He Says, She Says - July 2009

Regionality rules the day with this month's recipes. We're headed to the South for a generous meat-plus-three platter (minus the meat), and then on over to Texas to say "howdy" to some big, bold flavors of cowboy cooking. I'm finding these recipes extremely wine-friendly, so let's saddle up the palomino and round up some great bottles.

Southern-Style Veggie Plate (Pimiento Cheese Spoon Bread, Garlicky Grilled Pattypan Squash, Lady Peas with Bacon and Corn)

Wini Says: I love the concept of this menu. It's inspired by the Southern "meat and three" meal, which usually brings meat and three sides, but in this case, they've skipped the meat (as y'all often do down South) in favor of letting the three market-fresh and fabulous sides star on their own. Yum!

So—what's to drink? We have loads of flavor-buttons being pushed here—one look at this plate and I see creamy, cheesy, smoky, meaty, salty and fresh happening all at once. What we need here is a bright (but not slight) white that will be refreshing (it is, after all, summer) while also standing up to the food.  

Albariño is my choice. I've been enjoying this wine a lot lately for its combination of lemony brightness and fruity roundness; plus, most bottles (especially from Rias Baixas, Spain) have that European minerality thing going on. And while many Albariños are priced closer to $20, I recently reveled in a fabulous value from famed Spanish winery Montecillo, called Verdemar. At $14, this one offered everything I look for in Albariño: brightness and depth; fruit and minerality—and resonance. Can you tell I'm hooked?

Chuck Says: That's a super pick, pal. I love Albariño too, and it ought to be dynamite with these veggies. Now let's see . . . you've made a great case for bright flavor and appreciable (but well-mannered) heft with that selection, so maybe I ought to offer another option at least somewhat along those lines. And this is a pick I might not have made a few years ago, simply because the style of so many of these has been evolving in a more food-friendly way, and that's Chardonnay. I've probably recommended more Chards in the last year than in all the years before, combined! I really like the "new" direction, which, shall we say, is a bit more Francophilic, in terms of balance and crispness?

Maybe that's why I enjoyed tasting the Carpe Diem Firepeak Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 ($22), from California's Edna Valley. It's made by Christian Roguenant, a native of Burgundy, France, and this wine is in many ways the best of both the New and the Old Worlds, combining dynamic fruit and finish with refined sensibility.

Pan Del Campo with Cheese and Greens

Wini Says: This recipe comes to us from cowboy cook Grady Spears. So, what kind of wines do cowboys drink? This isn't time for one of your fancy-pants Bordeaux bottles, Chuck. How about a lusty red Zinfandel from Sonoma County—a place cherished for its admirably ripe-red Zins?

I recently tasted Dry Creek Vineyard 2007 Heritage Zinfandel (Sonoma County; $18). What a wine! Rich with wild fruit character-blueberries and mulberries come to mind—and tinged with peppery spice, this wine is surprisingly zippy and fresh for a Zin. Plus the tannins in the bottle won't be doing any kind of dusty-as-a-cattle-drive, mouth-drying thing-they're as smooth, soft, and supple as polished leather on a well-worn saddle.

Chuck Says: Hey, you seem to have forgotten that most of my time is spent in cowboy country — the great state of Montana! And yes'm, I do know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, as far as that Bordeaux is concerned. It stays in the corral this go-round. In fact, I reckon I'd have to be plumb weak north of the ears to disagree with that Zinfandel pick of yours. And that's no bull. Except that the straight-shootin', easy-sippin' wine I've rustled up is actually called Dancing Bull Winemaker's Reserve Zinfandel 2006 ($12). It's by that well-known California Zin producer, Rancho Zabaco. The laid-back tannins in this little doggie won't stampede your palate — and it's no black hat when it comes to price, either.

Dr. Pepper-Marinated Steak Tostadas

Wini Says: Here's another one from the cowboy cook, so we're going to want something bold to step up to all those flavors. But since it's summer (and since there's vinegar involved), let's not get too heavy or tannin-y. How about a strapping red from a country that knows a lot about beef: Argentina.

I'm reaching for Altos Las Hormigas 2008 Malbec ($13). This one melds mocha and berry-fruit with delicate spicy notes (kind of like Dr. Pepper, right?), but in a none-too-heavy body that will win big as we move outdoors to the grill for this recipe. Put a slight chill on the bottle (30 minutes in the fridge) to heighten its berry brightness.

I'll let you take the reins from here, pardner.

Chuck Says: So, did you know we here in Montana have a lot in common with Argentina? Yup — lots of cows, high mountains, big trout (one of my passions, don't ya know . . . ), and Malbec. Not that we can grow it here, but according to a distributor buddy of mine, Malbec is actually one of our state's best-selling wines.

Anyway, I'm sure you see this coming — I couldn't agree more with your pick. (You were just a little quicker on the draw this time around.) But since you've already lassoed a winner in that Altos Las Hormigas, I'll simply toss out a high-end Malbec alternative — a wine that had me grinnin' like a jackass eatin' cactus when I tasted it about a month ago — and that's the 2006 Susana Balbo Malbec ($27). This is honest-to-goodness Malbec, generous but not overblown, with plenty of friendly fruit . . . a wine just as purty as a red heifer in a flowerbed.
 
And with that, I'm ridin' off into the sunset for this month. May you always drink upstream from the herd, my friend!

Wini Says: Happy trails, pardner!






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