West Dry Creek Zinfandel

Perfectly Paired with

Marinated Skirt Steak

When you ask Mazzocco winemaker, Antoine Favero what he would pick to pair perfectly with his 2005 West Dry Creek Zinfandel he doesn’t have to think very long before he replies, “My Grilled Skirt Steak.” And, although the answer comes quickly, it comes with a lot of experience. Antoine is known as the grill-master when the winery participates in such major food and wine events as the annual Russian River Wine Road Barrel Tasting and the Dry Creek Valley Passport weekend. Not only is he kept busy in the cellar with his long glass thief drawing samples from the barrels, he must keep his other hand busy with his spatula at the grill.
The long, flat cut of meat known as skirt steak, prepared improperly, can be unpleasantly tough and chewy, but with Antoine’s marinade and his magic bucket, the meat is quite tender, flavorful and delicious. Bucket? Yes, that is Antoine’s trick for getting his fabulous results. A clean bucket, large enough for the steak to lie submerged in the marinade for an hour assures the cook that every slice of the meat will be bathed with the earthy richness of Oriental soy and teriyaki sauces, the added freshness and tang of pineapple juice and enough marvelous Zinfandel to assure that every mouthful of the finished sandwich will be equally tasty. True success is achieved by grilling the meat quickly before carving thin slices to lay on a thick slice of rustic bread and topping with caramelized onions and roasted red and yellow peppers.
Antoine’s final instructions are that a full glass of the Mazzocco 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel should be served along with the sandwich. “This particular vintage, with its fragrances of black cherry, clove and fig has a wonderfully structured tannin base, layered with super ripe fruit,” he says, “and it is a shame that the low yield of these extraordinary only allowed me to make 600 cases of what I feel is a wonderful wine to serve with and as an ingredient for all our summertime grilling.”
Mazzocco Winery is located at 1400 Lytton Springs Road in Healdsburg. The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (707) 431-8159.

SKIRT STEAK

• 3 cups soy sauce
• 1 cup teriyaki
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup of Zinfandel
• Fresh garlic to taste

Combine the soy sauce and teriyaki in a large bucket.  Add the pineapple juice and Zinfandel and stir.  Add fresh garlic to taste and mix all ingredients until well combined.  Let sit for 30 minutes so that the flavors blend.

Marinate meat no longer than one hour in the bucket.
Remove meat from marinade and barbecue away!!!

Serving suggestions:
Thinly slice skirt steak, place on bread and top with caramelized onions and roasted peppers for color.
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious!

Related Information

• Mazzocco Vineyards