Some might wonder, what's a wine director?
I'm the guy who chooses the beverages available at the Redbud Café and Wine Bar, such as water, tea, soda, beer, with an emphasis on wine. I interact with vendors to choose wines and I develop our wine list to include a balance of familiar and innovative wines to suit a variety of tastes and to complement our menu. But what I really spend most of my time studying is the relationship between a beverage and a dish.
To illustrate with items in every kitchen, take a timeless combo like coffee and scrambled eggs with cheese. Most people take for granted why the combination is so good. Eggs and cheese are rich super-foods that nature intended as essential nourishment. The rich flavors require an earthy and acidic contrast to cleanse the palate, such as hot coffee. The combination awakens the senses instantly! As if the marriage of flavors isn't satisfying enough, with 140 mg of caffeine per 8 oz of coffee to invigorate the experience--it's no wonder breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Now to apply this technique to wine pairing, let's look at a house favorite at the Redbud Café, the grilled Hanger Steak: smothered in gorgonzola butter and caramelized shallots accompanied by a pile of pommes frites and tomatoes Provencal. This cut of meat from the short loin is very rich in flavor with subtle liverish qualities. With the tangy component of the gorgonzola butter and the sweet crunch of caramelized shallots, this dish demands a magnanimous wine of refined character. The 2005 Holly's Hill Patriarche (El Dorado County) is a blend of classic Rhone varitals (40% Mourvedre, 36% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 9% Counoise) that exhibits dark berries and a great earth and gamely flavors contributed by the Mourvedre and syrah with light aromatic cherry and mouth watering tannins. Balanced acidity is a key component contributed by the Grenache and Counoise that cleanses the palate and marries flavor. This classic "Chateauneuf du Pape" style wine accents the steak's rich flavors, balances the gorgonzola with caramelized shallots, and inspires the next savory bite.
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Joe De John
Wine Director