Tempranillo and Filet Mignon

Today’s wine adventure was inspired by my quest to find a wine other than a Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with steak. Some other suggested parings included a nice Shiraz from South Australia or a Malbec from Argentina. My research revealed that not all steak is created equal – therefore there is no one size fits all when it comes to finding the perfect wine pairing.

SIGH! I had to take things a step further. What kind of steak am I preparing? How am I preparing it? Will it include a sauce of some sort? I had already decided on preparing filet mignon with nothing more than basic seasoning and some butter. This cut of steak is lean. Hmmm… My search continued while my family kept asking when dinner was going to be ready. I couldn’t start dinner until I figure out the perfect wine paring! Just as I was about to give up and crack open a beer instead – I had an epiphany. I have a 2012 Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain on my wine shelf! (Specifically, Vina Bujanda Reserva 2012)

First let’s talk about Tempranillo wine.  Spain is the main region that produces Tempranillo.  Wine experts describe the wine as having characteristics of black cherry, fig, cedar, tobacco and dill.  What I notice when drinking a Tempanillo is a distinct smoky characteristic. 

Today’s Tempranillo is Vina Bujanda Reserva 2012.  The word “Reserva” is a Spanish term for classifying wine based on the length of time it has been aged, meaning the wine has been aged for at least 2 years and one of these years has to have been aged in oak.  Vina Bujanda Reserva 2012 has been fermented in stainless steel tanks for 12 days, followed by being aged in oak for 20 months.  Wine aged in oak barrels gives the wine characteristics of vanilla, caramel and smoky aromas.  Though the smoky aroma with the Vina Bujanda Reserva 2012 was not that intense, I could definitely detect aromas of black cherry and stale tobacco.  I found the wine to be rather crisp and not as intense as a cab.  The finish had a slight note of smokiness that I love.  I bet this wine would also pair nicely with barbecue!

Next let’s talk about the food. Here is how I prepared the filet mignon.

INGREDENTS:

1. Filet mignon

2. Coarse salt

3. Ground pepper

4. Safflower oil (or any high heat oil)

5. Unsalted butter

6. Garlic

7. Rosemary

PREPARATION:

1. On a cutting board, pat the filet mignon dry with paper towels and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).

3. Generously season all sides of the filet mignon with salt and pepper.

4. Heat a medium, oven-safe stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the oil.

5. Once the oil beings to smoke, add the filet mignon to the pan. Cook without moving for 2-3 minutes, until a crust has formed.

6. Use tongs to flip the steak over, then add the butter, rosemary, and garlic to the pan.

7. Tilt the pan and spoon the butter continuously over the steak for 2-3 minutes.

8. Transfer the pan to the oven for 7 minutes for a medium rare steak.

9. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

How did the Vina Bujanda Reserva 2012 Tempranillo pair with the filet mignon I prepared?  The answer is… Perfectly!    The food was not overwhelmed by the wine.  And the wine did not become bitter because of the food.  In fact, the filet mignon brought out the fruit flavor of the wine.  I definitely recommend that folks give Tempranillo a try!

I hope you have enjoyed today’s wine adventure.  Thank you for visiting! Cheers!