Pages

Friday, October 13, 2023

Celebrating our Homecoming with L'Ecole Merlot and the Weekly Menu #WinePW #MerlotMe

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.

Merlot wines

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.

Dinner and wine

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........

  • American Merlot Meets Kashmiri Food by Keep the Peas
  • A Redwoods Ride, a Merlot from Santa Cruz, and Pacific Cod Soft Tacos by Culinary Cam
  • Bottom Round Roast with Mushrooms and Merlot by Cooking Chat
  • Celebrating our Homecoming with L’Ecole Merlot by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Magical Merlot Moments by Avvinare
  • Marvelous, Magnificent, Merlot by Side Hustle Wino
  • Merlot and the Common French Fry: Just Do It! by Our Good Life
  • Pairing Merlot while your kitchen is out of service by My Full Wine Glass
  • Unveiling the Flavors: Blueberry Tart and L'Ecole Merlot by Exploring the Wine Glass
  • Vegetarian Italian Fall Fare: Squash Focaccia Wins With Ettore’s Organic Mendocino Merlot by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
  • 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.....

    Friday
    Out for Oktoberfest

    Soup Saturday
    Chicken Noodle Soup
    Homemade Dinner Rolls

    Sunday
    Amy's Birthday Celebration

    Meatless Monday
    Gnudi

    Tuesday
    Beef Brisket
    Mashed Potatoes
    Roasted Root Vegetables

    Wednesday
    Beef Pot Pie (with leftover brisket)

    Thursday
    Out for dinner before Celtic Thunder

    Fish Friday
    Lobster Salad







    12 comments:

    1. 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:)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Thank 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

        Delete
    2. Well- 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.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Thanks for joining me and I am so glad you had a great trip.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Thanks Cam. A little dicey there at the end when war was declared next door.

        Delete
    4. That's a nice wine to come home to! Sounds like quite a trip!

      ReplyDelete
    5. Living large, Wendy. Great to see. I love roasted chicken and I love Merlot, so I'd say "yes, please" to your pairing.

      ReplyDelete
    6. There is no place like home Wendy, especially with great bottles of Merlot waiting on you! Cheers!

      ReplyDelete

    I enjoy getting comments and feedback from my audience. Please let me know what you think, keeping in mind that we are all entitled to our own beliefs and opinions. I am happy to hear yours as long as they are stated nicely.