Pinot Noir

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A lot of people don’t know it, but Legal Seafoods has an incredible wine program, selected for quality and value by Legal’s VP of Beverage Operations (and Master of Wine), Sandy Block, who also happened to be one of my wine instructors at Boston University.

Particularly impressive is the wine cellar at the Legal in Park Square Boston, and we had the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary there on Thursday night.

The Director of Marketing for Legal Seafoods kindly invited us to attend the Bethel Heights wine dinner the restaurant was featuring, and having heard wonderful things about their wine dinners, we immediately accepted.

Bethel Heights wine dinner

Bethel Heights is a winery located in the Eola Hills of the Willamette Valley, and winemaker Ben Casteel was on hand to walk us through the wines.

Legal Seafoods

Legal Seafoods pulled out all the stops when it came to the menu. While everyone got seated, we sipped a gorgeous Bethel Heights Pinot Blanc and nibbled on a few snacks.

Hors d’ Oeuvres
Lobster Crostini, Preserved Lemon Basil Oil
Mushrooms in Phyllo, Thyme Lemon Zest Butter
Mini Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Mustard Sauce
(Bethel Heights “Estate” Pinot Blanc, Eola-Amity Hills, 2009)

All three hors d’ oeuvres were delicious, but the lobster crostini certainly won me over. The lemon basil flavoring complemented the sweet and tender lobster perfectly. Leave it to Legal to do lobster perfectly.

lobster crostini

First Course
Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad
shrimp, stuffed squash blossoms, spicy lemon vinaigrette
(Bethel Heights Pinot Gris, Oregon, 2009)

A perfectly cooked squash blossom was crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, filled with shrimp, atop a crunchy and refreshing salad. With a pronounced acidity and a hint of apple flavor, the wine really complemented both the fried part of the dish and the salad.

squash blossom

Second Course
Maryland Crab Meat and Avocado Bisque
lime zest crème fraîche
(Bethel Heights “Estate Grown” Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills, 2009)

This dish and pairing was absolutely outstanding. The avocado bisque was warm and creamy, great on a summer evening but would also be a huge comfort on a cool fall night. The Chardonnay had a little bit of oak on the nose, but when I tasted it, found it not to be oaky at all. Instead, the wine was bright and lush, balancing perfectly with the lime in the soup. This is definitely a Chardonnay I would drink again and again, and I don’t say that often!

avocado soup

Bethel Heights wine

Third Course
Hickory-Grilled Wild Sockeye Salmon
black quinoa and mixed wild rice, charred Rainbow chard, hen of the woods cream sauce
(Bethel Heights Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2008)
(Bethel Heights “Estate Grown” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2008)

Perfectly, perfectly cooked salmon served on a bed of crunchy pilaf was meaty, flavorful, and flaky. And is there anything more Oregon than Pinot Noir and salmon?

salmon

Cheese Course
Wood-Grilled Crostini with Taleggio, Manchego, Morbier
Cherry Compote
(Bethel Heights “Casteel Reserve” Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, 2007)
(Bethel Heights “Southeast Block” Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2008)

Again, a perfect pairing, the cherry compote and two Pinot Noirs danced in my mouth and made for a sweet and slightly spiced end to the meal. The finishes on these wines were long and lasting and made me want to return to the Willamette Valley as soon as possible.

cheese course

I used the word perfect quite a bit in this post, but the evening really was just above and beyond in food, wine, service, and company. We actually got to sit with the winemaker during dinner, a very exciting experience to hear about his background and the wines one-on-one.

I would return to Legal Seafoods for a wine dinner in a heartbeat. I think the restaurant chain is often overlooked or known for its classic New England seafood, and I have to say I am continually also impressed by the wine and service.

While our dinner was complimentary, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Legal, my review is 100% my own.

Do you have a favorite food and wine pairing?

Tags: Food, Oregon, Pinot Noir, wine

Last night, we had some friends over to participate in another TasteLive! wine tasting with wine bloggers from all over the US. I knew the last TasteLive! event would be hard to top; we actually tasted in the home of the TasteLive! folks in California, and it was a lot of fun.

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay Rodney Strong Reserve RRV Pinot Noir Rodney Strong Symmetry

The theme for last night’s tasting was “A Bright Idea” with Rodney Strong Vineyards. In addition to the follow four bottles of wine, I also received an energy-saving light bulb in the mail, the goal behind the tasting to talk about the wines but also the winery’s Green Light Pledge to switch out incandescent bulbs for more energy-saving bulbs. We happened to need a new light bulb for our hallway, so it worked out well!

TasteLive event

The tasting lineup was spectacular. I love Rodney Strong wines and visiting their winery, and last night just made me want to return!

2009 Charlotte’s Home Estate Sauvignon Blanc

We started off with the Sauvignon Blanc, and everyone went back for a second pour. This is a perfect summer wine, light, crisp, with some mineral notes and citrus flavors. It retails at $13.50 which, I think, is a steal for such a beautiful wine.

2009 Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay

I am not always a Chardonnay fan, but there is definitely something about the Chalk Hill Chard that I love. While Chardonnay can be too buttery and oaky, this had some very nice vanilla flavors.

2008 Reserve Pinot Noir

I tend to not gravitate toward Pinot Noir, but this really packed a flavorful, well structured punch. It had multiple layers of flavors, from the raspberry and cherry fruit side to the slight white pepper on the finish.

2007 Symmetry

Stunning. The 2007 Symmetry Red Meritage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot, has so much going on. It is velvety and smooth, luscious, with dark fruit and chocolate flavors. This is a special occasion wine, at $55 retail, and if you ever have the chance to taste it, go for it!

I loved tasting Rodney Strong wines and chatting with some people from the winery. Below are a couple of photos from the tour we took on our last visit.

And speaking of Sonoma County, I am excited to announce another giveaway, this one related to the Wine Road. One of the great Wine Road events I have had the ability to attend was the Food and Wine Affair. This event has its own cookbook, Tasting Along the Wine Road, which is a comprehensive collection of food and wine pairings, and since there were two of us, we got two books. Since I love it so much, I thought I would give away a copy to one of you. It’s a really beautiful book with some info on wine and the Sonoma County AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) where wine is grown.

Tasting Along the Wine Road

To enter, simply leave a comment and let me know your favorite food and wine pairing, your favorite place to enjoy a glass of wine, or any other wine-related tidbit I should know about you. Dislike or can’t drink wine? Tell me! The recipes are still great, so you should still enter!

And the winner of the chocolate giveaway is. . . Gina! Gina please email with me your address so I can get you your chocolate! Thanks for entering, everyone. And stay tuned for another giveaway later in the week, this one to a Boston store.

Tags: California, chardonnay, Meritage, Pinot Noir, Rodney Strong, sauvignon blanc, Sonoma, TasteLive, wine, wine tasting

Clean Eating

Now that the Christmas holidays are over, I am back from vacation in Ireland, and I have a few days off of blogger events, our focus has turned a little more to “clean” eating. I sometimes wonder, when I am writing a lot about wine, big meals, events, and baked goods, if people think I am just on one big unhealthy eating spree after another.

In reality, about 90% of our diet is pretty healthy, but there are definitely those times we overindulge and don’t feel great as a result. My renewed focus is on eating foods that provide us with tons of energy; I do have the Napa Marathon in less than a month, in addition to a few exciting work-related things keeping me busy.

For me, clean eating is not about choosing the foods lowest in fat or calories, but it is about adding as many nutrients as possible into what we eat for each meal while also making sure things taste delicious.

blueberry oatmeal

Most days, though I don’t photograph it Smile I eat oatmeal for breakfast. I have many variations, but it usually starts with a fantastic Trader Joe’s mix of barley, oats, and rye, mixed in with Silk Vanilla Almond Milk (the only almond milk I can drink on its own, SO good!) and topped with some sort of fruit and/or peanut butter. Part of my clean eating goals is adding antioxidant-rich foods into the mix, so we stocked up on frozen blueberries this week. Oh, how I long for fresh blueberry season!

image

Breakfast is usually a one-two punch. I follow my oatmeal, maybe an hour later, with a green smoothie. Depending on the day’s activities, I may or may not add almond butter and oats to the smoothie, but a typical day includes almond milk, banana, microwaved spinach, a little bit of water, and a glug of flax seed oil.

spinach smoothie

My favorite peanut butter is from Trader Joe’s. Their Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds is roasty and a little bit salty, making it perfect for my smoothies but also an AWESOME topping for vegetables, along with some sriracha.

Peanut Butter with Roasted Flax Seeds

And speaking of Trader Joe’s favorites, their Organic Flax Seed Oil is, as I have mentioned above, is not only a key ingredient in my smoothies for those Omega 3’s, but it has become my all time favorite moisturizer. My skin is AWFUL in the winter, extremely dry and dull, and putting this oil on twice daily, including on my face, has made my skin feel so much better. I swear by it.

organic flax oil

Lunch can be pretty random. In the case of yesterday, which is when I photographed all of these meals, I went for a 20 mile run. After I run, I am often nauseous, and eating can be difficult. Yesterday, all I wanted were nachos, so I whipped up some healthy ones using Trader Joe’s flaxseed tortilla chips (seeing a trend here with TJ’s and flax?!), a bit of shredded Kerrygold cheese, Greek yogurt, homemade salsa, jalapenos, and hot sauce. the nachos didn’t stand a chance and sadly did not make it into a photo Smile I was just happy to have an appetite after running for so long!

For dinner, I always try to have a good mix of vegetables and protein. I don’t always succeed; there are definitely nights where roasted potato wedges and ketchup are all I can muster. But with the warm weather we have been having, and inspired by all of the gorgeous salmon we ate in Ireland, last night’s dinner was a super energy salad, dubbed such because of all of the healthy fats in it.

super energy salad

This beauty featured baby spinach, avocado, red onion, and smoked salmon, topped with a lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt dressing.

super energy salad

It was delightful. When it is warm enough out, clean eating means lots of salads with great, varied toppings so they never get boring. I can not wait until salad season!

And what would a great, healthy dinner be without an antioxidant-packed glass of red wine? I love Pinot Noir with salmon, and a small glass of Michel-Schlumberger Dry Creek Valley Pinot Noir was just the thing to pair with the meal.

Michel Schlumberger Pinot Noir

What is clean eating to you? Did you make any changes to your eating habits at the New Year, and have you continued them?

Tags: antioxidants, blueberries, clean eating, flax, flaxseed oil, Food, green smoothies, healthy eating, healthy food, healthy recipes, oatmeal, Pinot Noir, recipes, salad, smoked salmon, spinach, Trader Joe's, wine

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