phanaerozoic

Day 17 – Red Blend California Red Wine and Gouda with Mustard-seed

Last nicely paired on Day 6 with a Cab, Gouda with Mustard-seed is paired today with a tasty generic red wine, “Red Blend.” The red was fairly hearty and the pairing seemed of a kind with the earlier one. The red stood up to the mustard seed’s assertions and replied in kind: Result, a draw.

A pause for some dental work this morning. Then another wine pairing for dinner to make myself feel better. I made a large baking dish full of lasagna, the filling a mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, hearty meat and tomato sauce spiced with basil, and a lovely Burgess Cellars 2015 “Hillside Vineyards” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a magnificent match, and the most wonderful thing is that I get to do it again tomorrow. Although Tom Burgess is no longer active at his winery, I recall good times spent with him on a week-long visit to Burgess Cellars 30 years ago. I have consumed many great bottles from there and hope to get in more than a few in the future. Salute!

Here I am at the Napa Valley VIntners’ Association “Crush ’91” about to be given a tour of his vineyards by air by Tom Burgess. Pat and I stayed with the Burgess family for a week and became quite partial to Burgess Cabernets.

~Roy Beckemeyer, December 17, 2021