A Petite Sirah with Lentils and Sausage

The old year rolled into the new one, a syrah ran headfirst into a petite sirah, and four friends rung in the New Year with art & alcohol in Portland, Maine. We had dinner in the Old Port district and played high-low-jack in a barroom.  Back in the hotel we kicked off the new year celebrations by opening two bottles of California wines for an informal tasting. 

Paumanok Sauvignon Blanc (2009)

The North Fork is a place where the beauty of the ocean meets the tranquility of an agricultural landscape. For reasons unknown to me, it has largely managed to stave off the glitz (and the crowds) of the South Fork (aka the Hamptons). Maybe this is because it is truly an old farming community and many of the vintners identify with those roots. North Fork wineries remind you, “Eat local, drink local.”

Navarro Pinot Noir (2006)

Navarro Vineyards came highly recommended when I planned our trip to Anderson Valley in northern California. But, when we first arrived at the tasting room – on a pretty crowded Saturday in October – and the menu offered 18 wines to choose from, I wasn't sure this was the place for us. On the rest of our trip, we had learned that more varietals often meant less attention paid to each bottling. We escaped with a bottle of Gewurztraminer.

When we opened the bottle, back in Massachusetts, it turned out I couldn't have been more mistaken about Navarro. The winery is known for their whites, and with good reason – I fell in love with the Gewurztraminer (and summarily dismissed all my pre-conceived notions about Alsatian-style wines...namely that they are cloyingly sweet). Later, when we decided a wine shipment was an essential way to get a piece of Anderson Valley at home,* the box that arrived on our doorstep included a bottle of Navarro's pinot noir.