Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms in a Wine Reduction … Elegant and Romantic with Pinot Noir

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Pairing: Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms (Cepes and Bi-color Boletes) in a Wine Reduction Sauce Paired with a 2016 Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand).

Food: When celebrating a special occasion, one likes to “pull out all the stops.”

Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms in a Wine Reduction Sauce served with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

For many people, a special occasion calls for a night out, dining in an elegant setting, maybe dressed to the nines, and, having someone else (preferably someone who really knows what s/he is doing) cook a fantastic meal. Some of us, however, really to exercise our own culinary prowess and create an extraordinary meal cooking side by side with that special someone. Here’s the setup.

The ingredients ready to go … minced garlic and shallot, oil, butter, beef stock, wine, crushed black pepper, Kosher salt, fresh rosemary, the cooked still-warm fillets, and … the crowning glory .. cepes and bi-color boletes foraged in our own property.

Preparation. Saute the mushrooms in butter and keep warm. The fillets of beef (one and one half to one and three quarters inches thick) are first rubbed thoroughly with crushed black pepper and Kosher salt, then pan-seared in a hot pan with a small amount of oil and butter. Three or four minutes or so on each side should produce a nice crust and a done-ness of rare to medium rare. Transfer the meat to a 300F oven while you make the sauce. Deglaze the pan with some of the wine, add the garlic and shallots, cook to just translucent. Pour in about 3/4 cup of the wine you will be drinking with the meal. Simmer until reduced to about 1/3 of a cup. Add 3/4 cup beef stock. Simmer until reduced again to about a third of a cup of liquid. Strain the liquid, pour back into the pan. Add about a Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, and a Tablespoon of butter. Swirl around until the sauce is nice and silky. Fold in the already cooked mushrooms. Plate the beef with the sauce over or under the beef. (sigh) … Incredible. And a lovely Pinot Noir is the perfect companion to the beef. Enjoy your night “in”.

Wine: When ‘Pinot Noir’ is mentioned, the question arises, “Grown where?” The premier Old World versions are from Burgundy, ever since the Ark. Now the Pinot Noir grape is grown the world over. Martinborough, the source of our wine, is located in the Marlborough Wine Region on the north end of the South Island in New Zealand. Marlborough is the largest wine region in New Zealand. At Ata Rangi, they have been making wine since 1980. This family-owned winery has grown from a small beginning [“Ata Rangi” means “new beginning”] in a sheep pasture to being known for the their Pinot Noirs.

Tasting Notes: The color is a medium red. A nose of cherry gives hints of what is to come. On the palate, the cherry notes continue, joined by red fruits. Do not think that this describes a terribly fruity wine, as New World wines can be. This Pinot Noir was made by people who know what they are doing, so the wine is balanced and elegant. A Pinot Noir like this is the one you want to serve for a special dinner with a special someone.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Beef Tenderloin: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec (France or Argentina), Tempranillo

Other Foods that Pair Well with New Zealand Pinot Noir:  roast chicken, duck confit, smoked salmon, game birds, mature cheddar cheese

Views of the Marlborough Region: https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/marlborough/

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Chicken Galantine … Paired Beautifully with a Red Burgundy (Mercurey)

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Pairing:  Chicken and Pork Galantine Served with Onion Confit, Asparagus, Cornichon, French Country Mustard, and a Crusty Loaf, Paired with a 2016 Domaine Faivel Mercurey (Red Burgundy)

Food: A galantine is not for the faint of heart — the preparation is a bit daunting. First, a whole chicken is relieved of its bones, while leaving the skin intact. If you have a real butcher, he/she might do that for you. Some of the meat is removed and added to chopped beef, herbs, pate de foie gras, and pistachios to form a filling. The remaining skin and the meat attached to it are laid flat, skin side down, and the stuffing is formed into a roll to place on top. The entire thing is rolled up to enclose the stuffing, tied with kitchen twine, then poached. After removing from the poaching broth, the rolled meat is roasted to brown and crisp the skin. At last, it can be sliced and served cold or hot.

Wine:  ‘Mercurey’ is not a mis-spelling of the first planet in our solar system. It is one of the many villages in Burgundy that have given their names to a wine. Located in la Cote Chalonnaise, this appellation produces white wines from Chardonnay grapes, and red wines from Pinot Noir. Domaine Faiveley is grown on south-facing slopes. When serving Mercurey, please note that the wine temperature is different from what you might think is correct. Recommended temperatures: 14 to 15°C for young wines, 15 to 16°C for older wines.

Tasting Notes:  A light garnet color. The nose of the Mercurey is reminiscent of a bowl of mixed fresh berries (blackberry, cherry, blueberry, service berry, strawberry). But, strawberry moves front and center to dominate the palate, accented with light, dry tannins. One could not find a better wine pairing for the Galantine.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Galantine: Pinot Noir (Oregon), Chardonnay (Australia), Beaujolais (France), Riesling (Germany)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Mercurey:  Rabbit, Mushrooms, Venison, Grilled or Roasted Salmon, a board of varying cheeses.

Maps and Views of the Mercurey Wine Region: Mercurey

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Summer is Here (Hot Dog!) … Let the Cookouts Begin … Enjoy some Dogs with a Funky Australian Red … (It’s the Label!)

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Pairing: Grilled Hot Dogs with Baked Beans and Cole Slaw Paired with 2018 19 Crimes: The Uprising Red Blend from Australia.

Food: Summer here in New Hampshire has officially begun. Well … OK … the unofficial start of summer… since astronomically speaking … the official start of summer, the Summer Solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere is not until Tuesday, June 21 at 5:14 am EDT. But, I digress. It’s getting warm out there and we try to do as much of our living outside, including, of course, cooking and eating … i.e., having a cookout.

In our family, our first cookout (usually on or near the Memorial Day weekend) is always … drumroll please … hot dogs!! Every person in the country has their own favorite way of cooking and eating them. For us purists, the dog is poked onto a carefully found and selected live green twig and cooked over an open fire. Once cooked to the right “doneness” (everyone has their own best degree of charred-ness), the dog is then placed into a New England style bun (please .. there is no other kind), lightly buttered and toasted. The dog is then judiciously coated with some favorite condiments, though some in the purist camp prefer them unadorned. Served with baked beans and coleslaw … perfection is achieved. Summer has officially arrived. Enjoy!

Wine: Let’s start with a very reasonable assumption … wine is a terrific accompaniment to hot dogs at a cookout. Now you might have thought about beer, but bear with me. “19 Crimes” is a brand of wine named for the behaviors that would get you transported from England to Australia when it was a penal colony. Hence the dark and scary label. Made of 86% Shiraz, 7% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet, it is bold enough to stand up to any charred dog and the side dishes as well.

Tasting Notes:  Color can be described as reddish purple (or the redder side of purple). This wine offers solid aromas of blackberry and black currant. The taste is BIG … like jam made from a combination of cooked black currant, black raspberry, blackberry, black cherries. One can also detect flavors of some fresh fruit … like strawberry. A pleasant light cedar background is also present. Soft tannins hold the fruit flavors together very well. And the finish lingers delightfully long. The spiciness of the hot dogs advances the the fruit flavors Cooking the hot dogs over an open fire adds yet another layer of perfection. Can’t you just taste it?

Other Wines That Pair Well with Hot Dogs: Beaujolais (France), Riesling (Germany), Zinfandel (Sonoma County), Pinot Noir (Oregon)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Red Blend: Meatloaf, Beef Stew, Roasted Pheasant, Rabbit

More About the Living Wine Labels: Living Wine Labels

A Source: www.wine.com

It’s January … There’s Snow on the Ground … and I’m Dreaming of Summer Gardens … and Corn (!!?)

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Pairing:  Bay Scallops with Corn and Orzo Paired with a 2018 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay.

My Dad passed away almost fifty years ago … I still think of him often. My love of good food and cooking came, I’m sure, from his DNA. We recently enjoyed a meal that featured two of his favorite foods … bay scallops and fresh corn (well … frozen fresh corn). One could say that Dad was a pediatrician by profession, and a gourmet cook and gardener by avocation. Although Mom prepared (and quite nicely) the vast majority of our dinners, Dad took charge of the kitchen when something special was in the offing. Bay scallops, broiled in butter, was one of his most memorable creations. And, in the months of August and September, our monstrous vegetable garden yielded a cornucopia of delights, the highlight of which was corn. Sweet yellow corn. Seneca Chief. Being the youngest of the family, my job was to stand ready to race out to pick the corn at the moment when a huge pot of water on the stove was set to boil. I had to work fast. Pick the corn, shuck it clean and present it to the cook for inspection. Strands of silk stuck to the ears were frowned upon and … God forbid there be any bugs or worms hidden in the cob. Summer in those times was delineated by when the corn was ripe. And, boy, did we eat a lot of it. 

With that bit of family lore, let’s move on to this present day meal … an absolutely fantastic creation featuring bay scallops, corn and orzo. What are bay scallops and how are they different from sea scallops? Bay scallops, as the name implies, live in bays and estuaries along the east coast of the U.S. Whereas sea scallops are found in much deeper ocean water (around 500 feet) and more widely distributed in the world’s oceans. Bay scallops are smaller, around a third of the size of sea scallops, more tender and sweeter. We based this dish on a recipe from the Cooking section of the New York Times. Cook the orzo. Pan-sear the scallops, deglaze with a bit of the water that the orzo was cooked in. Add some garlic to the pan along with some lemon juice. Add the corn and scallions. Cook until the liquids evaporate. Combine all ingredients and finish it off with some grated parmigiana and basil. A truly amazing combination of flavors.

Wine:  The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is a well regarded wine sub-region within the large Central Coast Wine Region, noted particularly for the quality of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah wines being made in what is referred to as a cool-climate viticultural area. The lower temperatures of this area are due to the steady breezes coming in off the cold Pacific Ocean on three sides of the vineyards here. Film buffs take note … the hit movie, Sideways, was shot in the Rita Hills region.

The Brewer-Clifton winery produces only wines that are made from single vineyards that are each determined by the unique geography, geology and climatic conditions of each vineyard. We look forward to the time when we can visit the winery to sample the wines crafted from this interesting environment.

Tasting Notes:  A lovely pale gold color. A clean aroma, reminiscent of a Granny Smith apple. Floral and green field grass accents, including white clover, distinguish the nose of this wine. The flavor merges green apple with citrus fruits (lemon and lime). “Clean” and “crisp” also come to mind as descriptors of the taste. And a long, very pleasant finish lingers on the palate. The pairing of this wine with the bay scallops and corn dish is inspired. 

Other Wines That Pair Well with Scallops and Corn: Sauvignon Blanc (California), White Bordeaux (France), White Burgundy (France), Chenin Blanc (South Africa), Champagne (France)

Other Sea Food That Pairs Well with California Chardonnay:  Dungeness Crab, Lobster, Halibut, White Fish in a Cream Sauce, Salmon

Photos and Maps of the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Region:  Sta. Rita Hills AVA

A Source:  www. klwines.com

A New England Fourth of July … Salmon, New Potatoes, and Fresh Peas … Paired with a Chardonnay from Oregon

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Pairing:  Salmon, New Potatoes, and Peas Paired with a 2014 Domaine Drouhin “Arthur” Chardonnay (Dundee Hills, Oregon)

Food:  When most of us who call the U.S. of A. home think of food on the Fourth of July (Independence Day), we most often conjure up images of cookouts with hamburgers and hotdogs sizzling on the grill, served on buns (New England style, of course) toasted to perfection, baked beans, and great handfuls of potato chips. What could be better fare to watch the fireworks?

But there is another tradition particularly  for folks who hail from one of the New England states … a  classic meal of salmon, new potatoes, and freshly picked and shelled peas. Although traditionally the salmon is poached and served with an egg sauce, we’ve simplified the dish by grilling the salmon that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and tarragon. The new potatoes and peas are generously buttered. The Founding Fathers would be pleased!

Salmon on The Fourth

Wine:  The Willamette Valley is arguably one of the premiere wine regions anywhere on the planet, and is favorably compared with the Burgundy region in France. And, like in Burgundy, two grapes dominate the winemaking landscape in much of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is no coincidence, then, that one of the leading winemakers in the Willamette Valley is Domaine Drouhin, part of the same Drouhin family responsible for some of Burgundy’s most  important, historic and prestigious wines. It’s no wonder that Drouhin’s foray into the Willamette Valley, specifically the Dundee Hills sub-region, has be so successful. Their Arthur Chardonnay is an delightful example of an Oregonian Chardonnay and great with grilled salmon to help celebrate the Fourth of July in style.

Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay

Tasting Notes:  A lovely medium gold color (16 -18 Karat). Nose:  A big aroma of ripe melon … intoxicating! Lush melon clearly orchestrates the flavors of the wine … Charentais melon, perhaps. This Oregon Chardonnay is reminiscent of a white Burgundy with a delicate hint of sweetness. Very well balanced. Like good French food, you often can’t distinguish among the individual elements, but they add up to a wonderful ‘whole’. Pairs perfectly with the salmon, and especially nice with the freshly shelled peas!

Other Wines That Pair Well with Salmon:  Pinot Noir (Oregon), Riesling (New York), White Burgundy (France), Pinot Grig (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Chardonnay: Crab Cakes, Roasted Chicken, Sautéed Scallops, Wild Mushrooms

Views of the Beautiful Willamette Valley Oregon Wine Region:  Willamette Valley

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Mussels with Saffron and Cream (Mouclade Vendéenne) … excellent with Vermentino di Gallura

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Pairing:  Mussels with Saffron and Cream (served with a side of Broccoli), Paired with a 2014 Canayli Vermentino di Gallura Superiore

Food: The Vendee region of western France lies along the coast south of the Loire River. It is perhaps best known for the War of the Vendee, a counter-revolutionary uprising during the French Revolution in 1793 that resulted in the death of thousands of Vendeenne farmers and peasants.

But the Vendee is known for something far more pleasant … mussels. As the story goes, in 1237 an Irish boat captain was shipwrecked on a deserted stretch of Vendee coastline. To survive, he set out traps to catch birds. The sticks he used to elevate the traps above the water were soon covered with huge mussels, much larger than those growing on the rocks. Today mussels are still cultivated in this same way in the Vendee, contributing significantly to the regional economy.

La Mouclad Vendeenne is a treasured dish that pays homage to this our favorite mollusk, as well as other flavors and ingredients of this beautiful land and seascape. Butter, onions, garlic, dry white wine, cognac, saffron, curry powder, a pinch of cayenne, and cream are all combined expertly and lovingly by chef and author Ann Willam in her cookbook, French Regional Cooking, her 1981 classic. We turn to this book again and again for both inspiration and masterful technique.

Wine:  Vermentino is most often associated with the Mediterranean Islands of Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy). Elsewhere Vermentino is found in the Liguria and Piedmont wine regions of Italy, and Provence in far southern France. The grape is said to have been brought to Corsica from Spain in the 12th Century, although no actual documentation appears until 1658 pairing and that in the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy. Complicating things further is the reality that Vermentino goes by other names. In the stunningly beautiful Riviera di Ponente zone of Liguria (think Cinque Terre) it is known as Pigato; in southern France (Provence) it is Rolle; and in the Piedmont wine region it goes by the name Favorita. With that said, this Canayli Vermentino comes from Sardinia where the grape is a relative newcomer, first plantings having been done in the late 20th Century.

Tasting Notes: A deep yellow-gold cold. The fragrance of mango and apricot are both present on the nose, and very pleasant to just sit and sniff. But do taste it. The flavor of apricots reverberates on the palate, joined by the taste of slightly tart green grapes. Dry, distinctive and delicious. The hint of sweetness of the wine plays off very nicely on the rich spiciness of the mussel sauce. An excellent pairing.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Mussels with Saffron and Cream: Muscadet (Loire, France), White Bordeaux (France), Sauvignon Blanc (California), Viognier (Australia)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Vermentino:  Grilled Fish (e.g. Striped Bass), Pesto, Shrimp, Scallops

Views of the Vende Region: Vendee Region

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Scallops with Sun-dried Tomatoes on Pasta … Paired Nicely with a New Hampshire Frontenac Gris

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Pairing: Pan-Seared Scallops with Penne, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic served with Fiddlehead Greens, Paired with a 2013 Walpole New Hampshire Mountain View Winery Frontenac Gris

Food: Jasper White is widely regarded as a leading authority on traditional and contemporary New England food (notably seafood). For our dish we used White’s recipe for Cape Scallops Sautéed with Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes, from Jasper White’s Cooking from New England., one of our most dog-eared volumes on our cook bookshelf. The major addition we made to the recipe was to toss the scallop mixture into cooked penne. And … the penne we used was made entirely from red lentil flour. Amazing!! Delicious!! And serving the scallops and penne with fresh fiddlehead greens was (modestly) inspiring. There just aren’t enough superlatives to describe this wonderful meal paired with a very nice local wine.

Wine: Frontenac is a cold weather tolerant wine grape, developed in 1978 at the University of Minnesota; a cross between Landot Noir and a wild grape variety found in Minnesota and also known for its cold tolerance. Frontenac Gris is a mutation of Frontenac. Frontenac Gris is considered to be the white version of Frontenac (a red wine), though its color is more accurately described as amber or peach. It is grown in many northern U.S. states, including Michigan, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, and in some Canadian provinces, notably Quebec. Quebec is where another grape mutation was recently discovered, namely, Frontenac Blanc.

Tasting Notes:  The color of the Walpole Mountain View Frontenac Gris is decidedly amber. It possesses a lovely fragrance of honey (maybe Sourwood?) and toasted hazelnut. On the palate one can readily taste caramel, hazelnut, vanilla, and peach-apricot jam. The food and the wine make for a beautiful visual pairing. The flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes and the hazelnut element of the wine make for a terrific combination. And, the apricot flavor really shows up on the finish. A very nice pairing.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Scallops and Sun-dried Tomatoes: Chenin Blanc (South Africa), Sauvignon Blanc (California), Gruner Veltliner (Austria), Gewurstraminer (Alsace, France)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Frontenac Gris:  Lobster Rolls, Chicken Salad, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Leftover Turkey (Cold)

More About the New Hampshire Wineries: New Hampshire Wineries

A Source: liquor and wine outlets

Chicken Roasted with Oranges … Served with an Exquisite Condrieu

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Pairing: Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay Leaves, Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas, Paired with a 2015 E. Guigal Condrieu

Food: There are so many wonderful seasonings and ingredients that make a simple roast chicken even better (Is that possible?). Raising our own flock of hens year after year has given us ample opportunities to try umpteen recipes and to experiment with a vast array of flavorings. This recipe … Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay … has become a family favorite. Amanda Hesser’s singular book, The Cook and the Gardener: A Year of Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside is the source of this inspired recipe. A roasting chicken is first marinated in a combination of freshly squeezed oranges, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and the remaining orange rinds. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, basting several times in the marinade. Make a sauce out of the marinade and some rich stock (Hesser recommends duck stock). What a memorable integration of flavors! And paired with the Condrieu, it ascends to the stratosphere!

Note: Amanda Hesser is a great writer. Her book is a really good read even if you never make any of the recipes.

Roasted Chicken First Marinaded in Oranges, Rosemary and Bay. Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas.

Wine: I have said this before, but,… what the heck … I will say it again. If I have a favorite white wine, and … let’s be honest … I do … it has to be Condrieu, the appellation of the Viognier grape grown along a short stretch of the Northern Rhone River. Condrieu is the exemplar … the standard bearer … of the Viognier grape. And to think that Viognier almost completely disappeared. As recently as the 1960’s, the last vestiges of the grape were holding out on a few acres in some quiet corners of Condrieu. A resurgence occurred in the late 20th and early 21st Century as growers and winemakers responded to the growing interest from wine aficionados. Viognier is now grown all over the globe, some of the best coming from South Africa, Australia, California, and elsewhere in France (e.g., Languedoc-Roussillon).

Tasting Notes: Beautiful dark gold in color. Fragrant bouquet of ripe yellow peach, honey and orange (the blossom and the ripe fruit). The palate is light and refreshing with the gorgeous flavor of Charentais melon and honey with only the barest touch of sweetness. Very drinkable by itself (delightful actually), and pairs astonishingly well with the orange overtones to the roast chicken. “It tastes the way an orange smells!” “Gosh … this is good!!” And now … a little musical interlude … bluegrass!! … Orange Blossom Special.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Roast Chicken with Oranges: Riesling (Germany), Chardonnay (California), Semillon (Australia), Gewürztraminer (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Condrieu:  Crab Cakes, Lobster, Filet Mignon (with Citrus Hollandaise), Roast Pork with Fruit Glaze or Sauce (Mango, Peach, Orange)

Views of the Condrieu Wine Region: Condrieu

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Grilled, Marinated Lamb … a Classic Pairing with a Margaux (Bordeaux)

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Pairing: Marinated Lamb Grilled in an Open Fireplace Paired with a 2012 Chateau D’Issan Margaux  

Food: Roasting a leg of lamb that’s been studded with thin slices of garlic has been the traditional way of preparing lamb … at least in our family. But … hold on. Boning the leg, butterflying the removed meat, marinating it, then grilling the lamb over a hot wood fire is rapidly becoming our new favorite way to enjoy this delicious meat. Butterflying a leg of lamb is relatively easy … if you are comfortable around a sharp knife (!). This video provides good, easy to follow, guidance for accomplishing this task. We use Martha Stewart’s excellent recipe as the basis for this wonderful meal. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper, then marinate the meat overnight in a combination of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and oregano. For rare to medium-rare doneness, grill the lamb over a hot fire for about 8 minutes on a side, then let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. We like to cook the meat over an open wood fire (which adds a wonderful smokey flavor) and serve the sliced lamb with asparagus and popovers. What a treat!

Wine: The Haut Medoc wine region of Bordeaux is home to arguably the four most prestigious wine districts in all of Bordeaux, Maybe, according to some, even in all of France (Hmmmm … really?) Anyway, these four districts are Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, Saint-Julien, and Margaux, and all have a well-deserved reputation. Located in Margaux is Chateau d’Issan … this estate dates back to the 12th Century, there being claims that wine from the estate was served at the wedding of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henri Plantagenet, the future king of England, on 18 May 1152. Their 2012 vintage Margaux is made from Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) and Merlot (33%). This is a wine for special occasions.

Grand Cru Classe En 1855

Tasting Notes:  The color is red with a reddish-brown tint. The bouquet is that of fresh hedgerow smells, including service berry, blackberry, red currant, and bay. Some new leather sneaks in there, too. The palate is delightfully complex with layers of hedgerow (including some of the wood), spice notes (allspice and cloves), rosemary, oregano, black olive, cigar box and leather. Quite extraordinary. The rosemary and leather carry the long, lingering finish. The herbs in the marinade tease those flavors out of the wine. The pairing of the margaux and the lamb couldn’t be better. The wine complements the food, the food complements the wine. That’s what pairing is all about.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Grilled Lamb: Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, California), Aglianico (Italy), Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California), Hermitage (Rhone Valley, France)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Red Bordeaux (Margaux): Roast Chicken or Pheasant, Venison, Duck, Filet Mignon

Maps of Bordeaux and the Haut Medoc Wine Region: Haut Medoc

A Source: www.wine.com

Lamb Shanks and Homemade Noodles … A Delight with an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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Pairing: Lamb Shanks and Homemade Noodles, Paired with a 2013 Dutcher Crossing Cooney Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (from Alexander Valley) 

Food: This meal started life as my mother’s signature dish, Lamb Shanks and Spaghetti, and all of us loved it. Her version was simplicity itself … two or three meaty lamb shanks, tomato juice, chili powder, green peppers, salt and pepper. Braise the meat for a few hours in the juice and seasonings. When the meat is practically falling off the bones, remove all of the meat from the bones, skim the fat off the remaining liquid, reduce until thickened and serve over Ronzoni spaghetti (Is there another kind?). We couldn’t get enough of it.

Fast forward sixty + years. Now the pasta of choice is homemade noodles made with white whole wheat flour, semolina, and an egg. Our lamb shanks come from a nearby sheep farm. Let’s see … tomato juice — check, peppers — check, chili powder – check, seasoning — check. Pretty much the same as Mom’s dish except, of course, for the thick, chewy homemade noodles. That change brings an already yummy dish to another whole level.

Thick-cut Homemade Whole Wheat and Semolina Noodles with Lamb Shanks in a Light Tomato Sauce

Wine: One would be hard pressed to find a better place to produce Cabernet Sauvignon than the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. Within its vast 3 million acres resides California’s North Coast, one of the world’s premier wine regions. It contains Napa, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Stag’s Leap, and Carneros, often referred to as “the aristocracy of American Wine”. The Alexander Valley, located in the northern part of Sonoma enjoys a warm, dry growing season with cool evenings due to its proximity to the coast and the cooler fog that rolls inland in the evening. The soils are deep alluvial gravel, requiring the vines to expend considerable energy just to grow deep roots to access the limited water. This provides just the right level of “stress” forcing the vines to focus their remaining energy on producing small, thick-skinned grapes with concentrated sugars. These are particularly good conditions for producing superb Cabernet Sauvignon. And, in our opinion, Dutcher Crossing Winery is among the very best producers of Cab in this stellar wine region.

Tasting Notes:  Color is deep, dark garnet … almost black. Aroma of black currant dominates the nose, while a littler bit of fragrant leather sneaks in. The palate shows off some very nicely balanced tannins to help show off the jammy black currant and fresh blueberries. An exceptional Cab that goes perfectly with the flavors of rich lamb, spicy chili, and robust tomato. The rustic whole wheat noodles add even more depth to the dish. Delicious.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Lamb Shanks and Noodles: Shiraz (Australia), Malbec (Argentina), Rioja (Spain), Zinfandel (Sonoma, California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Cabernet Sauvignon:  Steak Au Poivre, Blue Cheese, Chocolate (Dark, Bittersweet), Grilled Hamburgers

More About the Alexander Valley Wine Region: Alexander Valley

A Source: Dutcher Crossing Winery