Tags
2008, California, Food and Wine, Forest Ranch, Merlot, No Sulfites, Organic, pairing, red wine, Sierra Foothils
Another domestic organic wine to try! I bought this last week, and we had it on Wednesday night with the Pan-Seared Filet with Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower, and Sautéed Onion, Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms.
Side note: One thing you might start to notice is that I don’t make a lot of starches (or any so far). In an effort to eat better, we’ve cut them out for the most part. I always try to replace a starchy side with another vegetable. In this case, the cauliflower took place of a potato or pasta.
Back to the wine! This Merlot is from Forest Ranch, California. It was $12.99. It appears to be a clear, pale garnet color. It has a light, clean scent of earth (mushroom), black fruit (black cherry and blackberry), and a little dried fruit (prune). The wine is light and dry on the palate with medium acidity, medium tannins, and medium body. Like the nose, it tastes of earth, black fruit, and dried fruit.
As for the pairing… Filet mignon is lighter in flavor that other cuts of meat, but is the most tender. The simplicity of the steak (I only used garlic, salt, and pepper to season) paired nicely with the Merlot. It softened the acidity in the wine, while the crust on the steak brought out the fruit flavors. I was skeptical at first, but I think this was a successful pairing!
Has anyone had any Organic wines? What do you think?
