Hearty Rhone grapes fit Chicago cuisine
Thousands of miles separate France's Rhone Valley from California's rocky coast, but vintners in both regions produce strong wines with similar characteristics.
Winemakers in southern France's Rhone Valley craft their wares from 22 permitted grapes, some household words like Syrah called Shiraz in Australia and abroad, and other varieties like Counoise or Vaccarese - worthy trivia words for your next cocktail party.
In the U.S., "Rhone Ranger" winemakers toss another handful - including Petite Sirah - into the fermenting tank.
Yet you rarely see these grapes on labels. In France wines are named for the region, like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, while in the U.S. blends are given trademarked monikers, like Le Mistral. No matter the name or grape, the common denominator of Rhone-style reds is flavor; chewy, bold, berry, earth and spice flavor.
And whether they grow in the Rhone - where cold wind whips the natives all winter and brutal heat bakes them in the summer - or in sunny California, these are wines made for stick-to-the-ribs, Chicago-style cuisine.
For casual stews, burgers, Mexican takeout and the richest vegetable dishes (such ratatouille, a specialty in southern France), look for Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge, an entry-level quaff, from producers including Guigal, Jaboulet or Chapoutier (about $14).
From California, Rosenblum's Chateau La Paws, Cote du Bone Roan ($13) follows France's technique of blending vineyards and grapes, then resting the wine in neutral oak for vibrant flavors of cherry, cola, bacon and herbs.
For richer recipes and occasions, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-style wine fills the bill.
In France, Chateauneuf's stony plateau planted with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre produces powerful flavors akin to plum, cassis, tar, licorice and espresso. Producers are renown for specific blend terroir and blend, such as Chateau Rayas, 100 percent Grenache and sandy soil (about $90) or Chateau Beaucastel, 30 percent each Mourvedre and Grenache with a sprinkle of Syrah and large pebbles (about $60).
In the 1970s, Californian Joseph Phelps produced Le Mistral, named for the Rhone's brutal wind. Wind plays a crucial role in the wine's terroir, according to current proprietor, Randy Pura.
"We get daytime heat, about 90 degrees, to ripen Grenache with red and black fruit flavors and Syrah with a soft mid-palate. In the evening, the wind blows off Monterey Bay up the Salinas Valley, cooling the grapes to balance acidity."
The result is a wine with firm flavors of black fruit, licorice, meat and spice, with tight but seamless tannins. (2006, about $45.)
Pura pairs his wine with earthy dishes such as mushroom risotto, lamb or sauteed sweetbreads, seasoned with rosemary and thyme, in a red wine-peppercorn reduction.
For majestic dishes, such as standing rib roast, choose from among the world's finest reds, in the style of the northern Rhone.
As the Rhone River winds northward, vines climb steep banks into the vineyards of Cote Rotie and Hermitage. Here, growers such as Chapoutier and Guigal devote themselves to one grape - Syrah - expressing terroir with flavors of game, tar, tobacco, plum and spice in strong wines that will mature with careful cellaring from two decades to forever. (Prices range from $75 to more than $200.)
In California's Santa Ynez Valley, Zaca Mesa Estate rises 1,500 feet above sea level to rocks and sandy loam. In Zaca Mesa Syrah (about $20), the excitement starts as the wine floods your glass with a dense blue-black robe. Scents of tobacco, mountain herbs and blackberries introduce meaty, almost aggressive texture, certain to inspire a gnash-and-tear urge.
In 1979, the back mesa was planted with cuttings transported from Chapoutier's Hermitage. When black bears sought out the vineyard's intense fruit for a snack, the site was named "Black Bear Block." The resulting Black Bear Block Syrah ($55) is extremely rich with Asian spice, mocha and smoky oak adding to Zaca Mesa's signature sage and ripe blackberry flavors. Enjoy over the next two decades or keep forever.
• Advanced sommelier and certified wine educator Mary Ross writes Good Wine twice a month. Write her at food@dailyherald.com.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Ross' choice</p> <p class="News">Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc</p> <p class="News">2007</p> <p class="News">Babich Wines</p> <p class="News">Marlborough, New Zealand</p> <p class="News">• Suggested retail and availability: About $14 at wine and liquor shops. (Distributed by Maverick Wine Co., Bensenville)</p> <p class="News">You say "gooseberry and lantana," I say "fresh-picked herbs and grapefruit."</p> <p class="News">However we describe it, this is assertive Sauvignon that nonetheless replaces the acidic bite of some NZ wines with a long, texturous palate. Serve as a unique cocktail and complement to vegetable, herb and olive oil preparations, such as Caesar salad, spanakopita or enchiladas con mole Verde.</p>