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No, we don’t actually sit outside in the winter to eat dinner, but it was fun to plate up in the snow.

Winter Grilling in Minnesota (or anywhere, really)
So many people put the grill away for the winter, but why? Well, there is the dark, and the snow and the cold….. In Minnesota, though, we’d hardly use our grills for more than 3 months and who can tolerate that? I’m fortunate to own a ceramic grill, and once the fire is lit, the grill could care less what the outside temperature is.  If I need to set up 225F for a low and slow cook, no problem.  500F+ for pizza? What are you waiting for?  So I shovel the deck and bring a few extra lights and away we go.

Barolo Pairings
The Nebbiolo grape loves to share the table with any kind of red meat, whether it’s a slow cooked stew or a nice rare steak. Rack of lamb covered with rosemary, thyme and garlic are just right. While I don’t hesitate to open a young Barolo with dinner, it’s a special treat to open one which as been quietly waiting for a few years!

G.D.Vajra Barolo DOCG “Bricco delle Viole” 2006 ($64 locally at South Lyndale Liquors or online here) 14.5%abv
Eye: Hazy (unfiltered), pale garnet.
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Aromas of fresh ripe black cherries, strawberries, balsamic vinegar, herbs – rosemary, roses, tobacco, leather, clean forest floor. At this point, you could just smell this wine but don’t! You need to drink some.
Mouth: Dry, medium+ intensity. Medium+ acidity, medium+ finely grained fully resolved tannins. They are present but so refined. Flavors follow the nose with complex red fruits: cherries, strawberries. Balsamic vinegar, fresh wild herbs, clean earth and leather.
Conclusion: Outstanding quality wine, at a perfect point for enjoyment. Evaluated after the wine had been open for about two hours. Good fruit quality although not dominated by fruit at this point. Lovely structure to support complex and rich flavors. This wine is at a perfect point for enjoyment and doesn’t need further aging, however, it will likely be in an excellent window for 5+ years.