What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

I love duck. It's one of my favorite dishes, whether dining out or eating in. My wife, Kari, prepares a superb duck, searing it on the stove top to crisp the skin, finishing in the oven to a medium rare consistency, and then crafting a sauce that brings it all together.

The other night Kari surprised me with a waterfowl dinner, which put me on a hunt in the cellar for an Oregon pinot noir. I was starting to come down with a cold, therefore wasn't sure if I should go big time or just stay simple. Looking around my wine shelves, I noticed two Argyle wines next to each other, an '02 Brut Sparkling Wine and an '05 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.

A solid pair for the meal Kari was crafting.

I love Argyle's sparkling wines. These folks do an amazing job crafting chardonnay and pinot noir into some delicious vintage bruts that are enjoyable no matter what the occasion. I prefer the lightness of these wines, and their flavors make for a great match with most food you would consider pairing with a light, crisp white. And the price points ($20 for the '02) are fairly reasonable, making them regular fare at our dinner table.

The '02 Brut (12% alcohol) provided a wonderful aperitif for us while the meal was being prepared. Which brings me back to the duck, which Kari plated on top of a bed of fresh watercress tossed in a light vinaigrette and joined by a soft, creamy polenta made with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. As to the sauce, Kari de-glazed the pan with chicken stock, then added shallots and black currant jam, reducing until it had thickened. The aromas from this meal made me think I was in duck heaven.

Suffice it to say, the meal was just amazing.

The flavors of the medium-rare, crispy-skinned duck breast with the sauce and watercress were incredible. And following each bite with a sip of the Argyle '05 Pinot Noir made it even more delightful. The pinot (13.5% alcohol) opened up well during the meal, revealing layers of flavors we continued to enjoy throughout our dinner. There were plum and earthy notes on the nose, with berry and continued earthiness on the palate. At $22, this Oregon pinot noir offers a decent price point for a quality vintage.

One surprise while enjoying these Argyle wines was that each bottle represented a vintage that happened to coincide with the year our daughters were born. With this cause for celebration, I raised a toast to our young daughters, who were seated next to us enjoying their dinner. In turn, they raised their plastic water cups to meet our wine glasses, which was a cute finale to a delicious meal. Life just does not getting any better than that!