We had good friends over for dinner last night. We had talked about all the recipes I save on Facebook and Pinterest, making all of my Facebook “friends” complain about putting them in a diabetic coma all of the time, so we decided that we would get together at least once a month and some recipe we’ve saved would be on the menu. For the entrée I chose a Pinwheel Flank Steak, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans and Shallots. The flank steak came from Facebook, the potatoes and green beans from an episode of The Barefoot Contessa. The flank steak was laid out flat with a layer of fresh basil leaves and mozzarella cheese, rolled up tight and tied off with string. I grilled it on the grill for about fifteen to twenty minutes, turning it often. I like mine rare, but if you like your steak more done, probably twenty to twenty five minutes.

Our friends brought the wine and dessert. The wine, a bottle from Westport Winery Garden Resort. You can find them online at http://www.westportwinery.com. It is the western most Washington winery, right on the Pacific Coast. The wine, Smoky Nor’wester, was a 2014 Red Blend made up of Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 31%, Cabernet Franc 26% and Syrah 8% and had an alcohol content of 14%. The wine was a dark red in the glass and when I swirled the glass it had great legs. I could fruit and wood when I stuck my nose in the glass. The wine was dry and smooth, with a bit of a bite and left the sides of my tongue tingly. I could taste the fruit and the smoky hint of the Syrah. It went very well with the grilled flank steak.

I was most intrigued about the winery specially since it is on the coast, between Westport and Aberdeen, Washington. That means it would be a double bonus for me, a trip to the coast and a winery at the same time. Talk about the best of all worlds. This place just jumped to the top of my “going to“ places and the best part is that it is only about a two hour drive. Bonus.