Rebel Without a Cause

Maybe a better title would be “Wineaux Without a Clue.”

Let me explain, pleeeese….

Before I even get started I know once I reveal the substance of this post I will here a roar of laughter from somms and other wine folk, even those across the Great Pond! I myself am wondering if maybe, unlike Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” where he always insists that he’s not crazy because his mother had him tested, I, on the other hand, cannot make that same claim and should succumb to further testing.

Here it is. With my affinity (still not the wine) towards my love of pairing food with wine, I had a, what might only be concluded, as a psychotic break. As I mentioned in my last post, I want to start transitioning to more red wines versus all the whites that I’ve been doing for the Summer. So this particular evening I’m feeling in the mood for one of those big rich lush Napa Cabs in my cellar. Caution to the wind about food for the moment I scourer my cellar for just such a wine. And find:

O’Shaughnessy Napa Valley Cabernet 2014

Since I recently did a review of this wine, and emptied one in my stomach back in July for good measure, this might have been redundant, but nothing like going to a wine you know to get that warm fuzzy feeling I so wanted this particular evening. (I really need to get a life, and possibly a woman!)

Next comes the meal planning. Just went to the store and while nothing exciting, I did pick up some Grass-Fed Ground Beef and some Salmon. I know what you’re thinking, best option, the beef. No not this rebel. I went straight for the Salmon. Not a total faux pas, but leaning in that direction. It’s what I added to the mixture that makes for an interesting (who am I kidding) ludicrous pairing.

To go along with this laughable start, I added Asparagus (getting closer) and a Horseradish Cream Sauce (total defiant behavior for any true wineaux). Fish, Asparagus and Horseradish, what next? That was everything.

In my defense, what little there may be, the food was wonderful. The wine even more so. Just like a few months ago, the wine carried deep dark rich and lush fruit components with nice tannins and a long lingering but smooth finish. This was a great wine to help kick off my return to more red wines. Another item in my defense, I could have opted for the Mount Veeder or Howell Mountain wines, a much more serious infraction of wine etiquette, at least in my mind.

So now that the laughter has died down, at least I’m hoping so, I can return as a more “normal” wine advocate and start thinking about some food pairings that won’t get me laughed out of the collective.

No guarantees mind you, but without further testing (on me), I’ll have to presume that I’m fully functional and ready to take on the next challenge. I guess only time will tell. Until then I’m just a “Wineaux Without a Clue.”

Cheers