#MerlotMe with Markham and L’Ecole No. 41 Merlots and Army Ramen #WinePW

L’Ecole N° 41 2017 Merlot from Columbia Valley and Markham Vineyards 2017
Sustainably Made Merlot from Napa Valley

#MerlotMe is a global movement to unite wine lovers all over the world to celebrate Merlots, especially in the month of October. Our fellow #WinePW blogger, Jeff Burrows from Food Wine Click is hosting this year's celebration and has arranged #samples for the lucky bloggers. I am so thrilled to receive L’Ecole N° 41’s 2017 Merlot and Markham Vineyards’s 2017  Sustainably Made Merlot, and am curious how well these Merlots pair with my latest obsession, Chinese-styled “army ramen”.  

One person serving: meat-based ramen that is cooked in and consumed directly from a wide saucepan,  a feast that won’t let down a soldier’s appetite.

TASTE THE WINES

L’Ecole N° 41 2017 Merlot is one of Washington State’s finest Merlots, produced in Walla Walla Valley. Found in 1983, L’Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation family-owned, artisan winery that focuses on the ultra-premium, distinctive wine market. 

L'Ecole No 41 is found in 1983 in the Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, and produces ultra-premium wines that reflect the terroir.

With soft oak and rose petal on the nose, L’Ecole N° 41’s Merlot exhibits the perfect balance of yin and yan when the masculine features like the full body, pronounced structure and layers of complex aromas are softened by notes of cinnamon, cocoa and elegant acidity. The finish of this wine is memorable with lingering of cherry and plum notes.

L’Ecole N° 41 2017 Merlot (SRP$25, a blend of 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 3%Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot)

Markham Vineyards’ founding father, Jean Laurent left the Bordeaux region of France in 1852 to join the Gold Rush in California, leading him a journey to establish one of the first wineries in Napa Valley. Nowadays, being one of the few 10% wineries which attain the dual Napa Green Certifications, Markham produces Merlot as their flagship wine in vineyards that focus on replenishing natural resources, improving air and water quality and protecting the ecosystems and wildlife habitats. The 2017 Sustainably Made Merlot has a silky mouthfeel to start and is accentuated with notes of Bing cherry, berry reserves, milky chocolate. Gradually, it overlays with baking spices, vanilla oak and subtle expresso. The wine unfolds increasing denser mouthfeel that has a long and intense finish.

Markham Vineyards 2017 Sustainably Made Merlot (SRP$20, a blend of 87% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Sirah, 1% Malbec)

Merlots, due to various misconceptions, are somehow mistaken as plain wines or wines without characteristics. I totally debunk these misconceptions as these Merlots I tried have everything I am looking for in not only a good wine but a food wine - the structure, complexity, warm spice notes, which is especially suited to pair a rich, meat-based noodle soup, a.k.a Chinese-style “army ramen”. “Army Ramen” or “Budae Jjigae” is originated in Korea when a wide variety and huge amount of protein like meat, eggs and cheese is added to a spicy noodle soup. When everything is cooked in and consumed directly from a wide saucepan, this is a feast that won’t let down a soldier’s appetite. For my Chinese-style Army Ramen, I simple cut out the hot soup base and use beef broth instead. Let’s see how easy you can cook this at home.

Chinese-style “army ramen” is a one-pot meal that is easy to prepare and is satisfying!

 
COOK CHINESE-STYLED ARMY RAMEN

Chinese-styled Army Ramen Ingredients (one person serving) ·                     16 oz of beef broth or stock ·                     1 pack of instant noodle your choice ·                     1 thick slice cut of cooked pork belly or 4 slices of cooked bacon ·                     8 slices of ham, turkey or chicken cold cuts ·                     4 pork or beef pre-made potstickers  ·                     2 eggs ·                     Vegetable of your choice (e.g., mushrooms, cabbages, sweet corn, scallion)  ·                     Sesame oil (optional) Instructions 1.       Pour beef broth or stock and the instant noodle seasoning pack into a wide saucepan.  2.      Organize all the ingredients nicely in the saucepan and bring the noodle soup to boil. 3.      Put the noodle in the soup last until all the other ingredients are cooked if you prefer your noodle to be al-dente. 4.      Drizzle sesame oil over the cooked soup and enjoy it directly from the saucepan.

As you are sipping the Merlots and enjoying this massive “army ramen”, my advice to you is to focus on the gastronomical pleasure and forget about the calorie!

Check out which Merlots my #WinePW blogger friends are drinking to celebrate #MerlotMe:

• Andrea at The Quirky Cork shares "Three Turkish Merlots"
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Merlot: A Varietal That Plays Well with Others"
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares "Sip Merlot with Vegetarian Favorites"
• Deanna at Asian Test Kitchen shares "Fall Vegan Menu Paired with 2016 Napa Merlots"
• David at Cooking Chat shares "Merlot Food Pairing: Tips and Favorites"
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares "Meatloaf and #MerlotMe with Sonoma’s Selby and Columbia Valley’s L’Ecole No. 41"
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares "Merlot Pairing: Baked Pasta with Sausage Ragù"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "A Tale of Two Merlots at the Grill"
• Jill at L'Occasion shares "What’s So Special About Merlot?"
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares “Fall is Here! Warm up with a Merlot and Pot Roast Pairing”
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares "October is #MerlotMe Month: Here’s What I’ve Been Sipping"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Kicking off #MerlotMe in the Pacific time zone”
• Liz at What's in that Bottle? shares "Make Room for Merlot!"
• Lori at Exploring the Wine Glass shares "Leaves on the Ground and #MerlotMe in my Glass"
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares "Next Gen Merlot From Where It All Started"
• Martin at Enofylz shares "A Meatless #MerlotMe Redux"
• Nicole at Somms Table shares "5 #MerlotMe Nights"
• Payal at Keep the Peas shares “Kicking Off Autumn With #Merlotme”
• Pinny at Chinese Wine & Food Pairings shares “#MerlotMe with Markham and L’Ecole No. 41 Merlots and Army Ramen”
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Merlot from elegant to badass. Time to #Merlotme."
• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “#MerlotMe - Best Food Pairings For Merlot”
• Susannah at Avvinare shares “Brazilian Merlot Is Always Welcome At My Table”
• Terri at Our Good Life shares "Merlot Me with Noodless Lasagne"
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Woohoooooooo....It is #MerlotMe month"