CHEFS AND SOMMELIERS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE PAIRINGS Enthusiasm radiates from their lips, as some of the most innovative chefs and sommeliers in the Napa Valley describe their most smashing wine/food pairings, whether recently concocted, or so reliable that they have become a permanent fixture on their tasting menus. Seasoned restaurant professionals not only uncover their wonderful wine and food combinations, but also explain a bit of the process behind their achievements.

Setting aside the surplus of uppish “authorities” on wine, who use their knowledge to cloak it in an exclusionary and intimidating mystery, wine, in and of itself, is a complex and mysterious substance. It is no small matter that Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired to the comparison : “Wine is bottled poetry.” For, like poetry, wine is concentrated expression. Within its dark reaches we may encounter any number of mercurial impressions, odors transporting us back in time, elements of surprise, and sensory revelations. A wine, like a poem, is never exactly the same wine twice. Not only is each person’s experience contingent upon his or her individual mood, memory, and sense of smell, but a wine, too, as a living, changing substance, is also subject to varying characteristics within a given period of time.

Wine is a very particular, complex creature. It has many moods and many incarnations. You can taste the same wine at a vineyard in the summer or on a different continent in winter and the flavor, aroma, and body of the wine will change so drastically, it really isn’t the same wine at all. That being said, a great wine will always be great and a poor wine will always be poor, I’m speaking about how we experience wine can vary with our surroundings.

When I think of Spanish wines, one memory comes to my mind. I remember a few years ago attending a wine tasting at Ramiro’s in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the time, I was a young sommelier listening to the Spanish winemaker Mariano Garcia prophesize about el vino nuevo , or the new wine. I was attending the tasting with my mentor, Gary Rush, a long time collector, restaurateur and chef. Of course, I was ecstatic to even be invited. (Mariano was the winemaker for Vega Sicilia for 36 years.) His wines were some of the most expensive and sought after wines on any wine list. But Mariano wasn’t talking about the Vega Sicilia wines. In fact, he only talked about one wine, the San Roman, from the Toro region.

“I’d like to try your Goosetaweiner.” Since barrel-tasting weekend coincided with a few of the major NCAA college basketball conference tournament finals, I had half an eye on the high def TV on the counter. While I was pretty sure I had heard “Goosetaweiner,” I wanted to give the visitor the benefit of the doubt. “I’m sorry? You’d like to try our Gewurtztraminer?” I figured I’d let him off the hook by pronouncing it correctly. That way, he could just repeat it. “Yes, the Goosetaweiner.” There it was again.

If you are anything like most wine-heads I know, you are always traveling to undiscovered territory, varied by both varietal and producer, on the hunt for the next perfect glass of high. Wine-heads don’t seek to conquer our unquenchable thirst but rather to indulge it.

So much has been written about the Napa Valley, in such a way and so much so, that it seems almost, mythical, and a bit unreal. As a young connoisseur of wine with abundant experience selling and consuming wine, woven with my time living in the valley, I have a new perspective to share. One that has allowed me to enjoy the valley and all the plenty it has to share, despite being on a very tight budget. The valley has much to offer, for everyone, and despite the hype, Napa in its bounty is for all.

Surely it's just situational stress. A temporary period of adjustment. Frayed nerves. Depleted bank account with its bottom line rapidly diminishing. Nearly one month after moving to Napa Valley from 1200 miles away with the goal of taking classes to further my career in the wine business I find myself sharing a house with three people and a poodle while waiting with bated breath for the valley to emerge from its long winter's nap and start hiring again when the onset of Tourist Season (roughly concurrent with Bud Break) becomes clearly imminent.

Last year, I had the unique opportunity to attend a trade tour of the Rhone (even better, it was on someone else’s dime!) The itinerary covered vineyards from north to south, with the majority spent in the Cotes du Rhone Villages within mini-bus distance of southerly Avignon. But the brief days I spent in the Northern Rhone were a heavenly slice for this Syrah-lover. The Northern Rhone region of France is my Mecca for Syrah. Considered wines that “stand shoulder to shoulder with the Crus Classes of Bordeaux in terms of pure quality” by influential authority Tom Stevenson, the deep purple colored reds of Cote-Rotie and Hermitage are sought out by many as standard-bearers of the true expression of traditional Syrah.

Welcome to Red on Reds I This feisty Italian redhead is dishing about all things red wine. Now please don’t misunderstand: I’m not a white hater - I mean, who wouldn’t love a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with a bowl of mussels? But we’ll stick to the world’s glorious canvas of reds. Think of this as an adventure: I’m your old college buddy who’s just talked you into a spontaneous road trip! Come enjoy the ride from a fellow wine lover (not expert) point of view and we’ll even unearth some lesser known varietals to branch out together. Let’s share stories, seek out new varietals, and soak up as much as we can along the way.