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Grilling in a Snowstorm
In Minnesota, grilling enthusiasts learn to brave the elements. Otherwise, the grill would only get used for a few months in our all-too-brief summer. Like many activities here, one just learns to be ready for the weather. Weighing a nice steak grilled over charcoal outside vs. in the oven broiler (yuch) was an easy decision!

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Troon Vineyard
Troon Vineyard has been on a major reinvigoration project over the last several years, becoming one of the leaders in farming for the future in the wine industry. They have transitioned to Demeter Biodynamic Certification and most recently, Regenerative Organic Certification. They are one of the first two Regenerative Organic Certified wineries in the United States. I had the pleasure of visiting back in 2018, and again in 2021 (visit report coming soon).

Troon Vineyard, Applegate Valley Estate Vineyard Malbec, 2019 ($35 winery direct) 13.6% abv
Eye: Deep purple
Nose: Medium intensity aromas of violets, fresh ripe blueberry, blackberry, a touch of ripe strawberry. A sense of brambly wood without any vanilla or overt oak notes, charcoal fresh out of the bag.
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium refined tannins, medium body with a lean texture, medium alcohol, medium flavor intensity with flavors closely following the aromas. Medium plus length.
Observations: Not to be confused with either Mendoza or Cahors, this is it’s own animal. There’s tension in this wine from the texture and acidity. Not so much for the fireplace, this wine will shine with food, as it did with our steak dinner.

Grilled Steak and Malbec
With the snow having started, we kept the grilling super simple. Nothing more than roasting brussels sprouts in a cast iron skillet and quick searing a steak. We cooked the steak fries in the oven indoors and prepared the topping for the brussels sprouts. We loved the brussels sprouts in saor recipe from NY Times Cooking Thanksgiving and it has become our go-to recipe for topping sprouts.

While Malbec is one of the classic pairings for grilled steak, steak is not the only food I’d consider with Troon’s version. Lighter in body and less obvious oak compared to many other Malbecs, it still had plenty of flavor and structure for the steak, but it would also do well with burgers or even grilled chicken. Delicious!