Lioco Winery Carignan Sativa, 2016, Mendocino
Who, what, where, and why does it matter?

Lioco is a winery founded about 15 years ago and now owned by Matt and Sara Licklider. The focus on the winery is to produce wines in a style that is more about nuance, finesse and flavor, rather than power and alcohol. Sourcing fruit from cooler, coastal regions in Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Mendocino, they are able to craft wines that are more in the pleasure than pain spectrum. This Carignan is a prime example of that.

Sourced from a vineyard planted just after WWII, and at elevation of about 2400+ feet, Carignan is not one of those grapes that immediately comes to mind when thinking California wine. Carignan is a grape that is most often seen in blends coming from northern and western Spain and southern France. A compliment to grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, it is often a powerful wine with deep color and flavor. Grown on a higher site (think cooler climate), such as the Pine Meadow AVA vineyard owned by Jim McCutchen, the fruit becomes elegant and berry focused, developing deep intensity, but not high sugars. The back label on the Lioco Carignan boasts tons of information, including the 22.6* Brix, which correlates to the 13.2% alcohol in the wine. Be careful, this wine is a pounder for sure.

Beautiful black raspberry fruit develop on the palate, with supple tannins, giving and immensely drinkable wine. Easy to have this wine with a steak or pizza, it will stack up to more sophisticated dishes as well due to the length of fruit and juicy acidity.

Found at retail for $28 (you may need two bottles)
Check out the winery website here

This Week's Staff Training Focus - Food and Wine Taste Interactions
For those studying food and wine, especially when trying to navigate the rigors of an exam and blind tasting experience such as for WSET training - Umami is a sensation that is not easily digested.

When you place food in your mouth your taste buds adapt so that the perception of the levels of sugar, salt, acidity, etc. in what you taste next can be altered.
An extreme example of this is the unpleasantly acidic taste of orange juice just after you brush your teeth. Similarly, chocolate and thick creamy dishes have mouth-coating effect that can impair the sense of taste.
 
There are two components in food that tend to make wines taste ‘harder’ (more astringent and bitter, more acidic, less sweet and less fruity). These are sweetness and umami.

There are also two components in food that can make a wine taste ‘softer’ (less astringent and bitter, less acidic, sweeter, and more fruity). These are salt and acid.
 
Lets focus on one of these components…UMAMI
 
What is Umami?
Umami is a taste, and is distinct from other primary tastes (sweet, salt, sour, bitter), but is hard to identify sometimes when other components are present – which is often. Umami is essentially the savory side of taste, and is most present in foods that have been aged (parmesan cheese, cured meats, soy sauce), have certain kinds of sodium (MSG), or have earthy flavors (mushrooms, especially when cooked). It is also present in wines that have been aged over time, especially those aged in wood, such as Chianti, Rioja, Ports, and older Cabernet based wines.
 
Umami foods low in salt, such as asparagus, eggs and mushrooms, tend to be a challenge when pairing to wines. Conversely, foods with umami and salt, such as cured or smoked seafood or meats and hard cheeses, tend to work better with wines.
 
Umami...

• Increases the perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity and the warming effects of the alcohol in the wine.
• Decreases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine.

 
Generally, food has more impact on the way a wine will taste than the other way around.

• To pair with umami and salt dishes, stick with wines higher in tannins, such as Barolo with mushroom risotto and shaved Grana Padano cheese.
• Stay away from low-tannin reds or whites aged in oak, as these will become surprisingly bitter when consumed with umami-rich foods.

 
As an example of how this interaction and perception can work in different ways: I remember a dish I once had that was an omelet filled with smoked salmon and brie cheese – which we enjoyed with a bottle of Chianti Classico. Not the first thing you may think to drink with that dish, but the pairing worked incredibly well. The dish, which had three umami rich components, was able to off-set the tannin in the wine and allow the fruit to come out. It was such a good pairing, I still remember the experience 25 years later.

Yes - almost anything is a "National...Day", these days. But people like chowder, so who is to argue. But what can a drinks pro offer to pair with the inimitable CHOWDER? Here are a few thoughts.

Soups and chowders are typically a challenge to pair with beverages as the combination of liquid and liquid is often not easy to match – especially on the palate and the mouthfeel. But it is doable:

• New England style (creamy/cold weather) chowders can be great pairings with Stouts, Browns and Porters in the beer camp – just stay away from the heady Imperial versions – too much alcohol. The weight of the beer tends to work well against the chunky and full feel of the chowder, without overwhelming the softer fish and dairy flavors. For wine - Sherry is one of the more traditional pairings (Oloroso or Pale Cream are actually quite good on a winter day with chowder), but we do not sell much sherry in modern America, so not much of a factor. Look for a full-bodied white such as Napa Chardonnay or a Cote de Beaune Burgundy. The smokiness in the oak will play against the bacon notes in the chowder, and the creamy texture compliments the creamy texture of the soup.
  
• Rhode Island (warm weather) chowders are clear broth and more delicate – pair these with lighter whites such as Pinot Grigio – fairly neutral that will not compete too much with the flavors in the soup.
  
• Manhattan (tomato based) - my go-to is a lighter, fruitier and less-tannic red wine such as Beaujolais, Italian Merlot, Grenache-based Cotes du Rhone or Rioja Joven.
  

Walk through any restaurant kitchen in the morning and you will inevitably see someone breaking down a salmon. They are smoked, baked, grilled, poached, souped, ceviche, crudo and pizza-ed. Occasionally we serve them on a bagel.
 
But what to offer for beverage suggestions?
Aside from a cup of coffee to go with the bagel, schmear and lox, there are any number of choices that can work really well with this versatile fish – a lot depends on how it is cooked and plated.
 
Salmon is a large fish, dwelling in the ocean except when it travels up fresh water rivers/streams to spawn. The part we eat is the muscle, and large fish such as this have much less connective tissue than land animals, as such there is less fat in the meat, and this means it can cook much quicker. It is also “lighter” when compared to beef and other meats. Therefore, when looking to pair with certain wines, it is important to consider what will work best with the various factors involved in the palate.
 
Important factors with salmon:

• Ocean dwelling, steak fish – can handle a lot of cooking styles
• Medium texture – it’s a little fatty, but generally lean (especially when cooked with heat) = less tannins will be best
• How is it prepared? And what else is on the plate?

 
Wine Suggestions
Salmon is a fish, and therefore the weight and fat content would almost always mean starting with something in the white wine category.
Texturally, though, it is medium in its overall weight on the palate (this may be obvious or not, but remind your guys that weight refers to the texture and feel in the mouth – not to actual pounds of fish).
Often grilled or cooked like a steak, so the smoke and char from the grill will allow it handle oak.
 
White Wines

• Chardonnay is an easy go-to. Think Napa or Sonoma, but fuller-bodied Burgundy can work very well (Meursault, Pouilly Fuisse).
• Other whites – look for medium-acid whites - Cotes du Rhone blanc will match weight to weight but with less oak; California Sauvignon Blanc – especially with some oak aging.
• For raw preps like crudo – there is citrus involved on the plate, so this has to be considered – oak is a NO-NO. Go to medium-plus acid driven whites that will pair with freshness and highlight the delicate nature. Think, Northern Italian Pinot Grigio, Oregon Pinot Gris, New Zealand Sauvignon, Chablis, Loire Chenin or Albarino could also play a role, as well.
  

Red Wines

• Red wine with fish? Yes – its not 1965, anymore.
• Being leaner in fat and texture, salmon will work well with red wine that has less tannins. The cooking style will impact the suggestion. Think Italian Merlot, Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Oregon if prepared simply. If grilled and smoky, this can handle a fuller wine with some oak – therefore, go to Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Chianti Riserva or Rioja. A good Cotes du Rhone rouge, cool climate Syrah, or Cru Beaujolais may be great, as well.