Burgers, BBQ and Wine

As the end of my vacation draws near, I am reflecting on what a wonderful trip it has been. Over the past couple of weeks I have spent my time seeing family, relaxing, reading, eating and - you guessed it - sailing. It has been such a welcome break from the daily chaos of simultaneously running aWilma relaxing on a hammock... business and a family, and a much-needed one at that! Of course, my brain hasn't completely turned away from the winery. There is just so much going on right now with our new consumer tasting experiences, bottling in full swing before harvest starts, and the anniversary of the date that we received our use permit 40 years ago coming up. With all of these exciting things going on, it has been a tad difficult to keep my mind completely focused on relaxing.

However, when our 2009 Heritage Zinfandel was named one of the "Best Burger Wines" out of a 30-bottle taste test, I immediately snapped back into vacation mode. Why? Because one of the best parts of a summer vacation is eating outside and enjoying a great barbequed meal with family and friends. I love burgers, but I have to confess that my favorite BBQ dinner with our Heritage Zinfandel is my dad's famous 'Zinful Flank Steak'. With only a few days left in my vacation, I am going to make sure this recipe hits the grill before I hit the road!

Dave's Zinful Flank Steak

 
For steak marinade:  

2lbs 

1/4 cup

3/4 cup

3 cloves

2 tsp

To taste

flank steak

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

garlic, chopped

dried Italian herbs

salt & pepper

Recipe Card for Dave's Zinful Flank Steack

click to print recipe card

For Zinfandel sauce:

1 bottle

1

2

1 clove

Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel

onion, minced

shallots, minced

garlic, minced

Method:

Steak marinade: Combine ingredients and marinate flank steak overnight. It is important to first pierce the steak all over with a fork so that the marinade can better penetrate and tenderize the meat.

Zinfandel sauce: Combine ingredients in non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer to reduce by one-half. Remove from heat and cool. Remove steak from marinade. Add reserved marinade to sauce mixture and puree in the food processor. Grill, broil or pan fry steak over high heat; cook to medium rare. Cut thin slices across the grain. Serve with heated sauce.

Serves 6

| | Comments (3)

3 Comments


Kelly and Angie Author Profile Page said:
July 16, 2012 5:18 PM

We love the vacations too! We love to go swim in one of the great lakes near Michigan. We also love wine! There is so much to learn and we are eager to continue learning. After finding out that we were drinking our wines at the wrong temperature and out of the wrong glasses; we didn't know what else to expect. We also heard that the type of soil that the grapes are grown in affects the taste! Is there any hopes to learn it all? Thank you for your awesome post, it was great reading.


Kim (aka Wilma) Author Profile Page said:
July 18, 2012 11:02 PM

Hi Kelly and Angie,
Here's the great thing about wine...it can take a lifetime of tasting to really understand the nuances of the grape. That's why it's so fun! This is partly due to the many variables--including soil (as you mention), region, clonal selection, farming practices (for example pulling leaves off of SB can minimize herbacousness/grassiness and enhance the peach/pear/apricot fruit characters) and of course, winemaking practices. Add to that the temperature of the wine, the glass it's served in and it's no wonder people get a little overwhelmed. My advice is to keep tasting and come for a visit to Dry Creek Vineyard! We'll make sure you learn as much as you can. All the best,
Wilma


Claudia said:
July 25, 2012 4:54 PM

Love, love, love, hamburger and a good wine. Somehow its a ying yang combination for me. Thanks for the recipe, I will add to my repertoire.

Leave a comment

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Kim published on July 12, 2012 2:54 PM.

Summertime in a Bottle was the previous entry in this blog.

Discovering the Bliss Factor is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

welcome!

This is a blog about what it's really like to be in the wine industry...so sit back, take a sip and enjoy!

about me

our wines

our winery

our events

contact me

privacy statement



favorite posts

A Lifetime in Wine

Top 10 Traits of the Successful Family Winery

The Dreaded Family Meeting

Board Meeting Jitters

Is the Future of the Winery in Danger?

The Case of the Overweight Bottle

Wine and Dementia

Wanted: Talented (Normal) Individual for Family Owned Winery

A Sea of Wine

The Heroes of Our Industry


monthly archives


subscribe


Hopes & Dreams

Owning a Coastal Cottage

Sailing for 6 Months

Getting a 100 Point Score

Favorite Haunts

Coast of Maine

Dry Creek General Store

Dry Creek Kitchen

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Spoonbar

Sonoma Country Antiques

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar

The Farmhouse

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar

Bad Ass Coffee

Bistro Ralph

Bits of Press

Food & Wine Magazine

The Wine News

Wine Enthusiast

Wine Spectator

Press Democrat

Sunset Magazine

Connoisseurs' Guide

Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences

Cruising World Magazine

Oprah Magazine

The Washington Post

Coastal Living Magazine

Wine & Spirits Magazine

People Magazine

SAG Awards Magazine

Forbes Magazine

Favorite Magazines

Coastal Living

Down East

Sunset

Country Living

Quarterly Review of Wines

Wines & Vines

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

California Grapevine

Connoisseurs' Guide

Practical Winery & Vineyard

WineReviewOnline

Vineyard & Winery Mgmt

Blog Buddy List

Fermentation

Hip Tastes

Pinot Blogger

All The Best

Julia Flynn Siler

Vinography

Winery Web Site Report

The Pour - Eric Asimov

Dr Vino

Steve Heimoff

Start Up Ladies

Good Wine Under $20

Blind Muscat

The Wineroad Blog

Gabe's View

Wine Peeps

Vici Vino

Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk

Uncork Life

WineVine-Imports Blog

The Wine Witch

SOURMASHED


Honorable Mentions

Fermentation
Wilma Hits The World of Blogs
Most Intriguing New Wine Blogs of 2008
Midwest Wine Guy
Winery of the Month
Julia Flynn Siler
Meritage wines - and a fascinating glimpse into family business
Winery Web Site Report
New Winery Blog: Wilma's Wine World
Start Up Ladies
Insider's View of Family Owned Dry Creek Vineyard
The Glue that Keeps the Whole Thing Going
Atlanta Dish
Blog of the Week
Blind Muscat
The Merits of Meritage
Wineries.net
Boston Wine Expo exhibitors, and the reason why winemakers are so darn happy