Saturday, November 3, 2007

Dinner: Wine Salts & Trasnocho

I returned to Spain last night....or at least it felt like it.

For dinner, we had sliced duck breast, seasoned with the Tempranillo wine salts of Abadia Retuerta. Ryan, from Catavino, had previously recommended their use with duck. And the duck breast certainly tasted delicious with the wine salts. The wine flavors certainly come out of the salts and enhances the meat.

As sides, we also had a new dish that my wife created, a type of potato casserole. It was made from red bliss potatoes, a sweet potato, goat cheese, cream and butter. It was first mashed and then baked in the oven. It was very creamy and full of flavor. Quite delicious and I am sure we will make this for Thanksgiving as well.

For the wine, I opened a bottle of 2004 Remirez de Ganuza Trasnocho. This is a wine I bought in Spain, and which is currently unavailable in the U.S. You can read my prior review. It is an exceptional wine.

I decanted the wine for a couple hours, a suggested by the winery. This really opened up the wine. For when you first open the bottle, the nose is closed, and you get very little smell. But when it sits for a time, the nose opens and you get a beautiful fruit smell.

The wine certainly paired well with the duck and I savored every drop of the excellent wine. I only have two more bottles of this wine and will be sad when they are gone. Though the wine may be available in the U.S. next year. If you get a chance to have this wine, don't turn it down.

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