Recipe Thursday: How to Pair Rosé with Steak

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly grilled steak and a glass of wine. While a full-bodied red is a common default choice for steak, something more delicate is a welcome option when enjoyed alfresco on a sunny afternoon. With warmer weather approaching, we’re turning to rosé for meatier dishes, such as a delicious duo of Williams Sonoma’s Grilled Flank Steak Salad and the Domaine Le Roc Fronton Rosé “Ninette.”

Photo Credit: Williams Sonoma

The "Ninette" is a round, aromatic rosé of Negrette and Syrah, bursting with red berry fruits. It’s perfect with a grilled flank steak salad as it adds some bright and fruity notes to complement the salad components, and is round enough to stand up to the rich meat.

Wine of the Week - Le Roc Fronton Rosé "Ninette"

Today's featured rosé is a new cuvée for Domaine Le Roc. Located in Southwest France, in the region of Fronton, the "Ninette" is based on the local grape, Negrette. It shows pretty, aromatic red fruits on the nose. Sweet red fruits on the palate with bright acidity. Round and complete, it has a long finish.

Since the Middle Ages, Fronton, just north of Toulouse, has been the home of the Negrette grape variety, which is nearly exclusive to the area. The region encompasses 2,300 hectares of vines dominated by dry heat and rocky soils and the landscape is marked by hills and valleys, ranging from 300 to 600 ft above sea level. It is here that, since 1974, the Ribes family has been dedicated to producing wines with personality and character at Domaine Le Roc. Their insistence on strictly controlled yields, while being careful not to over-extract the fruit, and high vine density planting produces wines that release a wonderful perfume. They produce wine in a traditional, almost old-fashioned way that raises the bar for Fronton wines and deserves recognition.

Congrats to @tenuta_scuotto More #dwwa results to come... #Repost @tenuta_scuotto with @get_repost ・・・ Today is one of the happiest day of our career 😍! I’m pleased to tell you that “Oi ní” #oinì vintage 2015 was awarded with GOLD MEDAL 🥇 95 pts from @decanter #dwwa #dwwa2019 ! ... .... ..... Oggi è uno dei giorni più felici della nostra carriera. Il nostro “Oi ní” è stato premiato con la MEDAGLIA D’ORO 🥇 e 95 punti dalla prestigiosissima Wine DECANTER di #london ! VOGLIAMO condividere questo importantissimo RICONOSCIMENTO con tutti coloro che hanno sempre creduto in NOI. Grazie di cuore ❣ #fiano #lapio #specialwine #irpinia #campania #passion #hardwork #success #awards #gold #medal #wine #sommelier #winelover #winelovers #decanter #topwine #onlyfiano #amazing #score #rating #lifestyle #blog

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#Repost @gary.faust with @get_repost ・・・ Jean-Louis Chave’s wines will featured for Thursday night’s tasting. Join Hope Shiverick whose family imports the wines from this iconic winemaker. We will taste wines from several different appellations including some from the famous hill of Hermitage. The tasting is anytime between 4:30-8:00 PM. #jeanlouischave #shiverickimports #winetasting #winebar #wineshop #cheese #charcuterie #learning #wine #wineappreciation #wset #courtofmastersommeliers #sommelier #rhonevalley #rhonewine #syrahwine #syrah #hermitage #saintjoseph #roussane #marsanne #goodtimes #hitimewinecellars @mrhitime #blog

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Recipe Thursday: Burger Time

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and with it, the unofficial beginning of summer. If your weekend plans involve kicking off the “start” of summer by firing up the outdoor grill, then we have a delicious pairing suggestion for you this week. Where there’s a grill, there’s sure to be a burger, and the best burger is one that is simple and homemade, such as Bobby Flay’s Perfect Burger. Paired with an equally easy-going red, such as the Virna Barbera d'Alba, you’ve got yourself a treat.

Photo Credit: Food Network

The bright acidity in the Barbera d’Alba cuts right through the richness of the meat. The soft tannin, and the brambly fruit and spice notes on the wine give the pairing a rustic feel, which is just right with the no-nonsense simplicity of the burger.

Drew Family Wines in Vinous

Drew Family Wines out of Mendocino Ridge, CA, has received a blockbuster set of scores for their 2017 vintage. Antonio Galloni has high praise, with the single-vineyard Wendling Pinot Noir rating 96 points. Galloni says of the vintage: "These are some of the most impressive wines I have tasted from Jason Drew. The 2017 Pinots in particular are superb."

With over 25 years in the wine business in Central and Northern California, Jason Drew brings a vast depth of knowledge and a holistic perspective to his winemaking. Drew focuses on small lot coastal Pinot Noir and Syrah from Anderson Valley and the Mendocino Ridge. For his sourced fruit, he has long standing partnerships with several local vineyard growers who share his passion for sustainable and meticulous farming practices. Single vineyard sources are chosen for their climate, clonal selection and complexity of soil type. Winemaking practices remain focused on traditional methods that include whole cluster and native yeast fermentations, hand punchdowns and no fining or filtering.

#Repost @hunterspointwines with @get_repost ・・・ Join us this evening 6-8PM @shiverick_wines will be pouring some goodies 🤗🍷 Riesling from Czech Republic🇨🇿, Pouilly-Fusse and Sancerre Rouge from France 🇫🇷 and a Piedmont red blend from Italy 🇮🇹 #hunterspointwines #hunterspointwinesandspirits #hunterspoint #gantrypark #gantry #gantrygram #lic #longislandcity #queens #yourlocalwineshop #winelover #winelovers #piemonte #montaribaldi #nebbiolo #czechwine #riesling #sancerre #rouge #pouillyfussé #mariepierremanciat #blog

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Wine of the Week - Virna Barbera d’Alba

Today's featured wine is a classic, food-friendly, Piedmontese red that is perfect for warming temperatures. Unlike the tannic Nebbiolo grape that also comes from the same region, The Virna Barbera d'Alba offers more opportunity for early drinking while still being rich and succulent. With the arriving Memorial Day holiday heralding the unofficial start of barbecue season, here is the perfect red to pair with all those grilled and spice-rubbed meats.

The Borgogno family has owned vineyards in Barolo since 1720, and have always attached particular importance to the work carried out in the vineyards and the selection of only the best grapes. The Virna label was created in 2001, when Virna Borgogno became proprietor of her family’s estate. Today the estate stretches out over an area of around 12 hectares, producing wines from grapes grown on its own vineyards located in historic crus in the Barolo wine-making area. Though the wines are from different crus, each one represents the heritage and tradition of the Barolo region.

Pedro Ribiero of @herdadedorocim enjoys his very first breakfast pizza at LAX before he returns to Portugal. #breakfastofchampions #breakfastpizza #travelday #instawine #instaportugal #blog

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Recipe Thursday: Provence Rosé and Tapenade

It’s no surprise that Provence rosé has exploded onto the wine scene in recent years. It’s refreshing, dry and elegant, and it’s extremely versatile with food, especially lighter fare enjoyed on a sunny afternoon. To kick off your next alfresco lunch, consider a glass of Château Revelette Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé and a flavorful appetizer, such as Food 52’s Burrata and Olive Tapenade Crostini.

Photo Credit: James Ransom / Food 52

The Revelette Rosé offers incredible refreshment value alongside Provençal style foods rich in flavors like the olives, capers and garlic found in traditional tapenade. As an added bonus, creamy burrata softens the brininess of the tapenade, inviting another sip of rosé to bring all the flavors into harmony.