Join Chef Paul Smith at Buzz Foods and me as we cook up a few great dishes at Paterno's at the Park and pair them with some excellent wines.  We'll show you why breaking some wine and food pairing rules can be fun - and tasty too. Check it out here

https://youtu.be/rhntK2A-MTw

I’ve often said this before, but it bears repeating: don’t be constrained by convention when it comes to matching wine with food. The more you experiment, the more you will realize – like I have – that it’s both fun and instructive to try just about any combination of food and wine that strikes your fancy.

Wine snobs (aka Alt-Wine zealots) would have me dispatched to the grape crusher -if they could -for uttering such vinous heresy. You know the type of person I’m referring to, right? He’s the guy who wears a purple ascot and smoking jacket to the neighborhood barbecue, and wishes his name was Trevor. His mantra? White wine with fish and chicken, red wine with red meat- and absolutely no substitutes!!

Hey Trevor, I have news for you: there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing which wine to serve with a particular meal. Not that I would suggest pairing Chateauneuf Du Pape with pan seared cod, but go ahead and be adventurous. You might be surprised at the tasty combo’s you’ll discover on your gustatory journey.

So here are some tips (not hard and fast rules) on where you may wish to start your wine and food pairing expedition.

Think about the flavor, texture and weight of the food and then consider which wine might be a good fit. You wouldn’t logically pair a full-flavored red wine with delicately broiled seafood. Think about it. The flavor and weight are all out of balance.

Instead, you might complement the dish with a delicate white wine such as Sancerre from the Loire Valley of France (made from sauvignon blanc) or an albarino from Spain. Conversely, a robust red wine such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot would pair seamlessly with a well-marbled rib-eye steak.


Another element to consider in choosing a complimentary wine pairing is how the dish is seasoned. The addition of sauces or spices can add a flavor dimension that should be considered when picking the appropriate wine.

For example, pinot grigio would be an excellent choice with poached salmon in a dill sauce, while grilled salmon that has been dusted with cumin, black pepper and chili powder would overpower that same wine. Here’s an example where I suggest choosing a red wine to marry with that particular dish. With no apologies to Trevor, spicy, grilled salmon requires a medium-bodied red such as pinot noir or even sangiovese.

The texture of a dish can also play an important role in determining the best wine match. And sometimes that means pairing the dish with a wine that has contrasting notes or nuances. For instance, if you have a rich, fatty piece of beef, lamb or pork, a good wine match might be a young tannic and astringent red like zinfandel or petite sirah. That’s because the mouth feel of the wine will provide a pleasant contrast to the richness of the meat, and also serve to cleanse the palate.

Probably the most difficult dish to pair with wine is any type of vinaigrette, particularly those used on salads. Vinegar or acid-based dressings clash with most wines, destroying the flavors of both the salad and the wine. The only possible palatable pairing I’ve found is to match the vinaigrette with a very dry sparkling wine such as a Cava from Spain.

And finally, one of my favorite, but seemingly counter-intuitive pairings, is full-bodied red wine with chocolate desserts. As a matter of fact, one of the most exquisite dessert experiences I’ve had recently is paring the 2015 Orin Swift Abstract ($35) with a large slice of double chocolate cake.

The Abstract (a California blend of grenache, petite sirah, and syrah) is an opaque, purple monster full of rich, mocha and blackberry flavors. It is an absolutely delicious complement to chocolate. And the Abstract bottle has a really one-of-a-kind label with a collage of eclectic images. It’s sure to be a collector’s item.

So go forth and be adventuresome. Try some unconventional (maybe even outrageous) wine and food combinations. (Trevor will never know).

I was asked the other evening to expound on the qualities of a particular grape grown in a number of different geographic wine regions around the world. How did it differ in taste and quality from one appellation to another? Good question, right?

Things seemed to be going well as I began to describe the qualitative differences in terms of not only the taste and aroma of the wine, but also how climate and soil affected the finished product. So when I mentioned that this particular grape flourished in places like California, France and Australia, my friend asked: “How does the wine made from that same grape in Israel compare to the others?

Huh? To my knowledge, I assured her, that grape is not widely planted in Israel. “No”, she insisted, “I just read how wine produced from that grape in Israel is similar in style and substance to what is made in California.”

The grape we were discussing is syrah (which the Australians call shiraz) and I could tell from her disappointed look that my wine credibility had taken a serious hit. Could they really be growing syrah now in Israel?

I asked my friend to spell the grape in question and she did so correctly without hesitation. However, she also added the word “petite” before spelling syrah. Ah, now I understood. The pronunciation of sirah (seer-ah) is the same as syrah, thus the misunderstanding. And, indeed, petite sirah is produced in Israel’s emerging wine regions. But, of course, petite sirah is a completely different grape than syrah.

Holy obfuscation! There can’t be any other product that is more difficult to understand than wine. Maybe quantum mechanics, but I doubt it. To start with, much of the language – even on American wine labels – is foreign (i.e., “cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, etc.). And when some of the so-called wine-illuminati use terms like ethereal, orgasmic or unctuous to describe “Uncle Amos’ Purple Mountain Majesty,” normal folks- who would like to learn a little more about wine – are left scratching their heads.


And unless you’re studying to be a sommelier, you probably wouldn’t know that “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” (which is from Tuscany and comprised of at least 70 percent sangiovese) is a totally different wine from “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.” This latter wine is from the state of Abruzzo and is produced from the montepulciano grape.

Confused? You should be. And while it can be maddening to someone who just wants to find a good bottle of wine to accompany their meatloaf and mashed potatoes, it can also be fascinating for wine geeks like me who enjoy nothing better than translating that bewildering gibberish for you.

So here are four different and delicious examples of wines representing the confusing language discussed above. I think you’ll like them and I promise to use common words to describe them.

2010 Terre Rouge Cotes de l’Ouest Syrah ($22) – This California wine is full of bright cherry and spicy black pepper flavors. Unlike some new world full-throttle syrah’s, this one is medium -bodied and similar to a northern Rhone wine. This would be lovely with a spicy casserole of Chicken Cacciatore.

2014 Boogle Petite Sirah ($14) – There is nothing subtle about this inky purple monster, but it is still very well balanced with gobs of black and blueberry flavors and just enough acid to make it an excellent food wine. Try it with a hearty, garlicky beef stew dusted with a generous portion of coarsely ground black pepper.

2012 Fattoria dell Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($27) –You will need a glass of this delicious wine after trying to pronounce it! A nose of flowers, cola and mint is followed by notes of black cherries, vanilla and spice on the palate. Match this delicious wine with a crown roast of pork that’s been rubbed with olive oil, sage, black pepper and minced garlic.

2014 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($22) – Another tongue-twister, this wine bursts with sweet and sour cherry flavors along with nuances of cinnamon and tea. Round and rich, but with a good zing of acid, marry this baby with roasted or grilled lamb chops that have been marinated in lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil and rosemary.

Check out my Vines&Vittles video on Port by clicking below.
https://youtu.be/_AQrkRUvbvE

There are not many good things one can say about winter except it is the season of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But otherwise winter is gray, cold and depressing, and I wish it could be shortened. But until we figure a way to adjust the rotational tilt of the earth or flee to terra firma nearer the equator, we’ll just need to make some adjustments to survive this uncomfortable time of year.

As you might have guessed, my adjustment to winter involves consuming endorphin-enhancing sustenance. In other words, good wine and food. And while I’ll be uncorking full-bodied red wines to accompany cold weather foods such as stews, pastas and hearty soups, I will also open a bottle or two of Port to enjoy as a postprandial digestif by the fireplace. And don’t worry if you don’t have a fireplace. Anywhere indoors will do just fine.

Port or Porto (as it is called in Portugal where the wine is produced) is made from a variety of grapes grown along the steep slopes of Douro River. In fact there are more than 80 varieties of (unpronounceable) grapes which are permitted to be used in the production of port, but most producers use less than ten.

Port is a “fortified” wine and that means brandy is added to it during the fermentation process. The addition of brandy causes the fermentation to stop, leaving the wine with about 10 percent residual sugar while bumping up the alcohol content to approximately 20 percent. Once the new wine is made, it is shipped to the city of Oporto where it is sold to companies, known as Shippers, who then age the young wine in barrels and label it under their house name before exporting it all around the world.


The Styles of Port

Vintage Port -This is the best and most expensive type of Port and is produced only in exceptional years (about three years in a decade). A “vintage year” is declared by an agreement among the Shippers who then take special care in aging and then bottling the wine. Vintage Port can improve in bottle for 15 to 50 years (or more) before reaching maturity. The Wine Spectator Magazine rates the 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2011 as among the best recent vintage Port years. You can expect to pay between $50 to more than $150 a bottle for vintage Port.

Late Bottled Vintage Port – It is a blend of Ports from different vineyards in the same vintage year. Late bottled vintage Port (or LBV) will have a vintage date on the label, but it is not vintage Port. LBV is usually priced between $15 and $30 a bottle.

Tawny Port – This is sometimes called the “poor man’s” vintage Port because it is aged for many years in oak and, when released, it is very smooth and rich like an old vintage Port. Without a doubt, this is my favorite. It is affordable Port with prices ranging from $10 to about $40 a bottle.

Ruby Port – Young port wine blends from several different vintages comprise Ruby Port. Ruby Port is lighter and fruitier than other styles and usually the least expensive Port ($10-$20 a bottle). Ruby Ports can be cloyingly sweet and fruity.

White Port – Made from white grapes, this is the only Port-style wine that is produced dry. It is usually crisp, yet full-bodied, and makes a nice aperitif wine. Really lovely with lightly flavored and pan seared white fish. ($10-$25 a bottle)

Here is a list of some of top Port producers you can look for in your local wine shop. Warre’s, Graham’s, Taylor-Fladgate, Croft, Dow’s, Fonseca and Ramos-Pinto. One of my favorite American Port-style wines is Ficklin. Try their 10-year Old Tawny – it’s absolutely delicious.

Many people prefer to accompany Port with nuts or with blue cheese like Stilton. I love to have a glass of Tawny after a nice meal as a liquid substitute for dessert. Yummy!

So, go out and sip the winter away with a warming glass (or two) of Port!

Check out my video wine picks for your holiday celebrating.
Please click on the link below.  And Happy Holidays !

https://youtu.be/j4YqOkzKIfI

It’s that special time of year when we all willingly succumb to something loosely defined as “The Holiday Spirit.” And while it is generally a good thing, the holiday spirit induces in me a kind of euphoria that causes me to recklessly disregard my own financial limitations.

Yeah, you guessed it. In other words, I am about to spend a whole lot of money on wine – for family, for friends and for ME!

And it’s not just yours truly either. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans will spend about seventy percent of their yearly wine budget, purchasing bottles for Christmas gifts, parties, and for holiday dinners. To accommodate this demand, local wine shop shelves are now overflowing with bottles of every type and pedigree.


I‘ve already been searching those shelves (and online too) for that special bottle and there is an incredible selection of wine from all over the world available to fit just about any budget. And I’ve always said that giving the gift of wine, particularly to someone close to you, can have its own reward since there is a good likelihood you’ll be invited to sip along with the giftee once that special bottle is uncorked.

But whenever I consider a wine for myself, I always ponder what type of meal will present the best opportunity to showcase the bottle. In my particular situation, I’m thinking about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, and the wines that will make the feasts memorable. I’m also shopping for the right wine to celebrate New Year’s Eve. So let’s consider wines to match Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners, as well as celebratory sparklers for New Year’s Eve.

In our home, my wife and I divide up responsibility for the holiday meals. I’m in charge of Christmas Eve and she is the Christmas Day chef de cuisine. Drawing from my Italian- American roots, my menu will consist of seafood -ala The Feast of the Seven Fishes- and I will accompany the meal with some of my favorite chardonnays.

For everything from squid and lobster to shrimp and smelts, I will use rich, full-bodied chardonnays. Here are some you might consider for a similar type feast: Falcor Henry Ranch or Sonoma Mountain, Mer Soleil, Cakebread, MacCrosite, Rombauer, Far Niente and/or Amapola Creek.

On Christmas day, my wife will prepare a standing rib roast and accompany it with Dauphinoise potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Of course, this meal demands a rich and full-bodied red wine such as a cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux Red or a Bordeaux -style blend (i.e., blends which might consist of any combination of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, or petit verdot). Here are several which would fit the bill perfectly for the beef roast or just about any roasted meat - even grilled or smoked turkey:

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon; Joseph Phelps Insignia; Dominus; Harlan Estate- The Maiden; Merryvale Profile; Chateau La Dominique; Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve; Chateau Lynch Bages; Chateau Brainaire Ducru; Chateau Cos d’Estournel; Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon; Pontet Canet; Leoville Las Cases; Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon; and Ornellaia (from Italy).

To ring in the New Year, I always pop open a sparkler. Try one or more of these bubblies: Roderer Estate (sparkling) Paul Bara Brut Champagne; Nicholas Feuillatte “Blue Label” Brut Champagne; Mumm Napa Cuvee (sparkling); Veuve Cliquot Brut Champagne; Iron Horse Russian Cuvee (sparkling) Krug Grande Cuvee Brut Champagne; Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne; Taittinger Comptes De Champagne Rose.

Have a great Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve, but watch out for that “runaway” Holiday Spirit!

From time to time, I'll be posting video featuring Vines & Vittles topics. Check out the link below for information on Beaujolais Nouveau and for some wine suggestions for Thanksgiving. Hope you like it!

https://youtu.be/Mk8Q_Awne8c

When most of us think of November in the context of food and drink, Thanksgiving comes immediately to mind. But there is another date - also a Thursday and always one week before Thanksgiving -that should have particular significance for wine lovers.

On November 17, the 2016 Beaujolais Nouveau will be released in France and available in the US- even here West Virginia. Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun sipper full of fresh strawberry and cherry flavors that is the first wine of the 2016 vintage. The Nouveau, produced from the gamay grape, is only two months old when it arrives in wine shops and cafes around the world.

You can expect Beaujolais Nouveau to be a lively, frothy, fruit- forward mouthful of wine. At its best, the wine is a pleasant quaffer that is never meant to be taken too seriously, but rather should be enjoyed in celebration of the new vintage. It would also be a good wine to use as an aperitif before your Thanksgiving dinner.


But there are more serious wines made from the gamay grape in Beaujolais and today I’ll tell you about them. The Beaujolais region lies just south of Burgundy and descends along a 34-mile stretch of rolling hills ending where the Rhone wine appellation begins. Gamay is a lighter pigmented red grape that regularly produces a medium bodied wine similar in texture to pinot noir.

In addition to Nouveau, most of the other wines in the appellation are labeled Beaujolais, Beaujolais Superior or Beaujolais Villages. These wines are all more substantial in texture and flavor than Beaujolais Nouveau. The very best wines of the region, though, are called Cru Beaujolais and they are much more serious and can actually improve in the bottle for many years.

These Cru (which means “growths” in French) wines are named after the villages around which the grapes are grown. The ten Cru Beaujolais wines are: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint Amour. Each of these Crus produces distinctly different Beaujolais from very light and delicate (i.e., Chiroubles and Fleurie) to fuller-bodied wines (i.e., Moulin a Vent and Morgon).

Like Burgundy, it is very important to select your Beaujolais from reputable producers and shippers. Among the most reputable of these are: Joseph Drouhin, Georges Duboeuf, Louis Jadot, Louis Latour and Domaine Manoir du Carra. And unlike Burgundy, these are wines that are reasonably priced - usually between $15 to $30 a bottle.

In matching these wines to food, I suggest you use the Crus Beaujolais like you would a medium-bodied pinot noir. These Crus show the best qualities of the gamay grape, producing in good years silky smooth wines with cherry and tea flavors and aromas of crushed flowers. I particularly like to pair them with roast pork tenderloin, grilled salmon or Thanksgiving turkey.

So celebrate the first wine of the 2016 vintage by sipping a glass or two of Beaujolais Nouveau. Try it with cheese or as an aperitif and then open a bottle of Beaujolais Villages or Cru Beaujolais to accompany the dinner entree.

A Votre  Sante'!

Hey, friends of wine, I’m back! After that last column where I focused too much attention on that other beverage, I was whisked away in the middle of the night and brought to a wine reeducation center for an intervention by a group of masked wino’s called “Warriors For The Vine.

As a result, I want you to know that I’m back and more dedicated than ever to expounding on the virtues of that liquid we all love. As a matter of fact, I have had my nose in a plethora of wine glasses lately, spending hours sniffing and sipping my way through dozens of bottles just to present you with several vinous recommendations.

And with the exception of one wine (out of the 10 I’m recommending today), they are all priced between $9 and $20 a bottle. If you don’t see these wines on the shelves of your favorite shop, just ask the proprietors to get them for you since they are all available in the state.


As is always the case when I suggest a wine for your sipping pleasure, I will also offer an appropriate food to pair with it. So here goes.

Aperitif Wine or (as we call them in my home) Porch Sippers:
2014 Montinore Gewürztraminer – a spicy, slightly sweet white with aromas of flowers and nutmeg, this would be great with sliced apples and Vermont Cheddar; 2015 Fritz de Katz Riesling – this German Mosel white is tangy, a touch sweet with peach overtones and would be nice with strawberries or brunch food like omelets; and 2013 Pacific Rim Eufloria White – this is mostly riesling blended with a little gewürztraminer and chenin blanc and has citrusy, tart apple flavors that would be a superb accompaniment to Quiche Lorraine.

White Wine:
2014 Ceretto Arneis – Light to medium-bodied and slightly fizzy, this northern Italian bottling is delicate and should be paired with plainly broiled or pan seared white fish; 2014 Clos Pegase Chardonnay ($25) – this Napa Valley wine is very well balanced with a nose of ripe apples and freshly baked bread with flavors of ripe honey dew melon. Pair it with chicken cordon bleu; and 2014 Buil & Gine Nosis Verdejo – a Spanish wine full of citrus and apple flavors that is slightly effervescent.  It would be an excellent pairing with steamed mussels in a little of the verdejo and a lot of garlic.

Red Wine:
2013 Jasci & Marchensani Montepulciano d’Abruzzo - a literal mouthful to say, it is a delicious Italian wine which is round, rich and medium bodied with loads of ripe dark fruit flavors.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with grilled Italian sausages; 2013 Marc Roman Terret – from Southern France, this wine at $9 a bottle is one of the best bargain wines I’ve tasted in a while. Terret is an obscure grape that produces a medium-bodied red that is well balanced and would be perfect with chicken thighs that have been dry rubbed with a southwest seasoning and then oven baked;

2012 Haraszathy Family Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel – a medium to full-bodied old vine zin from Lodi, this wine is chock full of blackberry and cola flavors, and demands to be paired with grilled baby-back ribs; 2015 St. Cosme Cotes Du Rhone – from the magnificent 2015 vintage, this wine must be aerated in a carafe for an hour or so if you choose to drink it in the next year. It is dark purple and very tannic with flavors of black cherries and aromas of black pepper and tack room. Try this one with marinated and grilled flank steak that has been stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, sausage and provolone.

Enjoy!

I was sorry to hear that my good friend and fellow Gazette-Mail colleague, Rich Ireland, will no longer be educating us on the pleasures of sipping that hop-infused beverage he has so lovingly championed over the past decade.

Rich’s “Beers to You” column and blog has been on my required reading list since its inception, and his passionate advocacy for that lesser beverage (just kidding, Rich) has been instrumental in promoting the rapidly expanding craft beer movement in West Virginia.

Rich and I have spent the better part of a decade gently chiding each about our respective sipping preferences. In fact, we will continue to do so at the annual Beer vs. Wine “Feastival” event held each year in February. The event helps to support Festival - our city’s excellent arts and entertainment program held throughout the summer.

This coming February will be the fifth year for the event where each course in a five-course gourmet dinner is accompanied with both beer and wine. Attendees then vote on which beverage they feel paired best with each course. So far, wine and beer have each won two of the events. (Note to Rich: Wine is going to win the rubber match).

While I have (tongue firmly planted in cheek) criticized beer as an inferior beverage to wine, I am also an advocate for and consumer of the stuff, especially locally produced suds. Heck, the first alcoholic beverage I ever purchased was beer as a 14-year old at the Sportsman Inn in Clarksburg


I’ll never forget sheepishly approaching the bar and asking the proprietor – Joe Serafini (RIP) – if I could buy a glass of draft beer. Joe, who was known to sip a thimbleful of 7-Up with his Calvert Reserve, looked down at me and slurred: “you’re going to jail, Lap.”

Joe called everyone Lap. Don’t ask why. Anyway, as I turned to sprint out of the bar, Joe, wheezing and laughing, called me back. “Don’t worry, Lap. If you can reach up to the bar and hand me a quarter, you can have a beer.”

I’ve had a few beers since then as well as a glass or two of wine. I grew up in a working class neighborhood where beer was an every day beverage. So was wine. In my Italian neighborhood, just about every family made a barrel of red and sometimes a crock of home brew too. So I come by my love of these beverages naturally.

But I am truly excited to witness the growth of the craft brewing industry in our state. Here are some of the towns in West By Golly that are brewing suds: Charleston, Fayetteville, Davis, Thomas, Morgantown, Lewisburg, Martinsburg, Parkersburg, Wheeling and even tiny Wardensville.

Unbelievably, in just a one-mile stretch of beautiful Tucker County there are three craft breweries. And last week, I stopped at Big Timber’s brewery and pub in Elkins for a cold glass of “Forrest Fest” – their version of Oktoberfest produced just in time for the town’s annual Forest Festival.

Happily, some of these craft breweries are joining with restaurants and food trucks to pair their beers with (many times) locally grown or produced foods. A few, like Stumptown Ales in Davis, are also planting and harvesting hops for use in making their beer.

I recently stopped by Stumpton with a few friends for a beer and noticed a food truck parked across the street. It turns out the owners of Stumptown are working with the food truck folks and allowing patrons to purchase meals they can then take across the street to consume at the brewpub.

So wine lovers please do not despair. I promise to get back on that purple track soon. But in the meantime, chill out with a nice West Virginia craft brew while you ruminate about which wine to bring home for dinner tonight.

I like to think that, like a fine wine, my own personal vinous tastes have matured, morphing from “in your face” big, tannic purple monsters to balanced, flavorful and nuanced wines of all colors. This transition did not occur overnight and, in fact, it took about two decades for my mind to accept what my palate had been transmitting to it: that bigger is not always better.

When I became seriously interested in wine a few decades back, my tastes ran to just about any red that was full-bodied. The bigger, the better! These were new world wines produced either in the U.S., Australia or South America, and they always seemed to have tons of rich, dark fruit flavors, mouth puckering tannin and stratospheric alcohol levels. Even the white wines I occasionally drank ran to heavy, over-oaked California chardonnays.

But I have seen the light, brothers and sisters! And it is not bright and blinding. No, it is soft, muted and subtle. And this evolution of taste has nothing to do with  sophistication, aesthetics or a sudden epiphany. Rather, it reflects a realization that I had stubbornly resisted for years: that wine appreciation is all about balance. And finding that balance is a challenging, but fun, life-long pursuit.



Hey, I will be the first to defend your right to drink any wine you wish. If you prefer Uncle Vito’s Thunder Mountain Red with filet mignon, then go for it. My only wine appreciation admonition is: If you think you’ve found the world’s greatest wine – you haven’t- so keep trying.

It’s easy to enjoy – as I still occasionally do – those big, rich monster wines that provide instant gratification, but they are one dimensional palate bullies that don’t get along with food. And that’s the crux of the issue for me. Wine should almost always be enjoyed with food and especially at mealtime. And finding that perfect food and wine pairing is the payoff.

So today, let’s talk about red wines you might try from appellations that are known for producing flavorful but balanced bottles. In the good old US of A, pinot noir is the red that can be rich, yet subtle and the best regions to find these excellent food-friendly products are: Willamette Valley of Oregon; Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast and Santa Rita Hills of California.

While you may be surprised by this suggestion, zinfandel can also be produced to provide subtle, lighter styled wines that are very good food companions. Try zins from these California appellations/producers: Dry Creek Valley – Preston, Quivira and Pedroncelli; Amador County: Easton and Sobon.

In Europe, you should try the lighter to medium bodied wines of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In France, the wines of the Cotes Du Rhone feature grenache as the primary red grape while in Beaujolais it is gamay and in Burgundy it’s pinot noir.

In Italy, you might look for the reds of Chianti in Tuscany produced mainly from sangiovese while in the Veneto look for Valpolicella. In Piedmont, barbera and dolcetto are great choices, and the nero d’Avola of Sicily is a lovely quaff. The wines of Spain provide some subtle, but flavorful offerings. Try Rioja made from tempranillo as well as the reds of Ribera Del Duero and the Penedes region near Barcelona.

And while most people think that Portugal produces only Port, you might ask for the lovely dry red wines from the Duoro River Region produced from the touriga nacional grape.

Enjoy!

If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know I will never just give you my impression of a wine without mentioning a food that is enhanced by it. Finding a compatible food and wine combination makes the whole dining experience so much more pleasurable. That’s especially important for restaurants.

We all have our favorite eateries around the state and even beyond the borders of this land of “purple mountain majesty.” And I have always maintained that a good meal can be transformed into a great dining experience when a complimenting wine accompanies it.


And with the emphasis on locally grown and produced foods and our early adoption of the farm to table movement, the quality of West Virginia restaurants has improved significantly, and so has their emphasis on providing well thought out and complimentary wine lists.

Therefore, wine lovers and foodies in West Virginia should be proud to know that the annual Wine Spectator restaurant awards were recently announced and 11 Mountain State establishments are among those receiving the prestigious honors.
According to the magazine, “Wine Spectator’s restaurant wine list awards program recognizes restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to the cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.”

To qualify for an award, the list must present complete, accurate wine information. It must include vintages and appellations for all selections, including wines by the glass. The three categories of awards are: “Awards of Excellence;” “Best of Awards of Excellence;” and the “Grand Award.”

Only 2414 restaurants across world have received the “Award of Excellence,” including eight restaurants in our state. Three other WV restaurants, the Bavarian Inn in Shepherd Town, the Greenbrier’s Main Dining Room and Spats in the Blennerhasset Hotel in Parkersburg, received “Best of Awards of Excellence.” That’s quite an honor since only 1093 restaurants on earth achieved that distinction.

The state restaurants receiving “Award of Excellence” are: Bridge Road Bistro, Charleston; Provence Market Café, Bridgeport; The Block Restaurant in Charleston; The Final Cut Steakhouse, Charles Town Racetrack; South Hills Market and Café, Charleston; Sargasso, Morgantown; Savannah’s, Huntington; and The Wonder Bar Steakhouse in Bridgeport. Tell your friends and associates about the award winners and encourage them to patronize these restaurants.

While there are 11 Wine Spectator Award winners in the state, I’m confident many other establishments would qualify as recipients if they just took the time to submit their wine lists to the magazine. We have made excellent progress in upgrading the wine lists and the quality and number of excellent restaurants in West Virginia.

Entries for the 2017 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards will be accepted from Dec. 1, 2016, to Feb. 1, 2017. Those interested in more information on the program can find it at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

There is no question about it: I love to use my trusty Weber grill to barbecue all type of meat products, including pork spare ribs, beef steaks, whole chickens, rack of lamb and seafood, especially salmon. The wine choices for these edible treats are usually medium to full-bodied reds like zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon or syrah.

But I am also a fan of using my Weber to grill vegetables, particularly now that we have access to the bounty of the summer season. There is no better time than right now to add more vegetables to the daily dinner table. And since I love to purchase locally grown foods, I spend a great deal of time perusing the aisles of Capitol Market ‘s outdoor section for the fresh produce picked daily by area farmers.


Right now, you can find just about any vegetable, including corn, green beans, squash, sweet and hot peppers and, of course, tomatoes. With a little preparation and a lot of imagination, you can coax a whole new palate of flavors out of veggies when you grill them.

Grilling these edible plants also creates an added benefit for we wine lovers. The smoky, slightly charred flavors add a taste dimension that enables normally delicate vegetables like green beans, zucchini squash and broccoli to pair very well with medium bodied whites like sauvignon blanc. And my new “go-to” sauvignon blanc is the 2015 Chateau Fontenille ($12), a white Bordeaux that is the perfect match to the aforementioned grilled veggies.

But you don’t need a grill to enjoy these delicious vegan treats. In fact, one of my favorite summertime vegetable dishes is best prepared in the kitchen. The centerpiece of the dish is peppers. And man do I love peppers! Green ones, red ones and especially hot ones. I use peppers in a multitude of ways. I roast them, stuff them, fry them, freeze them, can them and, above all, I consume them almost daily.

Here’s a recipe for fried peppers I’ve borrowed from members of my Italian-American family. I’ve told you about it before, but it is worth repeating here today. This dish demands a medium bodied red wine with a good dollop of acid to enhance the flavors of the peppers. Try one or all three of these wines with the dish: 2013 Easton Monarch Mine Barbera ($25); 2012 Vietti 'Tre Vigne' Barbera d' Asti ($17); 2013 Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($26).

Fried Peppers Calabraze
Ingredients

Seven multi-colored bell peppers, sliced into five-inch long by one-inch wide pieces
Three hot banana peppers (optional) sliced the same as above
One large onion sliced into approximately three-inch lengths, a quarter-inch wide
One large ripe, red tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped
Three garlic cloves coarsely chopped
Three ounces of olive oil
Two tablespoons each of freshly chopped basil and oregano
One teaspoon of salt and coarsely ground black pepper

How To

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (preferably cast iron) to medium high heat
Add onions and sauté for about three minutes, and then add all peppers
Use a spatula to stir the peppers regularly to prevent ones on bottom from burning
Add garlic and tomatoes to the mixture after about 15 minutes and continue stirring
Lower heat and cook until most of the liquid evaporates
Continue to sauté until the peppers and onions begin to caramelize (usually takes 25-to 30 minutes)
Remove from the stove, place in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper
Mix in the fresh basil and oregano and then serve

My mother was a very good cook, but the canned salmon patties she attempted to transform into something palatable were only marginally more appetizing than sautéed calf’s liver.

I’m sure there aren’t many of you who have been forced to experience the unique flavors of canned salmon. But if you grew up a few decades ago when there was little or no access to fresh seafood, your mom – like mine- would have added some type of canned fish product to the weekly family dinner menu.

That’s because doctors back then told parents that kids needed the vitamins, minerals and nutrients provided by seafood. So moms living in West Virginia, Iowa or other land locked places had little choice except to buy canned seafood products. The other option was to force-feed their kids daily spoonfuls of cod liver oil- a childhood experience only slightly less traumatic than an enema.


 
And while canned seafood products like salmon, tuna, and sardines are still available, we now have regular access to fresh seafood. So today, in honor of all those moms’ determined, but futile attempts, to create something edible from canned seafood, I am going to share a spicy salmon burger and chili lime aioli recipe with you. I think you’ll find that it is delicious, and made even more so with the wines I’m recommending.

While I prefer to grill the burgers, they can also be pan sautéed or baked for a short time in the oven. But the first step is to find fresh seafood from a shop or grocery store that has regular deliveries of this very fragile product. My go-to seafood monger here in the capitol city is Joe’s Fish Market on the corner of Brooks and Quarrier Streets (304-342-7827).

For the perfect roll to envelope this Spicy Salmon Burger, you might find suitable products at the grocery store, but I suggest calling ahead and ordering the delicious and fresh Brioche Buns from Charleston Bread at 601 Capitol St. (304-720-3022).

One of the attributes of the Spicy Salmon Burger is that the flavor components pair equally well with both white and red wine. You might try one or both of these wines.

2015 Chateau De Fontenille ($11)- From Bordeaux, this steely, yet rich white is a complex blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon, sauvignon gris and muscadelle. It marries nicely with the herbal nuances of the burger, and provides a refreshing counter to the spiciness of the dish.

2013 Chehalem Three Points Pinot Noir ($35) – From the Willamette Valley of Oregon, this wine has a mouthful of black cherries, spice and tea flavors. Rich, yet still perfectly balanced with a nice acid zing, it is very copacetic with the Spicy Salmon Burger.

Spicy Salmon Burger with Chili Lime Aioli
Ingredients:

One pound skinless salmon filet

Two tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

One egg

Two tablespoon of fresh lime juice

One-half jalapeno diced

Three teaspoons of diced onions

One teaspoon each of kosher salt, diced garlic, black pepper, cumin and chili powder

Two tablespoons of Panko or bread crumbs

One tablespoon of chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (optional)

Chili Lime Aioli
One-third cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

One tablespoon lime juice

One-half teaspoon of minced fresh garlic, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper

One-half teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper (optional) and chili powder

How To:

Combine all ingredients for the Aioli in a bowl, mix and refrigerate

Cut salmon into half-inch squares

Pulse in a food processor until salmon has the consistency of hamburger

Place salmon in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients

Mix ingredients and form into salmon burgers

Grill on a medium hot grill three minutes a side until firm

Place in a bun and add the chili lime aioli

Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Memorial Day is coming! Are you ready to get your picnic on? I am and today we’ll examine some vinous liquids that will enhance and elevate simple, but all-American, picnic and leisure time foods. So put out the porch furniture and crank up the grill because it’s (almost) summertime- and the livin’ is easy.

First of all, let me destroy the myth that warmer weather requires light, white wines that are cool and refreshing to pair with the chicken, seafood, salads and veggies we tend to consume more of in the summer. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with tasty, light white wines, but you don’t need to stop there. Trust me, you really can enjoy fuller bodied wines in the summertime – even big reds.

As usual, the food you’re cooking should determine what you’re drinking. But let’s start with lighter style whites and roses that fit the casual feel of outdoor cooking, and also pair really well with grilled foods. These lighter-style wines benefit from a little chilling, particularly the reds, which will provide a refreshing counterpoint to the sometimes spicy entrees being prepared.


You might choose a crisp, herbal or citrusy sauvignon blanc with foods such as dill poached salmon, grilled broccoli, roasted chicken seasoned with rosemary and olive or basil and pine nut pesto pasta. Here are some of my favorite sauvignon blancs to try with the above-mentioned foods: Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc and Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand; Ferrari -Carano Fume Blanc, Groth Sauvignon Blanc, St. Suppery Sauvignon Blanc and Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc from California; and Robert Oatley Sauvignon Blanc from Australia.

Rose’s are just made for warmer weather and the beauty of these wines is their versatility in either being an aperitif or a match to your picnic foods. I especially like the drier versions that are especially excellent accompaniments to grilled foods, particularly sausages. Whether you prefer Italian, Polish, Bratwurst or some other pork-encased tube steak, rose’ is a great choice.

Here are some roses’, which again I recommend serving chilled, you may wish to try: Las Rocas Rose’ (Spain); Grange Philippe “Gipsy” Rose’ (France); Reginato Sparkling Rose’ of Malbec (Argentina); Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose’ (South Africa); Elizabeth Spencer Rose’ of Grenache (California).

Summertime gets me in a serious mood to fire up the old Weber and start grilling various hunks of meat that require medium to full bodied red wine. Whether you choose to grill hamburgers, rack of lamb, a rib-eye steak or a pork baby-backs, reds are my go-to wines.

Give one of these bottlings a sip: Easton Amador County Zinfandel, Villa Antinori Toscano Rosso (Italy); Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir (Oregon); Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Italy); Bodegas Muga Crianza Rioja (Spain); Field Stone Convivio Red (California); Domaine De La Janasse Cotes Du Rhone Villages (France); Mercer Merlot (Washington State); David Bruce Pinot Noir (California) and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel (California).

So whether you’re grilling rib-eyes or tube steak, there is always a wine (or several) for every food, and that makes summertime so much fun.

I know that I am among many wine lovers on this planet who was initially outraged to hear the lead character in the movie, “Sideways, ” brutally disparage merlot. And I think it is more than just a coincidence that merlot sales have hit the skids in the decade since the movie first appeared in 2006.

But soon after Miles uttered that epithet-laced opinion, I began to recalibrate my feelings about his critical remarks. In fact, I guess you could say that I am actually happy that gullible movie-goers/wine lovers actually believed (or suspended disbelief) Miles’ pronouncements about merlot.


In any event, prices have dropped fairly significantly and, if you are a merlot fan, I suppose you should thank the movie for providing us with an exceptional buying opportunity. Actually, it’s ironic that merlot would face the screenwriter’s wrath since there are certainly more deserving varietals such as pinotage or retsina to avoid. After all, the most expensive and sought after wine on earth is Chateau Petrus which is comprised entirely of merlot.

So let me say for the record that I am a merlot fan. I’m also a pinot noir fan – which the movie praises to high heaven. But today we’re talking merlot, and I want to tell you about some new wines that have arrived in our state featuring this much maligned grape.

I have always been a fan of merlot grown in moderate climates where the finished product can exhibit both strength and finesse. Merlot is a prolific vine and given too much sun, water or heat, the resulting wine can be flabby, alcoholic, watery and out of balance. This was the style of merlot that Miles was savaging in the movie. But that’s not what I will be describing for you today.

Field Stone Winery & Vineyard in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County produces some exceptional merlot as well as other excellent red varietals too. Field Stone is small and family-owned, producing about 9000 cases of wine a year. This is one of the wineries that legendary wine maker Andre Tchelistcheff consulted for in years past. Field Stone also features one of the first underground wineries in California.

I tasted through some of their wines a couple of weeks ago and below are a few you might consider trying, especially with fuller bodied foods like grilled beef and pork as well as pasta dishes such as Cacio e Pepe (black pepper pasta) that I featured in a recent column. The wines are available at the Wine Shop in Capitol Market.

2013 Field Stone Convivio Red ($13) – Comprised of 74% merlot, 19% sangiovese and the rest a combination of malbec and cabernet sauvignon, this value blend is round, rich and full-bodied. In addition, you can sip and feel good about it since a portion of the proceeds from this wine is earmarked for Clinica Alianza - a non- profit medical center serving farm workers and their families among others in northern California.

2013 Field Stone Merlot Alexander Valley ($18) – Deep and full flavors of black cherries and spice are rounded out with light touches of toasty oak. This is a well-balanced merlot that will benefit from aeration in a decanter to soften up the fine tannins and allow the lovely aromas and flavors to express themselves.

2013 Field Stone Staten Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($50) – This one is a keeper. Deep and rich with extracted dark plum and blackberry notes, the wine was aged 21 months in French oak. Despite its concentrated and full-bodied characteristics, it is is exceptionally well-balanced and will improve with several years in bottle.

You might also try the winery’s 2013 Petite Sirah ($40) and the 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). Both wines are exceptionally well made and demonstrate the consistency and quality of the entire Field Stone line.

Ramps! Like snails, buttermilk or sweet breads, you either covet these “acquired tastes” or detest the very thought of them. I know people that would rather experience water boarding than consume ramps. Me? I love these little lilies, but I think I’m genetically predisposed to do so.

Let me explain.

My paternal grandparents hailed from Richwood, a small mountain village on the shores of the Cherry River. In the days before air-conditioning, I spent many happy summer days there, escaping the heat and humidity of my Harrison County hometown.

The legendary stories about Richwood and ramps are many, outrageous and sometimes true. The late Jim Comstock, publisher of the now defunct West Virginia Hillbilly newspaper, chronicled many of these tales in his publication. Here is a story that proves the old saying: “truth is stranger than fiction.” In this instance, Comstock became the lead character in a story that made nationwide headlines.

[caption id="attachment_1337" align="alignleft" width="275"] A Spring Harvest of Ramps


A few decades back, Jim Comstock literally created a national stink when he added ramps to the printers ink for one edition of his newspaper. The Hillbilly had subscribers all over the country and even in foreign lands. The US Postal service was not amused and Comstock almost went to jail, but it sure did put his town and ramps on the map.

I cannot ever remember my grandmother cooking me up a mess of ramps during my idyllic summertime visits to Richwood, and it wasn’t until years later that I tasted them for the first time. But when I did, I was hooked after that first bite. That was years ago when I was home on leave from the Army, and about to be deployed overseas.

It happened late one evening when my next door neighbor brought over a six-pack (or so) of beer and a bundle of ramps. He suggested the best way to enjoy the little buggers was to sprinkle them with salt and eat them raw. Love at first bite? You bet. So we ate the entire bunch of ramps, chasing them down with several brews until the wee hours of the morning.

Well, I awoke that next day shivering. It seems my mother had opened every window and door in the house in a vain attempt to rid the abode of a foul odor permeating the place. I looked out the window and there was mom with a large container of Lysol spraying the stuff into the house from the outside. To put it mildly: there are better, far less offensive, ways to consume ramps- and without violating the EPA’s clean air act.

We are now in the midst of ramp season and many towns in the state, particularly in the mountains, are holding ramp feeds. However, I am not a fan of the traditional manner in which they are prepared. Most cooks fry them in lard or bacon grease and then add them to potatoes or (worse) pinto beans. This can cause folks to leave the events belching and flatulent while vowing never to get within a country mile of a ramp.

I prefer to sauté them in olive or canola oil and then add them to just about any vegetable dish from asparagus to potatoes to zucchini. There are also excellent grilled to accompany steak and can be added to scrambled eggs. I have also made them the key component of a pasta dish in which they are tossed with pancetta, asparagus and parmesan cheese in a white wine and olive oil sauce.

Sauvignon blanc is my favorite wine to accompany just about any ramp dish. I suggest pairing the above pasta recipe with the 2014 William Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($17) or the 2014 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc ($30).

So give ramps a try, but not at a one of the ubiquitous feeds where their flavor is obscured in pinto beans or fried potatoes. Simply sauté them in small amount of oil and add them to your vegetable dishes or pasta. Like onions and garlic, ramps are much less pungent when cooked and really do enhance the flavor of just about any dish.

There’s a lot to like about Paterno’s At the Park, one of Charleston’s best restaurants, and one with a very extensive and exceptional wine list. I’m fortunate to live within walking distance of this special eatery because I’m usually in need of a postprandial stroll after I dine there.

I visited Paterno’s the other evening and I chose the Sausage and Pea Rigatoni offering which combines Italian sausage with peas and shallots tossed in a parmesan cream sauce. Rich and decadent, this was culinary perfection, particularly since I paired the pasta with a crisp and fruit-forward white - the 2014 Scaia Garganega/Chardonnay. This delicate, but flavorful blended wine from Italy’s Veneto region provided a nice balance and contrast to the richness of the pasta.


The Scaia is featured on a separate wine list at Paterno’s which has about 30 red and white Italian wines all priced at $20 a bottle. This value list is  designed to encourage guests to experiment with food and wine pairings and at a very enticing and consumer friendly price. And if you don’t finish the whole bottle, Paterno’s can legally bag up any wine leftovers for you to take home.

In addition to this special value list, Paterno’s features a more comprehensive wine list that hits all the right vinous notes. For the veal and beef courses at the restaurant, try the 2008 Travaglini Gattinara. This is owner Andy Paterno’s favorite wine and it is a medium to full bodied red from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Like its Barolo and Barbaresco neighbors, Gattinara is made from the nebbiolo grape and the Travaglini is rich, rustic and full of black cherry and cola flavors.

After dinner there the other evening, I came away inspired to create a special pasta dish for our regular Sunday family dinner. But instead of trying to recreate Paterno’s sausage and pea rigatoni recipe, I chose to prepare a peasant pasta dish which is a Roman staple: Cacio e Pepe (pronounced Catch -oh –ay- pay- pay) or Black Pepper pasta. And to give the recipe a little color, more heat and a personal touch, I added green peas and red pepper flakes. This is a simple, delicious dish that you can make in about 30 minutes. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:
One pound of Fettuccine or Bucatini pasta
One cup each grated Pecorino Romano and parmesan (blended together)
Three tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper
One cup of frozen peas
One teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
Three tablespoons of butter
Four ounces of extra virgin olive oil
One cup of reserved pasta water

How To:
Boil one pound of pasta until al dente
Reserve one cup of pasta water
Drain the pasta in a colander
Place butter and half the olive oil in a large skillet and allow butter to melt
Add two tablespoons of black pepper, the peas and pepper flakes
Pour one half of the water into the skillet and stir in half the cheese
Put the pasta in the skillet and toss until mixture is integrated
Add the remaining water, cheese, black pepper and olive oil and toss
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately

The beauty of this recipe is that it can accommodate either red or white wine. So give it a try and consider uncorking one of these wines: the 2011 Bertani Ripasso ($25), a medium-bodied red from the Valpolicella region of Italy; or a rich and round white like the 2013 Calera Central Coast Chardonnay ($30). Buon Appetito!

With the exception of Chateauneuf du Pape, most of us are unfamiliar with wines from the southern Rhone region of France. That’s a shame because there are so many delicious, value-oriented bottlings readily available to us from this very special wine appellation.

With about the same texture and intensity as Chianti Classico, southern Rhone reds are very versatile wines that are also quite food compatible. Listen up, you're about to become a Rhone Ranger!

There are 13 grapes that can be used to make red Chateauneuf Du Pape and other wines of the region, but most wineries blend a combination of just three: the ubiquitous grenache; the more famous syrah; and just a touch of mourvedre. This blend produces flavorful, medium to full-bodied wines.

Chateauneuf Du Pape (priced anywhere from about $40 to more than $100 a bottle) can produce truly exceptional wines, particularly from producers such as Beaucastel, Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine du Pegaü, Rayas, Paul Autard, Vieux Télégraphe and Clos des Papes. But these same producers and many others also make excellent value wines known by the village names around which they are produced or from the larger region known as Cotes du Rhone.

[caption id="attachment_1318" align="alignleft" width="235"] Gigondas, Chateauneuf Du Pape & Cotes Du Rhone Villages


Remarkably, there have been a series of exceptional to superlative vintages in the Southern Rhone region over the past 15 years. With the exception of 2002, when many vineyards were inundated by torrential rain and flooding, every vintage that has been released since 1998 has averaged a rating of more than 90 points (on a 100 point scale). And, while there are some good white wines made in the southern Rhone, the major emphasis is on red. Here is some information on the various appellations in the region.

Cotes Du Rhone can be made from grapes grown anywhere in the broader Rhone region and is generally a medium-bodied wine with appealing peppery, spicy and dark cherry flavors. Rated just a little higher in quality, Cotes Du Rhone Villages is produced from grapes within the lager Cotes Du Rhone area.

Both Cotes Du Rhone and Villages are typically priced from $12 to $20 a bottle. One of my favorite wines from Cotes Du Rhone is 2012 Jaboulet Parallele 45. Try it with pizza, chili or an Italian sausage and pepper sandwich.

After Chateauneuf Du Pape, the most notable wine areas in the southern Rhone are around the villages of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Cotes du Luberon. These wines are labeled by the producer or winery and then the village (i.e., La Vieille Ferme, Cotes du Luberon).

The wines around Gigondas are often mistaken for Chateauneuf Du Pape because of their dark fruit flavors, black pepper aromas and intensity.
When young, bottles of Gigondas can be a little rough around the edges. But these wines are significantly less expensive (priced between $20 and $40) than their more famous neighbor, and they are a great accompaniment to roasted and seasoned meats.

Vacqueyras (pronounced vack-er-as) is a little village right next door to Gigondas, yet the wines seem to be fuller and richer with an earthy character. One of my favorites is 2012 Domaine la Garrigue "La Cantarelle" Vacqueyras ($25). Try it with roasted leg of lamb. Most Vacqueyras wines are priced between $12 and $25 a bottle.

Cotes du Luberon wines are made mostly with grenache. Soft, round and flavorful, you should be able to buy them for around $10 -$20 a bottle. I recently matched a Cotes du Luberon – the aforementioned La Vieille Ferme - with beef stew and it was yummy.

So the next time you’re looking for an alternative to zinfandel, shiraz or some other juicy red, saddle up, channel your inner Rhone Ranger and choose a wine from the southern Rhone. You won’t be disappointed.