April 3, 2012
Sharing the Jessup Love with my Friends
That’s right folks! It was about time I finally got around to reporting on my first Jessup tasting! Sorry that I’ve been out of touch recently, our wedding planning is in full swing and as some of you may relate it seems to take the most out of ya. But through all the madness I always find time for some delcious wine! So a couple weeks ago, I invited over 4 of my closest friends for an awesome steak dinner and their very first tasting of Jessup Cellars. Jessup worked with me to pair the wine perfectly and supplied their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Manny’s Blend, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, and finished it off with their 2007 Zinfandel Port. An amazing combination!
Before our guests arrived, we put the Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge to be chilled and started prepping the food. Janice put herself hard at work on her delicious homemade boysenberry baked brie and I prepped the vegetables and cheese. Our house is a bit small so to fit a party of 6 we had to turn our little kitchen into a dining room as well. Needless to say, it was cozy. 
Once our guests arrived we cracked open the perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc and gave my friends their first ever tasting of my favorite winery. Their reactions were nothing less than expected. The Sauvignon Blanc is light, fruity and crisp which was a great combo with the snapeas, the baked brie, and the mozzerela cheese rolls. One of my friends said it was the best Sauvignon Blanc they’ve ever had and of course I couldn’t agree more. It’s the type of wine and makes everyone feel refreshed and happy; basically the perfect opening to a great party.
Once everyone had settled in and the appetizers had all been tasted, I threw our peppercorn marinated ribeye steaks on the grill. We opened up the Manny’s Blend as a bridge from the fruity sauvignon blanc and to our main feature, the cabernet. Manny’s Blend is such a fun wine! It’s got that sweet berry flavor, which turned out to be the perfect pairing to Janice’s boysenberry baked brie. Seriously a match made in heaven!
When the steaks were done we served them with some mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus (a classic!). The pairing for this one was my all time favorite; Jessup’s Cabernet Sauvignon. The peppercorn steak and the cabernet were a taste of bliss. The flavors of the char-grilled peppercorn steaks matched perfectly with the tannins from the cabernet. I don’t know about you, but in my honest opinion nothing beats a nicely grilled steak matched with a perfect wine.
To wrap up the evening (and truly make our bellys burst) we had french vanilla ice cream and home made brownies! To pair with this decadent chocolate treat, Jessup provided us with their 2007 Zinfandel Port. Let me tell you, nothing goes better with chocolate than a Jessup port. The two are a perfect match and it was definitely the perfect way to end a great meal.
That’s all for now folks! Thanks for all of your patience, I know my fans have been waiting! Did you like the pairings? Want a recipe? Leave a comment and let me know!
