
The Wines of Merryvale
Napa, California
Recently, at the Reserve restaurant on the Levee, we had 46 people out to dinner (my 3rd biggest tasting yet). At the dinner we met Paul Cimenero with Merryvale who gave some great stories and history on Merryvale. We poured and paired these wines with a great menu. Here are the results.
Merryvale Chardonnay $17.99 with tempura fried Lobster.
Why? One of the food matches possible is a buttery Chardonnay with Lobster tail. Here the Chard was not overtly buttered or oaked. It was dense but with nice stony and citrus notes. Really a great Chardonnay from California for the price that steps outside the popular norm.
Merryvale Sauvignon Blanc $15.99 with Sicilian flatbread.
Why? With Asiago cheese, olives and tomatoes we wanted to pour a white that was lively and acidic as well as crisp and clean to let all those flavors shine through. From the response of the crowd we nailed it.
Merryvale Merlot $23.99 with Chicken Diablo over penne pasta
Why? Here matching spice with tannins was the idea hoping they would meet each other half way and play off each other. The Merlot was bold and smooth. Some said it was the pairing of the night a few thought we missed but hey that’s ok.
Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99 with Prime Rib
This I jokingly called the “Fred Flintstone” course because of the huge portion of beef. This was a no brainer. We took a gorgeous, classic California Cab and paired with one of the best cuts of meat out there. There were lots of smiles and to go boxes.
Cheers!
Danny