This Sunday I told my wife I would be cooking dinner for her. The pork chops were defrosted and marinated in a garlic and sage paste and would be served with a side of polenta and roasted broccoli. The wine would be this month’s red selection, Rockbridge’s 2007 Pinot Noir. I was bolstered by the fact that there was a recent episode of “Top Chef” based on pairing pork with pinot, plus the recipe in this month’s tasting notes called for pork as well! I opened up the pinot as the polenta and broccoli went into the oven and tasted it to see what I was getting this month.
To be honest, the pinot tasted young and not quite ready for drinking yet, much as the tasting notes warned us. So I aerated the wine using a decanter and had it sit for about 45 minutes before serving it with dinner. Normally I don’t decant, but I think it was needed to help mellow out the tight mouth feel and nascent tannins I tasted in the wine at first sip—and well...we wanted to use the new decanter we got as a wedding present. The wine opened up and became much more accessible throughout the evening
Unfortunately, dinner did not turn out as well as I hoped. I should have used fresh sage instead of dried, and I overcooked the chops a bit. The polenta was premade and didn’t have the feel or taste I was hoping for; and while the broccoli turned out ok, that was far from my mind by that point. The wine alas, was not the best pairing with the grilled chops. My wife thought the Pinot more appropriate for a steak, as in its youth it almost had the feeling and body of a cabernet. While cleaning up, I had an inspiration: I dipped my finger in the pork drippings and then took a sip of the pinot...Success! The wine picked up the fatty pork jus and amplified it, adding a fruity bouquet and taste to the richness of the pork drippings. If only I had served the chops with a gravy or a sauce.
In settling down for the night, my wife decided she wanted some chocolate. She pulled out a candy bar with cherry filling and offered me some to have with the wine. This was by far the best pairing of the night, as I was finally able to identify the fruit notes in the wine...they were cherry flavors. The wine, chocolate, and cherry sauce were simply delicious together. Now if only there was a recipe to combine that with the pork...
Not coiciendentally enough, the Black Forest Pork Tenderloin recipe offered this month features a sauce made of...wait for it....pork drippings and cherries. I passed on the recipe when I first read it because I was worried how the pork would work with the cherries and the wine. Now I think it’d go well together. Ah well, maybe next month.
Sometimes, you just need to keep it simple. This month, I received Rockbridge Vineyard’s White Riesling and had all sorts of plans to open it in a new and exotic locale. I got married on October 3rd and took the bottle with me on my honeymoon. My wife and I had it in our refrigerator all week long planning to have it on a picnic, in a hot tub or some other location...and well...it just didn’t work out. We got distracted. Yes, let’s leave it at that.
So the honeymoon has passed and we have returned to my now parents-in-law to pick up gifts left for us there (Thank you again everyone!) and we’re asked to stay for dinner. I grabbed the now well traveled bottle of riesling and brought it over as our contribution to the meal.
My mother-in-law set a simple table for an al fresco Sunday dinner. She made chicken soup and had some Italian bread with butter served along side of it. The afternoon was a little cool and the homemade soup lifted our spirits after a week of overindulgent honeymoon food. The wine did not disappoint either. It was clean and simple and was cool and crisp in contrast to the warm and salty taste of the chicken broth. While the label calls it an “off dry white”, the 2% residual sugar indicated on the back label, and the sweet crisp taste that lingers in your mouth said otherwise to me. It was a big hit with my sister-in-law, who loves rieslings and sweeter wines. It was definitely one of the sweetest wines I’ve ever had through Virginia Wine of the Month, who usually does a much drier white selection for the majority of the year.
However, while the pairing with chicken soup was good, the pairing with the bread and butter was amazing. The sweetness of the wine went with the creaminess of the butter and was just delicious to eat together. While this wine would make an excellent aperitif, I think if you served it with bread and butter before a meal, you’re in for a big hit with your next party. I had a little bit of wine left in my glass, and out came the homemade apple pie for dessert. It was another nice pairing with the sweetness of the apples being complemented by the wine.
Finally, I think something should be said about the screw top bottle. Some people have this “shame on you” moment like there is something wrong whenever a wine is served in a screw top bottle. My wife and I personally don’t care how a bottle is sealed so long as the wine inside is delicious, and this wine certainly is a wonderful fine wine to share with anyone. In fact, for this outside meal, the screw top was simple and nonthreatening, just like the wine itself. My only complaint is that my wife and I keep every cork from every bottle we drink together, and this one wouldn’t be added to our collection. All in all, a minimal sacrifice.
Here’s to hoping you enjoy these last few warm days of the year with good wine and good company. Cheers.