Wine + Cheese = Dinner!

After we moved to California, I first lived in Novato, a small town in the north bay area. Nearby was a lovely cheese factory, Rouge et Noir, where my husband Bill and I would stop on motorcycle rides through the tranquil rolling hills and canyons. This is where our practice of making dinner out of wine, cheese, and either bread or crackers became an art form we practice happily to this day.

Tonight, I had a wonderful smoked fontina cheese from Whole Foods Market that I prepared by melting it in a hot skillet. First, I heated the small skillet over medium heat, then added a tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil. (Note: this works best with a cast iron skillet and can be done over a campfire as well.) When that was hot, I covered the bottom of the skillet in thin slices of the smoked fontina and let it melt and begin bubbling. This I wisked quickly to the patio table, where the crackers and a bottle of wine awaited.

What we drank:
Bogle Vineyards 2007 Reserve Zinfandel, Lodi
This wine is a bargain at under $20. The nose is a lovely balance of oak, tannins, pepper, and blackberry. The front of the wine is a little hot, although the balance is very nice with flavors of cherry, oak, and a hint of rose. The mid-palate is somewhat stronger in tannins, and the oak is more pronounced. The finish in smooth and very peppery, which lingers on the palate along with the cherry. I think this wine would do better with more aging, and gave it 7 out of 10. We bought two bottles at our last Bogle excursion, so I am going to stick one in the wine fridge and see how it does in a year or two.

This wine went very, very well with the smoked fontina and sesame crackers. There was a lovely interplay of flavors where no one flavor was overwhelmed and everything worked together quite nicely. Sitting on the patio on a perfect early-Spring evening, with the fountain running and the birds chirping, I had that "I love California!" moment that makes life here so special and memorable. When are you coming to visit? The guest suite is waiting, the wine is ready, where are you?