Tampa Bay Restaurant Week: Steak & Chardonnay Challenge at Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar

As a precursor to Tampa Bay Restaurant Week, Prescription Vineyards will be hosting a Happy Hour event with Chef Adam Hyatt at the Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar in the Epicurean Hotel. We’ll be paring steak bites with our Prescription Vineyards 2019 Clarksburg Chardonnay. As part of our tasting, we’ll also be performing a foodie parlor trick with slices of apple, lemon, and a sprinkle of sea salt to demonstrate how food and wine react with the flavors of sweet, umami, salt, and acid, and how to balance your recipes to make wine taste beautiful with virtually any dish.

Our ultimate goal is to demonstrate that our Clarksburg Chardonnay pairs beautifully with steak. The wine’s higher acidity (more than most California Chardonnays) cuts through the fat of steak while its lush mouthfeel matches the rich texture of the meat.

From a historical perspective, talk to northern Italians, they’ve been drinking white wine with steak for centuries. The tradition: finish your steak with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt. Just like a sip of Prescription Chardonnay, the acidity of the lemon nicely contrasts the fat in steak and helps break down the collagen, giving the meat a balanced flavor profile and a succulent bite. The sprinkle of sea salt intensifies aromas, balances other flavors, makes the meat taste juicier, and increases tenderness while making your wine taste softer and more luscious.