D’Argenzio 2005 ‘Thorn Road Ranch’ Pinot Noir earned an outstanding Double Gold Medal at the Sonoma County Harvest Competition. This incredible Pinot Noir invites with an alluring range of aromatics. Generous black cherry wraps around subtle notes of cinnamon, mint and dried rose petals, while in the mouth, a velvety richness balances the bright acidity. Succulent cherries, ripe strawberries, and lively black pepper fill the palate. The long, dimensional finish flows to shades of cloves, field mushrooms, and roasted coffee. It is balanced with finesse and precision, and truly distinctive, highlighting the terroir of this Russian River Valley vineyard. This lovely Pinot Noir from D’Argenzio Winery would pair beautifully with grilled salmon, skirt steak, and pork chops. Only 285 Cases produced, Enjoy now until 2012.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
Four 6-ounce Salmon Fillets, with skin
2 small Sweet Onions, halved crosswise but not peeled
2 Red Bell Peppers, stemmed, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1 tsp. chopped Thyme
1 Tbs. chopped Marjoram

Preparations:
In a large, shallow dish, combine the soy sauce and brown sugar with the 2 tablespoons
of oil; add the salmon and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Light a grill. Drizzle the cut sides of the onions with oil and grill over moderately high heat, cut side down, until nicely charred and starting to soften, about 15 minutes. Turn the onions and cook until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Push the onions to the side of the grill. Oil the peppers and grill them, skin side down, away from the hottest part of the grill until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Turn and grill for 5 minutes. Push them over to the onions. Remove the salmon from the marinade and grill, skin side down, for 8 minutes. Turn and grill until the salmon is just cooked through, 4 minutes longer. Drizzle the onions with oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the thyme. Transfer the salmon, peppers and onions to plates, sprinkle with the marjoram and serve.

Ingredients:
2 Garlic Cloves
1 small Bay Leaf
1 small Shallot
1 Jalapeño, halved and seeded
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. chopped Thyme
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1 1/2 pounds Skirt Steak, cut into 4 pieces
1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup very hot Water
2 Tbs. Honey
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated Fresh Ginger
4 Peaches, halved and pitted

Preparations:
In a blender, puree the garlic, bay leaf, shallot, jalapeño, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce
and thyme until combined. With the blender on, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the canola oil and puree until smooth. Season the marinade with salt and pepper. Pour half of the marinade into a shallow baking dish, add the skirt steak and turn to coat. Let the skirt steak stand for 20 min. Add the Dijon mustard to the remaining dressing and blend. Transfer the dressing to a small bowl. Meanwhile, light a grill. In a small saucepan, combine the water with the honey, cinnamon and ginger and let stand for 5 min. Transfer the mixture to a bowl along with the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil and the peaches. Scrape the marinade off the skirt steak. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill them over high heat, 6 to 7 min, turning once, for medium-rare meat. At the same time, grill the peach halves, turning them frequently, until they are charred in spots and softened, about 8 min. Cut the peaches into wedges and thinly slice the steaks. Transfer to plates and serve, passing the dressing on the side.