Some Tasty and Affordable Wine Dinners

I’m beginning to believe that the sweetest spot right now in terms of wine values exists at the tier just above what most of us think of as “entry level”.  Certainly there are delicious wines to be found at the least expensive price point, but I’ve been noticing better-than-ever rewards for moving up just one notch.  In other words, there’s not a whole lot of difference between what you could find on the shelf for $10 a few years ago and what you can find at that price now.  However, there’s a bunch of wines that used to cost around $30 that you can now get for $20.   Our March wine dinners will be focusing on this price point.  As opposed to tasty wines on the cheap, these are remarkable wines at a very fair price.

Bernard Griffin Winery

Tuesday, March 9^th 2010

7pm

$45 per person

Here’s a winery, located in Washington State, that has been quietly turning out delicious wines for nearly 30 years.  Honestly, we all need to get on board with Washington State wines because they’re flat-out delicious.  And the more you ask for them, the more guys like me will put them on our list.  The whites—lean but generous.  The reds—regal and deep.  And here’s a great chance to check some out.  We’ve had the Merlot on our wine list (which, in my opinion is the grape Washington does better than any other state) but I was blown away by the reserve, available for barely more money.  So we’re going with that one for the dinner….

Shrimp and red lentil fritters with spicy braised cabbage

-2008 Rose of Sangiovese

Spice-encrusted grouper with Asian pear beurre blanc

-2008 Chardonnay

Ginger-scented boudin blanc with warm potato, endive salad

and citrus vinaigrette

-2008 Riesling

Grilled flat iron steak with crispy daikon cake and currant reduction

-2008 Syrah

Tea-smoked duck with scallion bread pudding

-2004 Reserve Merlot

Some Killer Wines from Argentina

Tuesday, March 23^rd 2010

7pm

$45 per person

Now, I don’t need to tell anyone that Argentina has been producing great value wines for some time, but in keeping with my first point of this newsletter, I really do think the wine drinker is handsomely rewarded for moving up to the next price tier.  For instance, you swap a totally agreeable Chardonnay for something profoundly delicious like the Catalpa Chard we’re going to pour in this meal.  The reds start behaving like Napa juice that you’d have to pay 3x the price for.  These Zuccardi reds are getting rave reviews from the talking heads and I can’t help but agree with them.  The Tempranillo, in particular, is just beautiful.

Salad of celery, strawberries, and fresh ricotta with honey vinaigrette

-2009 Barricas Torrontes

Seared large sea scallop with turnip sformatto, carrot-ginger coulis, and cilantro

-2009 Catalpa “Alto Tupungato” Chardonnay

Grilled pork skewers with cucumber salad and peanut sauce

-2008 Catalpa Old Vines Malbec

Five-spice egg noodle soup with shredded duck and shiitake mushrooms

-2007 Zuccardi Q Malbec

Roasted lamb with black olives, roasted beets, and bulgar

-2005 Zuccardi Q Tempranillo