SHAKESPEAREAN OUTBURSTS (FAT CATS, BAD COOKING, AND A NICE SAUVIGNON BLANC)

Over the weekend, I wanted to do some cooking, and decided this would be a great opportunity to get to the bottle of Oberon Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2009 (Grade=Outstanding), sent to me courtesy of Susanne Bergrstom, PR Director and Partner of Folio Fine Wine Partners. I love Sauvignon Blanc, and my wife does too, so I hoped to make a good dinner and serve the Oberon alongside.

Oberon always sparks a bit of my English lit studies back into play, as I think of Oberon as the King of the Faeries from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which makes it right at home considering 2 of my 8 cats are named Moonshine (a clown) and Peaseblossom (a faerie), both minor characters from the same Shakespeare play.

Saturday night, I made pan-seared sea bass with steamed Hawaiian potatoes and vegetables, and the wine married well, though I wasn’t as stoked about the sea bass as my wife was. The sea bass was a bit too glycerol while the Oberon, not quite as chilled as I had hoped, was full of fleshy lemon meringue, Key lime pie and fresh guava and gooseberries. There were slight notes of dried herbs, yet the partial barrel fermentation lent a creamier texture, rounding off any harsh angles. The overall wine was smooth, fruit-driven and delicious.

Sunday night, realizing there was still some of the Oberon left, I decided to broil a couple of huge pork chops, with some braised cabbage and buttered corn. The Oberon again, paired well, but I dried out the pork chops (I am usually a better cook than this) so thank God the wine was good. Being enclosed in screw cap meant the wine was as fresh as if I had just opened it. (Take that all you cork-ophiles!)

I was really impressed with this Napa Valley white and I think you will be too.