Salmon Dinner & Pinot Noir

Salmon is the buzz word on the street. It seems everywhere people are trying to eat healthier and make better choices regarding their diets. And, why not? I guess people actually want to live longer and feel better as we "gracefully" enter maturity. We love salmon for being so healthy, but we also love it for being so simple to make. If you are not a fishy taste person, salmon might not be the fish for you, but that is not the case with us, so we tend to indulge about once a week or so. It is a wonderful fish to have on hand whenever you need something quick, and healthy at a moment's notice.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon
Directions

1. In a bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. (Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally if you can.)
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Place fillets in oven, and bake 15 to 30 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

2006 Seresin Leah Pinot Noir
Due to its rich texture, salmon is probably the easiest fish to pair with red wine. A Pinot Noir is the easiest choice because it is a light bodied wine with a subtle fruit that will not overpower the flavor of the fish. However, one have to pay attention to Californian PN, as some wineries like to blend them with a small amount of Syrah to boost color and flavor. New Zealand Pinot Noir are generally lighter, earthier and with less new oak influence. Only 25% of this wine has been aged in French barrels. 

Tasting notes:
Leather and smoky notes are dominant in the intriguing nose of this wine; there is some underbrush too, and the fruit is a subtle red cherry. On the palate it is light, delicate and silky; I got more fruit than what I could guess just by the bouquet, along with a slight earthiness and a subtle wood influence. The most interesting flavor is cola: it starts in the mid palate and follows throughout the finish with a beautiful pepperiness that evokes the effect of carbonation. (retail $ 29.99 - AVIN 7333286798174)

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