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Your protagonist has been living as a woman for 20 years and has the tackle to make it real. A man that looks a lot like Sam Elliott has taken her to dinner. He's gotten her a very nice Rib Eye, done barely legal with Asparagus, and Mushrooms done just right. What kind of Wine? All I can remember is Gevurtz Antramer 1972.
She's expecting some action.
Gwen
Comments
A Rib-eye deserves a good wine
with some body. For me that means a good Claret. Ok, so I have a bit of a penchant for Bordeaux wines.
Or a proper beer.
I had a rib-eye (from a farm less than 10 miles away) last night with new pots (from the garden), asparagus and sugar snap peas. I washed it down with a bottle of T.E.A (Traditional English Ale) which comes from my local brewery. 4% not like many so called 'craft beers' which can be a lot stronger.
Samantha
Yes, a substantial red wine
A nice Cabernet Sauvignon makes sense, but a Merlot might not be substantial enough. The other great French red grape, Pinot Noir, certainly is a candidate too.
G/R
Yes, Bordeaux
A rich, balanced red wine pairs well with a rare piece of beef. In the Bordeaux region, even a modest priced St. Emilion would more than fit the bill.
I don't drink French wines out of snobbery, and I'm certainly not familiar with all the denominations. I drink French wines for one simple reason. I can trust them not to add sulfites to the wine. The amount that occurs naturally in the grape never bothers me, but what some countries, and especially the US allow added to their wine can be a severe problem for me. Sulfites cause me great difficulty breathing, which is no fun at all. If you added half the stuff that gets put in American wines to a French wine, the government would lock you up. They are very serious about their wine and have strict laws against "adulteration."
Besides, a $9 Bordeaux is often a better wine than a $20 Long Island North Shore or a $30 Napa Valley. Even if they didn't add sulfites.
Shiraz
:-)
Well....
My personal choice would be a full bodied red, Cabernet Sauvignon. a nicely aged Pauillac from Bordeaux, Shiraz or even a Cabernet-Shiraz blend. If you prefer Californian wines there are a few Zinfandels that would work or a nice red Meritage (a blend of reds). That being said it really comes down to, is drink what you like. Pairing red with beef, white with fish, etc. doesn't have to be followed. You can even drink champagne if you want, perhaps a nice blanc de noir (made from primarily pinot noir). Champagne is actually made to go with anything that you would use a still wine for, using it for special occasions is a waste IMHO.
old vine Zin
or better yet primitivo, sangiovese, or brunello. The older the better for a properly rare steak.
Not being a francophile, I find the best reds and beef come from Italia.
Liz
most people only know about Chianti
or at best a Barolo when it comes to Italian Wines. Some Chianti's (not classico) can be pretty rough though.
I find that Italian wines don't age as well as a good French one (made from a grape that is meant not to be drunk young)
I'm having a 2008 St Emillion tonight. I bought it from the Chateau in 2010. I have three bottles of the four cases that I bought left. I'll be sad to see the end of that purchase. It would have been my Fathers 100th birthday today.
Samantha
beer
Point 2012 Black Ale. Sadly it is not made any more.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
Well, my bar-tender is ...
Well, my bar-tender is http://www.Barnivore.com/.
But, given the menu picks, Barnivore is just not on the characters' horizons.
And given my expertise (just about zero) with wine, never mind wine pairings ... I need to leave them on their own.
The beer is for when they have pizza.
Google will more than flood you with suggestions ...
Know little
I know very little about wine but will throw in here that a good friend has discovered an Australian winery that sells under the 19 Crimes label. He tells me they do good wines.
White wine
I am a red wine drinker and it seems most of you are, but Gwen did speak of a gewurtztraminer (I think) which is a white wine with (often) a fairly odd flavor to my taste. But if you want to impress him, why not suggest that you would like a delicate gruner veltliner. This wine is de rigueur at the moment in the smart restaurants, and is really interesting.
Maryanne
a few wine snobs
on here it seems.
firstly, I wouldn't give a thank you for rib eye, its a pointless, overpriced cut. A nice slab of rump is what you want (maybe sirloin for the lady) with a nice crisp lager style beer, the north German breweries do that very well. If it really has to be wine, a fruity Italian red would go quite well, nothing too full or heavy, you want to lift the meat not smother it. I've gone off white the last few years but I guess a crisp Rheinhessen would work.
Now don't get me wrong, I like asparagus, spargel to my German friends, and I had almost that exact meal last week but really, steak should have chips and peas, maybe a mild pepper sauce, finis. Anything else is just poncing it up.
Now spargel (preferably white) is best with pork, a steak or schnitzel, Hollandais sauce and either frites or boiled potatoes - sounds like tomorrows tea (dinner if you must).
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Grape or grain
A solid red for a wine, as has been said. Shiraz or a solid Burgundy, Chianti, Barolo or a good Rioja.
For a beer, try a Budweiser. No, not the chemical that looks and tastes like stale urine with the red and white label, but the real thing, from Budejowice in the Czech Republic. Maddy has suggested northern Germany as a source, and I agree, while avoiding koelsch, which I find far too thin. Also look at Belgian beers (too many to list) or Bavarian brews such as the bock made by Spaten.
For ales, there are a lot of English and Cornish beers, I would go for a decent IPA, such as St Austell's 'Proper Job', Kelham Island's 'Pale Rider' or a golden bitter. Exmoor Gold is a nice one.
I like ales, and I described them in 'Something to Declare' "It comes in a huge range of styles, some light and refreshing, others almost like a three-course meal in a glass. But it makes me pee."
If I was having any form of stewed beef, or roast, I would go for the latter style. With a fry-up or grill, I prefer the lighter ones I have already listed. Don't get the idea that the lighter (in colour) beers are lighter in alcohol; many of the beers I have listed start at 5%ABV, and the Spaten is over 6%. It isn't stuff for pouring down your neck by the gallon.