Recently in Merlot Category

submitted by VirginiaWine.org

by Melissa Close, Executive Chef of Palladio Restaurant

Executive Chef Melissa Close has directed Palladio's kitchen since the fall of 2000, continually working to bring authentic Italian Cuisine to Central Virginia. Raised in Alabama, Melissa has been in the restaurant business since she was 16 years old and is a distinguished graduate from the New England Culinary Institute, Alumna of the Year in 2005. She has focused on Italian cuisine since working for award-winning chef Frank Stitt at Bottega Restaurant & Cafe located in Birmingham, Alabama in the early 90's. Her quest to refine her fluency in Italian cuisine led her to San Francisco's Rose Pistola Restaurant.

After taking a hiatus to work for one of her early culinary mentors and fellow Charlottesville chef, Craig Hartman, at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs, Colorado, she was drawn back to Italian cuisine when asked to take the Executive Chef's position at Palladio Restaurant. She has brought both national and international recognition for Palladio Restaurant through her constant striving to create menus with the freshest ingredients found locally and internationally. During the restaurant's annual closing in January, Melissa and her staff travel across the Atlantic to stage in some of Italy's finest establishments to expand their knowledge of Italian cuisine. Melissa and her staff's commitment for excellence has won her induction in the Chaine des Rotisseurs, and three invitations to create dinners at the world-renowned James Beard House in New York City, a great honor bestowed upon select chefs in the country.

 

                By Vincent Nattress, Culinary Consultant to Napa Free Range Beef

FOOD+WINE PAIRING
Although Cabernet Sauvignon is often heralded as the perfect foil for steaks, a wine such as Merlot, with softer and fruitier notes and lower acid, is a better match for beef prepared with saltier, sharper and more savory marinades.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2-4

• Two 10-12 ounce New York steaks
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Recipe by Chef Andrei Litvinenko
Kendall-Jackson Winery

Heirloom Black Bell eggplants are sliced thin, brushed with garlic olive oil and grilled. We then layer our roulade with roasted sweet Italian heirloom peppers, sun dried tomato pesto, sweet basil leaves and Matos Family St. George cheese. The combination of the concentrated flavors and smokiness of the vegetables with the aged cheese pairs well with the rich tannins and complexity of the Highland Estates Grizz Ridge Merlot, as well as our Stature Merlot.

Submitted by St. Francis Winery Chef, Todd Muir

Salt, Pepper and Dijon! Add zip and zest to spring with this Lamb delight. Chioggia beets and turnips turn into a heavenly wonder when paired with thyme and honey. Enjoy Chef Todd Muir's specialties when you visit St. Francis Winery.

Submitted by Goosecross Cellars

Sunday dinners just became a lot easier. Tempt your family and friend's food and wine palate with Roast Pork with Blackberry Demi-Glace and Goosecross Cellars Merlot. Pressed for time? Sign up for Goosecross Cellars and Napa Valley Grille's Epicurean Explorations featuring three course lunches with wine pairings on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer.