Pork Chops and Pinot

Dijon Crusted Pork Chops with Asparagus, Cous Cous, and a salad of Pears, Endive, and Pecans with Pinot Noir: 5/5

2008 Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir : 85/100

2008 Valle Perdido Pinot Noir : 90/100

2008 Mud House Pinot Noir: 92/100

Sorry about the delay in getting this posted. These past two weeks have been very eventful, putting my interviewing skills to the test. Cross your fingers! Anyways, last Thursday I did a horizontal tasting of three Pinot Noirs, all of which were apart of the Bon Vivant Portfolio.

Since all three wines were Pinot Noir, I didn’t have to worry about making three different dishes to pair the wines with, but I wanted to make sure that what I chose would enhance, instead of compete with the wine. Finding an awesome deal on pork chops at Dominick’s, I decided that dijon crusted pork chops with asparagus, cous cous, and a pear and endive salad would provide the right amount flavor to accentuate the wine.

As far as pork chops goes, this recipe is a fail safe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dijon-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx Only taking about 45 minutes to make, this would work well to just pop in the oven after you get done with a hard day at work. While this recipe calls for season bread crumbs, I used panko doctored up with some dried parsley, tarragon, salt, pepper, and a little basil. Panko just gets crispier and crunchier in the oven.

Usually when it comes to sides I am all about making things from scratch, but for cous cous, I’ve always liked the Near East boxes. With flavors like garlic and olive oil, and pine nuts and herbs, preparation is a breeze, and the taste is legit.

For the asparagus I just boiled some water and blanched some chopped stalks until they were the slightest bit soft, and then I strained and rinsed with cold water. Usually blanching requires and ice bath to stop the veggies from cooking, but cold tap water works well too.

Inspired by The Cheesecake Factory menu, I decided to make a salad of pears, endives, and glazed pecans in a lemon honey vinaigrette. For those of you who haven’t had endvie before, they can be found near the lettuce and green things, like cilantro. They are kind of like miniature hearts of romaine, but they have a softer consistency, yet hold their shape beautifully. For the salad I chopped the pear into cubes, combined the glazed pecans (I used emeralds pecan pie glazed pecans), and drizzled a little vinaigrette across the leaves. Shelbey, my veggie/vegan friend said it was one of her favorite things I had ever put together. Good doesn’t have to mean complex.

With my mind all over the place from doing interviewing, and thinking about the future, and what steps to take next, the whole meal only took about 50 minutes to make, and then it was time to sit down, relax, and enjoy some wine.

Sitting down to eat, Shelbey, Michael, and I each poured a different glass of wine. Since we are all close, we just decided to pass our glasses in a circle, tasting each of the three wines. If you are doing a tasting party at home and you don’t have a ka-jillion, wine glasses, or don’t feel like washing every dish in the house, you can set up a rinsing station, and tell each guest to rinse their glass before trying another wine.

WIth the smell of honey, and dijon mustard, wafting toward my nose, I was tempted to dig into my plate right away, but with some self control I made sure to inspect the wines.

First up, the Pacifico Sur from Chili. Lifting the glass to my nose I was met with a somewhat ethanol-y burn in my nostrils. After sitting in my glass for a couple of minutes, the ethanol gave way to raspberry and black cherry aromas, but I was hesitant to take a gulp right away. Holding the glass over my plate, the wine shown a ruby translucence, a common characteristic of Pinot Noir. Taking a swig, my palate was coated in a recognizable weight, that sent the sides of my tongue buzzing. After a gulp my throat resonated with an unfortunate burn. I would not classify a burning sensation as a sophisticated finish.

Moving on to the Valle Perdido from Argentina I was struck right away with the darker, richer color of the wine. Taking in the aromas I wasn’t met with any ethanol, but rather a fruit salad of cherries, raspberries, and tropical fruit—much more vibrant that the Pacifico Sur. Taking a gulp, the wine was not as present in my mouth as the Pacifico Sur, but still tickled the tip of my tongue before ending with a slightly fruity finish. Comparing the two, I would definitely choose the Valle Perdido over the Pacifico Sur.

Moving across the ocean into New Zealand, the tasting finished with the Mud House from Marlborough. Much more purple than the other two wines, I swirled my glass, evoking the wine’s aromas. Met with a spicy and fruity aroma, I was able to pick out raspberry and cherry. Taking a mouthful, I was met with a very well structured body that gave way to a lingering taste of cinnamon and cherries.

Paired with the pork chops and salad, the effect carried an overall light quality with it. The Pinot Noir’s were able to enhance the fruity, lemony flavors in the salad, while bringing out the anise flavor of the tarragon in the panko crust. Between Mike, Shelbey, and I, we decided that the Mud House was our favorite, followed by Valle Perdido, and then Pacifico Sur. For these three bottles, I guess price did mean quality. Feeling the buzz, conversation flowed as freely as the wine, and we all decided it was another perfect pair.

Swirl, Swish, Swallow

One of my latest sponsors, Bon Vivant Distributing from right here in Chicago, IL, told me to take a look through their portfolio and see if anything caught my eye. The first thing I thought was a structured tasting.

For less experienced wine drinkers tastings provide a perfect way to experience the differences in wines. There are three primary types of tasting: general, horizontal, and vertical.

A general tasting can be done with any wines, with no restrictions. If you are a wine novice I recommend doing a general white wine tasting of Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grgio, and Chardonnay. This really lets your palate experience the differences between the wines. For a red tasting I recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. When tasting be aware of the body of the wines and make sure to cleanse your palate between gulps.

Vertical tastings are tricky, and usually done on site at vineyards. Tasting the same varietal of wine, from the same vineyard, with the only difference being the vintage (year) is not always possible when perusing the shelves at your favorite wine shop. Showcasing differences in the weather, the soil, and the aging of the wine, vertical tastings really let you see that no two wines are created equal.

What we did this past Thursday was considered a horizontal tasting. With three different Pinot Noirs of the same vintage, 2008, we were to experience the differences between geography, climate, and soil. Now it is very important to have a group when doing a tasting. Just as each wine is different, so is each persons palate, so it is good to have to discussion when tasting to really realize what you are experiencing.

Grown in the Curico Valley, on the middle coast of Chili, the Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir, boasts a ruby red color, aromas of cherries and raspberries, and is said to have a smooth elegant texture with a sophisticated finish. Now sometimes I think winemakers say and write things because they sound good. Like sophisticated finish, how does a wine possess sophistication? Retailing at $13.99 a bottle, the Pinot would be the cheapest selection of the night.

Traveling just south west of Chili’s Curico Valley, the second Pinot Noir, from Agentina’s Patagonia region, was produced by Valle Perdido winery. With a red garnet color, aromas of red fruit, cherries, even tropical notes, and a well structured body and a lingering finish, the wine was a bit heavier in body than the Pacifico Sur. Being produced so close together, I was anxious to see what difference, if any, there would be. Retailing at $14.99 a bottle this was are middle of the road wine.

Completing the trifecta, the journey would end across the Pacific Ocean in Marlborough, New Zealand’s Centra Otago region, specifically at the Mud House Winery. Retailing at $24.99, this was the most expensive of the three wines. So does price always mean quality? That is what I wanted to find out. Described as having a bright ruby red color, aromas of berry compote, and sweet spices, and a palate of bright red fruit and a delicate acidity, I was anxious to see what type of differences soil and geography would play.

With tastings, food is important as well. A general tasting might need a light appetizer, a salad course, and a heavier entree. A vertical tasting can be paired with a single entree that fits the structure of the wine, and the same goes for a horizontal tasting as well. Generally speaking, Pinot Noir, is a lighter fruitier wine, and doesn’t stand up well to heavy stews and red meat, so I planned on making dijon crusted pork chops with asparagus, cous cous, and a pear and endive salad. With the night set, the fate lie in the bottles, would there be a perfect pair?