It's October.... which means we are celebrating Merlot here with the Wine Pairing Weekend Gang. I was happy to receive wines from L'Ecole Winery and Chelsea Goldschmidt. I was not home to accept delivery as I was in Egypt so it was exciting to see what wines arrived while I was gone.
I opened the bottle of L'Ecole for our first dinner home on Wednesday evening. I will be opening and pairing the bottle of Chelsea Goldschmidt soon and will be sharing those notes with you during this celebratory month.
Cam of Culinary Cam is hosting this month. I am always happy to participate in Merlot Me Month as I find Merlot very food-friendly. It pairs well with red meat, vegetables, cheese, pasta, and roasted poultry. I made a roast chicken for dinner to pair with this bottle.
I have worked with L'Ecole Winery many times so I knew I was in for a wonderful treat. I spent some time on my trip thinking about what meal I would serve with the Merlot when I got home. I decided to go with roasted chicken, mostly because I am craving homemade chicken noodle soup and like to start with a roasted chicken carcass.
L'Ecole Winery is located in the Walla Walla Valley region of Washington. This 2020 vintage of Merlot had a long growing season and a small yield resulting in a nicely balanced and textured Merlot. L'Ecole has been making wines for 40 years and this vintage is 82% Merlot and 15% Cab Franc with a touch of Malbec and Petit Verdot. It was smooth and fruity.
At an SRP of $27, I consider this a great value and a bottle that I would be proud to bring as a hostess gift this Holiday season. This bottle was wonderful with the roasted poultry and would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving Feast.
Cam is hosting an X Chat tomorrow where some of us will be gathering to talk more about Merlot. You are welcome to join us. You will find us by searching #MerlotMe and/or #WinePW. Here are some of the topics we will be discussing........
Here on the Farm, we are back and fully operational again LOL. We had an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Egypt. We felt like we were trailing Indiana Jones on an archeological expedition. I shared some photos and details of our trip in Visiting Kings, Riding Camels and Seeking Chariots and Cruising the Nile. Stay tuned for a post featuring our diving adventures in the Red Sea.
We got home Tuesday evening. There was no time to let grass grow under our feet. Life is busy around here. Wednesday and Thursday were spent unpacking, doing laundry, getting groceries, loving on the dogs, and attending choir practice. Well, Frank attended choir practice.....I went to bed after enjoying this dinner with a couple of glasses of the Merlot, LOL.
Last night I made up a batch of Chicken Tetrazzini with some of the leftover chicken and My Marina and Little Miss M joined us for dinner. I was going to open the bottle of Goldschmidt Merlot to pair with this dish but I still had a glass of the L'Ecole left so finished that instead. It was just as good as the original pairing.
Tonight we are going to a German Bar in Detroit with friends to celebrate Oktoberfest. We celebrate Amy's 50th birthday on Sunday with a family dinner at an Italian restaurant she loves. Thursday night we are going to see Celtic Thunder with Bob and Cathy. We will have dinner before the show.
Here is what I have on the menu for the nights we will be home.....
I happened upon your blog doing a search for the Tassajara Bread book, which you must have used at one time. I haven’t even bothered to read that post because I have been enjoying your other ones. I quit blogging probably ten years ago. So, glad you’re still doing it! I’ll be back:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline for such kind words. I look forward to your next visit. I actually made the Tassajara Bread as a result of reading Hippie Food. You can find the post at https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2020/04/tassajara-bread-cookthebooks.html#more
DeleteWell- welcome back from your vacation! Thanks for the review of the wine. I've been drinking red wine for about 20 years but I am by no means a connoisseur of wine. Initially, I drank whatever was reasonable, but eventually I began to be a little fussier. I now drink a wine that costs about $25 so the L'Ecole merlot would be in my price range. I'll be on the lookout for it to try it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think you will love this wine Judee. Let me know.
DeleteThanks for joining me and I am so glad you had a great trip.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cam. A little dicey there at the end when war was declared next door.
DeleteThat's a nice wine to come home to! Sounds like quite a trip!
ReplyDeleteThanks David. We are glad to be home.
DeleteLiving large, Wendy. Great to see. I love roasted chicken and I love Merlot, so I'd say "yes, please" to your pairing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, it is a nice match.
DeleteThere is no place like home Wendy, especially with great bottles of Merlot waiting on you! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteCheers.
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