Chimichurri sauce is a green, herby, oily, tangy Argentinean sauce. It is most commonly served with red meat, but also tasty on white meat or shellfishes. It is a mixture of parsley, basil, cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and sometimes crushed red pepper; seasoned with salt and pepper. A well-salted grilled steak topped with chimichurri sauce is a perfect meal anytime anywhere. A bold and high tannin red wine will pair nicely with grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, such as Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.
I believe the following three wines would pair well with the menu item:
- The Dreaming Tree Crushed Red Blend, 2015, California
- Alma Negra M Blend, 2015, Mendoza Argentina
- Non-Vintage Red Blend, Shinn Estate Vineyards, New York
Out of the three wines, I believe the Non-Vintage Red Blend from Shinn Estate Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island is the most suited one to pair with the grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. This is a wine that brings juicy stone fruit with good mid-palate weight from the Malbec, spices from Merlot, ripe flavors from the Cabernet Franc, and dark cherry from Cabernet Franc. With a ruby color and a purplish rim variation, this young wine is quite aromatic on the nose and palate. It’s a blend of North Fork’s fine harvests results in a smooth and complex wine with a long, round finish.
Special viticulture worth mentioning is biodynamic viticulture. “Biodynamic viticulture is essentially organic viticulture with the addition of metaphysical elements and a few mandated procedures.” (Study Guide, 2017) It is believed that all parts in the universe are connected as an ecosystem. When it comes to viticulture, it’s believed that we human should work in the vineyards or vinery according to the “alignment of the planets and the phases of the moon” (Study Guide, 2017) For example, harvesting should happen during leaf days (when the moon is in any of the Water Signs, such as Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces). while other work should occur on root days (when the moon is in any of the Earth Signs, such as Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo).
Citation
Certified Specialist of Wine: Study Guide: An Educational Resource Published by the Society of Wine Educators. Society of Wine Educators, Certified Spealist of Wine, 2017.
