Wine Dinner 1

Overview: Tonight we had a wine/dinner pairing with 3 wines we picked out and 3 dishes we thought would pair well with the specific wines. For the first course, we made a garlic butter steak with chimichurri sauce and paired it with a Malbec. Course 2 included burger sliders topped with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and smoked gouda cheese which we paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The last course included a dark chocolate lava cake with a blackberry glaze, paired with a Syrah. The best pairing in my opinion was the dessert course for the reasons I describe below.

Wine Selections:

        

        - Rancho Campo Malbec 2023

        - Fieldwren's Folly Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

        - 1/3 Washington Syrah 2020       

        

        

    

Course 1 (Malbec & Steak): The Rancho Campo Malbec 2023 (Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina) was full bodied and had high tannin levels. Notes of black fruits (blackberry, black cherry) on the nose, and flavors of cherry and medium acidity on the palate. Well balanced, not too complex however. Paired with a garlic butter steak with chimichurri sauce. The idea here was for the garlic to bring out the earthiness of the wine while the fats in the steak soften the tannins. I did notice the fattiness of the steak almost completely removed the tannins of the wine making the fruity flavors much more noticeable. The chimichurri also made the acidity in the wine more pronounced and vibrant. Good example of the classic "pair red wines with red meats."

Course 2 (Cabernet Sauvignon & Beef Sliders): This pairing included the Fieldwren's Folly Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Clare Valley, Australia). The wine was my favorite of the night and one of the better wines I've had over the past couple weeks. Very fruity and floral on the nose, lots of blackberry. Flavors of sweet blackberry, honey, and chocolate on the palate. There was an initial sweet taste that blended into fruity/tannic as the tasting evolves. This wine was paired with a burger slider with caramelized onions, and topped with sauteed mushrooms and a smoked gouda. This pairing helped to soften the tannins in the wine, while also complimenting the sweetness of the onions extremely well. The dish was good by itself, but grew in complexity with this pairing. The lack of tannins after the pairing made the wine taste much fruitier and almost a tad sweeter. I think the dish benefited more than the wine in this pairing, but overall a great one.

Course 3 (Syrah & Dark Chocolate Lava Cake): The last course, dessert, included the 1/3 Washington Syrah 2023 (Columbia Valley, Washington, US). The wine itself was not very well balanced, with notes of plum on the nose, and flavors of mild tannins and an overpowering spice on the palate. This was paired with a dark chocolate lava cake covered in a blackberry glaze. I must say, this pairing surprised me and greatly improved both the wine and the dish. The sweet chocolate meshed well with the plum flavors, and balanced the spice flavors making it taste much different. I also think that the cake was a little dry, so tasting it with the wine made it much more moist. This was my favorite pairing of the night.

All in all, the best pairing in my opinion was the 3rd course Syrah and chocolate lava cake. Both the dish and wine changed and grew because of the pairing. A close second was the 2nd course Cabernet Sauvignon and beef sliders. Would recommend the first 2 wines mentioned and all 3 dishes.