by Jeff Wilcox
17. December 2009 00:57
In the late fall of 1997, Joe and Nancy were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. A date followed with a nice bottle of wine, and a beautiful friendship was formed. Two years later they were married. Ten great years later, Nancy visited our store, to see if there was any way that a bottle of wine from the 1999 vintage was still available for purchase as a tribute to their anniversary.
We have a great wine cellar with some truly great collector wine in vintages dating back to 1955. A 1955 Port would make a great birthday gift for someone born in 1955! (Hint to my wife) Perhaps you have a special year in your life. Wine can be a very special gift to commemorate a marriage, birthday, birth of a child, career advancement, retirement, house warming or any date that is special to you.
As Nancy and I discussed her desire to get a special bottle of wine to enhance her anniversary celebration, I sorted through our cellar. As it turned out, we had several different wines from 1999 - as it was a good vintage worldwide. After looking over the list, we discussed her plans for the evening. Her intention was to serve the special bottle with dinner. So, could I help her with the right food pairings? Absolutely, it turns out that Joe is a steak lover, so Nancy would love to prepare filet mignon with béarnaise for her sweetheart. To match the wine with the food, it was the size of the flavors that we needed to consider. Meat commands a wine with full-bodied tannins and flavors. Bordeaux, French grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Carmenere offer a great wine profile for food as big as steak. In Argentina, where meat is a staple, their best wine match-up is a Malbec; Chile’ has Carmenere; and in California –along with most of the world- it’s Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that works best. After reviewing our wines, and Nancy’s budget, we decided on the Von Strasser Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999. This wine is drinking beautifully after 1 ½ years in oak, and 8 ½ years in the bottle. The tannins have rounded out nicely, while staying balanced and fruit driven. We agreed that this was the entire package – a wonderful, meaningful bottle of wine, at the right price, served with the perfect pairing that will help Nancy realize the perfect anniversary dinner that will be a personal and meaningful tribute to what these two people hold so dearly.
Do you have a special occasion in your future; a special date or anniversary to celebrate? Think about starting or maybe ending with a thoughtfully chosen vintage bottle of wine.
