. I expect the “designed to inspire, educate, and delight” description will apply equally well.
THE LOCATION
25 Coliseum Avenue, Nashua, NH 03063
MAP
