Randy’s Steakhouse’s August Wine Dinner featured Josh Cellars.
Chardonnay, California
Paired with Randy’s Hors D’Oeuvres
When not backlit by candlelight, this Chardonnay has a nice wheat color.
It’s an easy to drink Chardonnay, not overly oaked with a good buttery flavor. The tannins are a bit high, which enhanced the green apple flavor. It’s a Monday wine – but only because, if you enjoy Chardonnay, you could enjoy it the rest of the week. The olives and the spicy empanadas in the hors d’ouvres made it sweet.
Sauvignon Blanc, California
Paired with Grilled Pizza with peaches and arugula.
Your eyes do not deceive you. The shrimp and mozzarella bruschetta that should be the third course came out as the second course. No idea if the kitchen messed up and the pizza wasn’t done or if there was a last minute change to the menu.
According to the wine rep, this very light (almost clear) wine should have a Kiwi finish. None of my dining companions or I got that flavor. We all did get pineapple.
Regardless of liking the wine, it did not go with the shrimp. The spice on the bruschetta completely killed the flavor of the wine.
We put it at a Tuesday wine because we all liked it before we tried the food. So this is one where you’ll need to be careful what you pair with it.
Pinot Noir, California
Paired with Shrimp & Mozzarella Bruschetta
Yes, the peach and arugula pizza arrived with the pinot noir. I had sent this picture to a friend who couldn’t join us for dinner since he was stuck working late and he asked how the chicken went with the pinot.
The peaches didn’t go too bad with the pinot which had a slight peach flavor – perhaps influenced by the peach itself. The wine was also very yeasty.
One of my dining companions referred to the flavor as Tomacco… that’s tomato and tobacco together. See this link to the Simpson’s fandom wiki for explanation and reference.
Overall we narrowed it down to a Tuesday/Wednesday wine – with the final verdict being split 50/50. But we did all agree that it probably would have paired better with it’s original menu item and we would definitely serve it with a pork loin.
Special Edition 1960 Dallas Cowboys, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Paired with Filet Mignon with Garlic Herb Butter & twice-baked potatoes
The cabernet served (see Final Thoughts for explanation) went really well with the steak. And as you can see it has an amazingly dense dark color. The flavor is just as dense, with most notably it being berry.
The butter on the steak is what they serve daily with their fresh hot bread and Randy commented that so many people ask for an extra to put on their steak, he’d just serve it that way. I’d never tried it on a steak as I enjoyed it on the bread – but I have to say it was good.
Dessert
The white chocolate raspberry cheesecake was paired with Chambord Raspberry Liqueur.
While the dark raspberry of the Chambord paired well with the cheesecake itself, it did not go with the raspberry sauce or fresh raspberries.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, we did not have the special edition Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve seen the bottle for that wine and it is very distinct. It has raised numbers and Cowboy’s logo. Instead we had this version of Cabernet Sauvignon. Which is a shame as I was looking forward to trying the other. I guess I will have to breakdown and buy a bottle – maybe if the Cowboys win a playoff game. I won’t say make it to the Super Bowl – I’ll be waiting a while.
Overall the wine dinner was good with your average Josh Cellars wines. The wine rep didn’t bother to explain the reds after the kitchen snafu and I’m guessing they were hoping no one would notice the switch in Cabernet Sauvignons. Regardless, it was great to get together with friends I hadn’t seen in a while and celebrate some of life’s moments…
