- Salvatore Vito - Marc d'Entremont
Seems to me that Salvatore Vito can’t make up his mind. Is he a personal injury/criminal defense lawyer, a winemaker or a chef? Already exhausted at simply the idea of three simultaneous careers, I ask, “How do you jam it all in?” “I get up at 4:30 a.m. and go to bed late at night. But really it’s a matter of scheduling.” Why not if you enjoy all three. By the way he glides around the kitchen, fixing a wine cocktail and checking the oven, Salvatore seems no less worse for wear.
Pocono Limited Winery
The home of Pocono Limited Winery is Salvatore’s spacious hill top house overlooking the mountains and, visible in winter through the trees, the Delaware Water Gap. Many three-car garages end up being used for anything but parking cars, yet in this case it’s a modern distilling operation.
Salvatore learned how to make wine in France. He especially liked white Bordeaux and saw the possibility of adapting lessons from French and Canada’s ice wine techniques to fruit wines. He stores organic Pennsylvania apples during the summer on nitrogen gas. Fermentation takes place from September through April. Organic raspberries and cherries are heated in an oven until the skins pop and their juice is extracted. He uses German pharmaceutical grade filters and ultra violet light to rid the juices of any contaminates and bacteria. The wines do not contain sulfites.
Ice Wines on Steroids
“I make ice wines on steroids.” The center piece of his winery is his adaptation of a 1929 ice box with a top and bottom vat. Liquid nitrogen is channeled around the vats while the juice is agitated. Ice crystals form on the side of the vat as water is pulled away from the liquor. The result is a concentration of flavor unlike its evaporation that can occur with higher temperature methods. It’s similar to the natural technique used in New York and Canada when autumn frost freezes the grapes. Salvatore says, “I can’t take credit for the technique. While working construction as a kid, Welsh workmen would make ice cider. They’d chill barrels outside in winter, tap the casks and they’d have a concentrated 8% proof cider.”
La Pomme: Award Winning Wines
Going by the label La Pomme, Pocono Limited’s organic selections must remain refrigerated and be enjoyed chilled. The flagship is the crisp dry La Pomme Apple Wine with two variations that include fruit infusions, La Pomme Raspberry Kiss and Cherry Kiss. Rather than turning the wines sweet, the additional fruit provides a nice bouquet to the nose and an lingering taste of berries at the back of the palate. La Pomme was a 2009 Bronze Medal winner at Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Held in New York State’s stunning lake region, the competition is the second largest of its kind outside of the Napa Valley.
Pompagne, 2010 Silver Medal winner at Finger Lakes International Wine Competition is Salvatore’s sparkling apple wine. The effervescence literally injects the flavor into the mouth’s taste receptors. There are also cherry and raspberry variations as well as a reserve aged in French oak casks adding an earthy smoothness.
The 70 proof Pomme Ice Liquor is definitely on steroids and with its raspberry and cherry varieties making a flavorful dessert wine or after dinner drink. The wines are hand bottled, corked and, with the exception of the Pompagne, the tops dipped in wax to prevent oxidation. The modern attractive labels were designed by local artist Andrei Protsouk.
Pocono Limited’s House Dinners
Food is an integral component of Pocono Limited Winery. “My first true love is cooking; it’s my first interest. I started learning from my mother when I was eight years old.” The kitchen and dining room is designed to accommodate up to eight people, with advanced reservations, for brunch or dinners. Salvatore is ably assisted by a small staff, chief among them being fellow attorney Rebecca Gonzalez.
The guests neither have to know each other nor dine on a set menu. “I start with are you allergic to anything?” Salvatore may custom design several menus for each event, and all meals are paired with La Pomme wines.
Custom Menus
For our brunch we started with a cocktail of Pompagne infused with La Pomme Raspberry Ice Liquor. It was both attractive and a surprisingly dry “champagne” cocktail. A nice change from the ubiquitous sweet mimosas of so many brunches.
A Raspberry Almond Brie in Puff Pastry followed yet, like the cocktail, refreshingly lacking the cloying sweetness this dish too frequently represents. Salvatore revealed what created the layers of flavor as we ate. He does not sugar the dough, uses a triple creme brie, Dickenson raspberry preserves and naps it with a touch of garlic and Spanish Almonds. After baking a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest adds a finish that cuts through the rich pastry and brie. The wine pairing for this course was his signature La Pomme Apple wine.
Alaska and Pernod
Wild Alaska Salmon with Pernod Sauce and Scrambled Eggs with fresh chives was the second course. The salmon was delicate and juicy with the light sauce of sweet pepper relish, white wine and Pernod complimenting, not masking, the rich flavor of wild fish. Pairing this course with La Pomme Raspberry Kiss was an excellent choice since the intermingling of salmon, fruit and licorice was an inspired decision.
Chef Vito’s Mind
Taking a break between courses gave me the opportunity to explore the mind of Salvatore as chef. “Technique is everything in cooking - flavor you can buy in the market - Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, James Beard (are his inspirations). But Jacques is the best technician in the world today. A good chef friend told me to steal as much as you can, and you know what, if I’m trying to steal your technique I’m making a compliment.”
“When you’re cooking sometimes you have to improvise, you have to think on your feet. As a trial attorney that’s what I have to do. I don’t know what this guy’s going to shoot at me, but when he does I have to shoot back quickly. With the salmon, I was originally going to finish it with lime juice, but then I thought a drizzle of Pernod was better.” I agree because having the prominence of the citrus in the brie and then the slight licorice of the Pernod created a nice contrast between the two dishes.
Affordable Luxury
Fortunately, dessert was light and refreshing. Fresh Berries with a Sabyon flavored with vanilla beans paired with smooth Pomme Ice Liquor. Considering the private atmosphere and the custom menu, his price per person is a bargain. Including the wine pairings, a brunch menu averages $35 with dinner coming in around $50.
It’s said that good food and wine soothes the savage beast. I think after a grueling day at the law office and in Court Salvatore Vito has found a perfectly satisfying career combination.
Salvatore Vito, 954 Mt. Zion Ave, Stroudsburg, PA 18360
email: poconolimitedwinery@gmail.com
telephone: 570-424-9784, 570-977-1050
Marc d'Entremont - Years of experience as a chef, historian and teacher guides my travel and food writing. I explore all things that shape a culture.
