Syncline Syrah 2005

Served With: Bourguignon

Five Things: inky, leather, morello cherry, cigar, cedar

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: A Valentine's Day dinner, a French stew and a Rhone-style wine from Columbia Valley, Washington: A match made in heaven. The smokey syrah had a long finish that paired beautifully with the stew (channeling my inner Julia Child). My only sadness was that it was the last bottle of the four that I picked up a while back.

Website: Syncline Wine

Rating: Very Good

Tags: columbia valley, washington, syrah, 2005, syncline

Coturri Founder's Series Zinfandel 2005

Served With: BBQ with a Calimyrna Fig & Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Five Things: deep purple (the color and the band), earth, white pepper, long finish, intense berry

COO: Sonoma, California

Notes: Pulled this one from the cellar for this match-up, and was not disappointed the result. Coturri wines are in a completely different universe, so the unusual fig barbecue-style sauce on the grill made perfect sense with this powerful unfiltered, unfined Zin.

Website: Coturri Winery

Rating: Very Good

Tags: coturri, sonoma, california, zinfandel, 2005

Chateau Greysac Medoc 2005

Served With: Tapanade

Five Things:plum, earth, cedar, tobacco, leather

COO: Bordeaux, France

Notes: The deep rich tapanade (kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, etc.) served on Rosemary bread came alive paired with this inexpensive Bordeaux. The wine and the food elevated each other.

Website: Chateau Greysac

Rating: Very Good

Tags: chateau greysac, bordeaux, medoc, 2005