| FOOD PAIRINGS |

BY MELISSA DOWLING

Fleming ’ s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is known for its fine aged beef , stellar wine list and generous hospitality . Restaurateurs Paul Fleming and Bill Allen opened the first Fleming ’ s in Newport Beach , CA , 23 years ago . Now owned by Bloomin ’ Brands , parent company to Outback Steakhouse and several other chains , Fleming ’ s operates nearly 70 restaurant locations nationwide .

Fleming ’ s is offering a three-course Thanksgiving menu with wine and cocktail pairings . For the holidays , the restaurants will feature a four-course wine dinner with Duckhorn Vineyards from Dec . 1 to Jan . 3 . We asked Stephen Blevins , Fleming ’ s director of wine , to share some holiday pairing tips .

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY PAIRINGS ? As it gets colder outside , I love pairing dishes with wines and spirits that warm you from the inside out . Bourbon in particular is wonderful for holiday pairings — it has a sweeter taste with notes of vanilla and oak that are indicative of many popular holiday cooking ingredients .

For Thanksgiving Day , we ’ re serving a Sherry Old Fashioned that ’ s a unique take on the classic . This is a great starter cocktail that sets up your palate nicely . It ’ s made with Basil Hayden ’ s bourbon , orange peel , Amontillado sherry , black walnut bitters and Angostura bitters , then garnished with a cinnamon stick so that you get those fall aromas on the nose as you sip the cocktail . At home , I ’ d recommend drinking the Sherry Old Fashioned with a well-rounded charcuterie board that features a warm Brie .

Stephen Blevins , director of wine at Fleming ’ s Prime Steakhouse

& Wine Bar

Foods served around the holidays tend to be more indulgent and usually pair well with bigger , bolder , richer wines . Our four-course holiday wine dinner with Duckhorn Vineyards that ’ s coming in December could not be a better representation of what the holidays are all about .

Duckhorn ’ s cabernet sauvignon represents one of the finest examples of what a typical cabernet out of Napa Valley should taste like . It ’ s supple with strong textures and tannins . Cabernet pairs well with black pepper , so pairing it with peppery seasonings for steak — like the ones we serve across our menus — makes the flavors of the dish and the wine stand out .

I also love Duckhorn ’ s merlot . It ’ s an easy-drinking wine that doesn ’ t beg for food , and with its fruitiness and concentration , I would pair it with a dish like our Barbecue Scottish Salmon Fillet .

Fleming ’ s restaurants will feature a four-course holiday wine dinner with Duckhorn Vineyards , including a petite filet with cabernet demi glacé and lobster tail .

Fleming ’ s director of wine , Stephen Blevins , recommends pairing traditional Thanksgiving dinner with a California chardonnay or a pinot noir from Oregon .

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