Wine Wednesdays - 2012 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir - Chardonnay Moi

Last week I was lucky enough to cross an NYC institution off my bucket list: dinner at Peter Luger. I’ve heard about this bacon for years and I just HAD to see what it was all about.

But since this is Wine Wednesday after all, I wanted to start by sharing the wine. While Peter Luger is not exactly known for having a stellar wine list; we managed to pick what I think was a delicious bottle and probably one of the better values on the over-priced, Cali-Cab, standard steak house list.

Domaine Serene is located in the Willamette Valley of Oregon; prime Pinot Noir and Chardonnay growing territory. Fun fact, the Willamette Valley is on the same latitude as Burgundy, the other great Pinot Noir/Chardonnay growing region. The owners of Domaine Serene have made my dream their reality as they just purchased a wine estate in Burgundy, allowing them to make wine in both regions.

This 2012 Pinot Noir is a blend or “cuvée” of several different vineyards in the region. The wine was aged for 13 months in 50% new French oak. It had all the typical varietal characteristics: fresh red berries, soft tannins, a slightly nutty/caramel note and a hint of spice on the finish. While the typical pairing for meaty steak is a bolder Cabernet, this wine had enough weight to compliment our meal from start to finish.

Now back to that bacon….a juicy, thick-cut slab similar to Canadian bacon. So salty and amazing! We also had the wedge with, lucky us, more bacon!

Unlike the nouveau steak houses around this city and others, Peter Luger has a rather limited menu that focuses on what they’ve done best for 125 years. There’s a few starters, 2 non-steak entree choices, and a handful of sides (most of which are potatoes). We had the steak for 2 (which can easily feed 4) as well as both the French fried potatoes and the German fried potatoes (after a slight ordering mix-up). The steak comes out sizzling hot, perfectly medium-rare in a pool of it’s own juices and melted butter. This steak needs no sauce. And I’m here to report that both the steak and potatoes go swimmingly well with eggs for breakfast the next morning!

We finished the meal with a classic sundae topped with their homemade “Schlag” (whipped cream). The wine was a perfect compliment to the cherry on top!