With 2011 nearly here along with January’s arrival, arrives my favorite time to consume Chardonnay.   In other parts of the country where winter winds howl unmercifully and snow seemingly falls by the tonnage, my white wines would probably sit in a cellar waiting for March.   This is fair for I (and other wine connoisseurs and vintners) have readily admitted that in Northern California, that upper 50 degree to 65 degree weather is seemingly ideal for consuming Chardonnay.   Any colder and the wine simply does not open up as well and show off its natural attributes.   Any warmer than 65 degrees and the traditional California-style Chardonnays become heavy and cumbersome on the palate, almost belabored to show off their layers of flavor and spice.

For every unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay that I have featured over the last year and half, a traditional California Chardonnay reader somewhere sighs in despair.   I envision them asking, “Where is the oak?”    Admittedly, this style of Chardonnay is not my preference.   I adore a balanced vibrant unoaked Chardonnay or those where the vintner has seemingly used a paintbrush to artfully add that stroke of oak to create a delicately crafted masterpiece.   Yet despite my personal preferences, there is a time and a place for the other type of California Chardonnay which unabashedly lets you know that it is “oaked”.   That time and place is now and with this week’s particular food pairing.

But oh, which wine to choose?

For those who either know me personally or those countless many who have bumped into me in a tasting room here or there in Napa Valley over the years and have eagerly asked, “But what about Rombauer’s Chardonnay???”, this article is for you.

Having visited countless wineries throughout Napa Valley and entered into even more discussions about wines and which would I recommend, the one traditional Chardonnay that repeatedly crosses the lips of such devotees is the Chardonnay made by Rombauer Vineyards (“Rombauer”).   Rombauer is a family-owned winery located along the Silverado Trail that has a personal devotion to creating wine designed to pair with food.  Selecting grapes from the Carneros American Viticultural Area, Rombauer is bound to produce a Chardonnay that will capture one’s attention, if not his or her heart.

Pouring Rombauer’s 2009 Chardonnay into the glass, the wine exhibits a lovely straw yellow color which might be more aptly compared to the golden hue of a California afternoon sun.  At first blush, one might think that this Chardonnay is much like other standard California Chardonnays:  readily notable rich toasty oak, fresh yellow peaches, ripe pear and a splash of pineapple cavort with smooth vanilla cream.   Given the heady oak with a sip of the 2009 Chardonnay, it is a dead giveaway that this is the traditional Chardonnay long known to California wine country.   Tropical fruit adds a pleasant surprise as the wine deviates from the typical butterball that often accompanies Chardonnays of this style.  Instead as one merely sips at this pleasant traditional California Chardonnay, the palate discovers lingering faint traces of sea salt, nuances of banana and the presence of cantaloupe coupled with a gentle creamy vanilla and peach finish.

Standing alone, Rombauer’s 2009 Chardonnay is pleasant but (for me) not a grab your palate’s attention sort of wine.   Sipping the wine without food, you will encounter much of the spice, oak and other flavors that traditionally characterize a California oaked Chardonnay.   However, bring some food to the table and this becomes a “wow” wine!   Flavors liven as the spice and oak become rich and full when accompanied by food.   It is as if the chemistry with the palate instantly changes and leaves little question as to why so many are enamored with this wine.

To really bring out this Chardonnay’s attributes, seasonal winter vegetables, pecans, olive oil and blue cheese are its “little black dress”.   Seeking to turn heads at a post-holiday late afternoon lunch, this week’s menu boasts:

1)      Winter Vegetable Medley Pecan Crusts with a Bleu Brie Cream Sauce; and

2)     Palate Snack Plate.

Whether harvested from your garden or picked up fresh from your grocer, winter vegetables are flavorfully seasonable in late December.   Selecting baby broccoli, carrots, zucchini and shallots, a wonderful medley of bright winter flavors can dress up any appetizer.   Keeping in mind that cutting or knife techniques can dramatically enhance flavor, carrots and zucchini are julienned while shallots are finely minced.   Boiling a bit of olive oil with water, fresh ground black pepper and a dash of sea salt, the broccoli is added to cook.   Shallots are quickly added before placing a lid a top the pan to cook.  Keeping a close eye on the clock (as none of these vegetables take long to cook), carrots are tossed in and followed by zucchini.   In the final 30 seconds of cooking, chopped pecans are tossed in to toast and soften.

While the vegetables are underway, slices of a crusty rustic bread have been tossed in melted butter and lightly seasoned before being tucked into the oven to bake.   Emerging golden brown yet tender, the winter vegetable medley is placed on top.

The dish is not yet complete as a sauce is created combining a bleu cheese brie and cream, seasoning it with freshly picked lemon thyme from the patio and black pepper.   Once complete, the sauce is drizzled over the vegetable bread slices and the entire ensemble is decorated with minced chives from the patio.

What goes better with traditional California Chardonnay than butter … cream … brie… olive oil… well, broccoli and bleu cheese, for one.   Put together this featured combination and you will impress any guest visiting you on a holiday afternoon.   Bleu cheese in particular pairs soulfully with Rombauer’s 2009 Chardonnay, but when cream is added to the scenario it creates a delectable sauce.   This dish becomes so rich and flavorful that you forget that vegetables are “good for you” and it is difficult to not want another slice.   The Chardonnay and bites of the vegetable crust tumble together seamlessly creating a slow flavorful world of decadence, swallow after swallow.

To cap off casual holiday afternoon entertaining, a selection of mixed nuts, Graber Olives and a family recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread is set out to help clear the palate.   Graber Olives (originating out of Southern California) in particular are a holiday tradition in my family and savoring the buttery, nutty flavor of these delights it is easy to understand why.   Adding a slightly sweetened bread such as Cranberry Orange brightens the finish on the wine and lessens the oak.   It is a subtle form of dessert to an otherwise already decadent afternoon meal.

It is so terribly fitting that this wine comes joyously alive when paired with this particular dish as the winemaker Koerner Rombauer’s great-aunt is the very same Irma Rombauer who authored “The Joy of Cooking” which has been in print since 1938 with over 18 million copies sold.    As each savory bite is followed with an equally savored sip, it is abundantly clear that this is how wine is truly intended to be enjoyed.   Add in some guests on a holiday afternoon and without question, the spirit of joy with wine, food and dining will be present at your table.