Summer Entertaining Recipe Merlot Steak Marinade

Summer Entertaining with Black Box Wine 

Summertime is my favorite time of the year.  Although our grill is busy year round it works extra hard in the summer.  Our property is set up perfectly for outdoor entertaining with two large decks in the back.  We recently hosted a small, private evening complete with Black Box Merlot marinated steaks and Black Box wine for our guests and they are still talking about it!

For us Black Box wine is perfect because not only is it a party in a box, but it is portable too!  You can bring the entire box out to the picnic table or store it on the shelf in the refrigerator. The bonus is it lasts up to a month once opened which allows me to have a small glass a day and it’s perfect to have on hand whenever I’m feeling creative in the kitchen.

Black Box Merlot Steak Marinade

Ingredients

• 2 sirloin strip steaks
• ¾ c. Black Box Merlot
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 T. fresh basil leaves, chopped or 2 t. dried
• 2 T. fresh oregano, chopped or 2 t. dried
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 t. pepper
• 1/2 t. coarse ground sea salt

Directions

Lightly poke steaks on both sides with a fork and put in zip-close gallon size bag.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Put in refrigerator flipping periodically for even distribution.  Marinade overnight.

About Black Box

The Black Box Wines come in two sizes.  The 3L box holds about 4 bottles of wine and it runs about $25 a box (equivalent to $6.25 a bottle).  The nine varietals in 3L format:

• Valle Central Chile Cabernet Sauvignon
• California Merlot
• Mendoza Argentina Malbec
• California Central Coast Shiraz
• Red Blend
• California Chardonnay
• Valle Central Chile Sauvignon Blanc
• California Pinot Grigio
• California Riesling

The Tetra Paks are perfect for an individual serving, and on-the-go outdoor activities like picnics, tailgates or camping and come in 500 mL size ($4.99 each). The Tetra Pak is available in five varietals:

• Moscato (new!)
• Chardonnay
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Grigio

Although the brand was introduced in 2002 today it is the leading box wine brand and it continues to grow in popularity due to its award winning quality and great value.  In addition in 209 the Merlot ranked as Wine Enthusiast’s sixth “Top 100 Best Buy” in 2012.  Black Box Wines has been recognized with 40 Gold Medals and 27 “Best Buys” awards.  That’s pretty impressive for such a “young” wine.

It’s time to think inside the box. Available in ten delicious varietals and two sizes (3L and Tetra), Black Box Wine will have you ready to lose the bottle! Black Box Wines is perfect for all your summer gatherings!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Black Box Wines. The opinions and text are all mine.