A Craft-y Meal

For our anniversary, Katie and I decided to splurge and dine at Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak at MGM Grand at Foxwoods. Quite the mouthful. And splurge we did, with the total bill being second only behind the lavish Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian on the list of most expensive meals in my life. Looking back though, it was well worth it.

We began the night by perusing the wine list and choosing our selections for the evening. Since we were clearly having steak, it was safe to look ahead and choose a red without glancing at the menu. I had my heart set on the scallops to start with, and while Katie was thinking sweeter whites, I just couldn't handle it. We ended up zeroing in on Chards and Sauvignon Blancs. None of the Chardonnay really excited me (the big X factor in wine, does it thrill you just to see it on the wine list) so I focused on Sauvignon Blancs. While the New Zealands are bright and crisp, I wanted a more subtle flair to go with the scallops. That left two Sancerres staring me in the face. Sancerre is a region in the Loire Valley of France. While some wine regions around the globe are better known for multiple grapes and blends, Sancerre is world renowned for their Sauvignon Blanc. Some even refer to it as the "spiritual home" of the varietal. The major difference between the New Zealand (or even American) Sauvignon Blanc and it's French counterpart is a greater abundance of mineral tones and a more approachable fruit flavors. When I say more approachable, I really mean less of that kick you in the teeth fruit. Why waste all this time discussing Sancerre? Because this wine, the 2006 Domaine de Rome Sancerre, may single handily be the best white I've ever had. The only thing close that pops into my mind was a bottle of Chateau Villa Bel Air (a white Bordeaux) from a few years back. The wine had a beautiful texture with flavors of honey, minerals, herbal tone, and a touch of lime. The finish was bountiful and slipped away like an elegant kiss. I would kill for another bottle of this wine, so if you spot it send a message my way.

As for red, we immediately knew we wanted Pinot Noir. It almost always pairs better with a tasty steak than Cabernet for us. And while the list was loaded with Oregon Pinot Noir, it was difficult because we had already had many of them, or had some sitting in the cellar waiting for the right moment. We narrowed the field to a 2006 Shea Wine Cellars Estate from Yamhill-Carlton, or a 2005 Stoller Vineyard from Dundee Hills. While Shea has been a name I had been dying to try, the Stoller stood out because the 2005 vintage was so fantastic and beginning to become quite scarce. It was hard enough to find good '05 Oregon wine last year, now it's down right painful to locate. After conferring with our waiter, who told us both were excellent, before trying to sell me on something he knew more about, I just broke down and went for the Stoller. Needless to say, it didn't disappoint. The nose lacked the full frontal earth tones that I love about Willamette Valley, but was lush with bright red fruits. On the palate it was dark cherries with hints of spice and a lingering finish that matched well with our steak. The wines of the evening were a clear success.

So while the food was fantastic, I won't dwell on it for too long. This is wine blog and that's where I prefer to focus. My scallops and pomegranate were delectable. Katie's Parsnip and Pear soup was so unique and rich, simply divine. Our steaks, mine a 22oz. bone-in corn-fed ribeye was perhaps the best piece of meat I've ever had. Katie's grass-fed ribeye was much leaner and seemed to better manage it's flavor. For sides we had an order of mixed mushrooms (because what else goes better with steak and Oregon Pinot?) and the surprise hit of the night, polenta with bleu cheese and bacon. For dessert the restaurant bestowed upon us a free order of homemade ice cream, cookie dough, peppermint brownie, and cookies and cream. Once again fantastically good.

Lord knows I have slacked off with the wine blogging recently, but the Patriots are into the off-season and the holidays have passed. This means I'll make my yearly commitment to try and blog at least once a week. We have a wine fridge stocked with goodies and a cellar full of aging bottles to enjoy (and write about). We'll also be hosting another Wine from A to Zin night in the near future to show off our almost complete cellar. Till next time: "Just cause people wanna eat the burger doesn't mean they wanna meet the cow."--???