Pinot Noir is known for its versatility in food pairing, which is one reason it’s such a popular wine and so well suited for holiday tables. With its moderate tannin levels, it has enough to stand up to heartier dishes but not so much that it overpowers them. Tannins are compounds that come from the grapes’ skins, seeds and stems (and from oak barrels). They bind to proteins in the food as well as the saliva in your mouth, making the wine softer and highlighting the dish’s richer flavors. Their effect is often described as astringent, imparting a dry, slightly bitter sensation that is balanced by the wine’s other components – alcohol, sugar and acidity.
Pinot’s higher levels of acidity cut through fat, offset sweetness, and enhance the flavor of many foods. Executive Chef Stevie Provencio pairs the 2016 King Estate Stone’s Throw Pinot Noir with a perfect fall comfort dish, Roasted Pork Roulade with Sweet Potato Purée and Croquettes in Red Wine Jus. The pairing is a tasteful example of how the acidity in wine balances the richness of the meat with delightful results.
Pork roulade is slow roasted until perfectly cooked. To make the sweet potatoes, cut into thin slices while raw, caramelize in the skillet with water that will cook off, then add cream and cook down further. The croquettes are made with potatoes, egg, ham and cheese, shaped into balls, breaded and fried to crispness. The red wine jus is a reduction made with Pinot Noir and beef stock demi-glace. Add herbs like thyme, rosemary or other hard herbs to make an herbaceous sauce. Garnish with chervil and serve with a King Estate Pinot Noir like Stone’s Throw.
The name is a nod to Winemaker Brent Stone. Fruit for Stone’s Throw comes from one of Brent’s favorite, and oldest, blocks on the estate — 4B in the southeast corner where Clone 375 is grown. At almost 10 years old, the wine is showing delicious signs of aging. A younger Pinot is eminently drinkable; it’s just a more fruit-driven wine, boasting flavors of cherry, strawberry and violets. Over time as the wine continues to develop in the bottle, more layers emerge, revealing dried fruit flavors of blueberry and raspberry along with mushroom, earth, spice, rose petal, cedar and sweet tobacco. Just as some like to drink younger wines while others prefer an older bottle, there are no wrong pairings. It’s all about what pleases your palate. The journey of discovery is as, if not more, fun than landing on your own perfect pairing.
