Like being in your Nonna’s kitchen
Or at least somebody’s Nonna’s kitchen.
This week we’re talking about Italy. Molto bene, my babes. A few things to unpack here: We’re about to talk about boxed wine NO WAIT DON’T STOP READING. It’s good. We know this may make you trust our judgment, but there are lots of good things that come in boxes (engagement rings, puppies, chocolate, LEGO sets… like a lot of good things) and Gratsi Wine is truly one of them.
Comparing Gratsi to Italian Wine We Like
Gratsi is our newest partner and we’re really stoked about their product. It’s high quality wine from Washington’s Columbia River and Yakima Valley (yeah, exactly, good US regions) and it’s perfect for a day to day glass if you cook with crushed tomatoes or perfect for a party where people will absolutely not believe it’s from a box.
Also, sipply folks get free bacaro glasses with every order using this link. They are piccolo and cute.
Red: Enjoy this fruity and dry red wine blend with balanced acidity and tannins. Notes of dark fruit, fresh cherries, dark chocolate, soft spices. Pairs with Nonna’s gnocchi, gouda cheese, or anything from the Mediterranean. Yes, Domino’s counts.
White: A truly refreshing and fruity white wine blend with a strong base of Sauvignon Blanc — one of our faves! Notes of fruits and herbs, crisp acids with a clean and dry finish. Pairs with lamb kabobs or homemade (and take out, who are we kidding?) margherita pizza.
Rosé: This delicious crisp and dry rosé wine blend wows with fruit and minerality. Pale with lovely notes of fresh pear, strawberry, and honeysuckle. Pairs with appies, lighter fare, or a bikini!
Caty’s Guide to Making Red Sauce
There is nothing better in life than making red sauce and drinking a jelly jar of wine. There just isn’t. Fight us on it. Here’s Caty’s completely unpatented and totally unreliable recipe to make your own red sauce which is so easy and makes your kitchen smell great (also freezes well).
Major disclaimer: Caty wasn’t a “math major” and doesn’t like to “measure” when she cooks.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2–4 cloves of garlic
- Some tomato paste (the fancier the label on the tube, the better)
- 1 big ol’ can of crushed tomatoes
- Italian spices? Or like, some oregano, basil, and maybe bay leaves if they’re not stale as hell
- Olive oil
Chop up the onion and mince some garlic. This is by far the worst part. It’s not that much stuff, but damn cooking can be tedious. Once that is done it’s smooth sailing.
Dump a buncha olive oil in a pot, probably like 2 tablespoons, and cook up the onions in it until they’re soft. This is the first best part because it smells good.
Once the onions are soft, toss in the garlic. This is the second best part because it smells good.
Then dump your crushed tomatoes, probably like 1–2 tablespoons of dank tomato paste, and your herbs into the pot. Regarding herbs, Caty does this by taking off the cap of the dried herb shaker, dumping some herbs in there to make it look like a measurement, then dumping that into the pot. This is followed by some audible “hmmm”-ing and some minor additional shaking. Thank goodness red sauce is forgiving.
If you were following a recipe you’d put some predetermined amount of water in here. In this case you fill the crushed tomato can to varying heights and eye-ball adding water to the point the consistency seems like Rao’s (and yes, the engine can pair to that).
Simmer for a while, e bene! You have some sauce. Modify to your delight. Saluti — we all deserve a drink.
Cheers,
The sipply team
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Craving the taste of Italy without the airfare? We’ve got you covered. Say “ciao” to Gratsi Wine, the perfect companion for your culinary adventures. Trust us, this is boxed wine that’s actually good.
