The May wine dinner at Randy’s was a collection of wines from his cellar. He claimed to be cleaning out his cellar to make room for more wine….
Reception
Randy’s Hors D’oeuvres
Twomey Cellars by Silver Oak, Napa, California
This wine had flavors of green apple like a jolly rancher. There were minerals, flowers and yeast on the tongue – but “not a good bread yeast” as on of my companion said. We weren’t actually told what this was – so we had fun guessing. Best guess was a Sauvignon Blanc. And it was.
First Course
Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
Cakebread, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
This wine has the typical buttery California scent to it, but not a buttery texture – despite the somewhat buttery flavor.
The crab cake went pretty good with it. The “charred” kale tempered it, but I could have sat and eaten the remoulade with the wine all night
Overall, an average Chardonnay. Quite a Monday for me.
Second Course
Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Halter Ranch CDP, Paso Robles, California
Randy outright admitted he wasn’t sure the salad was going to go with the wine. It didn’t.
It was very berry forward and one of the other diners admitted it was a favorite of theirs. We had to look it up. It’s basically a GSM blend with a bit of Tannet. Which explains why it goes so well with steak.
We decided this should have gone with barbacoa or mushrooms. However, I’m pleased to have won this Thursday wine in the after dinner raffle. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to try it with something.
Entrée
Ribeye Steak with Garlic Mushrooms & Roasted Garlic Butter Parmesan Potatoes
Duckhorn Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California
With flavor like Razzleberry jam you really can’t go wrong with this cabernet. The steak brought out the acid of the wine. The wine is a bit on the sweet side, so as one companion eloquently put it – “desserty.” I’d agree. So while the mushrooms were good, this needed more of a blackberry glaze to enhance the wine flavor.
It’s still a great Wednesday cab for pasta, meatloaf or flank steak.
Dessert
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Ceretto Vignaioli, D’Asti, Moscato, Italy
This was an “okay” choice for dessert. I’m coming to realize I prefer a good coffee at the end of a wine dinner. This was surprisingly spicy and tart for a Moscato. I’d try it again, but I might just sit on the porch and sip it, hoping the neighbors drink most of it.
Final Thoughts
In true Southern fashion, the phrase “Mayo makes everything better” was definitely true on the Sauvignon Blanc. Or as a companion said “Proof Bacon makes everything better.” Needless to say, not our favorite.
The Paso Robles Red Blend went better with the steak than the cabernet – but I think that’s just my preference for a blend with steaks these days. Overall, quite a fun dinner helping Randy clean out his wine stash. Can’t wait until he needs to do it again.
