Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tony Pinto on May 25, 2010 at 12:50pm

I'm gonna have to say Cabernet. I'm not wine "connoisseur" like you, so I'm happy with pretty much any red. :-)

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Permalink Reply by Brian Sullivan on May 25, 2010 at 2:02pm

Interesting to see someone mention Cab Franc. That's the varietal that grows best in my area (Mid Atlantic US) and Virginia really produces some of the best.

I like Northern Italian reds with steaks--super tuscans, Brunello, etc.. If you have a blue cheese or some other salty strong flavor with the steak (like doing them a poivre), Amarone is expensive but an awesome pairing, cheaper but just as good is a Valpolicella too. Actually I just love these wines anyway.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Pinto on May 25, 2010 at 2:15pm

Brian, I love putting cheese on top of steaks. Here's Kirk's Steak Au Poivre recipe. It's awesome! T, we made this at your house, remember?

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Leins on May 26, 2010 at 3:37pm

This is somewhat tough to answer without writing a dissertation. While I love a big fat cab with any grilled med/rare steak, things change when you start adding accoutrement. Love zinfadel or even syrah/shiraz whenever there's smokiness or an exotic or hot spice added to the steak, but I gotta agree with Brian on the point about blue cheese. Unless I'm looking to drop some coin, I'd probably go with the Valpolicella over the Amarone. A lot of bang for the buck there. Valpolicella, by the way, is excellent during the summertime, especially when you drop the temp on it a bit.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stice on September 16, 2010 at 7:07pm

Chef Kirk, I did not mean to imply I own a PhD in Wines, however, to select a wine with steak... you must know somethings about wines and their regions of birth...

Excuse my pedanticism, but that is the way I choose wines for the special occassions.

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Permalink Reply by Helena Ahola on June 1, 2010 at 6:32am

Hi! Thank you Tony this good wine-mails.. I answer soon and send my recipes: Stuffed Pike, potatoes, vegetables, sauce Hollandaise,.... and to dessert Rhubarb upside down cake with vanilla-icecream, coffee... Many regards, Helena... Finnish cuisine has something special for every month of the year...

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stice on September 15, 2010 at 3:59pm

I am not so crazy about steak unless I make it. Because some people do not understand that medium does not mean charcoal I rely upon my culinary gifts... However, I like the wines later than 2007s from several French, Australian, Spanish, Italian and California vinyards. I consider what the weather and harvest are like for the best reds. For example in 2005 the winter was colder than normal, spring was dryer than than it should have been and so they are not as agressive as the years when there was much rain in spring and harvest was timely. The 2004 vintages around the world were less successful because they seem more tannic than they are in actuality because of the firm acidity in my opinion.

White Burgundies are as follow, in pan-fried sea scallops with leek and pancetta ballottine, sage gnocchi and caper beurre noisette; Prieur’s Le Montrachet a beautifully rich though without quite the charm of Sauzet’s Bâtard-Montrachet--both are tasty, versitile and moderately priced (In the hundreds). Lafon’s Meursault Perrières was more tight, but with a generous richness of fruit and multi-layered suggesting even more to come with deeper ageing. However the best--Dauvissat’s Chablis Les Preuses.

Red Burgundies are my steak prferences, are Volnay Clos des Chênes from Michel Lafarge, Hubert, de Montille’s Pommard Rugiens showing interesting fruit backed by the firmer structure of Pommard, yet my pick of the Côte de Beaune reds was Chandon de Briailles‘ neatly graceful Corton Bressandes. These are the meat of taste for meats: from duck to beef. However, these are not within consuption prices for my check book. Most older vintages over the past 20 years are ruined for lack of proper storage... but considering all of the world wide reds and burgundies, I prefer these:

Cabernet Sauviginon, “Founder's SelectT” L. M. Martini, 2000 NAPA $30

Meratige, Estancia, 1999 Alexander Valley $49

Shiraz /Cabernet, “Mountain Blue” Rosemount Estates 1999 AUSSIE $60

Chianti Classico, Monsanto Riserva, 1999 TUSCANY $41

Pinot Noir,”Whole Cluster” Willamette Vinyards 2002 OREGON $33

Pinot Grigio, Bella Sera, Della Venezie, ITALY 2003 $17

Depending upon the steak, mood and my checking account these are my tastes. Notice, there was not a E. & J. Gallo Winery in the lot!

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Permalink Reply by Tony Pinto on September 16, 2010 at 10:30am

Wow, Michael. You certainly know a lot about wines. Thank you for adding to this thread. There's some really great information here.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stice on September 18, 2010 at 7:35pm

Tony, education is everything... I had to learn the hardway--from the death of my first wife-- I have felt pedanic's sounds snooty... but they are informative...

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Permalink Reply by T Meyer on September 18, 2010 at 8:12pm

Michael this was extraordinary information. Thank you for sharing. I think I see a "wine tasting"/culinary experience in our future. Where do you live?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stice on September 18, 2010 at 9:34pm

I live in Kansas; Elk City is in the South East corner of the state. Wine tasting... I love them. I do not know how soon, though. I am waiting for my wife's visa to bring her here and then we can start planning events. Thanks. I will look foward to getting to a vinyard with you sometime.

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