Fire Up That Grill

     Warmer weather has finally arrived! So this past weekend my husband and I decided it was time to fire up the grill. We headed to the meat market and found some fantastic steaks to throw on the grill. Now we just needed to choose the wine to accompany our first grilled meat of the season. We decided on a 2008 Rockpile Buck Pasture Red wine from Mauritson’s Wine – a favorite winery of ours in Healdsburg, CA.

    

     The Buck Pasture Red wine is a classic Bordeaux blend. The 2008 varietal is 45% Cabernet, 23% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 13% Malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot. We opened the wine about 45 minutes prior to serving. The wine was a beautiful deep purple in color. On the nose we picked up plum, red fruit, cassis, cola, tobacco, and a hint of smokiness. When we enjoyed a glass after dinner (2-3 hours later) the nose was even more expressive with the cassis and tobacco jumping out of the glass. On the palate the dark fruit really shined. It is a well-balanced wine with rich earthiness and a nice finish. After taking a few sips while our steaks rested, we were anxious to pair this wine with dinner.

Mauritson Winery, Healdsburg, CA

     Our meal was simple:  salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, baked potatoes, and those juicy steaks. Our wine choice definitely stood up to the steak. The richness of fruit really exploded as the finish expanded. And as the wine opened up during the evening, the more we enjoyed it! This big, rich wine was a winner.

     If you are ever visiting Sonoma Valley and traveling along Dry Creek Road, make sure you stop by Mauritson’s. They have a nice selection of wines, and if you are a California Zinfandel lover, the Rockpile Zins are not to be missed!

Cheers,

Beth

Wine Word of the Week

 



Components: The components of a wine make up its character, style, and taste. Some components are: acidity, alcohol, fruit, tannin, and residual sugar.