Meritage

Lastnight we went to one of my favorite dining spots in Sonoma: Meritage (Martini and Oyster Bar). A great place steps off the plaza with a light and airy atmosphere, excellent bar, attentive (but not intrusive staff) and varying menu. Okay, so I'm not a martini person, but I understand they make some outstanding martinis. I do, however, enjoy a Manhattan from time to time so I ordered one....

This one was made with Makers Mark, my favorite bourbon. It was a great way to start the meal.

We started with a fresh mixed green salad with a Cabernet vinegarette dressing. Chef Carlo Cavallo picks the vegetables used in the cuisine from local farms, so the menu can change on a daily basis depending on what's available. He opened Meritage over ten years ago in Sonoma because the town reminded him of his hometown in Italy and because of the availability of local produce. We only discovered Meritage two years ago, but it quickly hit the top 3 list of my favorite restaurants in Sonoma.

Just look at this meal....

The steak was perfectly done, the potatoes were rich and creamy and the medley of vegetables were bursting with flavor....so good, it's not hard to believe they were picked that morning.

We brought a bottle of Bella's Two Patch Vineyard Zinfandel with us. The fruit in the wine had unbelievable concentration. You may remember it was my favorite wine from a recent visit. It's so opulent and full in the mouth that it could possibly overpower some foods. However, my steak was perfectly matched. The wine, like the food, was gone too quickly. But at least I know that we can go back and enjoy the bounty of Sonoma again.

Cheers!

I'm back!

I've been pretty quiet for the last two weeks because I've had that nasty cold that's been going around and haven't been able to smell or taste anything. It really sucked.


So, what's on the agenda for tonight? Mostly just a few comments.


I'm working on some of the requests for what you all want to learn about - we'll get there in the coming days. But for tonight just some thoughts.

Last night we had some great friends come over for a meal at home. They brought with them lots of wine. Of course, we drank most of it. We had a pretty simple meal. We started with bruschetta and for the main course had lasagna, salad (fresh greens, homemade dressing, cranberries, and Gorgonzola), garlic bread (on homemade bread), and Italian sausage. We also had a killer dessert that my lovely wife made - a tiramisu cake.


Anyway, I'll get back to the wine. From a food pairing standpoint we had 3 different varietals - Grenache, Zinfandel and Syrah, all from Bella winery in Dry Creek Valley. I was really surprised, but all of these wines paired just about perfectly with the food. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised since these are typically big, bold and fruity wines. A pretty good match for this particular dinner.

But more important than the wine working well with the food, the wine brought us together. We analyzed, tasted, smelled and talked about the differences between the wines and how they differ from other producers as well. What is it about wine that turns a dinner party into a special occasion?

Some could make an argument for the alcohol. Good times are had with alcohol, I guess. But I don't think that's it. A dinner party certainly isn't the same drinking martinis all night.

Is it the flavors? One could make a case for the complexity of flavors and how they match (or don't in some cases) with the food. Sure, I think that's part of it.

But for us last night, we were talking about the vineyards these wines came from and the way the wines were processed in addition to the flavors. In other words, the story behind the wine.


Everyone is looking for something real these days. And I think in the adult drinks world, wine is real. It's one of the few drinks (with alcohol) that on its own has a broad depth of aromas, tastes and colors. Sure, you could make a claim that some scotches or rums have all these things as well. But how often do think about where those drinks come from and crave the story behind them?


With wine, there is a "place". If you travel to it, you can actually go to the vineyard and producer of that wine in your glass. And that is very cool.

As I finish this post, I'm finishing the last drop of my favorite wine of last night - 2008 Belle Canyon Zinfandel from Bella Winery. This wine is just amazing. Check them out if you're in Dry Creek.

Cheers!