wine

Pork Tenderloin with an Unexpected Frontenac Rouge

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Well, it has been a while… Time to pull up my boots and get back in the saddle.

Pairing: Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with a New York State Frontenac Noir.

Food: Pork Tenderloin [the ‘other white meat’] is a very versatile protein. It can be prepared in a variety of ways and served with a variety of wines. For this meal, we rubbed the meat with ‘Berbere,’ a spice blend from Ethiopia, and let it mellow while other ingredients were prepared. Coleslaw is fine on a Summer evening and fingerling potatoes take about 20 minutes to roast in a hot oven. The meat was pan-seared on all sides, but it could have been grilled.

Wine: This grape was developed at the University of Minnesota. In their quest for cold-hearty wine-grapes, they crossed Landot Noir 4511, and Vitis riparia UMN 89. When the grape was released to the public in 1996, it was dubbed ‘Frontenac’ after an early administrator of colonial New France. This vine will tolerate temperatures down to -30F! The grape is used to produce hearty red [‘noir’] wines, but Frontenac has hybridized to produce a ‘gris’ or ‘blanc’ grape, yielding a white wine. Our wine is from Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay, New York, a gift from the dear sister who lives in the Saint Lawrence River Valley.

Tasting Notes: The color is very dark red — almost black. The nose is difficult to describe — is that plum? or dark berries mixed with strawberries? Definitely sweet and ripe. The palate is lush and fruity: purple plums, black fruits, notes of strawberry. Towards the end of the glass, it was like sitting on the porch in Summer eating fresh, sweet Concord grapes. This makes it sound like a sweet wine, but we found it to be just right.

Pairing: The Frontenac paired perfectly with every element of the meal.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Pork Tenderloin: Rosé (Provence), Vernaccia (Tuscany), Verdicchio (Marche, Italy), Sauvignon Blanc (California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Frontenac noir: Chicken Fajitas, Duck Confit, Pâté and Terrines, rich stews, game, roasted meats.

Maps and Views of the Saint Lawrence Wine Region: There are many wineries on both sides of the Saint Lawrence River Valley — in New York State, in Canada’s Quebec Province — where the cold-loving Frontenac grape is right at home.

Bay Scallops and Fresh Corn … Two of Dad’s Favorites — Perfectly Paired with Chardonnay

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Pairing: Bay Scallops with Corn and Orzo Paired with a 2018 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay.

Food: Recently, we celebrated my Dad’s birthday. He would have been 115 years old on September 2. To help remember him, we enjoyed a meal that featured two of his favorite foods … bay scallops and fresh corn. One could say that Dad was a pediatrician by profession, and a gourmet cook and gardener by avocation. Although Mom prepared (and quite nicely) the vast majority of our dinners, Dad took charge of the kitchen when something special was called for. Bay scallops, broiled in butter was one of his most memorable creations. And, in the months of August and September, our monstrous vegetable garden yielded a cornucopia of delights, the highlight of which was corn. Sweet yellow corn. Seneca Chief. As the youngest of the family, my job was to stand ready to race out to pick the corn at the moment when the cooktop burner under a huge pot water was set to boil. I had to work fast. Pick the corn, shuck it clean and present it to the cook for inspection. Strands of silk stuck to the ears were frowned upon and … God forbid there be any bugs or worms hidden in the cob. Summer in those times was delineated by when the corn was ripe. And, boy, did we eat a lot of it.

With that bit of family history, let’s move on to this present day meal … an absolutely fantastic creation featuring, bay scallops, corn and orzo.

Wine: The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is a well regarded wine sub-region within the large Central Coast Wine Region, noted particularly for the quality of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah wines being made in what is referred to as a cool-climate viticultural area. The cooler temperatures of this area are due to the steady cool breezes coming in off the Pacific Ocean on three sides of the vineyards here. Film buffs take note … the hit movie, Sideways, was shot in the Rita Hills region.

The Brewer-Clifton winery produces only wines that are made from single vineyards that are each derivative of the unique geography, geology and climatic conditions of each vineyard. We look forward to the time when we can visit the winery to sample the wines crafted from this interesting environment.

Tasting Notes:  A lovely pale gold color. A clean aroma, reminiscent of a Granny Smith apple. Floral and green field grass accents, including white clover, distinguish the nose of this wine. The flavor merges green apple with citrus fruits (lemon and lime). “Clean” and “crisp” also come to mind as descriptors of the taste. And a long, very pleasant finish lingers on the palate. The pairing of this wine with the bay scallops and corn dish is inspired.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Scallops and Corn: Sauvignon Blanc (California), White Bordeaux (France), White Burgundy (France), Chenin Blanc (South Africa), Champagne (France)

Other Sea Food That Pairs Well with California Chardonnay:  Dungeness Crab, Lobster, Halibut, White Fish in a Cream Sauce, Salmon

Photos and Maps of the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Region: Sta. Rita Hills AVA