Saturday's Pairing

The richness of the 2010 Belle Glos pinot noir paired wonderfully with the balsamic and rosemary marinated steak.  The wine is full bodied with the flavors of lush ripe fruit, cocoa, and with hints of earthy minerality.  What I was struck by the most was the cured meat, almost bacon fat like, flavors that this wine imparted, wow!  This wine stays with you a full 30 to 45 seconds on the finish.
While this wine is not inexpensive at $44, I highly recommend the 2010 Belle Glos Las Alturas Vineyard pinot noir.  I rate this wine at 93 points.

Balsamic and Rosemary-Marinated Florentine Steak

To accompany the lovely bottle of pinot noir I have selected for tonight, we will be preparing balsamic and rosemary marinated florentine steak.  Traditionally, a thick cut porterhouse steak is used in this preparation; however I like to use a thick cut rib-eye steak.   

Below you will find the marinade recipe:

1/2 cup - balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons - balsamic glaze

1 tablespoon - olive oil

2 teaspoons - salt

2 teaspoons - black pepper

1/8 cup - chopped rosemary

Pour marinade mixture along with the steak into a re-sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 6 hours.  Grill to desired doneness.

Saturday's Wine - 2010 Belle Glos Las Alturas Vineyard

Winemaker's Tasting Notes:
Dense, dark garnet color. Aromas of juicy dark fruit, moist soil, vanilla and coco burst out of the glass. The palate is so rich that it can almost be chewed on. Flavors of pie filling, plum, cured meats and root beer enliven the senses. This wine has structural integrity with great depth. The balanced acidity leads to a provocatively supple finish.

Warm Weather Calls For Rose'

Nothing says summer to me more than enjoying a glass of rose' on a sunny 89 degree day.  I love recommending a good wine at a great price point, and that wine is the 2010 Piattelli Rose' of Malbec at $12 a bottle.  This Argentinian gem utilizes the traditional Sanigee (pronounced "senyay") method, a French word that means "to bleed".  After a 24 hour cold maceration process, the juice is then transferred to and fermented in stainless steel tanks.  The rose' is bottled after only 2 months of aging.  Maceration time for roses' varies from a fews hours to several days.  As one would assume, a very short maceration time would produce a wine that is almost white. The Piattelli Rose' is a blend of 91% Malbec and 9% Torrontes grape varietals.  

This wine is darker than many other roses', a ruby red color with strawberry and cherry on the mid palate and light tannins on the finish. The wine also paired well with the gouda cheese that we were enjoying.  

Lots Of Flower Planting A Bit Of Wine

Not a lot of wine drinking accompanied by a great dinner pairing this past weekend.  It was our annual garden flower planting fest, as a result, we didn't have the energy to pull off a big dinner.  We did have the chance to open a bottle of the 2010 Turley California Zinfandel Old Vines.  I found the wine to have the classic zinfandel spice, dark fruit flavors, and the tannins were also very approachable.  I would rate the wine a solid 90 points.

2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani Doc San Luigi

At a recent wine tasting I had opportunity to try this little gem.  The 100% Dolcetto grape varietal is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks for one year. The area of Dogliani in Italy is well suited for the cultivation of the Dolcetto grape.  As a matter of fact, this grape varietal has been under cultivation in this area for centuries.  The wine is ruby red with flavors of raspberry,notes of spice, with a nice finish.  At $13.95 it is a great value as well.  
Ratings -  RP 90

The vineyards at Pecchenino

Buying Local Produce

We are truly blessed to have a locally grown vegetable produce market so close to our neighborhood.  Currently, we are enjoying the incredibly fresh and delicious spring asparagus crop, cut each morning for sale that day.  And because it has such a short season, they even call to let us know when they have asparagus available!  
Everyone should search out their local produce vendors and farmer's markets to obtain the freshest healthy produce available for your table.

It doesn't look like much, but throughout the summer we purchase everything from cut flowers, to all varieties of vegetables, and even your fall pumpkins and decorative corn stalks.