Wine tasting: big steaks and scorched earth

We took it as a good sign last night when we walked onto the upstairs porch of Steve and Becky South’s stunning lakefront home and saw chef David Pinckney throwing 2-pound t-bones onto the grill. They looked like Fred Flintstone’s brontosaurus steaks!

Chef David Pinckney slaps the 2-pound t-bones on the grill

Chef David Pinckney slaps the 2-pound t-bones on the grill

It turned out to be a very good omen, indeed. What unfolded was a lovely, convivial evening of not only luscious food, but extraordinary Antinori wines at a tasting arranged by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Thad Cox of Ashe’s Wines and Spirits.

“It is fall now and people tend to go to Italy in the fall,” Cox said as he kicked off the evening. “It seemed like a natural time to explore Italian wines.”

Jenny and Randy Boyd

Jenny and Randy Boyd

About 80 folks gathered at black-clothed tables surrounding the beautiful swimming pool at the Souths’ warm Harrison Keepe abode. Beyond the pool, the view was of the Tennessee River. A nearly full moon rose as the sky darkened and the evening proceeded.

The event was a fundraiser for UT Medical Center’s Heart Lung Institute set to open in 2010.

Surprise of the night was learning that Antinori is the oldest privately owned company in the world, according to Chip Colson, the southeastern regional manager of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Seems the company has been making wine for more than 600 years. Since 1385, 26 generations of the family have personally managed the business, Colson said, making sometimes innovative choices, but always maintaining an unwavering respect for tradition and the land.

Teddy and Christy Phillips

Teddy and Christy Phillips

The wines offered last night included one chardonnay and five reds ranging in price from $43 to $300 per bottle. All were rated between 90 and 97 by “Wine Spectator” and “The Wine Advocate,” with the final bottle, a 2006 Antinori Solaia Toscano IGT (the $300 bottle) scoring the 97. The price corresponded pretty directly with the deliciousness.

We laughed at some of the descriptions in the tasting notes, especially the 2006 Antinori Tignanello Toscano IGT, which was said to taste of “scorched earth.” “When’s the last time you tasted scorched earth?” someone at our table asked. “Not since the last time my board met,” quipped Bill Rukeyser without missing a beat. Rukeyser also was the one to suggest that instead of drinking the priciest red we all just “munch on the $100 bills and eliminate the middle man.” (OK, perhaps by that point we were a little tipsy.)

The sole white wine of the night, Antinori Cervaro dela Sala Chardonnay Umbria, ($55 per bottle) was said by Colson to be the “most decorated wine ever produced in Italy.” The tasting notes said it “has a loveley golden color, with exquisite aromas of baked apple studded with clove, meadow flowers, salted butter and burnt pie crust.” Huh? We just described it as “good” – especially with the jumbo grilled scallops that were part of Chef Pinckney’s bounteous buffet.

Thad Cox, left, and Steve South

Thad Cox, left, and Steve South

Steve South, the owner, president and CEO of South College, a long-time Moxley Carmichael client, is a generous host. He and his wife, Becky, always make guests feel at ease and at home. “Stay as long as you like,” Becky said around nine o’clock. “We have plenty more wine and all the fireplaces are on.”

Among the party guests: Joe and Ronda Landsman, Dick and Nancy Westerling, Bruce and Sharon Bosse, Randy Massey, Joe Zappa, Teddy and Christy Phillips, Jeannie Dulaney, Danny Pressley, Bill and Elisabeth Rukeyser, Elizabeth Cox, Mike Nichols, John Sheridan, Keith and Carolyn Fairbanks Biggs, Dr. Bob and Nancy Elder, Randy and Jenny Boyd. Pinckney was assisted by Broaden Your Palette catering. Tamer El-Adawy is director of events there.

Bruce and Sharon Bosse

Bruce and Sharon Bosse

Joe and Ronda Landsman

Joe and Ronda Landsman

Jeannie Dulaney and Danny Pressley

Jeannie Dulaney and Danny Pressley

Leftovers for the puppy? From left, Alan Carmichael, David Pinckney and Steve South

Leftovers for the puppy? From left, Alan Carmichael, David Pinckney and Steve South

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3 Responses to Wine tasting: big steaks and scorched earth

  1. Pingback:Tweets that mention Blue Streak » Wine tasting: big steaks and scorched earth -- Topsy.com

  2. Chrissy Morin, on October 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm said:

    WOW.. those do look like Fred Flintstone steaks…. we are spending the week in Napa too… it’s amazing… the food, the wine, the views… We are headed home to CO tomorrow….. not sure I’ll ever be able to drink a glass of house wine again! I think I’ve graduated to a wine snob status! Another thing about California is the amazingly fresh produce. we’ve had artichokes several times and they don’t even taste like a cousin of the one’s I’ve had in Colorado unfortunately. I am trying to figure out how to sneak some home in my suitcase!

  3. Cynthia Moxley, on October 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm said:

    Wow, Chrissy. Now I want one of those artichokes!

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