The 82nd Annual Oscar Awards aired on Sunday.  I usually don’t watch the TV ceremony, I just order the list of nominated movies that interest me from Netflix. I also love looking at the dresses in USA Today the next day.  This year though, I was folding laundry at 5:00 pm and turned on the TV.  When Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin, the hosts, started to rift, I was hooked.

I watched from the kitchen as I made an old favorite recipe and a pear salad*.

As everything was finishing up, I went in search of a rich, balanced Merlot.  Because I was distracted by the Oscars, I forgot to pull out a wine and decant it before starting to cook.  When I chose a wine that was sent to me to sample, I was worried that I might not be giving it a fair try since it was straight out of the wine refrigerator.

I quickly opened it and let it breathe a moment then poured a little in my glass, swirled and sipped.  Wow!  I loved it.  I could taste the Merlot and the blends of Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc.  For me, a good Merlot is a real stand out.  I easily tolerate a so-so Merlot but when I taste a really enjoyable Merlot, it’s memorable.

It’s limited (1,100 cases) but if you can visit the winery or get a bottle online, I recommend it.  Merriam Vineyards 2005 Windacre Russian River Merlot (14.2% alcohol).  I found it to be rich, fruit forward yet nice and earthy, like wine should be (I don’t want fruit juice!) I also tasted blueberry on the long finish.  I appreciated that the back label describes where the grapes are grown, the soil and the exact percentages in the blend.

My pairing was okay; although I was pleased that the wine worked with the pear salad as well as the chicken/bacon dish. I will probably serve it with lamb next time.

It wasn’t my intention to drink the wine while watching the Oscars but it was a wonderful memory!

Pear Arugula Salad

• 1 1/2 cup Arugula
• 2 tbls Briana’s Champagne Caper Dressing
• 1/2 Danjou Pear (sliced)
• Trader Joe’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Tear the Arugula and place in bowl.  Drizzle Champagne Caper Dressing on the lettuce and toss.  Place lettuce on individual plates.  Place pears slices in a fan shape on the lettuce.  Drizzle with Poppy Seed Dressing.

*Both dressings are slightly sweet but mostly earthy with a very slight tanginess.  I find that they pair nicely with wine because there’s a balance between sugar and acid.