Pinot Noir and mushrooms were made for each other. The perfect couple, they share an earthy, yet delicate quality. When paired together, they shine. And from all accounts, there is a bumper crop of mushrooms this fall.

Packed with vitamins and minerals, mushrooms are beneficial in so many ways. They are also low-calorie, low-sodium, fat-free and free from cholesterol until you sauté them in butter with a little shallot, garlic and cream for a heavenly sauce to toss with some fettucine.

Wild mushrooms go with the flow. They be grilled, stuffed, sautéed, or roasted. They add a little something to sauces, soups, casseroles, steaks, burgers, pasta dishes, and stews.

Pinot Noir is that finicky red grape that is missing a component in its skin that all other red skinned grapes have. As a result, the finished wine is so much lighter in color than say a Cab, Syrah or Merlot.

But it does make up for it in other ways. Pinot Noir is one of the most wildly fragrant red wines on the planet. And it has an ethereal quality that makes it one of the most expensive wines.

Pinot Noir does not do well everywhere in the world. Where it excels is Burgundy, a cool, foggy region, rich in history and culture.  Once home to the Dukes of Burgundy, the territory stretched across eastern France and into Flanders, where Belgium beers now flourish.

In cooler regions such as its native Burgundy in east central France, Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains and Willamette Valley AVA and New Zealand’s Martinborough and Marlborough areas, it has wonderful acidity that makes it the perfect wine for a wide range of culinary delights.

Other regions of Pinot Noir plantings of note include California’s Santa Rita, Santa Lucia, Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria AVAs, Champagne and Alto Adige and Fruili regions in northeast Italy. And a nod to emerging Pinot Noir producers in Chile, Germany (called Spatburgunder), South Africa, Argentina, and Australia.

Here are some mouthwatering dishes and the proper (IMO) Pinot Noir to pair with them.

Truffle popcorn with Treveri Cellars Brut Blanc de Noirs

This makes movie night special and oh so delicious. To the usual popped corn add half butter and half truffle oil. The aroma alone will make you swoon. Sparkling wines, as I learned years ago at the knee of a sommelier, and potato chips are a perfect match. This match takes salty popcorn and bubbly to a higher level.

Sausage stuffed mushrooms with Karma Vineyards Blanc de Noir

What better way to begin than mushrooms stuffed with pork sausage, thyme and orange zest and paired with this sparkling wine from the Lake Chelan AVA. The balance of red fruits, creamy texture and small bubbles is impressive.

Roasted pork tenderloin and chanterelles with Ken Wright 2015 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

With this dish, I would like to revisit this wonderful wine from a friend’s cellar. From 3 of their 13 vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley, this four-year old bottle of elegance demonstrates Pinot Noir’s ethereal aromas, balanced fruit and earth notes and smooth tannins.

Oyster mushroom risotto with Knudsen Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir

Silky oyster mushrooms with a hint of herb pairs well with this classic Dundee Hills blend of two estate vineyards, one over 20-years old the other planted in 2012 to the Dijon clone. The cherry, earthy aromas and flavors have notes of baking spices and a silky finish.

Duck breast with mushrooms, caramelized onions and Chehalem Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir

Mushrooms with a spicy, earthy flavor, sweet caramelized onions and a sautéed duck breast pairs very nicely with this mountain grown wine of remarkable balance. The red fruits, spice, silky tannins and a crisp finish compliment this dish to the max.

Roast chicken and matsutakes with Lemelson Vineyards Willamette Valley Jerome Reserve Pinot Noir

Matsutake is Japanese for “pine mushroom.” It grows most abundantly in the pine forest of Washington and is highly prized in Japanese cuisine. But here, it’s paired with the American by way of France classic – roast chicken. This mushroom is a fragrant spice bomb with a touch of earth perfect with a roasted chicken and Lemelson’s aromatic Pinot. Sourced from several sustainably farmed Willamette Valley vineyards, this wine shows elegant berry and earthy tones and a long, silky finish.

If foraging for mushrooms is on your list of things to do, the Kitsap Mycological Society is a local non-profit organization that can help beginners. These folks study, collect and cook up mushrooms in the forests of the Kitsap Peninsula and other forests in Washington. They have several opportunities where they share their mushroom knowledge with the community. Check them out at https://kitsapmushrooms.org/

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Argentinian wines haven’t graced my table recently. So, when invited to an Argentinian barbeque, it awakened the gaucho in me. I remember the first Argentine red wine that really impressed me – a 2004 Zolo Cabernet that sold for 8 bucks.  Another was the little known white grape named Torrontés, the perfect summer wine.

Did you know that Argentina is the 8^th largest country in the world, well-known for its beef, soccer teams and wine?

This large country with mountains that provide water to lush valleys and a big city that’s the most visited city on the continent, easily supports almost 2,000 wineries. From the Salta region in the north to Patagonia in the south, Argentina produces enough wine to rank 5^th worldwide in wine production.

In between Salta and Patagonia lies the heart of Argentina’s wine country – Mendoza. Lying at the foot of the Andes, Mendoza wineries are spread across more than 350,000 acres and produce 60 per cent of the country’s wines.

The high altitude, long hours of sunshine, and sandy soils comprise the ideal conditions for the production of wine both bulk and premium. Torrontés, Bonarda, Malbec, Cabernet and Merlot are grown on ungrafted original rootstock, unlike most northern hemisphere wine producing countries where phylloxera can devastate a vineyard planted on original rootstock.

My search for a white wine to pair with the oysters took a few days. I knew what I wanted – Torrontés, a white grape that is easy to come by in Argentina but not so much in Kitsap. But what I did find wowed the crowd.

Torrontés is totally Argentinean and the only country to produce it really. Mainly because, after DNA testing, it was found to be a cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica, a grape that was widely planted there and still used in bulk wine production.

It’s very aromatic, with notes of citrus, flowers, pear and peach, not unlike Viognier. The flavors are similar with structure and acidity that keep you coming back for another sip. It’s a summertime wine that’s best enjoyed while young unless you happen to run across a version that is late harvest.

Zolo Torrontés is very aromatic with aromas of citrus, white flowers and pear with a crispness that was perfect with the oysters. Zolo wines are sustainably farmed and very affordable. To further entice you to these wines, one of the winemakers, Jean Claude Berrouet, was the former winemaker at Petrus in Bordeaux.

The name of the winery comes from owner Patricia Ortiz’s lifestyle. She spends much of the week working in Mendoza, leaving her husband solo – Zolo – in Buenos Aries.

Another unusual grape, originally from Italy but now widely grown in Argentina, is Bonarda. It’s kind of like Beaujolais – not the Nouveau type – fruity with little tannins. It’s a wonderful wine to pair with the spicier dishes because the tannins are so minimal.

Altos Los Homigas produces the Colonis Las Liebres Mendoza Bonarda Classica, another bargain at $10 and great for an afternoon’s barbeque. It paired well with the empanadas another Argentinian staple. Empanadas are hand sized pockets stuffed with any combination of meat, cheese and/or vegetables.

We also enjoyed the Finca la Celia Tempranillo with the empanadas. A Chilean owned winery making one of Argentina’s top kosher wines in Mendoza. Tempranillo is a Spanish grape grown all over that country but Rioja is its best known version. Aged 3 months in oak, this wine had the typical cherry and herb flavors. Another bargain under $10.

The other grape that Argentina made famous is Malbec. In the late 20th century, the wine industry shifted its focus from jug wine made from Chica Criolla to premium wine production for the export market.

But it’s Argentina that most of us think of when we hear Malbec. Malbec is Argentina’s most widely planted red grape variety followed by Bonarda, Cabernet, Syrah and Tempranillo. It’s typically deeply colored with intense black fruits and a smooth mouthfeel.

Malbec is indigenous to Southwest France, where it is still widely grown in Cahors and in Bordeaux where it’s blended for its deep color.

With the three Malbecs presented, we devoured the classic dish, Matambre Arrollado which roughly translates to “rolled up hunger killer.” Created to feed guests while the rest of the food was grilled, it’s a flank steak slathered with chimichurri, stuffed with hardboiled eggs and vegetables, rolled up, skewered, grilled and sliced. The presentation is colorful and the dish is delicious.

Catena Zapata is 100% Malbec from a blend of three high mountain vineyards. Founded in 1902, Catena Zapata was instrumental in raising awareness of Malbec and other Argentinean wines worldwide. The pyramid shaped winery stands against a backdrop of striking mountains and vineyards. Their Malbec is no less impressive.

Another Mendoza Malbec we tasted was Espuela del Gaucho Reserve. This wine reflects the land of the Gaucho like this one with its full flavors of dark cherries and plum mingle with subtle notes of vanilla. I liked the balanced acidity and smooth tannins. Stylish and affordable for under $10.

Finally, the king of the flying winemakers, Amancaya Reserve red. A blend of Malbec and Cabernet and a collaboration between Lafite Rothschild and Nicolas Catena. This wine is earthy, plum and blackberry with a hint of pencil lead is a rich blend of 85% Malbec and 15% Cab that was aged for 12 months in oak.

Flying winemakers is a term used to describe those wine makers from one hemisphere flying to the opposite hemisphere to make wine in their off season. Harvest in the northern hemisphere occurs in the fall as it does in the southern hemisphere. The difference being September for the former and February for the latter.

The art of the flying winemaker helps winemakers share old techniques and modern techniques from the world’s wine regions. For example, Champagne producers making sparkling wines in California and Australia. French and Italian winemakers in Argentina and German winemakers in Washington state.

And we benefit from all this shared knowledge. Cheers!

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One of the greatest dining pleasures is to find a wine or beer or any beverage really that enhances the delights of both the drink and the dish.

Paradiso del Sol Winery in Zillah has a very unique wine tasting experience. The sips, the bite, and a last sip is the Paradiso’s Experience. No bread, oyster or wine crackers here. Instead each of their wines is paired to a droplet of food.

The morsels are presented on a small plate with a tasting sheet that explains what each bite is and the wine that it is paired with. Nine wines, including whites, roses, reds and deserts, and those tiny bites give you that heightened sensory experience.

The Paradiso Oyster White, a barrel fermented Semillon was paired with brie. One of the best matches I’ve found for that particular cheese. Their Sangiovese – the grape of Tuscany – was paired with a wonderful pepperoni from Glondo’s. A traditional and unfailing pairing. For their red blend, winemaker and owner Paul Vandenberg blended together Sangiovese and Tempranillo, a grape indigenous to Spain. This was also a more traditional pairing with a bleu cheese.

For something on the sweet side, a ruby Angelica made from Zinfandel, a highly brambly fruited wine was paired with dark chocolate. And we all know that fruit and chocolate play well together.

Other tasting occasions for pairing wine and food and people are something I’ve done regularly over the years. Donating a wine tasting for a good cause is something I enjoy doing. It is especially rewarding when I hear a diner say something to the effect, “I don’t like Chardonnay but with this, I actually like it!” It’s all in the way it’s presented. Right?

For the latest fabulous wine tasting to benefit United Way of Kitsap County, my gypsy friend and I opened the gates to a new dining adventure for Steve and Betty and eight of their best friends. We began with Spanish Carrots in a sherry vinegar, garlic, cumin and olive oil that was paired with the Atrevida 2014 Mendoza Chardonnay. This four-year-old Chardonnay had understated oak, bright fruit and a crispness that matched the vinegar and the weight of the carrot marched the weight of the wine.

The Hazelnut Vegetated Quinoa was composed of grilled green onions, red bell pepper and spring peas with an Italian dressing. Vegetable always work well with the herbal profile of some Sauvignon Blancs. In this case, Michael Florentino 2015 Red Mountain Sauvignon Blanc was a great match.

Double oops! on the next course. I opened the College Cellars 2016 Walla Walla Chardonnay a course too soon. But then the opportunity to try this barrel fermented wine made by college students and contrast it to the totally different Gordon Estate 2016 Rose of Malbec originally planned.  The dish was Tuna & Cannellini Stuffed Shells, surprisingly, both wines worked.

The Carrot Timbale with Chive Cream and Crab garnish was the best match of the day in my opinion. Crab, cream and carrots with the superb Oregon Stoller 2017 Dundee Hills Chardonnay was enchanting. Winemaker Melissa Burr’s touch was not the usual oaky wine but rather a mix of Chardonnay clones that spent 9 months together in a stainless steel tank. The result is a succulent yet vibrant wine that contrasted this dish in a heavenly way.

Tomatoes are really a fruit, right? And high in acid so if you pair it with a wine high in acid, it’s like trying tomatoes for the first time. Barbera, Chianti and Zinfandel are also high in acid and fruity. A prefect pairing for the Tomato Crisp which is basically bread, olive oil, fresh tomato slices and parmesan cheese that is toasted on the grill. There were lots of Ooos and Aahs when paired with the rich Identified Lodi 2015 Zinfandel.

Dessert was the pièce de résistance. A cake of ginger, lemons and white pepper. I can get anyone to east this cake. It’s spicy, naturally and not too sweet. This was accompanied by a bottle that had been in the cellar for 14 or so years, Selbach 2003 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese.

It’s easy to alter the taste of a wine just by eating something. Whether sweet or hot, spicy or earthy, fruity or herbal, a food changes the chemistry of your palate. Experiment with your wine by trying it with a little bite of everything on your plate. The meat, the vegetables, even the dessert.

And it’s really fun, following a few basic rules:

Go with tried and true pairings, such as spaghetti and meatballs with Chianti, hot dogs and beer, Tapas with dry sherry, paella with Rioja, Oreo cookies and a glass of cold milk.

Tannic and high alcohol wines do not do well chilled or with spicy food. If the dish is spicy hot, go with a chilled bottle of something really fruity to put out the fire of the dish. Tacos with habanero sauce would be much better with a cold Negro Modelo.

The weight of the wine and the weight of the dish should be equal. For example, Dungeness crab with a Riesling, Chardonnay and a bowl of buttered popcorn and barbequed ribs with a Zinfandel.

Be sure the wine is sweeter than the dish. If your dish is sweeter than the wine, that bottle may have a lot of pucker power.

Wishing you many wonderful wine adventures!

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