News and Wine Blog
Vino Mas March Wine Club
03/05/2024
Wines are like stories, they're meant to be shared. Desert Wind's legacy and acclaimed wines are rooted in family and the sun-soaked Wahluke Slope AVA estate vineyard. The philosophy on winemaking is simple: Start with grapes that show terrific potential and craft smooth, friendly, world-class wines you can drink every day. The winery has grown a lot since the first vines were planted in 1993, but one thing remains the same - their commitment to creating experiences that bring people together.
This month we are highlighting wines from Desert Wind Winery in Washington State. The Cabernet is not jammy at all and has dusty, spicy, oaky notes to it. This Cabernet surprises you with its acidity. Let this wine open in your glass a little, it evolves as a few minutes go by. Or if you are going to drink the bottle throughout the night, I would suggest that you decant the bottle for a bit before you start to drink it. The Merlot is nice and fruit forward with great plum and dark cherry notes. Greg (my husband) grabbed the bottle from me and gave it a thumbs up and said "this yummy bottle is mine!". The Albarino is delightful, this is not typically a varietal that you see grown in Washington State. It has a nose of citrus and pear with with a slightly creamy mouthfeel that coats the mouth with tropical flavors.
The recipes that we paired with the wines are below. I paired the Cabernet with Steak. As the saying goes "a Cab with a slab!". I made a reduced marinade sauce with mushrooms and onion to top the steak with. The recipe calls for a small amount of brown sugar. The Brown sugar is is optional in the recipe, however, the Desert Wind Cabernet has a dusty earthy note to it, as do the mushrooms, the little bit of sweetness from the mushroom and onion mixture brought helped to bring out the fruit flavors of the Cabernet.
Deb paired the Merlot with a Pork dish. The Desert Wind Merlot is so velvety smooth on it’s own, but with this food pairing it really comes alive. The shallot sauce incorporates the wine so the dark berry notes (I used blackberry preserve for my sauce), vanilla, and slight spice of the wine really add a depth to the meat. The side veggie dish is a favorite of mine, and I loved adding the sweetness of caramelized carrots to the overall meal. By the time I was half way through, I was adding the Merlot-shallot sauce to every bit of veggies too. The wine’s smooth texture and slight juiciness were an amazing compliment to this entire meal.
I made Lump Crab Cakes with a Lemon Caper Cream Sauce to go with the Albarino. Crab and Albarino is a natural pairing. I love everything about crab, you can serve it anyway to me and I will love it! Note that Sams sells fresh lump crab meat where the salmon is. It comes in a tub; the tub looks small but there is a lot of crab packed into it. When I buy this, I can get multiple meals and/or dips out of it. This wine has nice acidity and citrus notes, which enhanced the flavor of the crab and lemon caper sauce. I served the Crab Cakes over a bed of greens, Delish!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Desert Wind Cabernet
Recipe to pair with the wine - Strip Steak topped with Marinated Mushrooms
~~~~~~~~~~~
Desert Wind Merlot
Recipe to pair with the wine -
www.vinomas.com/Pork-Tenderloin-with-Merlot-Shallot-Sauce
www.vinomas.com/Pork-Tenderloin-with-Merlot-Shallot-Sauce
~~~~~~~~~~~
Desert Wind Albarino
NOTES: Its intoxicating nose brings sweet herbals notes of fresh spearmint and timothy hay backed by kiwi and Granny Smith apple. There's an interplay on the palate with mint and lime, followed by Gravenstein apple. The long finish of lime juice and pulp makes for a textured and refreshing drink that offers pleasing length.
Desert Wind Albarino
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast Only 450 Cases Made
Recipe to pair with the wine - Lump Crab Cakes with Lemon Caper Cream
www.vinomas.com/Crab-Cakes-with-Lemon-Caper-Cream
www.vinomas.com/Crab-Cakes-with-Lemon-Caper-Cream
Post By:
Deanna Albertson