Surf 'n Turf

It's surf. It's turf. And they're complete opposites for pairing. So the challenge tonight was to find one wine that would appropriately pair with both the surf of lobster and the turf of NY strip steak. Seafood is traditionally paired with a white. Steak, traditionally, with a red. My immediate thought: Find a dark rose as a compromise. So I went searching through the cellar and came up with this - and it worked just as I had hoped.

Wine: 2007 Quinta da Alorna Vinho Regional Ribatejano (Rose of Touriga Nacional)
Meal: Surf 'n Turf

Color: 5/5
Deep pink, like the flesh of wild-caught Alaskan salmon

Nose: 14/15
Lovely nose of rose hips, tangerine, thyme, mint, fresh herbs and florals. A little sweet, a little tangy.

Taste: 8/10
Summery berries - raspberries, strawberries, mulberries, with earthy undertones, and just a touch of tannin. A wee bit thin on the mid-palate, but otherwise a nicely structured wine.

Finish: 7/10
A little plain - a touch of oak, perhaps like vanilla creme. Short. Pleasant, but not a whole lot there.

Aging: 2/5 - drink now - 2011

Overall: 4/5
I like this wine a lot. I first tried this one at a local wine store with a number of friends. We all walked out with a bottle or two each.

Total: 90pts

How did the pairing go? Really well. Heavy enough that the steak doesn't overpower it, light enough that it doesn't overpower the lobster. Very nice! Definitely the kind of wine you'll want when you have mixed fare like this.

Want to make this meal?

Boiled Maine Lobster

Fill a large stockpot with water and set it to boil. This may take a while. You want a good roiling boil. Pour in a few teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning. When the pot has come to a full boil, drop the lobster in head first, and let it boil for 10-13 minutes (the bigger the lobster, the longer it should cook). Afterwards, pull it out, crack the carapace and allow any liquid to drain out.

NY Strip Steak
No big surprise here - fire up the grill and toss on the steak, and cook to your tastes.

Pile it up on a plate with your favorite veggies, and enjoy! And look who found her camera!

Wine from Home

I have a confession to make. This post is so late and delayed for a few reasons... One, my wine consumption has gone down somewhat in the past couple of months. Two, I was lazy and kept procrastinating getting the photos off my camera. And Three, once I decided to finally get the pictures off, I discovered I couldn't find my camera. It's been missing for a few weeks now. This makes me sad. (I found it!) So if you'll bear with the lack of any pictures until I can get a new camera, I'll resume the posts :)

This wine comes to us from southern New Jersey, near where I went to college just a hop, skip and a jump from Atlantic City. If you're ever there, look them up. Beautiful grounds, great wines, and a wonderful restaurant await - and you simply must try their Blueberry Champagne.

Wine: NV Renault Winery Fresello
Meal: Grilled Pork Chops with mushroom green beans

The Fresello is a white blend of all their whites - which includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Noah, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio.

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Honeysuckle yellow, good clarity

Nose: 10/15
honey, apple, pear, herbs. Very light. A little difficult to pull the aromas out.

Taste: 7/10
Slightly fizzy, crisp and clean, pears, peaches, starfruit. Not complex, just tasty. Semi-dry.

Finish: 6/10
Apricot, a little bit of petroleum, nice. Short, though.

Aging: 1/5
Yeah right. Drink it within a year of purchase. Especially since they're NV. I do have to admit, though, it held up nicely enough in the fridge to be used in a lovely tomato sauce a few weeks later.

Overall: 3/5
Really nice. Not complex, but an easy drinker. Excellent for summer.

Total: 82pts

Decent little wine, which works really nicely for summer. Chill it down - it's better cold. The dish was a nice, light dish which went really well with the Fresello and accentuated all the good stuff. The green beans with mushrooms cut the slight sweetness in the wine and brought out its acidity, making it really crisp and refreshing. The pork chop and wine complemented each other nicely, neither overpowering the other. It's a really simple meal that's perfect for

Want to make this meal?

Green beans and mushrooms

Can of green beans
1 tsp bacon salt
1/4 cup button mushrooms

Put all in microwaveable dish, microwave on high for 3 minutes, stir, microwave one more minute. Simple!

Grilled pork chop

2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
1 1/2" thick bone-in pork chop

Sprinkle 1 tsp seasoning salt on either side of pork chop and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Heat grill up to high, allowing for enough time for the grates to get good and hot. Grill for about 7-8 minutes on each side, then close the lid and grill an additional 2 minutes.

Pour, plate, serve, and Enjoy!

A Rose By Any Other Name...

Wine: 2007 Super Hero Wines One Last Kiss Grenache Rose
Meal: Salsa Butter Chicken with Spinach Macaroni

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Really pale pink. Just a hint of a red tint to it. Really pretty.

Nose: 11/15
A little difficult to pull out distinctive scents. A little on the generic side. Citrus with a touch of strawberry. Some orange peel and watermelon.

Taste: 8/10
Smooth vanilla, with cherry as the predominant fruit. Honeydew and pineapple follow with a faint bit of lemon. There's some herbaceousness to it as well. Excellent acidity with good balance.

Finish: 7/10
The cherry carries through to the finish, along with watermelon. Clean and enjoyable, mid-length.

Aging: 1/5
If you have it, drink it now. Doesn't seem like it was made to age (as most roses are not). It's ready to go, but it's probably peaking right now.

Overall: 4/5
Solid effort. Fun to drink. Good rose, especially for the price.

Total: 86 pts

Super Hero Wine Company is owned by winemaker Scott Harvey, who produces wine under this label along with "Scott Harvey" and a label named for his wife, "Jana Winery". I've had the privilege to meet this man, and he is just amazing to talk with. This particular wine is identical to the Jana Winery Grenache Rose, so if you have that one, consider the tasting notes and recommendations to be exactly the same.

I was very pleasantly surprised by how well the meal went with the wine. I think that the pairing could have benefited by a rose where the grapes were left on the skins a little longer, but this worked quite well.

Want to make this meal?

Salsa Butter Chicken

4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
15oz jar mild salsa, drained w/liquid reserved
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 chicken breast halves
1 sprig rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine butter, milk, salsa solids, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, fennel seeds, horseradish, Worcestershire and parsley with 1/2 cup of the reserved salsa liquid. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, and then blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Spray 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Dip chicken into remaining salsa liquid and place in dish. Discard remaining salsa liquid. Cover the chicken with the salsa and spice blend. Place 1/2 sprig of rosemary on each chicken breast half, and bake for 1 hour.

Spinach Macaroni
Prepare your favorite boxed macaroni and cheese shells according to package directions, along with a box of frozen spinach. When both have been cooked, combine in a bowl.

What the *%#&@!

Today is Twisted Oak's Jeff Stai's birthday. I'm celebrating by having Twisted Oak *%#&@! and a fancy-sounding meal. It just sounds fancy. It boils down to fish & chips.

Wine: 2005 Twisted Oak *%#&@!
Meal: Honey Brie Fried Salmon with French Cut Fingerling Potatoes

...see? Fancy name for fish & chips...

Tasting notes on the wine:
Color: 5/5
Dark plum color, good saturation and clarity. Little bit of clearness at the edges. Pretty!

Nose: 12/15
Rust and fruit, dark berries, passionfruit, and a little earthiness. Some tar. Nice.

Taste: 9/10
Tannins are holding firm on this fruit-forward, medium-bodied wine. Tastes like plums and cherries, vanilla and rosemary.

Finish: 7/10
Finishes a little hot, with black pepper and oak and blackberries.

Aging: 3/5
4 years old and still going strong. I decanted this for about a half an hour before pouring. Should hold up for some time still. It's drinking beautifully now though.

Overall: 4/5
I like this a lot. Really pleasant by itself, really awesome with food. Strong, excellent offering.

Total: 90pts

Want to make this meal?

Honey Brie Fried Salmon
4oz filet of salmon
1 cup panko
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp salmon rub (your favorite blend of spices)
4 Tbsp oil
3 oz brie, sliced into 1/4" slices (3 slices)

Turn oven on to broil.

Mix together panko and rub in a shallow bowl. Coat salmon with honey and cover with breading. Give the brie the same treatment.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and cook salmon for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet. Lay the breaded brie slices on top, then place in oven under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the brie begins melting.

French Cut Fingerlings
3-4 fingerling potatoes

Slice the potatoes into wedges. Heat deep fryer to 375. Fry potatoes for 4-5 minutes until desired crispiness is obtained. Drain on paper towel, salting lightly.

Enjoy!

Kosher for Passover

Tonight it's about Passover. I'm not actually rating the wine tonight, just showcasing it alongside of my Seder supper.

Wine: 2004 Segal Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee Heights Special Reserve
Meal: Roasted Lamb & potatoes, with Seder

This is an Israeli wine, and Kosher. The color is extremely dark purple, inky. The nose exhibits slight floral aromas, with fruity overtones and a little funk. It tastes delightful - earthy, just enough fruit, just enough tannin, really well balanced. If you've been afraid of Israeli wines, try this one. Amazing!

Special guest appearance by my cat, Truffles, who refused to get off the table when there was delicious lamb available.

Another Strange Wine

I received a sample of Ile de France Brie. Tonight's dinner incorporated this lovely cheese, and I had some leftover for dessert. I pulled out another unusual Italian wine to go with dinner. It paired beautifully with the meal and the cheese, but I don't think I'd drink this one alone. Grapes involved: Fiano and Greco.

The brie is lovely (I said that already, didn't I) - exactly what you would expect of a brie. Slightly bitter rind, creamy texture, excellent meltability. A lot of brie, I tend to discard the rind because it's too bitter. This one is just right and the flavor of the rind actually enhances the cheese itself. And it goes beautifully with the wine.


Wine: 2006 A Mano Fiano - Greco Puglia IGT
Meal: Brie-baked Chicken with pasta

Tasting notes on the wine:
Color: 5/5
Pale honey, almost straw-like. Fantastic clarity.

Nose: 11/15
Minerally, with a hint of honeysuckle and vanilla. Nice, but not complex.

Taste: 7/10
No heat, really smooth. Crisp, with good acidity. Melon and pear notes dominating. Again, very simple, but nice.

Finish: 6/10
Smooth finish, again minerally and clean. Apples show themselves here, but once again, no complexity to speak of.

Aging: 2/5
Will possibly hold up another year, but I wouldn't risk it. Drink it now if you've got it.

Overall: 3/5
I'm neutral about this one. It's nice. I don't know that I'd buy it again. Decent wine.

Total: 84pts

Hey, it's all about the experience, right? I couldn't pass up the chance to try two unusual grapes.

Want to make this meal?
2 chicken breast halves
1 cup wine
4 oz brie, sliced about 1/4" thick, rind on
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in 8x8 dish. Pour in the wine and bake for 35 minutes. Pull out the dish and top chicken with cheese, then return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

The pasta dish was just a pre-packaged pasta dish with sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Italian Wine, American Cheese

Pullled out an Italian wine from the cellar tonight after dinner and cut up some cheese to try with it. Yummy stuff!

Wine: 2006 Poggio Alle Sughere Morellino di Scansano
Cheese: Beehive Cheese Co. SeaHive, Les Petites Fermieres Gouda

Color: 5/5
Really dark plum colored, good clarity, and very saturated. Color bleeds to the glass.

Nose: 13/15
Lovely earthy funk on the nose, with undertones of strawberry, tar, licorice/anise, and black pepper. Maybe a little cigar tobacco. Some rust.

Taste: 9/10
And a sip... first thought was "huh, a little thin..." but then these tannins hit. Rich soil, black pepper, green pepper, lightly fruity (indistinct fruits). Cheek puckering!

Finish: 6/10
The finish is a little hot, a little sharp. Might just need some time to open up - I did just pop and pour. Kind of chalky. And quite tannic. Can't pin down any particular flavor on the finish... kind of weird. But in a good way.

Aging: 4/5
I think this needs more bottle time, and I think I'm going to draw very slowly on this glass so that by the time it's done, the open bottle will be ready for a second pour. I also think this is going to age beautifully for quite some time.

Overall: 4/5
I like it. It's not ready yet, but I like it. Quite a bit.

Total: 91pts

The SeaHive cheese really tones down the earthy flavors and draws out the fruit - fresh blackberries and cassis, with slighty underripe strawberries. It also helps to temper the heat on the finish.

Having a sip after the Gouda draws out a massive flavor of black licorice, both on the palate and on the finish. Almost overwhelmingly licorice. After another bite the licorice tones down (must have been the combination of the SeaHive with the Gouda) and similar fruit comes out, with a little bit of watermelon as well.

Man, the tannins on this are just huge. If you have this, lay it down. Leave it for at least another year. It's tasty now if you want to be patient and decant it for a while, and it's great with the cheese.