If you, like me, love to talk about food & wine, even when you've just finished a huge meal, please keep reading. This is the first of what I hope becomes a regular Thursday post to whet your appetite and imagination with the recent food and wine experiences of the staff at Gundlach Bundschu, and invite you to share your own experiences and comments.
On a recent sales trip to Texas, I had an incredible meal at The Grove in Houston.
Full disclosure: The Grove’s Executive Chef Ryan Pera is a good friend. I was dining with his lady, and we asked him to surprise us with his choices from the menu of small plates.
Now, I eat out more often than I should admit, and of course I’m a little biased, but I was so impressed that each dish was not only tasty, it was different from anything I’d had recently. From soft-shell crab tacos that were light and crisp with just the right amount of spice, to duck confit pizzette that had hands-down the best crust ever. But the dish that warrants this post was the agnolotti.
Hand-rolled pasta alongside baby vegetables and slices of braised lamb. Perhaps it doesn't sound particularly innovative, but it was simple and perfect - the texture of the pasta, the freshness of the veggies and richness of the lamb made this the most complete and balanced dish of the night. So yummy. And best of all, the wine complemented it perfectly.
Since we had no idea what we were eating anyway, we gave the sommelier free rein as well. I was a bit worried when he brought me the bottle – 2005 Chateau Franc Patarabet, St Emilion. First thought – crap, did I forget to tell him my budget? Second thought – let’s hope we’re not getting the ceviche. But he was far too charming and handsome for me to disagree.
It was abolutely delicious. Beautifully complex with dusty aromas, deep earthy fruit flavors, weighty yet silky. Admittedly a little big for the first plate or two, but with enough acidity and elegance that it was never overwhelming.
Merlot Haters take notice, this was a gorgeous, incredibly food-friendly wine, and it was one of only THREE merlots on the list. There had to be at least 20 cabs, most of which were twice the price and would never have worked with the array of dishes. I firmly believe the best values in the wine world today are merlots. Great merlots are so much easier to find, now that much of the plonk has been weeded out, and it is a travesty that they are an endangered species on most wine lists.
Merlot pairs so well with nuanced meat dishes, like this lamb. And in my opinion, lamb, like merlot, is also pretty under appreciated. It rarely occurs to me to make lamb at home. So the tasty morsel this week is the combo of merlot and lamb, two old friends worthy of more dinner invitations. Enjoy!
