In the mood for a Pinot

October 9, 2009

While Angie was planning the menu for the week, she asked what I would like for dinner on Friday.  I initially replied like most guys would; "Huh, I don't know."  Then it struck me.  "I'm in the mood for a Pinot."  "Thanks," she said.  I'm always happy to do my part.  

A few years ago, we were always up for a Pinot. No, it wasn't just because of the movie Sideways.  Well, maybe just a little.  We still drank freaking Merlot, but tried a number of inexpensive Pinots.  Back then, if wine cost more than $20, I would shy away.  One of our favorites was a real surprise.  The 2003 Peregrine Hills Pinot out of West Texas was a tasty inexpensive treat.  Texas Monthly rated it one of those sleeper wines that far outshines its humble price.  HEB put it on sale for $6.95 a bottle.  We drove around town hitting four or five stores and buying whatever they had.  We only managed a little over a case and had to ration it over the next several months.

Tonight, I pulled an Au Bon Climat 2006 Santa Maria Valley Pinot out of the old wine fridge.  I picked up this one at HEB Central Market about six months ago.  I'd seen some good reviews on Au Bon Climat Winery, but it was the additional note on the bottle about grapes coming from Bien Nacido Vineyards (Santa Maria, CA) that caught my eye.  Chris Hammel of Bien Nacido was voted as one of the "2008 Growers of the Year" by Wine & Spirits magazine.  I looked up Au Bon Climat on the web and discovered that the winery is actually located on Bien Nacido.    

As a habit, I pour reds in a decanter.  I'm not looking to keep out sediment, but rather like to splash the wine in the decanter to get some air into it.  I then take a quick taste and decide how long to let a wine breath (normally an hour or two).  The Pinot showed promise from the get go.  It was earthy, sort of like a wet forest at first, and the red fruit flavor was already starting to develop.  

Ang had planned to serve veal chops for the main course, but we didn't find any at the nearby  grocery stores, so, she went to the backup, pork chops.  The chops were based on a Giada de Laurentiis (of Food Network fame) recipe.  The meal, included smashed taters, and salad with a pesto dressing.  The whole meal was a winner.  The breaded chop had homemade pesto drizzled over it thanks to the Basil jungle out on our deck and Angie's skills. I was afraid the pesto would overpower the Pinot, but it was mild enough to work with the wine.

By dinner, the Pinot was perfect. The food and wine complimented each other  The Pinot is medium bodied, perfect pale Pinot color, has red fruit on the nose and good cherry/strawberry flavors  (Angie also caught a little pepper).  For me, the wine and the dinner are definite repeats.