Cultivar Wine Club: Happiness Delivered

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

These days I feel like I get everything delivered to my door. Perhaps the best and most recent gift technology has granted me is the wine club. Team Bite and Booze is part of the Cultivar Wine club which ships a mystery box of wine to our door each quarter. Because we love our readers even more than we love great wines, we'd like to offer you a code good for 10% off of Cultivar Wines: CultivarWineBiteAndBooze.

Our most recent shipment contained a particularly palatable bottle of their 2012 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. Layers of aromas fill the nose: floral, wood, and a hint of tobacco; and then your mouth is enveloped with strong dark fruit flavors followed by a decent level of tannins. It's earthiness is subtle and the sweetness is dulled by the slight tartness of fruit. 

This kind of wine jives with strong, but complimentary flavors. Paired with the Cultivar Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, I made sous-vide and seared grass-fed New York strips from Iverstine Family Farms, roasted kale sprouts, and smashed purple potatoes roasted in jalapeño olive oil from Red Stick Spice Company over a sweet potato and white turnip mash.

Grass-fed beef has a different flavor that compliments the notes of dark fruit in the the wine. While the slight bitterness of the kale sprouts brings out some funky notes, the smashed, slightly spicy potatoes balance out the tannins. 

I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site, Bite and Booze, and Cultivar Wine. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of product or experience. All opinions presented are my own.

Scary Good: L'Auberge Baton Rouge's 18 Steak Stalks Our Taste Buds

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Gulf Shrimp Mousse with Choupique Caviar
paired with the Hall Sauvignon Blanc

Maybe it’s just me, but every time I drive onto the L’Auberge Baton Rouge property, I feel extravagant. I’ve visited L’Auberge for a few drinks in Edge with live music, hung out at the rooftop pool during the summer at their Sunset Society events, attended grandiose events like Fête Rouge, and I’ve even tried my hand at gambling (not my forte). However, some of my favorite experiences have revolved around nothing more than a good meal. With wine, of course.

18 Steak has been hosting wine dinners regularly for the past few months and they’ve been delightful. In March, the lovely Julie Collins, PR professional extraordinaire at L'Auberge, invited Jay and me to experience their Hall Family Wine Dinner. The evening kicked off with a stellar glass of Hall’s Sauvignon Blanc and three different passed hors d’oeuvres: Gulf Shrimp Mousse with Choupique Caviar, Spicy Hummus and Toast, and Local Tuna Tartar. Incidentally, a bottle of the citrusy Sauvignon Blanc sat on our table for me to take home. They know how to take care of you over at L’Auberge.

If you know anything about my food loves, you know I absolutely adore most vegetables that many people hate. Beets are my number one favorite vegetable and Brussels sprouts run a close second. When I looked at the menu on our table, I got the feeling Executive Chef, Jared Tees and Pastry Chef Arlety Estevez had my apartment bugged.

First up: baby beet salad with frisée, salata ricotta, and Meyer lemon paired with the Walt La Brisa Sonoma Chardonnay 2012. Many people don’t like beets because they “taste like dirt” which is a valid deduction, but I love the earthiness of the beets with the sharp spiciness of the frisée. The chardonnay was funky and fresh all at the same time, which paired perfectly with the salad. I only wish they had given me all of the beets.

Baby Beet Salad with Frisée, Salata Ricotta, and Meyer Lemon
Paired with the Walt La Brisa Sonoma Chardonnay 2012

Next we tried some Louisiana roasted oysters casino with bacon, Parmesan, and Pernod paired with the Walt Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2012. I found this pinot to be bolder than most on the nose followed with floral notes including some heavier dry, dark fruit flavors. The oysters were sharp and earthy, so these flavors worked well together.

Louisiana Roasted Oysters Casino with bacon, Parmesan, and Pernod
Paired with the Walt Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2012

The main course is further evidence that L’Auberge is stalking my tastebuds: kumquat braised short ribs and foie gras with baby root vegetables and spaetzel paired with the Hall Jack’s Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (this wine is only available at the winery). I am an absolute sucker for root vegetables. I’m also that person who looks beyond the process and loves foie gras, and braised short ribs are my jam. Needless to say, I enjoyed this course tremendously. The kumquat didn’t quite come across in the short ribs, but the dish, in harmony with the earthy and bold cabernet, still lived up to the hype I gave it in my head.

Kumquat Braised Short Ribs and Foie Gras with Baby Root Vegetables and Spatzel
Paired with the Hall Jack's Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Here’s where things get tricky. I don’t super enjoy desserts that are overly sweet unless they’re loaded with chocolate, but for the past two wine dinners at L’Auberge, Pastry Chef Arlety Estevez has given me desserts that are so delightfully toned down and delicious. Paired with the Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, the plum almond tart with cinnamon gelato and orange blossom caramel made all the sense in the world. Lightly sweet and slightly fruity, the heavy tannins of the cabernet set all of the flavors off like land mines in my mouth.

Plum Almond Tart, Cinnamon Gelato, and Orange Blossom Caramel
Paired with the Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

I look forward to another delectable dining experience at 18 Steak this Wednesday at their Heaven Hill Bourbon Dinner! Make your reservations for it today and be on the lookout for more wine dinners and other events at L’Auberge; they’re always up to something!

Cultivar Wine Club: The kind of cult you want to join

Pouring the Cultivar Wines
2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Recently, team Bite and Booze joined the Cultivar Wine Club. This winery out of Napa Valley will send their club shipment to your doorstep quarterly. This month I received two of Cultivar's new releases: the 2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay. Use code CultivarWineBiteAndBooze for 10% off your purchase on cultivarwine.com.

Sous Vide Duck Legs over Sweet Potato,
Roasted Brussels Sprout, and Andouille Hash

The Howell Mountain Cabernet was overwhelmingly delectable. I could drink this wine on a regular basis. With a dark fruit nose, the flavor profile touches earthy and smoky notes. The Howell Mountain paired perfectly the sous vide duck legs over sweet potato, roasted Brussels sprouts, and Andouille hash I prepared for a private dinner recently.

Cultivar Wines 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay

Blackened Catfish over Smoked Gouda Grits topped with
Pickled Jalapeño Relis

The Oak Knoll Chardonnay, while aged in French oak barrels, turned out to be less oaky than I anticipated. It hits notes that I would usually look for in a Sauvignon Blanc: pear, citrus, and grass. I’d pair this wine with something the blackened catfish dish I prepared the other night. The catfish blackened in butter and laid on a bed of smoked gouda grits brought out the oaky notes of the Chardonnay. To kick the acid profile of the wine back up, I topped the fish with a pickled jalapeño relish.