This article is for the love of port, and dedicated to those loyal readers with an undeniable sweet tooth.    Truth be told, I am not a dessert person.  Nor am I a baker for that matter.  In fact, it is a given that any time baking is involved, the activity will yield guaranteed brow perspiration, some sort of spilled flour disaster and a general sense of “how did I “ f ” this up anxiety”.   Humility and self-deprecation set aside, it is undisputable that port belongs with a dessert so into the kitchen I went.

While port is sweet, it is not always overly sugary sweet.   Rather than specifically seeking out various ports in Napa Valley, I instead base my search on a combination of criteria:  (i) having personal strong knowledge of the winery; (ii) knowing a varietal that the winery excels in; (iii) that said varietal is estate grown; and (iv) that the winery’s offerings are overall consistently balanced.  

While not always available for purchase by the public, Benessere Vineyards (“Benessere”) makes a small production of a Sangiovese Port each year.  Benessere is known for a steady consistency in how its wines are crafted and similarly the overall quality that is bottled no matter the varietal.   Most any varietal can be made into a port, some faring better than others.   When it is a winery that is as gifted as Benessere, you can be assured that its estate Sangiovese Port is going to knock your socks off.  In particular, Benessere (which specializes in Tuscan styled wines) is well-recognized for the Sangiovese that it makes given the numerous clones of the varietal that are grown on its Napa Valley estate winery.   Couple that with Benessere’s reputation for well-balanced quality wines and it is assured that any port produced will follow suit.

If you are fortunate enough to obtain a bottle of Benessere’s Sangiovese Port, you are in for a treat.   Complete with a bouquet of red plum, raspberry, hints of clove and traces of vanilla the 2006 Sangiovese Port reveals itself as one smooth cat on the palate.  It slinks past like fine silk.  Gentle and not overbearing, it similarly is not cloyingly sweet leaves a lingering finish of roasted plums.   While the alcohol level is a common 18%, there is no noticeable heat off the port and any additional fortification is artfully blended in like a fine woven tapestry.

A port such as Benessere’s Sangiovese Port is destined not only for a dessert pairing but a match made for chocolate.   With this in mind, this week’s menu hosts:

• Grilled Chocolate Pecan Sandwiches with a Cherry Glaze.

Grilled Chocolate Pecan Sandwiches are a simple-created sheer decadence.   Milk, cinnamon and chocolate mingle to create a spreadable chocolate which readily settles onto thin slices of cinnamon bread.    Chopped pecans and chocolate chips are placed on the smooth melted chocolate to be topped with the remaining cinnamon bread and gently grilled on the stove top.   Just as the sandwich finishes, a cherry glaze emerges from the range to drizzle over each piece of the sandwich.

Melted chocolate oozes forth with each bite and the cherry glaze (as expected) brightens and livens each bite before encouraging the plum notes of the wine further forward.   Cinnamon adds a layer of depth and subtle complexity to compliment the more traditional aspects of a port.

Grilled Chocolate Pecan Sandwiches with a Cherry Glaze are easier to make than a croissant yet are far more dynamic and creative on the palate and plate.   As rain continues to dominate much of the country this May, take advantage of the unseasonable cool weather and let a port warm you until the summer sun can.