of kings”? But you’d think so, from all the fuss that’s made over it. America’s number one red wine, from the top to bottom shelf, from cult Cab for club members only to bag-in-a-box with your Rice-A-Roni; nothing less than Cabernet (rhymes with “ooh la lay” with a silent “t,” don’t you know) Sauvignon (and “g”) will do. And just why is this? Is it the distinctive flavor, or the typically tough tannin that renders many Cabs, if we’re going to be honest about it, a disaster with most meals? Or is it all just in a name, like a Brooks Brothers suit.
At least Rodney Strong is not only all in a name, it’s a name you can generally trust. Here is perhaps the most generic wine of the county, a Cabernet Sauvignon from a large, decades-old institution with nationwide recognition, bearing the most generic of the many appellations of Sonoma County. And yet it’s absolutely standout.
With cool, dusty aromas of mint, Mexican chocolate and cedar, the Rodney Strong 2008 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($17) suggests complexity over big fruit; berry reduction aromas mingle with dried olives, while dark, dried berry fruit plays second to the texture, and what a texture it is: dusty tannins that lift the flavors high and dry, like a cloud suspended above the mid-palate. A good value, and a great dinner wine.
This wine makes me think filet. Cliché? Then how about grilled rib-eye, or any combination of hearty, earthy, meat and potatoes comestibles, even vegetarian, that’ll conspire with this Cab to take the chill off of these gloomy, mid-May winter’s days.
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Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Black Truffle Butter, Watercress Salad, and Salt-Roasted Potatoes 
By Chef Josh Silvers. Featured in Down Home: Downtown, Seasonal Recipes from Two Sonoma Wine Country Restaurants
4 servings
Ingredients
Black Truffle Butter
* 1/2 cup unsalted European high-fat butter at room temperature
* 1 fresh black truffle or 6 to 8 drops black truffle oil
* Salt to taste
Salt-Roasted Potatoes
* 8 small Yukon Gold potatoes about 1 pound total
* 3 or 4 cups kosher salt
Grilled Steaks
* 4 rib-eye steaks 10 ounces each
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Watercress Salad
* 1 tablespoon Minced shallot
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 cups loosely packed watercress leaves about 2 bunches
Directions
Black Truffle Butter:
1. Using a small, sharp knife, or vegetable peeler, shave the truffle over the butter in a small bowl.
2. Stir well to blend; stir in the salt. Or, stir the truffle oil and salt into the butter to blend.
3. Shape into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Salt-Roasted Potatoes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Put the potatoes in a baking dish, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
3. Cover completely with the kosher salt.
4. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.
5. Thoroughly brush off the salt.
6. Set aside and keep warm.
Steaks:
1. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high.
2. Oil the grill grids.
3. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper.
4. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare.
5. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Watercress Salad:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the shallot, mustard, and vinegar together.
2. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
3. Pour over the watercress leaves in a large bowl and toss to coat.
Serving:
1. Place a steak on each of 4 plates.
2. Sprinkle each steak with fleur de sel.
3. Cut the truffle butter into thick slices and place 1 slice on top of each steak.
4. Arrange 2 potatoes and some watercress salad alongside each steak, and serve.
