I hope I didn’t tell any of you to hold your breath waiting for this article. Because Mr. Seifert ran out of a few wines at his table before I had a chance to taste, I have been scrambling to get them tasted so I could post a review. Not happening, so I will just tell you how the tasting went and give you the recipe of the winning meatloaf.
I was most impressed with the group at this event. They were all so well behaved, polite and patient. Not to say the group is ever rude or out of control, but there have been nights that have been, let’s say… a little tougher. We all had a blast as we tasted through some great wines and judged some well made meatloaf that was entered into the cook-off.
The meatloaf that got the most votes was made by Kings Market Deli. They help out every year when we do this event, so it seems appropriate to let them enter the contest. This is the first time they have come out the winner. However, it seemed right to have them step aside and let one of the other contestants get the prize of first place. So, the official winner of the meatloaf cook-off was Shauna Rand. Actually, her meatloaf was only two votes shy of what the Deli received. I will post her recipe at the end of the article. Second place went to Teri Gentry. Congratulations to both Shauna and Teri for a fantastic job on the meatloaf. From what everyone told me, it was a very difficult decision, because they were all so good. I would like to thank all of the contestants for taking the time and effort to be a part of the competition.
The theme of this tasting event was “Best Wines With Meatloaf” so Ted Seifert from Unique Wines came to the table with wines he felt would match up the best with that dish. I have to say that it was a little easier to do then last year when it was wines that paired with chili. Anyway, Ted did a great job of finding some really nice wines to taste. In every event, we need to have a few whites simply because some folks prefer them and it balances out the tasting. So, we had a sparkler, an Albarino and a Chardonnay.
The fizz was Castellar Cava from Spain. I’ve always liked Castellar and it was well received by the tasters. It has some nice complexity, smaller bubbles and a little weight on the palate with some yeast and apple notes backed by a little nuttiness. Why a sparkler? You have to have something in your glass while you’re cooking the meatloaf. Right?
I think Ted took a little risk bringing an Albarino to the tasting. It was Columna Albarino from Rias Baixas Spain. Now, I really liked it myself. Albarino is in some ways similar to viognier. It is fruity but not fruit forward. Notes of tropical and citrus fruits come through in spades with a perfumed edge to it. The Columna was very nice with tangerine and mango notes followed by a dry finish. It was by far the least popular of the whites at the event. Oh well, we have to bring those from time to time for palate education. The popularity of the Nugan Third Generation Chardonnay from South-Eastern Australia caught me off guard. Everybody (almost that is) loved it and kept coming back for more. It was not a heavy chard, but it had some nice creamy tropical fruit notes with a kiss of oak. I liked it myself, and thought it had nice balance and flavors. Australian wines are having a tough time right now in the market, so it was nice to see a little spark in favor of our wine making friends from down under.
The reds covered many regions from around the world. France, Italy, Argentina, Chile, California and Washington State. The two favorites were the 2010 Colosi Rosso (Sicily, Italy) and the 2011 Line 39 Petite Sirah (Central Coast, California). I didn’t get a chance to taste anything from that table, but I know Ted ran out of the Colosi early because just about everyone kept going back for more. He also poured 2011 “The Jack” Syrah from Saviah Cellars (Columbia Valley, Washington), 2010 Reunion Tinto (Mendoza, Argnetina) and 2010 Vetisquero Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile). All of these reds were received well by the tasters and it could explain why I had slow periods at my table from time to time.
Besides the three whites, I had two reds from France that I was pouring. First, the 2010 La Petite Fontaine Cotes-du-Rhone. I found this Cotes-du-Rhone to have a lot of elegance and minerality. It was on the simple side, but it held true to southern Rhone. Second, and one of my personal favorites was the 2011 Michel Chapoutier Bila-Haut Cotes-du-Roussillon Village. Deep and brooding with a load of spice and minerals. Very old world with tobacco and earth elements balanced with intense boysenberry and black currant notes. For some reason, most of the folks that attend my tasting events shy away from Rhone Valley blends. I’m not sure why, but it isn’t going to stop me from introducing these wonderful wines to them. Even at the store that I work, I find it hard to sell Cotes-du-Rhone or other reds from this general area of France. It just goes to show how subjective wine preferences are. Usually when I go nuts about a wine like I did the Bila-Haut, we sell a lot of that wine. Not so this time. Don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me, and it certainly will not stop me from trying to sell it later.
So the big hit in reds was the Colosi Rosso, and the big hit in whites was the Nugan “Third Generation” Chardonnay. Shauna Rand was the winner of the meatloaf contest and received a 3 liter bottle of Bogle Phantom Red for her efforts. I would like to thank everyone who came for supporting these events and for being such a good crowd. Cheers!
WINNING MEATLOAF RECIPE BY SHAUNA RAND:
Here’s the recipe for my meatloaf. This is very adaptable to variations….. so get creative and have some fun with it! I don’t measure exactly, just kind of go by consistency. I don’t add salt as the soup mix is salty already.
1 ½ lbs lean hamburger
2, 3 or 4 slices of stale sourdough bread (must be sourdough!)
Minced garlic
1 chopped onion
1 Pkg. Lipton Onion Soup (dry)
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
1 – 2 eggs
Chopped mushrooms (optional)
Add 1/3 C. milk or so to tie everything together
Brush top with A-1 Thick and Hearty steak sauce
Form into loaf and bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
