Wine, wine, wine

Over the holidays, my friend Carl handed me a gift bag and said "Have this one night with your husband, when you can just sit and relax and enjoy. This is one of my favorite bottles of wine." I didn't even open it. Instead, I tucked it away in our wine cellar and there it sat since last December. When I finally cracked it open last weekend, the bottle lived up to its promise. Shafer Merlot, a 2007 from the Napa Valley. My favorite wines all come from Napa and Sonoma and the wine was completely what I had hoped for. That deep rich color, the smokey, earthy and almost pungent taste that is is distinctly from that Northern California volcanic soil. I highly recommend this bottle for California Merlot lovers. I also had the priviledge of drinking Mariner, Dry Creek Vineyard, 2006 Meritage. This was a gift from my husband and comes from the Healdsburg and Sonoma region. Wonderful wine but the Shafer made a more lasting impression.

2007 Shafer Merlot Napa Valley 750ml

Napa Valley Wine Train

This summer, I had the privilege of stepping back in time and getting a true picture of traveling and dining by train by riding the Napa Valley Wine Train, located in Napa, Californa.  At the Napa station, the train made up of original 1915 red and gold Pullman Cars stretched as far as I could see down the track. On board, I sat at a table covered in white linens and fine china, surrounded by ornate woodwork and wide windows decorated with thick, luxurious curtains. My eyes poured over the mouth-watering menu and wine list. Wines are not included in the price of your ticket. They range from around $8-18.

For my meal, I chose the beef tenderloin, which came with a delicious grilled Gorgonzola toast and pan seared asparagus. It did not disappoint. The tender beef melted in my mouth and Gorgonzola toast was rich and yummy.

On my tour, we were on the "first service" which means we were served lunch on the first leg of the trip and would have dessert on the return trip. After lunch the train stopped at Grigich Hills Winery for a winery tour and tasting. Our tour guide seemed a bit stiff and serious, but some of the wines were delicious.

On the return trip to Napa we had dessert service in the lounge car. This was the most disappointing part of the trip. The coffee was hot and delicious, but the dessert was warm, runny and tasteless, instead of chilled and rich.

During the trip, a stop by the kitchen revealed and amazingly narrow, yet fully operational kitchen, brimming with activity. Each plate is made to order and served while the train is in motion.

Below is the meal I enjoyed. Give it try and take a nostalgic trip back in time.

$94 Lunch- Includes Train Fare and Prix Fixe Gourmet Meal. Wine Pairing Separate.

These expertly refurbished 1915-1917 Pullman Cars create an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and enjoyment. Meals, crafted by Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald, are prepared in a specially fabricated kitchen car located immediately adjacent to each dining area. As with all our menu choices, the meals are freshly prepared on the train using environmentally responsible ingredients, humanely raised, hormone-free meats and fresh, line-caught fish.

Wine Country Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Napa and Sonoma

Frommer's Napa and Sonoma Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day - Pocket)

Osso Anna Merlot 2006 Top Knotch

My husband and I ate at the Napa Valley Grill in the Garden State Plaza last night. The wine was the best part of the meal.

To choose our wine, we picked between the two lowest priced Merlots on the wine menu. Our waiter recommended Osso Anna 2006 and we were lucky to get the last 06 bottle. This Merlot smelled rich, spicy, fruity and had an delicious taste with very little tannins.

A write-up I found online gives these details: (Source :http://www.winepronline.com/r/products/osso-anna-merlot-2006) "Made by Jay Buoncristiani, of Buoncristiani Winery and Hess Collection, and his Wife, this is serious Merlot for the money. Complex with loads of dark, berry fruit, vanilla, licorice and balanced by great acidity, this Merlot is terrific for everyday consumption but will last in the cellar for 5-10 years. Only 300 cases of this stunning value were produced."

The meal at the restaurant was good, but not as good as past meals we have had there. We started off with the roasted garlic appetizer plate. This is two roasted garlic cloves, a wedge of saga cheese, a tomato chutney and some yummy crackers to spread it all on. The garlic was bitter rather than having the smooth flavor you often get with roasted garlic. The cheese and chutney were both good, but I remember the flavor of the chutney blowing me away the last time I had it. This time the flavor was more muted and it tasted as though it has been sitting around for a while.

My husband had the beet salad which he chowed down and the angus top sirloin which he was also pleased with. I enjoyed the rigatoni bolognese, which is made with top sirloin rather than ground beef in the sauce. The pasta looked and tasted fresh and homemade and the sauce was rich and delicious. There was a bit too much meat in the sauce for me, but I'm not much of a beef eater. If you like a lot of meat in your sauce you may be very satisfied.

Overall dinner was great, but I do think a bit pricey for what we got. This morning I found the wine online for more than half of what we paid at the restaurant. I also think the food would have been well worth the price if the appetizer didn't fall short and the pasta had a bit more dimension to it. Our bill for the appetizer, salad and two entrees was $164.00. A bit steep if you don't leave completely satisfied.