19 September 2007

2003 Ridge Ponzo Vineyards Zinfandel

Had a craving the other day for a porterhouse and some pierogies. I would have made the little dumplings from scratch, but the last time I did that I spent all damned day on the project. So I made do with frozen. The porterhouse was big enough for three people (I know I've written about that often but it's a lot of fun for dinner). For the wine we split a bottle of the 2003 Ridge Ponzo Vineyards Zinfandel from Healdsburg, California. Raspberry aromas, and the mouth feel is surprisingly light for the grapes: 85% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, and 1% Carignane. Nice fruit flavors without being too big and bold. And a restrained 13.5% alcohol content.

Here's a little gift I got from my boss: a double-bladed mezzaluna and a jar of oak smoked Chardonnay sea salt. I'm looking forward to trying out the mezzaluna, but I've been keeping the sea salt near the computer so I can just sniff it occasionally. To break down the description a little better, it's good, slightly moist sea salt that's been smoked using oak barrels that previously held Chardonnay. Make sense? It's got a nice tan color and smells of buttered popcorn. And the smoke flavor is just enough to enhance the salt but doesn't overpower it.

4 comments:

Roberto Iza Valdés said...

Compliments

Anonymous said...

where do you get your porterhouse steaks?

Unknown said...

Fredric,

I tend to get my Porterhouses from Schnuck's if they're on sale (occasionally around $7-8 a pound). This makes a great deal if you get them to slice one for you to your specs (1.5-2" thick depending on number of guests). When splurging I prefer the aged Hereford at Fresh market.

Cheers,
Benito

Unknown said...

And I probably ought to mention how I like to cook them: I sear them in a hot stainless steel skillet with just a dash of oil and throw the whole thing in the oven until done. After it comes out I like to move it to a platter and finish with a bit of sage butter. You've also got some nice fond in the pan if you want to make a sauce.