A Very Good Year

photo by Graeme Fouste

It's been one year since E and I exchanged vows...one really wonderful year.

Yesterday was our anniversary. Although it didn't turn out quite like I hoped, we spent it together and that's what really matters. I had planned a special dinner, but the day just got away from us.

So, while we were happily eating a large cheese pizza for our "special" dinner, I reflected on how fortunate I am to be married to such an amazing...and very understanding woman.

We did, however, open the wine I had picked out earlier, Rotllan Torra Reserva Priorat 2001. There are so many words I could use to describe this wine: luscious, silky, deep, complex, musty and ripe. It's one of those wines that every sniff and sip reveals something new: black cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate, mint, vanilla and smoke -- just to name a few.

Since my plans fell flat yesterday, I had some serious recovering to do tonight. I cooked up two bacon-wrapped fillets from the Ole Timey Meat Market, made a batch of roasted garlic mashed sweet potatoes and whipped up a balsamic-red wine reduction. I crumbled Gorgonzola over the steaks and drizzled them with the reduction and served it all with a salad of mixed greens, Gala apple, red onion and red pepper with a balsamic-blueberry vinaigrette.

Not a bad meal, I must say.

Tonight's wine was Domaine du Crampilh Madiran l'Originel 2005. It's 100 percent tannat and probably could use a couple more (at least) years in the bottle. But, after decanting it showed very nicely with the rather rich food. The nose is pungent with anise, herbs and alcohol, and the flavors run towards plum, dried cherry and smoked meat with mouth-puckering tannins.

One of the things E and I bonded over was our mutual love of food and wine. Both are meant to be savored with loved ones. I count myself very lucky to have found someone like her to share my meals with.

Here's to us.