One of the great draws to living in the San Francisco bay area is the proximity of the Napa/Sonoma county wineries.  The ‘Wine Country’ is a place I frequently visit and so it is not surprising that over the years I’ve found some favorite wineries I keep going back to.  One of those wineries is Clos Du Val located on the Silverado Trail in Napa, CA.  While they are well known for their wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon’s, I enjoy many of their other wines as well including Chardonnay and Ariadne (an interesting blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc). 

I like that Clos Du Val is down to earth and friendly whenever we visit.  (And I love that they have a picnic area where we can enjoy our lunch since many of the wineries in the area do not allow this.).  On a recent visit, I toured the winery and sampled many of their wonderful wines finding a 1998 Cabernet Saugvignon among my favorites.  Knowing this its no surprise that today they share with us a wonderful recipe by Chef Christopher Ludwick from Grapevine Catering that transforms the Clos Du Val Cabernet into a reduction that perfectly marries beef tenderloin with an onion marmalade (which includes yet more Cabernet).  While the recipe doesn’t cook the tenderloin on the grill I’m planning on taking advantage of the grill this weekend and make it on the grill for a perfect elegant weekend meal with a bottle of the Cabernet out on the deck…

Beef Tenderloin with Clos Du Val Cabernet Reduction and Onion Marmalade

By: Christopher Ludwick, Executive Chef of Grapevine Catering

Beef Tenderloin

Yields: 2 servings

• 1lb Beef Tenderloin
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Rub 1 Tbsp of olive oil onto 1 lb beef tenderloin. Season with salt and pepper. Use medium sauté pan and heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil until smokey. Add beef tenderloin to pan and sear all sides. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast beef tenderloin until internal temperature reaches 110 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Roasted Onion Marmalade

Yield 1 cup

• 1 yellow onion
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 cup Clos Du Val Cabernet
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 t butter
• Pinch of each salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat oil in heavy bottom pan. Add onions and sweat until translucent. Add wine, and sugar. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes or until liquid is thick and syrupy. Stir in butter, salt and pepper. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Clos Du Val Cabernet Reduction

Yields: 2 servings

• 1 cup veal stock
• ½ cup Clos du Val Cabernet
• 2 Tbsp butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• Olive oil (to coat bottom of pan)

Heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Sweat onions and garlic until translucent. Add stock and wine. Reduce by ½ or until sauce consistency (coats back of spoon) Stir in butter until completely melted. Season and strain. 

Plating instructions:

Place sliced beef on plate. Place 1 T of onion marmalade and 1 T of Clos du Val Cabernet reduction sauce over beef. Sprinkle chopped thyme, marjoram and parsley over plate. Serve.

About Clos Du Val

French born winemaker Bernard Portet and American businessman John Goelet founded Clos Du Val in 1972. After traveling the world for two years in search of winegrowing regions of great potential, Portet selected two sites in the Napa Valley—150 acres in the Stags Leap District for growing Bordeaux varieties and 180 acres in the cooler Carneros region to launch Clos Du Val’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program. Today, Portet and winemaker John Clews continue to deliver our trademark style of balance, complexity and elegance, as Clos Du Val has consistently expressed for more than thirty years.

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