One of Andrew Holloway’s favorite childhood memories is tucking into beef Wellington in puff pastry with asparagus on the side. His family owned a prime steakhouse in Oklahoma, and it was one of their specialties.
“I’d always wanted to try making one at home, but there’s not too much opportunity,” he says. So Holloway, associate winemaker at Rombauer Vineyards, proposed a pre-Christmas beef Wellington dinner tradition with Richie Allen, vice president of viticulture and winemaking, and Luke Clayton, their winemaker. Between them, the team has worked together for more than 30 years.
In the weeks before Christmas, they gather with their families and enjoy this proper British dish. Holloway has perfected his technique for searing the tenderloin, prepping it with Dijon mustard and mushroom duxelles, then wrapping it in prosciutto and puff pastry.
Sparkling wine flows before moving into Rombauer Home Ranch Chardonnay and the Buchli Station Chardonnay. When the roast is done, they uncork Stice Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, which Clayton says has a nice mid-palate and structure.
Founder Koerner Rombauer was the great nephew of cookbook author Irma A. Rombauer, so crafting food-friendly wines is in their DNA. “Every time we release a wine, it’s paired with a recipe from The Joy of Cooking,” Clayton says. “We make sure there’s enough acidity and fruit there to pair well with food.”
