We usually like to think outside the box when it comes to our love lives, and our date night menus. But you really can’t go wrong with a classic romantic meal like this one. Steak, creamy potatoes, and chocolate is the way to most men’s hearts-and it’s enough to make us QLCs swoon as well.
Champagne
Roasted Fennel and Asiago Tartlettes
Guinness-Marinated Flank Steak
Fennel-Potato Puree with Mascarpone
Chocolate Mousse with Gingerbread Whipped Cream
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Wine Pairings by Caroline
The flavor list I came up with going through this menu was: fennel, steak, creamy, and chocolate. Steak gets you rich. Creamy? Read: Rich. Fennel? Read: Sweet and maybe anise or licorice, too. Chocolate and Gingerbread? Read: Chocolate (because some wines do have a coco-quality). And ginger? Read: Spice. So, we’re looking for a rich red wine with some sweetness, licorice notes, a bit of cocoa and perhaps some spice. I’m going to suggest either a Merlot or a Malbec and suggest both for different reasons. A Merlot would make a good match for this meal if you want to bring out its richness and will get you all the way through desert if you pick one that’s been aged for a good amount of time in some French oak and has some notes of cocoa and vanilla. If you’d rather go the way of Malbec, you’re going to end up with a fairly tannic wine that will go well with your steak and turn up the volume on all those sweet licorice flavors that pop up throughout the meal. Some ideas:
Try: Bogle Merlot California 2006 $12
College Cellars Merlot Dwelley Vineyard Walla Walla Valley $18
Goose Ridge Merlot Goose Ridge Estate Columbia Valley $27
Rutini Mendoza The Marshall Malbec 2007 $16
Caroline Helper is a 23-year-old wine geek whose love affair with fermented grape juice started in Italy at the age of 18 (it was legal there!). She has since traveled to Napa, Burgundy, and Tuscany to taste and learn. Caroline aims to enlighten, educate, and explore on her blog, Forget Burgundy.
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