Red wine:  there are so many varietals and so many personal preferences.  Yet if red wine has one common denominator it is that it is good, pure and simple.   Whether your preference is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Pinot Noir or other varietals, when red wine grapes are made into a blend, the wine has the potential to take an otherwise simple red table wine to a level of notable unique character and increased proprietary goodness.

Elyse Winery (“Elyse”) in Napa Valley confidently bottles a red table wine each year called “C’est Si Bon”.   For those who speak French, a mere glance at the wine’s name will draw a wry smile for the meaning conveys “It’s So Good”.   Fruit sourced from three vineyards in the Sierra Foothills is combined to create a red wine consisting of 38% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah, 6% Cinsault, 4% Counoise, 4% Carignane and 1% Valdiguie.   For those who are fans of the traditional “GSM” blends (meaning Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre), this is a wine that will add a little dash of personality and charm on the palate.

The wine’s bouquet is varied ranging from raspberries and pomegranates to leather and smoke.   On the palate, predominant flavors of baked plums, black raspberries and apple give way to an undeniably smooth texture and notable light acidity.    Not as tannic as some of its red varietal cousins, Elyse’s C’est Si Bon wine can pair with a diverse range of food.   With this in mind, this week’s menu hosts:

·         Hoisin Marinated Pork Chops with Blueberry-Plum Red Wine Reduction Sauce atop Cauliflower Puree with Broccoli Florets

Frankly, pork is not a favorite meat of mine.  Whether it is because it is often pumped full of chemicals, its texture or taste, it takes a lot for a piece of pig to turn my head.   Yet, create a hoisin honey soy marinade with garlic and red chile pepper flakes, and pork becomes succulently delicious.   Unlike red meat or chicken, pork takes a long time to marinate.   After eight hours of marinating in the refrigerator, the hoisin glazed pork chops are placed upon a hot charcoal grill and emerge not only making you salivate, but your neighbors on the other side of the fence.

Wanting to keep carbohydrates in check and using seasonal spring vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli, a puree is decorated with chopped chives from the garden and gently blanched broccoli florets.   A perfectly grilled pork chop is placed on top, yet the plate is not finished being dressed.

For simmering on the stove is a Blueberry-Plum Red Wine Reduction Sauce.   Sugar is kept in check and instead spices and herbs are incorporated with reduced red wine and fruit.

This savory sauce is drizzled over the pork chop presentation and now not only is pork edible by my tastes but pretty.

Paired with the wine, the pork and blueberry-plum red wine reduction sauce bring forward brighter fruit flavors and lively notes of pepper on the palate.   The smooth texture of the wine goes well with the texture and consistency of the meal.  As one glass finishes and another is sought, it is ever so easy to know why Elyse titled this red wine blend, “C’est Si Bon”.

*Like what you see?  Contact Hall Winery to purchase tickets to attend its Cabernet Cookoff on April 30th, 2011, where some of my recipes will debut and attempt to win money for a Napa Valley non-profit.  Make your dollar (and your palate) vote!   Cheers!