The
Ultimate Valentine's Day Dinner
By Andrew Campbell
It is twilight of Valentine's Day and my dinner
is about to begin. I have everything put in place: preparations
for dinner ready, with wines chilled and decanted, and even the
table set!
My Valentine arrived after a long day of work. As soon as my
guest arrived, I uncorked my first bottle, the Non-Vintage
bottling of Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir. Its
pleasing toasty almond and vanilla scents meandered towards our
nostrils making my handpicked roasted
walnuts a perfect match for my first course.
Seeing my Valentine hungry for more, I set the bubbly aside and
reached for my next course of shrimp
stuffed spring rolls with cilantro sauce. The food, I must
say, was quite impressive to this point. More impressive though,
was the bottle of Waterbrook Klipsun Vineyard
Sauvignon Blanc 1999 I poured along side it. With peaches,
apricots and an abundance of minerals present, the wine cut the
spiciness of the spring roll with its zippy finish.
Knowing there was more to come, I tore myself away from the
table and returned with the main course: grilled
rosemary lamb loin with Parmesan potato gratin. Grilled to
perfection, the juicy meat still sizzled from my oven. Observing
my Valentine's delight in my main course selection, she was even
more elated in my choice of wine to pair with it. The wine, Beaulieu
Vineyards Signet Syrah 1997, was fully decanted to display a
dark inky color that was full bodied with rich jammy dark fruit
characters and peppery spice that matched perfectly with the
charred lamb loin.
After gobbling up the main course, I whispered to my Valentine
if she was interested in desert. I thought is quite romantic when
she wanted to share. However, I was not sharing my finishing wine…Chateau
La Fleur D'Or Sauterne 1998. I have outdone myself! This tasty
nectar, with mellow flavors of caramel and honey and tantalizing
acidity, was a perfect match to my favorite desert of vanilla bean
ice cream. Thus capping the dinner for my Special Valentine, it is
assured this will be a very
memorable one.
Wine Recap:
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Non Vintage (California) $18
Waterbrook Sauvignon Blanc Klipsun Vineyard 1999 (Washington) $8
Beaulieu Vineyards Signet Syrah 1997 (California) $29
Chateau La Fleur D'Or Sauterne 1998 (375ml) (France) $9
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