Usual Dinner, Unusual Wine

Being lazy tonight and having ended up going out for lunch during the day, I ended up making the lunch I had brought to work, dinner. Spruced up a little. It was a very simple baked chicken Lean Cuisine. I plated it and drizzled a little balsamic vinegar over the chicken and added a side of cheesy broccoli, and went for the most unusual bottle of wine that I could think of in my cellar, to give dinner a special twist.

Wine: 2005 Airlie Winery Müller-Thurgau Estate
Meal: Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cheesy broccoli

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Very pale yellow, almost clear. Perfect clarity, with just the slightest bit of a clear meniscus.

Nose: 12/15
Complex nose, combining elements of herbal greens and minerals, with a touch of floral. Very much like a Gewurtztraminer or a Riesling. The herbal component comes out in the form of fresh cut grass after a spring rain, and the mineral component reminds me of well water. Lavender is the chief floral scent.

Taste: 8/10
Tart and acidic on the attack, mellowing out to fresh, crisp, bright fruit on the mid-palate. There are tones of citrus and apple with a shock of pear. There's a little bit of a bite to it - not alcohol heat... I can't quite describe it, might just be the tartness causing me to pucker my cheeks a little. If summer had a taste, this would be it. The balance is really nice on this - even though this wine is semi-sweet with a residual sugar of 2%, there's enough acidity to round it out.

Finish: 7/10
A good finish on this one - the flavors linger for quite a while. There's a lot of granny smith apple, very prominent, with ginger ale. The feel is a little oily, but it's smooth and clean.

Aging: 3/5
From what I can find of the little there is out there about the Müller-Thurgau grape, it's not meant to age much. I think no one has given this grape a chance to. Clearly it's still holding up strong 4 years after the vintage, and I don't sense any deterioration going on. Perhaps this is a white that requires a little time in the bottle to fully develop into what this wine has obviously become, and I think it will continue to age for at least a few more years. Not too shabby for what seems to be the "reject" grape of Germany.

Overall: 4/5
I had no idea what to expect going into this wine, and I've got to say, I'm pretty impressed by it. It came from a bin end, let's-get-rid-of-it sale, and it was a grape I'd never heard of before so I thought to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did. I don't generally go for sweet wines, so it's really nice that the acidity of this balances out the sweetness and makes it just enjoyable. It's well crafted, and a good solid effort. With only 10% ABV, it's pretty easy to sit and sip on this one. If you're into Rieslings, you'll probably really like this one. Go find it and try it out!

Total: 89pts

This is somewhat of an elegant offering - pair this with elegant meals. The mashed potatoes and cornbread stuffing were a little heavy with it, but the chicken tenderloins and broccoli were perfect. This would go really well with seafood as well, and salads with a light dressing on it. This would also make a lovely brunch wine, seated outside with the sun shining, a light breeze blowing, good friends and fabulous brunch food!

Enjoy!

Serena Salsa Frittata and Gewürztraminer

Who says you can't have breakfast for dinner? And who says wine doesn't go with breakfast? Here's a meal to dispel that unpleasant myth!

Wine: 2006 Castello di Amorosa Gewürztraminer
Meal: Serena Salsa Frittata

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Shimmering damp hay, with a touch of sunshine. Gorgeous color.

Nose: 14/15
Floral and citrus, and a bit of aromatic spices. Really nice, fun to sniff.

Flavor: 9/10
Vanilla, spice, and citrus. Tangerine or grapefruit, maybe a little of both. Very easy to drink, nice and smooth. This begs to be a morning kind of wine, really nice with the eggs. Drinks pretty nicely alone, too. I started this one cold out of the fridge and sipped at it as it warmed up, and I have to say, it's a lovely wine at any temperature between fridge cold and room temp.

Finish: 8/10
Nice finish - nothing overpowering. The floral notes come back on the finish, lasts a decent length - maybe about 30 seconds. It's pleasant!

Aging: 3/5
Since I'm writing this up a few days after having first tried it, I've been able to taste it over a few days. Maybe almost a week? It has held up really well this whole time, so I'd like to think that this will actually have some time available in the cellar. Not several years, perhaps, but a few at the least.

Overall: 4/5
Wow. Really. This is a beautiful, gorgeous wine, and if you can find it, you should definitely get it. VERY nice, well balanced, great effort!

Total: 93pts

As I mentioned above, this one works really well with breakfast type foods - the citrus really shines gorgeously, and complements the eggy, cheesy goodness quite well. I could also see this going with a stuffed salmon or tilapia, or a creamy pasta.

Want to make this meal?

Serena Salsa Frittata
5 1/8" slices of 3 Sisters Serena cheese
3 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried chives
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tsp oil
pinch of salt

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the oil. When it thins out and spreads evenly (because it may not get to the smoke point), toss in the bell pepper and salt. When the bell pepper has begun to brown, drop in the salsa and stir.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. When the liquid from the salsa has bubbled off, pour the eggs into the skillet and spread to coat. Arrange the cheese slices around the top, and sprinkle the seasoning and chives over it all. Cover and let cook for approx. 5 minutes, or until the eggs have set and are cooked all the way through, and the cheese has melted.

Loosen the edges with a spatula, and slide the frittata out onto a plate. Mine had an unfortunate accident on the way out of the skillet and ended up flopped over. It was so pretty!

Enjoy!

Harry's Tap Room

This past weekend, I was in the Washington, DC area. Local friend of mine PSith Master Loweeel of The PSycho's Path recommended Harry's Tap Room in Arlington, VA for brunch, and I would like to share that recommendation with you! It was so fantastic that we ended up there for brunch on both Saturday and Sunday.

Brunch begins every day with a basket of muffins and scones with fresh strawberry compote and cream.


Saturday:
I selected the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Benedict (above), and my companions had the New Orleans Benedict (below) and the Traditional Benedict. Selected libations were Harry's Kir Royale and Classic Sparkling Mimosa.


Sunday:
There were 8 of us on Sunday, and I can't remember what we all ordered. I had the Steakhouse Omelette, various Benedicts were ordered, and the French Toast with fresh strawberries. Coffees all around, and again the Mimosa and Kir Royale found their way to the table, as well as the Weekend at Harry's Coffee.

From the menu:
Harry's Kir Royale - "A classic cocktail with a new flare. Made from sparkling wine and Chambord liqueur, garnished with a sugarcoated strawberry."
Classic Sparkling Mimosa - "Made with fresh-squeezed orange juice and bubbly."
A Weekend at Harry's Coffee - "When you need a wake-me-up and elixir at the same time. Made from Kahlua, Amaretto di Saronno, and Bailey's Irish Cream."

The setting at Harry's is upscale casual, with a friendly atmosphere and terrific staff. The food was all incredible, and unlike many restaurants that just plunk down your food on a plate, the chefs here put effort and thought into their presentations, which always makes the food that much more enjoyable. The portions are quite generous, and made from quality, fresh, local ingredients. The preparations seemed to be simple, but the best flavors were brought out because of this. I would highly recommend that if you're in the area, you visit Harry's and check out their menus - including their lovely wine list.