Coppola Diamond Red Blend and Bounty from Our Farmers Market Make a Perfect Pairing

In our home we choose wine to go with the meal, but more often we choose our food to go with the wine. This time it was a beautifully synchronistic moment.

As I arrived home with freshly harvested, yellow squash, new potatoes, fresh spinach and a beautiful skirt steak from one of our local farmers, I found a package at my door with some wonderful wines from Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

We opened the Diamond Red Blend, 2010, a luscious creation of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. Classic California style, what else can I say.

As you might guess it was perfect with the steak which I marinated in fresh garlic, rosemary from our own backyard garden, sea salt, ground pepper and balsamic vinegar then flash grilled at 600. To keep pace I roasted the potatoes in the oven under high heat with butter, EVO, sea salt and fresh pepper, then coated with smoked paprika. The squash I braised with onions and fresh oregano and thyme yielding rich flavors, then served over a bed of wilted spinach. You want veggies that will stand up to a big red wine, browning is the way to go.

This wine is delicious, but what me struck me most, gave me the greatest pleasure, is its natural purity. It is as nature intended. Smooth, balanced, pure and packed with flavor.

Part of the Diamond collection an initiative that began in 1997 to "make wines of character and complexity at an affordable price." The fruit is sourced from only "top-notch vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and El Dorado."

I see this wine pairing well with a lot of summer fair, grilled meats, or marinated fish, any rich Asian styled or creative BBQ.

It also makes a great base for a wine cocktail like this one they call The Scarlet.