deVine Table

When we went to the Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Walla Walla, I knew we’d come back with more wine. I just didn’t think we’d come back with as much as two cases. Two cases on its own really isn’t that much for a household that regularly consumes wine and entertains guests. It’s just that we don’t have room to store any more wine. So, we decided to host a dinner for friends in an effort to alleviate our “storage problem.”

Our friends also happen to be wine bloggers from Washington State Wine and Beer and Washington Wine Report.  So what wine do you serve to wine bloggers? Bubbles are always a great way to start any party. As if the drink isn’t festive enough, Argyle Winery makes a unique red sparkler from 100% Pinot Noir that is a beautiful intense red. It always starts a conversation on its own. Then we moved onto Fumé Blanc for the appetizer. For the next course we selected two Merlots to drink side by side – one from Washington and one from California. That’s right, we served these Washington winos some California juice! Terroir vs. terroir. Following that, we served two Bordeaux blends made with grapes from the same vineyard but at the hands of different winemakers. Winemaker vs. winemaker. For dessert, a late harvest Gewurztraminer that I promised Ed we’d open the next time he joined us for dinner.

Menu for a deVine Dinner

Argyle 2006 Black Brut

Smoked Trout Pate with Tomato Arugula Salad

’08 Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Fume Blanc

◊◊◊

Bean’s Cherry Basil Salad, Beautiful Array of Roasted Veggies, Roast Chicken

Vivian’s take on John Sarich’s Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Ragu

Fennel and Walnut Soup

’02 Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot

’02 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Merlot

◊◊◊

Farmstead Macaroni & Cheese

’05 Coyote Canyon Winery H/H Estates Bozak Red Reserve

’05 Bricco Two Rivers Bordeaux Blend

◊◊◊

Ed’s broiled peaches with ice cream

’05 Gordon Brothers Columbia Valley Late Harvest Gewurztraminer

Wine Pairing

Roger and I purchased the Grgich Hills Fume Blanc after a recent tasting hosted by Richard Kinnsies at the Seattle Wine Outlet. I have to admit that I am not typically a fan of this variety. At least not of the overly herbaceous types. However, I am so taken with this one that I could not leave the tasting without it. It offers apricot and peach on the palate along with some minerality. The contrast between the fruit in the wine and the the smoked trout creates a lovely pairing.

Our friend, Bean, served a beautiful salad featuring basil as the greens and topped with cherries. Fantastic with Merlot. She also brought an unbelievable array of vegetables from her garden, along with some chicken. For vegetarians who wonder what to pair with red wine, my answer is roasted veggies. The roasted beets and roasted bell peppers were particularly tasty with the red wines on our table.

After receiving a copy of John Sarich’s latest cookbook Chef in the Vineyard, Vivian was inspired to prepare his recipe for Grilled Pork Tenderloin and White Bean Ragu. The book even specifies to pair it with Northstar Merlot! I can tell you, those beans were fantastic with both Merlots.

I purchased some fennel at our farmer’s market, and put it to good use in a batch of Fennel Walnut Soup following a recipe I received from Sabrina Tinsley of Osteria la Spiga. Ed was totally wowed by this soup paired with the Northstar Merlot. I have to admit, I really enjoyed the pairing too. As Bean will tell you, though, there isn’t much I don’t enjoy with Northstar Merlot!

The Bordeaux blends were something we wanted to feature on our table this evening because we recently spent a day visiting the Horse Heaven Hills vineyards where the grapes were grown. It was fascinating tasting two wines with grapes originating from the same source, yet crafted by different winemakers. The consensus at our table was that it was like tasting new world (Coyote Canyon) and old world (Bricco) styles. I prepared my Farmstead Macaroni and Cheese for this course. A traditional mac and cheese made with a sauce resulting in a higher fat content would probably stand up better to the tannins in these wines.

Our evening wrapped up with peaches drizzled with mint honey, caramelized under the broiler then topped with ice cream. The Gordon Brothers Late Harvest Gewurztraminer was a lovely pairing with the dish. We recently purchased the wine at the Gordon Brothers Woodinville tasting room where it was on close out for just $10. Definitely a good value.

I know a lot of people think dinner parties are a lot of work. I suggest telling your friends that you’re opening up several bottles of your favorite wines, and that they are welcome to join you and bring a dish they’d like to pair with one or two of the wines. Then, just make a couple of dishes to round things out. It’s that simple.

Related posts:

1. Ribs and Wine Birthday Dinner
2. Risotto for Wine Lovers
3. Viva Italia Dinner

Tags: Argyle, Bordeaux blend, Bricco, Cakebread Cellars, Fume blanc, Gordon Brothers, Grgich Hills, Late harvest gewurztraminer, Merlot, Northstar, Sparkling wine

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 5:37 pm and is filed under Red Wine, Tablescapes, White Wine, Wine Pairing Menu. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.