Davis Bynum 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir

This wine has a cranberry hue. The nose is filled with ripe juicy red fruit aromas of cherries and strawberries with a bit of spice. The palate mirrored the nose with a hint of earthiness and some slight herbal notes in the mid palate. The wine finished with bright fruit flavors and a bit of acidity, making this a great wine to pair with food. The wine has a smooth and silky mouth feel, but has some structure that provides balance. The wine has a nice finish.  I would pair this wine with salmon, pork, chicken, (roasted, baked or southern fried), anything with prosciutto, Purple Haze goat cheese because of the lavender and fennel pollen coating, cream cheese topped with Tabasco Brand Red Pepper Jelly served with crackers, bruschetta with mushrooms, melted Fontina cheese and bacon crumbled on top and Mimolette cheese.  Note: This wine was a sample provided by Davis Bynum Winery. http://www.davisbynum.com/ SRP $30.00 

Herbes de Provence Pan Seared Salmon with Caper Sauce

• 4 salmon fillets
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Herbes de Provence (lightly sprinkled on each fillet)
• 2 ½ tablespoons of olive oil (reserve I ½ tablespoons for skillet)
• ½ of a lemon

Caper Sauce

1 cup of Mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of small capers (drained of brine)

4 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rub fillets with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and Herbes de Provence. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat. Place fillets in pan, skin side up, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until edges turn golden. Then, turn over and cook for about a minute. Remove fillets from skillet and place in a baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze lemon juice on baked salmon fillets.

Caper Sauce

Preparation

Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers and Tabasco sauce, and serve in a pretty serving bowl.

I like serving this with herbed rice and a grape tomato and mixed greens salad. Wine Recommendation: 2009 Davis Bynum Russian River Pinot Noir http://www.davisbynum.com/