late night wine and steak - YUM!

Ah, the joys of a trusted butcher and a 2005 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Farnese (Italy, of course). It was originally from Vintages, but unfortunately my cellar recording process isn't up to snuff yet, so I can't tell you how long it has been doing its thing in our basement. Who could ask for anything more? Okay, there were sautéed mushrooms and "broasted" seasoned mini multi-coloured potatoes, too.

At any rate, it's hard to say whether the star of the meal was the steak (angus boneless prime rib) or the wine, but it doesn't really matter since together the pairing was a match made in heaven, if not merely in our kitchen.

The steak was wonderfully seasoned with my better half's unknown (to me, anyway) combination of herbs and spices. Drop the steak into a hot grill pan and let the heat do its magic.

The wine was lightly chilled, which brought out just enough of the ripe red fruit (think strawberries, cherries, plum and a hint of black currant) and a balancing note of spice. Together with the seasonings and light charring on the steak, the aromas and flavours were a delight--if far too short-lived. Yes, we both inhaled our steak and the wine was gone before we knew it; a very good sign in our home.