Wine Club pairings – 2016 Primitivo and Italian Drunken Tri-tip

by | Apr 19, 2018 | Blog, Pairing

Italian Drunken Tri-tip and 2016 Primitivo

Collectors Club – April 20182016 Primitivo Pairing and recipe

If you are a fan of Sculpterra Wine then you probably know that the winemaker Paul Frankel has a well-developed sense of taste to create such amazing wine. What you probably don’t know is that his sister is not too bad either. Dr. Faith Frankel’s tasting talent lead her to kitchen experimentation and a cooking TV show habit that is now going to be used for a new series on the blog, Wine Club Pairings.

Each month we will select a bottle or two from one of the clubs and provide some pairing notes and a recipe created by Faith, especially for your Sculpterra wine. We will start with the Collectors

Tasting Notes – 2016 Primitivo

Wow, this wine is a truly tasteful expression of the very finest Primitivo! This smooth, full-bodied wine delivers coastings of spicy plum, juicy blackberry, candied cherry, clove, and apple pie crust aromas. Firm but silky tannins offer generous textures and support the wines all-encompassing mouthfeel. It is a robust wine that unwraps fresh/fragrant notes while delivering with plenty of oaky goodness. The spicy palate offers raisin, dried blackberry, prunes, and ground black pepper. You can drink upon release; it will reach it’s prime in 2021.

Shelving – drink now best in 2021

Taste – spicy plum, juicy blackberry, candied, cheery, clove, and apple pie crust

Pairing – Due to the high alcohol content (16%) you generally need to stay with fatty foods and pair with lamb and beef (roasts) and steaks with wine sauce or balsamic reductions

 

Italian Drunken Tri-tip

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Italian dressing (I prefer Ken’s Italian dressing and marinade)
  • 1 1/2 cups Primativo Wine
  • 2/3 cup whiskey
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • Two 2-pounds beef tri-tip roasts, excess fat trimmed
  • 6 Tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 Tablespoons honey

Directions

  1. In a bowl mix dressing, wine, whiskey, and vinegar. (You can prepare the marinade up to 3 days in advance, storing it covered in the refrigerator). Place each tri-tip roast in a large resealable bag, add the marinade dividing it evenly, and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible. Set aside in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
  2. Remove the tri-tips from the marinade, but save the marinade, pat them dry, and set aside.
  3. Transfer the marinade to a large saucepan. Stir in the ketchup, tomato paste, and honey and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 35 -50 min.
  4. Prepare the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. (*see below) Season the meat with salt and pepper. Grill the tri-tips to a few minutes shy of desired doneness, about 8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Liberally brush the tri-tips the wine sauce and cook for another minute per side. Repeat two more times, for a total of about 11 minutes per side for medium-rare.
  5. Transfer the tri-tips to a cutting board and let them rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes.
  6. Cut the meat across the grain into thin slices and serve hot. Pass the remaining wine sauce at the table.

Notes

*Alternatively you can broil the tri-tips in the oven 4 inches from the top of the oven using the same method and times.