Pairing Merlot while the kitchen is out of service (#winePW)

Have you ever expected house guests in the middle of a kitchen remodeling project?

This was the situation I faced last week when two bottles of Merlot were due to arrive. Both wines are from highly respected producers that I’ve gotten to know. So, in a sense, I regard them as old friends rather than wine samples. I wanted to treat them as honored guests – you know, serve them a tasty meal. But alas, my kitchen was (and still is) a mess.

To be clear, I am well aware that my mild inconveniences are nothing compared to the violence and suffering that many are experiencing this week. Like you, I despair for the lives affected by recent events in the Mideast and elsewhere.

In the absence of a kitchen – and by that, I mean stove, oven, microwave, crockpot, countertops, sink, dishwasher – I was determined to get creative for the “Celebrating Merlot” theme this month among the Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW) bloggers. We’ll be holding a chat about Merlot wines on X (formerly Twitter) this Saturday, 10/14, at 8 am PT/11 am ET. (Please note that while I received my wine as samples, opinions are my own.)

I could have used the outdoor grill for the tried-and-true Merlot match: a cheeseburger. But it was raining quite steadily the day we chose for pairing the wines and besides, I’ve done that. Hmmm… if I were to wander the aisles of our nearby Trader Joe’s, what might I find that requires minimal food preparation and cooking?

Here’s what the shopping trip yielded:

Results? The herby mixed nuts, cheesy popcorn and olive oil potato chips were amazing with the Merlot. The cheddar jalapeño pull-aparts? Too spicy. As for the dark chocolate-covered pretzels, they were simply divine!

In addition to these snacky items, I used my cutting board, a sharp knife, the kitchen table and a handful of spices to prepare the follow:

• Colby Jack mini-pizzas – I do have an operational toaster oven so modifying a recipe from Good Housekeeping’s Grill It!, I spread English muffins with a layer of refried beans, added shredded Colby Jack cheese and toasted them. Then, I topped with shredded lettuce and a dollop of salsa. Delish! But alas, also too spicy for the powerful Merlot.
• Creamy Greek yogurt guacamole – So good and good for you! This guac is made with yogurt instead of mayo. Paired amiably with the Merlot, but didn’t stand out.
• Easy Spinach dip – OK, not so healthy, though I did my best by replacing the mayo with yogurt. A better pairing than the guac, probably because of the higher fat content!

For a real meal, our dear friends took pity on the kitchen-less couple and invited us to their house for succulent roasted duck, potatoes and green beans. They were ready with corkscrews and wine glasses to welcome our Merlot guests, too.

While the Merlot tended to dominate the mealtime conversation and tastebuds, the duck was gracious and showed finesse in handling the slightly overbearing company.

The wines

Coincidentally, I wrote about different vintages of these same two wines in 2020. Three years later, we meet again.

2020 L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot, Columbia Valley
82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot

Founded in 1983, L’Ecole No. 41 is one of Washington state’s first family-owned wineries. The winery is housed in the historic Frenchtown School just west of Walla Walla. Frenchtown derived its name from the many French Canadians who settled the valley during the early 1800s. The name L’Ecole is French for “the school,” and 41 refers to the site’s district number during the early days of vineyards and winemaking in this valley.

Grapes for this wine are from L’Ecole’s sunny and dry Walla Walla estate vineyards as well as partner vineyards elsewhere in the vast Columbia Valley. Each lot is hand-harvested and gently crushed into stainless-steel fermenters. L’Ecole’s winemaker handles the fruit gently through hand punch downs and gravity-assisted movement. The wine is racked to small oak barrels, 15% new, and barrel aged for 18 months.

• My tasting notes: Fruit-forward and herby with a hint of violet and a dash of black pepper, this L’Ecole Merlot punches out the flavor. Looking for New World Merlot? You’ve come to the right place. A little grippy in the gums, this Merlot could benefit from additional time to open up. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 14.5%. Price: $29. Read this post for details on L’Ecole’s two Merlot styles.

2022 Chelsea Goldschmidt Guidestone Rise Merlot, Alexander Valley
100% Merlot; 100% “Vintage Variety Vineyard Vegan”

New Zealand natives Yolyn and Nick Goldschmidt own and operate Goldschmidt Vineyards, based in Healdsburg, California. Nick is the winemaker. His Alexander Valley Merlot is named for the couple’s eldest daughter, Chelsea.

Nick describes the Chelsea Merlot as a wine for Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers because of its bold and fruity style. In my interview with Nick in 2020, he talks about crafting wines to express a single variety in a single vineyard and shares his thoughts from 40 years of experience in the wine industry.

For this wine, grapes are grown in the sandy loam soils of an estate vineyard just east of Geyserville, one of the warmer wine-producing areas in Sonoma County. Per the producer’s 2021 tech sheet (the 2022 was not available yet), this wine is unfined and unfiltered, and ages 12 months in 100% French, 20% new oak.

• My tasting notes: Plenty of cherry and rich dark cherry fruit on this high-acid Merlot, with hints of red licorice and rose petal. Lighter and more subtle than L’Ecole’s Columbia Valley Merlot, perhaps owing to its single-varietal bottling. Medium finish. Alcohol: 14.5%. 2021 Price: $23.

Wait! Before you go, check out the Merlot pairing ideas from these #winePW bloggers:

• American Merlot Meets Kashmiri Food by Keep the Peas
• A Redwoods Ride, a Merlot from Santa Cruz, and Pacific Cod Soft Tacos by Culinary Cam
• Bottom Round Roast with Mushrooms and Merlot by Cooking Chat
• Celebrating our Homecoming with L’Ecole Merlot by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Magical Merlot Moments by Avvinare
• Marvelous, Magnificent, Merlot by Side Hustle Wino
• Merlot and the Common French Fry: Just Do It! by Our Good Life
• Pairing Merlot while the kitchen is out of service by My Full Wine Glass
• Unveiling the Flavors: Blueberry Tart and L’Ecole Merlot by Exploring the Wine Glass
• Vegetarian Italian Fall Fare: Squash Focaccia Wins With Ettore’s Organic Mendocino Merlot by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley