Today I have a quick wine and food pairing that I’d like to share with you. As my wine life evolves my time for writing has diminished. I intend to hold true to my blog and writing style because it is the blog and all my great readers that have led to the new blessings I am receiving in my wine life. In keeping with this I am introducing a new article style into my mix. It will feature a wine with a brief background on the winery and a delicious food pairing. You may not notice much difference except they will likely be shorter and to the point instead of my usual ramblings. Still great wine, food and of course a song!

My inaugural food and wine pairing highlight features Arterra Wines 2013 Tannat.

The wine: WOW! Deep violet with brooding purple highlights; black fruit featuring cherries, black berries, and plums, dark chocolate, espresso beans, tobacco, damp underbrush and spice notes; lengthy and expressive with great structure, well balanced, great depth and complexity, round acidity with dusty tannins, silky mouth-coating wine that was even better the second day; big wine with 15% alcohol but so well balanced it was easy to drink and really enjoyable. This wine will age beautifully. Another outstanding Virginia wine! Wish I had more! SRP $49.

The food pairing: What do you pair with a Tannat? Well you know the grape is big and going to deliver bold, rich flavors of dark fruit with a dusty earthiness. Not knowing how Jason’s winemaking practices I did not know exactly what the wine would taste like or how balanced it would be but generally a Tannat begs for a hearty red meat.

My choice: Black and Blue burger with Beer Battered Onion Rings. I do not have a recipe for the burger because I made it up in my head but this is what I did: 2 pounds grass-feed, free-range 95% lean ground sirloin, 1 egg beaten mixed with a breadcrumbs, Theo’s steak sauce, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper driven Mediterranean seasoning. All mixed together and divided into 4 equal patties, grilled then topped with uncured nitrate free hickory smoked pepper bacon strips and crumbled buttermilk blue cheese on a pretzel bun. I followed a recipe for the beer battered onion rings you can find by clicking above.

The results: WOW! Perfect! Seriously. Most often pairings work well, sometimes they fall flat but this one was a home run! Juicy beef, peppery burgers and bacon with the creaminess of the buttermilk blue cheese paired with a dark, black fruit, earthy, bold wine…YES please! The onion rings were neutral, they would pair well with most anything and the Tannat was no exception. Boy I wish I had more of Arterra’s beautifully crafted Tannat. I’d like to enjoy this meal again!

Arterra Wines results from the literal marriage of Sandy Gray-Murray and Jason Murry creating wine and art under one roof. Sandy is an artist and former art educator. Her brand Hawkmoth arts found a niche in the wine and vine related fine arts with great success exhibiting at local Virginia wine and art festivals. Jason has been growing some of Virginia’s highest quality red wine grapes since 2003. His move from grape grower to winery owner and wine maker has been a natural evolution over time. Today the high quality craftsmanship of Hawkmouth Arts and Arterra Wines are a natural fit as both businesses thrive in the production of their high quality products.

More about Arterra Wines from their web site:

Arterra Wines: “Art & Terra (land)” is the Art of the Land. The wines are nurtured in an environment where they can evolve into a wine of distinction that truly represents the great lands where the grapes originated, and the great people behind them. We have three of the best vineyard sites and growers, producing the highest quality fruit known to Virginia. The vines are tended with vigilant canopy management practices that establish vine infrastructure prioritizing optimal ripening of the fruit. The wines, harvested late in the fall, undergo a spontaneous Native Yeast Fermentation — utilizing yeasts that grow naturally on the grapes in our Virginia Vineyards. This process requires extra attention to detail, but produces a distinct wine that cannot be duplicated.

I encourage you to visit the Arterra Wines web site to learn more about the winery, view their entire portfolio of wines, and order some outstanding wine for yourself. If the rest of their wines are as good and the 2013 Tannat you will be glad you did! Furthermore, don’t forget to visit Hawkmouth Arts web site to view Sandy’s art and learn more about Hawkmouth.

My Song Selection: Arterra’s 2013 Tannat was a big, full body, bold wine that needs a big rock song! I am pairing it with one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands!

Get your own bottle of Arterra Tannat and let me know what song you pair with it. Cheers!