I was digging around my cellar last night, which is really a 200 bottle Eurocave, looking for the perfect wine to compliment a pork tenderloin that was heading for my grill. To me, pork is like chicken, a mere canvas for other flavors that create the whole picture. This tenderloin took an overnight bath in maple syrup, barbecue sauce, mustard seeds (toasted first) and two cloves of garlic. There was a little olive oil and a splash of cane syrup vinegar too. The wine options?
Lets talk about the supporting characters and see who will be cast. Maple syrup, strong and sweet. Barbecue sauce brings along a little smokiness. Mustard seeds and vinegar for a little lift. Garlic, because it goes everywhere. Quite a hodge-podge.
My choices for a wine are pretty broad but I quickly narrow my selection down to either Pinot Noir or Syrah. Why? The sweetness of the syrup means I need ripeness in the wine. I settle on a 1999 Fontodi Syrah, Casa Via, which is from Tuscany of all places. After half an hour in the decanter the wine shows amazing color, absolutely black. The nose has the massive notes of molasses, anise, stewed plums and a touch of leather. The palate is surprising soft given the color. The fruit is framed by some tannin but the protein in the meat takes care of that. This one is a win, even my wife pours herself a second glass.
If you have a good wine story, whether I sold you the wine or not, let me know. I may post it sometime so others can see that drinking wine is as much about cerebral enjoyment as physical pleasure.