Pinot Noir over the last decade has been a red wine varietal that has triggered passionate conversations, some of which have been full of content and others full of bandwagon generated fluff.  The finicky grape is one that requires a careful climate, a rich soil and a talented hand in the ultimate making of its wine.  In other words, the grape more often than not demands perfection.

As a wine its consistency and texture quickly reveal the growing season’s tale, how heavy was the vintner’s hand and without shame the age of its vine.  But despite the challenges, risks and pitfalls of growing this varietal, its profile as a wine is worth it and can vary from light-bodied to medium-bodied, old vines to young, a product of cold, bay-adjacent or coastal AVAs and the list goes on.  There is plenty of variance in the varietal but it is certainly a red wine that is wonderful to enjoy in last days of spring and early warm days of summer.

Winemaker Joseph Wagner grew up among the vines as his family has been part of the wine industry since the 1880’s with their wines at Caymus.  For over the last decade, he, as the owner and winemaker at Meiomi and Belle Glos wines, has been sharing the wonders of Pinot Noir with the public whether by vineyard specific bottlings or as with Meiomi, a Pinot Noir wine that collects fruit from Sonoma County, Monterrey County and Santa Barbara County.  These three coastal vineyards link together in one bottle of wine to show off the depth of the varietal and bring something exceptional to your glass.

I have featured Meiomi in the past, but for this article, I elected to feature Meiomi’s 2012 vintage which can be found today on most people’s favorite wine shop’s shelf.  Despite the wine’s youth, once in the glass your nose is greeted right off the bat by rich candied cherries with a hint of cedar coupled with aromas of clove and allspice.  The bouquet of the wine is romantic and coy.  With aging, once the wine has shed its youth, its nose will become heady and seductive.   The palate is not disappointed with this wine because it shows off its accessibility today as well as how the wine will age with time.   Juicy cherries and tart, sweet red plum clings to the palate long after the wine is gone.   A gentle finish of creamy milk chocolate with a hint of vanilla makes one wonder if that is not a bit of dessert at the back of the palate.  Similarly the wine boasts just the right organic amount of acidity to add zip and zing to the palate’s experience thus allowing the 2012 Meiomi Pinot Noir to flaunt its youth with pride.  Do not be fooled by the wine’s youth.  It boasts a certain swagger so it is not as light-bodied as one would initially anticipate.  Similarly, the 2011 Meiomi Pinot Noir received a rating of 92 points from the Wine Spectator.  The 2012 vintage, despite being young, simply feels like it will be a bigger year.   Generally my sensitive palate’s intuition is correct in these assessments.

All in all, this is an artful wine that is accessible and enjoyable now.  If you can muster some self restraint, setting aside a bottle or two to age will well-reward your patient palate. 

Pinot Noir enjoys being served in various occasions.  It can accompany a light dinner or a late afternoon lunch with friends. Either way it is a wonderful companion to your meal.  The varietal’s natural acidity lends it to a variety of fare that does not require a heavy piece of beef to accompany it.   Pinot Noir can have a slight earthiness to it so it also is a natural pairing with many spring vegetables making it seasonally appropriate for all those early cool weather crops coming out of the backyard garden:   mushrooms, spring onions, chives, spinach, etc.   As such, this article’s menu presents:

• ·         Exotic Mushroom Strudel with Candied Cranberry Balsamic Spinach Salad

Spinach may be bitter but it offers a certain earthiness to compliment Pinot Noir.    While my mushroom strudel was baking in the oven, I decided to play and create a salad dressing to go with this wine and meal.

I really wanted to accentuate the savoriness of the wine and so I reduced balsamic vinegar to a specific point where the dressing would develop a rich caramelized sweet flavor yet maintain a respectable amount of acidity.   During this process, I added dried cranberries to plum.  Once sufficiently reduced, I added ¼ cup olive oil, minced shallots, chopped chives and lemon thyme from the garden, a dash of Dijon mustard, a dash of red raspberry vinegar and a sprinkle of sea salt at the end.

The result?   Here is your unexpected “wow factor”.  Simple seasonally fresh spinach leaves suddenly deliver a knock out punch of savory flavor.   With the wine it expectedly neutralizes the wine’s acidity allowing its cherry flavors to augment every bite and sip.

To create a mushroom strudel, I created a saute of oyster, crimini and shitake mushrooms with minced shallot, garlic, chives, lemon thyme and regular thyme.   On puff pastry, I placed a layer of triple cream blue cheese and then laid the mushroom mixture on top.  It is important to select your cheese carefully as too much moisture will make a mess during baking.   The puff pastry is then wrapped over the mixture and remaining pastry is sliced and placed to create an attractive lattice.  Brushed with a beaten egg, the strudel bakes in the oven.  Upon completion it emerges fragrant and attractive.

The 2012 Meiomi loves the buttery nature of puff pastry.  Its finish explodes onto the scene almost decorating the palate with dessert as the flavors of milk chocolate and vanilla race forward to envelope the wine’s otherwise predominant cherry flavors.  Similarly, the strudel has soft, decadent flavors that mirror the personality of Pinot Noir.   Blue cheese is not overwhelming but melds intuitively with the mushroom medley’s earth nature.  Buttery nature of the cheese and puff pastry encourage the rich attributes of the wine which will also continue to emerge with continued bottle aging.  For now the pairing is enough to invoke the simple seasonal sustainability of a chilly spring afternoon in Provence:  that in and of itself is worth recreating.

Wine is a break from reality.  Not so much because of its alcohol content, but because of the art that each winemaker puts into a vintage.  Reward the winemaker’s effort with a thoughtful food pairing and the dining landscape is electrified.   And at that point, who knows where your meal will transport you to.  Regardless, that is worth a daydream or two.

Petite Sirah is one of those grapes that many wine drinkers find obscure but for those who know California wine well, they know that this varietal nearly finds a native home in Northern California and that it captivates the consumer and vintner alike. 

The grape originally was introduced in 1884 from France into California as the grape “Durif”.   It grew well while Syrah vines struggled throughout the 1880’s and by the year 1900, Petite Sirah had gained popularity in the United States.  When the Prohibition arrived, many California vines of Petite Sirah survived as the fruit from the vines was capable of surviving long train trips across the country to the East Coast for home wine making.  Since that time period, other varietals have come and gone in popularity but this grape has remained a quirky love for many a vintner.  Depending on the vintner in Napa Valley, you might find Petite Sirah hailing from true old vines and others from younger plantings.  Regardless the grape is a pet varietal for many wine makers and a few make several different bottlings depending on the vineyards, fruit sourced, etc.  

Elyse Winery (“Elyse”) in Yountville is one such winery that makes more than one bottling of Petite Sirah.   A visit to their cozy tasting room will often provide you with the opportunity to compare and contrast the different Petite Sirah wines that they have released and their knowledgeable hospitality staff can educate you on the specific vineyards, what makes one taste different than another, etc.   In 2011, I featured a 2007 vintage of Elyse’s Barrel Select Petite Sirah, (see “Seriously Petite Sirah” on this site) and this week, while the wine is not available for purchase, I am featuring the vintage to share information on how it is aging and draw a few comparisons to the 2010 vintage, which is currently available for purchase at the winery.

The defining factor in what differentiates vintages of wine is the weather.   While the soil will tell its story to the vine, the vine’s ability to listen largely depends on the weather of that growing and harvest season.   2007, for example, was every winemaker’s year.   In Northern California, a winemaker was hard-pressed to bottle a varietal that would not be a rock star.  The year was the classic textbook year for growing grapes so someone would truly have to be asleep at the wine making wheel to have screwed up a bottle of wine.   Because the year was a “big year” for Napa Valley, there was plenty of fruit to go around.  Depending on the varietal, the grapes produced wines which were big and bold and often needed long time in bottle-aging to create more palate-approachable wines.  2010, however, was the polar opposite of 2007.  Many touted that 2010 was a “stinker year” and people might as well as have been nibbling, biting, if not gnawing at their fingernails wondering and praying if the vines would produce any fruit and whether it would be up to wineries’ branding standards.   Yet here we sit today in 2013 and it turns out that there was good fruit in 2010.  Elyse’s 2010 vintage of its Barrel Select Petite Sirah is receiving quite a buzz in the wine media and among consumers.   Its flavor profile based on reviews is slightly different than the 2007 vintage, of course, but of interesting note is that the winery is noting that it will age nicely 6 to 9 years, whereas the 2007 will age nicely 8 to 10 years.  This is nothing of alarm and for those who understand the effect of a growing season on the wine grape, it simply reflects that 2010 was a softer year and that it will produce a wine that perhaps is more readily accessible now.  For those who do not want to have to wait for their wine, likely the 2010 vintage will have something wonderful in store for you today.   For those of us, however, who were fortunate enough to cellar multiple bottles of another vintage (such as the 2007), we can continue to experiment and study the aging process of our cellared vintages.

The 2007 vintage of the Barrel Select Petite Sirah by Elyse is almost six years into aging and with a glass in hand, you will know that this wine still has time to age and continue to be incredibly enjoyable.  The bouquet of the wine delivers deep notes of blackberry jam, dusty mocha, bits of blueberry, sweet red plum, bits of clove spice, white pepper and anise.  The bouquet is so involved that at this stage of aging, it truly fills the wine glass voluptuously as if it is celebrating the sensuality of this wine and the vintage.  On the palate, flavors of blueberry, plum, blackberry, cinnamon and spices emerge but the best discovery is a delicious, savory, tangy and juicy tartness that is present on the wine’s finish, long after the wine is gone.  To prove this, a simple swallow action of the mouth will continue a secondary release of tangy blackberry juice or sweet red plum at the back of the palate.  The wine has solid recognizable tannins which dry in the mouth and the wine itself delivers the start of a velvety texture which is the product of the wine continuing to age.  The wine coats the lips like a seductive finger tip drawing across to shush and to refocus the palate in silence on the attributes of the wine.  The wine has a wonderful structure and it will continue to exhibit that as the wine ages.

To pair food, Petite Sirah often leaves wine lovers puzzled.   If you are one of those, look at the right side margin of this web site.  As you scroll down, you will notice different varietals of wine listed.  Click on Petite Sirah and a list of prior articles that I have written will appear.   In reviewing that, I have paired Mexican food from pasilla chiles grilled and stuffed with polenta to mole poblano and veering off to pair a balsamic-rosemary burger with Petite Sirah.  The last time I featured Elyse’s 2007 Barrel Select Petite Sirah, I elected to pair Mexican food.   This go-round, I decided to serve and pair the wine for a special occasion:  my birthday.  Given the description of the wine above, I had fortuitous foresight that the wine would be such a knockout in the glass.  It is worthy of any serious celebration and even so, this web site will be turning four years old at the end of this month as well.   It is fitting as we look back at countless articles, recipes, pairings, varietals and vintages that Elyse’s 2007 Barrel Select Petite Sirah be included in the celebration.   This pairing menu hosts:

•  Sautéed spinach, chive-cauliflower puree, grilled petite sirloin steak topped with exotic mushroom medley with a side of garden-fresh asparagus; and

•  Truffle brownie with home-spun vanilla ice cream, fresh raspberries and a bittersweet chocolate sauce drizzle.

Given the fruit profile, the tartness and juicy savoriness of the wine, the Elyse 2007 Barrel Select Petite Sirah pairs wonderfully with spring vegetables.   If you think about spinach, there is a slight bitterness to it.   Asparagus first in the season can be sweet but it too can sometimes yield a subtle bitterness to it as well.   These bitter components tend to cut through the tannins and similarly are erased by the wine’s acidity.  As a result, lush vegetable flavors are accentuated and the wine’s fruit becomes more forward, too.   Similarly the sauté of exotic mushrooms adds an earthy element to the plate with which Petite Sirah pairs exceptionally well.   And while one thinks of Cabernet Sauvignon when pairing steak, Petite Sirah can pair equally well if not calm its tannins with the natural fat of the meat.   Plate it in layers and prepare for the perfect bite.

While Julia Child lamented that a party is just a meeting without cake, here a truffle brownie begs to differ.   Dark rich chocolate between the truffle brownie and the bittersweet chocolate sauce bring out the sweeter elements of Elyse’s 2007 Petite Sirah.  The wine also loves the raspberries as the acidity in the fruit neutralizes the acidity in the wine.  With each bite, the wine becomes rich and decadent.  If you have ever had the chance to try Elyse’s Port when made with Petite Sirah grapes, this pairing of the wine with the truffle brownie will set off bells and whistles for you as you will distinctly recognize the fruit and remember the port vividly.

If you have a bottle of Elyse’s 2007 Barrel Select Petite Sirah in your collection, revisit it.  Share it with something or someone special.  Enjoy it for yourself.  Pair it with the first vegetables coming out of the home garden and first steaks off the grill.  If you do not have a bottle left, go visit the good folks at Elyse Winery on Hoffman Lane in Yountville.  Give them a call first and let them know that you are coming.  They will be happy to introduce you to Petite Sirah.  Celebrate the discovery of a varietal that some are so incredibly passionate about and celebrate knowing how to pair it.  

As the web site here turns four this month, I thank you for your loyal reading over the years.   Do not forget to use the site as a library source.  As the weather is warming up, I know that many of you are getting ready to get out and visit the wineries and share wine with friends and family at your backyard barbeques.  I will be back to posting articles and pairings more regularly here on the main page and also on the adjacent pages for San Luis Obispo County, New England and we might get a few articles from Colorado.  And by all means we at the site welcome your contributions, too.  Please make sure to “like” us on Facebook and participate in our weekly “What’s in your wine glass” on Thursdays, share your pairings, your discoveries and to view closer photos of some of the food that is paired in the articles.  Who knows, maybe a recipe or two will appear on the fan page this summer.   Anything can happen when you have been around for four years.   Cheers!

The obvious answer is grapes.  A vineyard, however, is so much more as it ties to a specific place, a specific soil composition and a specific climate.   Those elements combined with the skilled hand of an artful winemaker can produce a bottle of wine that is so unique that you will recognize that vineyard’s fruit by capturing a whiff of the bouquet or tasting a simple sip of wine.   If you have visited the specific vineyard, you have a tangible memory associated therewith to transport you to a sunny harvest afternoon when its fruit perfumes the air or a damp winter day when its soil’s essence hangs heavy in the air.

Last week while dining with others, a bottle of a red blend wine was served.   Unaware of the origin of the blending grapes, with a sniff and a sip, I was immediately mentally transported beneath a grove of eucalyptus trees near a specific vineyard in Napa Valley where I have taken many scenery photographs for my articles.  More importantly, this was the same specific vineyard supplying the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit in that particular red blend wine.  There is something nice about knowing the origin of wine grapes.  It helps tell a wine’s story.  It helps the consumer understand a bit more why a winemaker may toil more over a single vineyard bottling than a blend.  Most importantly, it helps the consumer learn and identify what attributes, aromas, flavors, tannins, acidity and texture that he or she specifically likes in a wine.

While I could have focused more on the red blend wine that was enjoyed that evening, this concept of what is in a vineyard did remind me of a wonderful single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon vintage that was shared with my siblings last fall over a simple dinner at home.  If you are visiting Napa Valley and wishing to learn more about Cabernet Sauvignon, I do recommend that among your stops that you include Sequoia Grove Winery (located along Highway 29) as winemaker Mike Trujillo is known for not only making wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon but adeptly reflecting the unique characteristics of special vineyards in his single vineyard bottlings.  During the dinner with my brothers, we elected to open a special bottle of wine by this talented vintner, the 2005 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner Select Healy Vineyard (“2005 Healy”).

The Healy Vineyard is located in St. Helena and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that originate from this vineyard are robust yet in an individual way.  The St. Helena appellation, sitting north of the famous Rutherford Bench (known for produces outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon), is its own American Viticultural Area (“AVA”) and is situated in the narrowest part of Napa Valley.   Sitting in this narrow valley floor of Napa Valley, the vineyards located there are subject to more heat reflected off the hillsides that flank the valley moreso than any other AVA in the valley.  Similarly with mountains to the west and east, the St. Helena AVA also has less fog or wind intrusion.  The grapes that reside in these vineyards soak up that uninterrupted heat and will have a much different profile of characteristics than those from other AVAs.   The soil at this part of the valley varies between being sedimentary and gravel or clay like at one end and volcanic and fertile in the northern part of the AVA.  This can easily define a Cabernet Sauvignon, and particularly a specific vineyard.  When the heat climbs in Napa Valley, the alcohol content rises in the wine and Cabernet Sauvignon has a jammier taste to it.  Yet if the soil is not fertile and the grapevine has to struggle to get water, suddenly the berries are smaller yielding more intense flavors.  In the St. Helena AVA, Cabernet Sauvignon fruit can also have an acidic quality along with firm tannins to it making it an excellent candidate for cellar aging.

The 2005 Healy had been cellaring for about 7 years when we decided to open a bottle and by Cabernet Sauvignon standards, that is still young.  The bouquet is still just as bequiling as the winery initially described it:  sweet blueberries, caramel, vanilla, cassis and cocoa.   The flavor profile is beginning to change however as the acidity is taming and the layers of blackberry fruit are now rich and smooth yet tinged with a dash of cherry cola flavor.  Similarly at this stage of aging the bouquet hints aromas of pencil shavings and the wine on the palate delivers a pleasant white pepper flavor.   The coloring of the wine similarly shows a lovely red ruby color at the edges which is also traditional of this appellation and particularly this vineyard.   Without question, this 2005 Healy is a decadent wine.  It is one that could be easily enjoyed alone but as noted, we elected to share it over a meal. 

While Cabernet Sauvignon is traditionally known for its steak pairing appeal, as the wine ages, less fat should be included in the meal.   As the wine ages, its bold fruit generally lessens, its tannins become better integrated and what once might have required a fatty steak or heavy cream-based cheese, now instead requires something leaner.  This is actually an excellent opportunity to pair grass-fed beef if you are so inclined.  In our dinner, we chose a lean cut of petite sirloin steak.  Our menu yielded:

1)      Side Salad with Avocado, Vermont White Cheddar Dressed with Maple Syrup Balsamic Vinaigrette;

2)     Pan Seared Petite Sirloin Steak (undressed);

3)     Garlicky Green Beans Almondine; and

4)     Herb Roasted Red Potatoes.

Our starter side salad was a twist on the steakhouse classic.   We chopped fresh bitter romaine lettuce, added grape tomatoes, thin slices of avocado, bits of aged Vermont Cheddar Cheese and dressed the salad with a maple syrup balsamic vinaigrette.   This salad combines a bit of sweet, fat, depth, acidity and bitterness to pair neatly with an aging Cabernet Sauvignon.  While the cheese is a fat, it is a dry aged cheddar so it does not disturb the tannin balance in the aging wine.  Similarly, to ensure that a little bit of fat is included, avocado steps in instead of heavy palate-overwhelming blue cheese dressing.  

So we started with a simple pan seared petite sirloin steak seasoned only with seasoning salt.   There was no pan reduction sauce needed as we wanted to let this lean cut of meat stand on its own flavorwise and see how it matched up to this aging elegant 2005 Healy Cabernet Sauvignon.  The beef is purposefully sliced thin so that it melts in your mouth and similarly matches texturally to the wine.  The steak and the wine taken together could have made a heavenly pairing alone but we had more to explore.

Garlicky green beans almondine are a wonderful side dish for pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon.  First the almonds serve as a bit of fat.  Some Cabernet Sauvignons have a slightly more vegetal profile if grown in a cooler climate or if a growing year has been cooler than others.   In this case, the garlic actually allows the wine to open up more and allows different flavor nuances to come forward.

Typically I hesitate to pair potatoes with wine because the starch frequently makes the wine taste sweeter or better than it actually does.  However, in this case, roasting red potatoes with herbs creates a savory side dish that balances well with Cabernet Sauvignon.  Here, sage lingers on the back of the palate and when a sip of wine follows, it enthusiastically meets its soulful match.   The flavors in the wine explode forth and your senses get wrapped up in the rosemary and sage of the potatoes. 

As the wine and food finishes side by side, the aromas and flavors could not get any closer to those of a harvest lunch on a sunny St. Helena afternoon in Napa Valley.

Sparkling wine is that wine that we inevitably reach for in a moment of celebration.   Yet there are so many varieties of varying sweetness to ultra dryness.   Depending on the grapes used, the amount of sugar added and the dryness of the sparkling, a wide world of varying cuisine can be paired with sparkling wine:   cheeses, Mexican food, Asian food, Indian food, seafood, brunch, salads, desserts and the list goes on and on.   Couple the wide cuisine pairing range with the fact that “Bubbles” (as they are so affectionally called) just seem to brighten any gathering whether it is intended to be festive or not.   So is it that far of a stretch to think that perhaps that sparkling wine can be a go-to table wine for wine lovers?   I say, “Absolutely not!”

Over the winter holidays, family members gathered and a varied range of palates were present.  Picking a wine to enjoy with some simple fare could be a joy, an adventure or a challenge depending on the taster’s opinion.   Regardless of what would be selected, the intent was to simply sit down with something warm to nibble, something fun to sip and hopefully incite some good conversation.   Rather than select something adventurous one evening, I pulled a bottle of sparkling wine to educate on its casual pairing appeal.   The wine and resulting food pairing was welcomingly received, consumed and applauded.

With all of the various sparkling wines available to choose, I selected one from my collection which had the benefit of bottle aging for an additional two years post the winery’s release.  For those who often write me and wonder where can you find some of these wines, the sparkling wine featured here is distributed seemingly everywhere in the United States and will likely be on your local grocer’s shelf.  The trick, however, is to have some discipline to set it aside and let it cellar for a year or two.  If you do, you will take an already wonderful sparkling wine and later experience it as a more evolved decadent sparkling wine that should seem worthy of a much higher price tag (for those interested in a comparison of what the wine is like off the grocer’s shelf, please see the article titled, “Mexican Mimosas” dated May 9, 2012, on this web site).  This week’s article features Chandon’s Brut Classic sparkling wine from Napa Valley, California.

This bottling in particular was purchased in 2010.  The vintage was not specified on the bottle but with cellaring just for two additional years, suddenly the sparkling wine tumbles into the glass releasing a bouquet yielding baked green apples, vanilla and a slight aroma of toast.  Generally when picked from the grocer’s shelf, the wine has crisp refreshing flavors.  Yet with additional bottle aging, the flavor profile changes to include delicious ripe green apple on the front to middle of the palate and a finish at the back of the palate that is rich as juicy baked pears.   The wine itself is slightly dry and the bubbles are light and crisp in the mouth, but not cuttingly so.   Similarly, we elected to serve the sparkling wine casually in white wine glasses as you will see in the picture above.  This was done to preserve the casual tone of the affair but also to allow the sparkling wine to open more in the glass and allow its bottle-aged aromas to fill the glass and captivate the drinker’s nose.

To pair, given that it is winter, I chose to create:

• Leek Fondue with Maine Cherrystone Clams

In France, leeks are seasonal during the winter.   Similarly I knew that I would have some Maine Cherrystone Clams to use over the winter holidays so who better to culinary brainstorm with than my good friend, James.   For those who have seen James’ name pop up on occasion in my articles in the last few years, as a reminder, James is not only an avid chef, but is a native to Maine and lived abroad extensively in France (my international  studied and early cooking skills came from study abroad in Mexico).   So with James on board, noodling away we went.  

A good leek fondue sounded so comforting on a dark winter’s evening.   When making a leek fondue it is very similar to the process of caramelizing onions.  Simply allow the chopped leek to slowly cook until it becomes a near melted consistency.  When leeks reach this stage of cooking, they are so soft and supple that they seem to cling to every delicious bit of flavor from the pan.  Similarly I had some shallots and garlic to use, so caramelizing those would become part of the recipe.  By now, the flavor profile is shaping up to be sweet in flavor.  Clams are naturally sweet.  When Cherrystone Clams from Maine are added at the last minute, they are substantive and add a wonderful texture in addition to being a compatible sweet ingredient.  To add some depth, lemon thyme that was harvested from the garden in the fall is added and finally, just as the clams are added, a bit of the sparkling wine is added to the mixture.   All of those wonderful aromas lift from the pan and the dish is slightly infused with traces of baked apple and pear flavors.

To finish the dish, it is served atop a toasted buttered rustic, artisan bread.  Nothing fancy:  something unquestionably sweet and simple.

In the mouth, adding the sparkling wine to the leek fondue made a huge difference as it tied all of the sweet flavors of the leeks, shallots, garlic and clams together with a flavorful bow.  Similarly as the sparkling wine is served in the white wine glass, not only is it in theme with being paired with a simple appetizer, but the bouquet of the wine continues to open and drift upward faster:  ultimately tieing the food and the wine pairing tighter together. 

This appetizer pairs impeccably with a glass of sparkling wine.  Ripe pear flavors tumble into the sweetness of the leek fondue and clams but the ripe green apple flavors brighten the palate and transition it for the next bite.

Tiny little bubbles capture the gleam of the dining light and for a moment on a cold winter’s evening, you feel transported to the countryside of France, sharing a tasting experience with family and good friends.

Baby, it’s cold outside.  But it is to be expected since it is January.  Much of the United States right now is gripped by artic air and when it gets this cold, people reach for red wine.   They do not reach for just any red wine.  In the last few days and weeks, more and more people are accessing the site searching for big, dark, heavy warming reds such as Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, various Clarets, Mixed Blacks and Petit Verdot.  These are not just ordinary red wines.  They are complex, they are involved and they are bold varietals.   At one point or another, they have all been featured here.

But for those who are searching, let us not forget another red varietal that can be a powerhouse at the table:  Syrah.    In the United States, Syrah is most often made in the form of two styles, “Californian” and “French”.   The Californian style tends to be big, boisterous in the mouth and belongs saddled up next to your favorite smoky barbeque joint.  The French style tends to be smoother, more refined.   Regardless of your preference, the Syrah grape itself brings complexity to the dining table and warms the soul over the course of a meal.   Similarly, Syrah pairs with a number of styles of rustic or spicy cuisine which is what Americans tend to reach for when the temperatures are dipping down to the single digits at night.

When inclimate January weather arrives, having a wine collection is helpful.  Searching through cellar aging reds, one can find something that he or she may not serve regularly and doing just this, we stumbled upon a 2004 vintage of Havens Vineyards’ (“Havens”)  Hudson Vineyard Carneros Syrah.  Havens Vineyard when in operation neighbored Elyse Winery in Yountville.  While the winery shuttered its business during the recession, those who were lucky enough to set aside some Syrah in their wine collections are in for a treat.

Pouring into the glass, the Havens 2004 Hudson Vineyard Carneros Syrah gleams with hints of red ruby jewel tones.   Its bouquet flows upwards out of the glass to greet the nose with aromas of smoke, raspberry, meat, mocha and spice.   In the mouth, the wine texturally feels like smooth velvet ribbons rolling back across the palate.   The flavor profile lends slightly tart blackberries and spice, which when combined add nice acidity and depth with a capability to pair with spicey tomato-based cuisine.  The palate picks up on nuances of bacon fat, licorice, cassis and pepper.

To pair, something rustic, warm and hearty should be served.   Keeping the note of the wine in mind, I created:

Chicken Roasted Vegetable Tinga over Brown Rice

 With chipotle peppers and fire roasted tomatoes, a spicey red sauce can be created in minutes.  This sauce can be used as a salsa or to cover chicken to roast in the oven with Vidalia onions.

Once roasted, the chicken is crudely shredded, tossed in a bit more of the roasted chipotle tomato sauce and then placed back into the oven to crisp a bit and warm.

Also in the oven are pieces of eggplant and zucchini which have been roasting in a mixture of olive oil, cumin, oregano and lemon thyme.

Once all ingredients are complete, they are arranged on top of a bed of brown rice on a platter to be served family-style.

The Havens 2004 Hudson Vineyard Syrah finds its home with the spices in this meal.  The wine clings to the herbs and spices in the roasted vegetables and warmly embraces the chipotle chile in the tomato sauce.  The acidity of the wine lessens as it meets the acidity of the tomato, each cancelling one another out.  Instead a smooth parade of flavors transport across the palate, with the spices in the wine and the food warming the soul on their way down.

The Havens 2004 Hudson Vineyard Syrah can be sipped alone and celebrated for its merits or it can sidle up to warm, spiced meal such as this.  However, as this winter delivers inclimate weather to your doorstep and you search your wine collection, remember that your cellared Syrahs do not need to wait for smoky summer barbeques but instead can be a welcomed rustic invitee to the simple flavors of provincial cuisine.  Cheers!