Two Great Wines Last Weekend After Wine Judging All Day for Dinner!
On a “free night” at the 5th Annual Folsom Wine Fest judging last weekend, we decided to grab a quick bite at Fat’s Asia Bistro Folsom across the street from the hotel. A fellow wine judge, Mike Dunne brought a nice bottle to the restaurant and I brought a bottle to share with a couple of others for dinner.
We ordered some interesting and tasty dishes for the evening. They included:
Honey Walnut Prawns
Bulgogi Pork Lo Mein – Korean style pork loin, lo Mein noodles, cabbage, carrots green and yellow onions
Mongolian Beef – Jalapeño peppers, green onions
Filet of Beef Steak Kew – cubed filet with seasonal vegetables, roasted garlic in black bean sauce
Combo Spicy Fried Rice
All these foods were spectacularly intriguing and bit warm on the palate. That stated, don’t think we were going for a the “perfect food and wine pairing” this evening. We decimated the quote by Andre Simon that I use on most of my writings “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners”. While the meal was great the body and soul were a bit disjointed, food and wine speaking!
First wine for the evening was a 2001 Goldschmidt Vineyards, Single Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville. Wine Enthusiast referred to this wine as “Purity is the word that comes to mind”. This was a fruit forward wine with cherry and blackberries with structure and complexity. Soft velvety tannins engulfed the palate with a medium length finish.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second wine for the evening was a 2015 Outpost Wines Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. It was rated 97 points from Wine Advocate and 97+ points by Vinous. Jeb’s description includes “deep purple color and loaded with blue fruits, graphite and crushed rock, it’s full-bodied, impeccably balanced and has fine, polished tannins”. The spice and fruit on each sip were immensely enjoyed as was the long finish.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
No doubt both wines were delicious despite perhaps not being elequently paired with the meal. It was a great finish to a long day of wine judging.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://califonriawinesandwineries.com