Surf & Turf - Snow Crab Legs and Filets of Beef
Continuing our getaway to The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental home, and following our Surf & Turf Dinner with fresh caught red snapper with filet of beef tenderloin, featured in this blogpost, excerpted below, we returned to John’s Sea Market for fresh Alaskan Snow Crab legs.
Linda and son Sean prepared the grilled beefsteaks with the steamed crab legs, sweet corn on the cob and cooked broccoli and carrots.
As I wrote in earlier blogposts, Destin is called “the world’s luckiest fishing village” due to its historic reputation as a destination for gulf coastal and deep sea fishing. As mentioned, it has the largest commercial charter fishing fleet in the nation.
Destin’s immediate history is attributed to a fisherman, Leonard Destin, who moved down from New London, Conn., and settled in Northwest Florida about 1845. For decades, he and his descendants fished and navigated the only channel passage to the Gulf of Mexico between Panama City and Pensacola, known as Destin’s East Pass.
One of many seafood markets is Sea Market. own and operated by John, a commercial fisherman in his own right. At the Sea Market he sources fresh catch seafood through exclusive arrangements with a dozen local fishing boats - wherein he guarantees to take 100% of their daily catch, and hence has assurance of supply to service his retail and wholesale customers. In addition to the fresh local daily catch that regularly includes Grouper, Mahi Mahi, Pompano, Snapper, Cobia and Sea Bass, he also offers shellfish such as Stone Crab and Wild Caught Scottish Salmon which is flown in fresh from Scotland, and prime and exotic meats.
Like the other evening, we grilled filets of tenderloin beefsteaks to complement the crab legs for a ‘surf & turf’ diner.
As before, for wine accompaniment with dinner, we pulled from the wine cooler a red and a white wine.
Catena Zapata 'Angelica Zapata Alta' Chardonnay 2022
Catena Zapata, founded in 1902 by Italian Nicola Catena, is Argentina’s oldest winery still in the founding family’s hands, founded in 1902 by Italian Nicola Catena. Today they are the largest exporter of wines by value in Argentina.
In the 1980s, third generation Nicolás Catena Zapata, set out to grow internationally, championing Argentina wines overseas and becoming one of the largest and best known Argentine producers and brands.
In the 1990’s he was joined by his two daughters, fourth-generation Laura and Adrianna Catena, sisters, in operating the business. Following in her father Nicolás Catena Zapata’s footsteps, fourth-generation vintner Dr. Laura Catena manages the winery and established the legendary Catena Institute of Wine. The institute, founded by Dr. Catena in 1995, collaborates with local and foreign universities in developing and advancing Argentine wines across the country’s winemaking regions. It conducts leading edge research in regional viticulture and publishes discoveries and findings in national and international wine journals.
In 2021, they opened an experimental winery within the larger facility in Agrelo equipped with all the latest technologies, as well as an equally experimental winery for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other high altitude varieties in Gualtallary.
Catena Zapata has been successful in producing premium single-vineyard white wines from the high-altitude Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. Their “single vineyard” wines showcase Mendoza’s highest altitude microclimate. Where warm, sunny days and cool nights allow the chardonnay grapes grown at the foot of the Cordón del Plata mountain range to achieve excellent balance and maturity.
He also set upon planting vineyards higher up in the mountains taking advantage of the cooler climates. He developed single vineyard designated labels sourcing from and showcasing his Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, with the La Pirámide vineyard, then in Villa Bastías with Domingo, Gualtallary and Adrianna, both in Tupungato, and subsequently in Paraje Altamira with Nicasia.
Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard, called the “Grand Cru of South America”, has been awarded more 100-point ratings than any other South American winery. In 2023, it was voted #1 World’s Best Vineyard by a group of 500 food, wine and travel writers’ William Reed’s World’s Best Vineyards Awards.
Catena Zapata was also recognized and became known for establishing the Malbec grape grown in extreme high-altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza, and promoting the legacy of Argentina’s old vines and the country’s ungrafted, massale Malbec heritage.
Catena Zapata was named the No. 1 World’s Most Admired Wine Brand by Drinks International in 2020, 2025, and 2026.
Catena Zapata has been introducing new wines from the Cordon el Cepillo region of Mendoza and are working with Doña Paula and Trivento to get El Cepillo bestowed with its own IG (geographical indication) designation.
Catena Zapata also operates a restaurant in Mendoza where they showcase their wines with the food menu crafted to perfectly complement the wines.
Catena Zapata 'Angélica’ Zapata Alta' Chardonnay 2022
This 100% “single vineyard” Chardonnay was sourced estate vineyard in Mendoza’s highest altitude Cordón del Plata mountain range in Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, sitting at 4,850 feet altitude above sea level in the foothills of the Andes.
The microclimate of warm, sunny days and cool nights allow the chardonnay grapes to achieve excellent balance and maturity.
It was aged 14 months in 100% French oak, 40% new.
Alejandro Vigil, the head winemaker at Catena Zapata, said his overall impression of the 2022 vintage was that it was the best year he has ever seen, even surpassing the lauded 2019 and 2021. “2022 was similar in terms of cool temperature of 2021, but it was not as rainy,” he said.
Golden straw colored, medium bodied, zesty bright vibrant green apple and citrus notes with layer of minerality and tones of vanilla on a crisp acidic finish.
RM 88 points.
https://catenazapata.com/angelica-chardonnay/
https://catenazapata.com/
For the red wine accompaniment with the beefsteaks I pulled from the cellar/cooler this Napa Valley Bordeaux varietal blend.
Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni Red Blend 2023
We hold Whitehall Lane Napa Valley wines dating back to the turn of the century - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Estate and Reserve. We've passed by the Estate and Winery on St Helena Highway in Rutherford dozens of times during our trips to Napa Valley so this trip we decided to visit there during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018. We featured that visit in this blogpost - Whitehall Lane Cellars Winery Visit and had a private Tasting, excerpted here.
The historic estate actually dates back two centuries to the mid 1800's. Napa Valley settlers were drawn to the gravelly-loam soils and ideal climate, planting high quality grape vines at the Whitehall Lane Winery site. A barn constructed in the early 1900's for equipment storage is still used today. In 1979, two brothers started the winery and directed their winemaking efforts successfully to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They named the winery after the road that runs along the southern border of the property, Whitehall Lane.
Tom Leonardini acquired Whitehall Lane Winery in March of 1993 and has been a hands on active proprietor every since with his wife and their five children. Tom was joined by son Tom Leonardini II in 1994.
They updated the winemaking and barrel-aging program and introduced a scientific approach in the vineyards. Tom had the Estate vineyard replanted and bought four additional vineyards including the Leonardini Vineyard. They now own seven prime vineyards that include two vineyards in the St. Helena Appellation, three vineyards (including the winery) in the Rutherford Appellation, one vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley and one vineyard in Sonoma Valley.
Tom II is responsible for distribution and has been instrumental in increasing sales from 15,000 cases to almost 50,000 cases today. Sister, Katie Leonardini oversees direct sales and hospitality at the winery after college and a career in the financial services industry. They are joined by eldest sibling Kristin who opened the Napa Valley Winery Exchange, a premiere retail wine shop in San Francisco. She assists Katie in public relation and hospitality events at the winery.
Whitehall Lane wines have been recognized in Wine Spectator Magazine's year-end ranking of wines, having been honored an unprecedented three times in five years for producing wines rated among the top five in the world. The winery has also been voted Winery of the Year from the Quarterly Review of Wines and Wine and Spirits Magazine.
The estate and winery in Napa Valley's historic Rutherford appellation consists of approximately 140 acres in seven prime vineyards that include the Whitehall Lane Estate Vineyard, Millenium MM Vineyard and Bommarito Vineyard in the Rutherford Appellation, the Leonardini Vineyard and Fawn Park Vineyard in St. Helena, Oak Glen Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District and Rassi Vineyard in Sonoma..
Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni Proprietary Red Blend 2023
We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine at the SoWal Wine Festival Sandestin this spring and have held it at our Destin vacation home since, waiting for a tasting occasion such as this. .
Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni Proprietary Red Blend 2023
We discovered, tasted and acquired this wine at the SoWal Wine Festival Sandestin this spring and have held it at our Destin vacation home since, waiting for a tasting occasion such as this. .
This proprietary Red Blend of Bordeaux varietals commemorates the three generations of the owner/producer Leonardini Family, “Tre Leoni”. It is packaged with a bold brightly colored artistic label with an abstraction image of a Lion.
It is a blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. Each grape varietal was fermented and aged as separate lots in 25% new French oak, 75% neutral French oak barrels. Winemaker Jason Moulton tasted through each lot and put the final blend together after aging for 10 months. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This blend has amazing depth, balance, and big flavors. The nose evokes candied black fruit, red currants, stewed black plums, licorice, and dried sage. On the palate, it bursts with fresh blackberries, crème de cassis, dark chocolate, and mixed berry jam. This wine has great texture that ultimately finishes with round, silky smooth tannins. Enjoy Tre Leoni with your next barbeque and when gathering with family or friends.
Winemaker’s comments on the vintage. “The 2023 vintage is being hailed the vintage of a lifetime. Winter and Spring brought roughly forty inches of rain, which provided a boost for Sonoma Valley. This vintage moved California out of a drought and into a good position for years to come. Budbreak arrived 2 weeks later than the 2022 vintage due to the spring rain events. The moisture in the soil led to a perfect flowering condition in the vineyard, which provided an even crop with perfect fruit set. Summer was moderately warm, allowing the grapes on the vine to develop slowly. Autumn had a few hot days, that pushed the vines into perfect maturity, leading to a late harvest season. The consistent summer and fall weather encouraged our Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec grapes to ripen in mid-October.”
Winemaker Tasting Notes - “This blend has depth, balance and big flavors. The nose evokes hints of red currants, fresh strawberries, black plums, vanilla and notes of cocoa dust. On the palate, it bursts with fruit ranging from black and red currants, red cherries, mixed berry compote and toasted hazelnuts. This wine has great texture that ultimately finishes with round, silky smooth tannins.”
@Whitehalllane
