Vino Asada.

One of the nice things about the holidays is the week between Christmas and New Years. For me, it’s generally a week where not much work takes place; a few phone calls but no trip to the office. And every night is an excuse to get together with a friend or two and have a glass or three. Last night was one of those nights…

My buddy Fernie called me in the afternoon and suggested we come over to his place; he had a couple of bottles and some wood for the fireplace (it was going to be a chilly Los Angeles evening, it may have even dipped below 50… BRRRR).

So I stopped on the corner and picked up two dozen tacos along with the requisite cups of green sauce, red sauce, guacamole, limes, onion/cilantro mix and radishes. (The corner taco truck/taco cart is a Los Angeles institution, and I have several favorite spots I frequent). With a car filled with Tacos, I buckled up and drove.

I arrived to a warm house filled with aromas of fireplace and Christmas tree, and added the aromas of Carne Asada, Chorizo and Al Pastor (essentially BBQ’d pork). We sat down and got to it. Eating dollar tacos is a rapid-fire, finger-licking experience, and they’re small, so you eat A LOT. (For those of you East of the Rockies, it’s kinda like eating a sack of Sliders from White Castle, but with tortillas and salsa.)

Oh, I almost forgot the wine. Now before you scream out in protest, I’ll just say it. PINOT NOIR is not the best pairing choice for spicy, dollar tacos. However, I didn’t choose the wine, and I wasn’t about to be a rude guest. So I politely took the glass of his 2005 Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir and drank with a smile on my face.
And by the way, the smile was justified. A real, real nice Santa Barbara pinot, with a gentle berry nose that took me into a mouthful of raspberry and blackberry, with a nuanced earthy foundation (a departure from the cooler Sonomoa Coast and Oregon Pinots I’ve been having of late). Very balanced and elegant. (I found that Wine Spectator gave this vintage a 92.)

We polished the whole bottle and most of the tacos off and my tummy was happy.

As the fire began to die down and I started dozing off in a big comfy easy chair, I realized it was time to head back home. As I saw Fernie’s house getting smaller in my rear view mirror I could still detect the faint smell of tacos in the car.

My final thought of the night as I put my head on the pillow? What friends and what bottles would Tuesday bring? I’ll let ‘ya know…