For The Love Of Wine

"This I would pair a roasted haunch of venison covered in juniper berries, shallots, rosemary, and a bit of salt," I stated as I drank the Estate Syrah I had just been poured. The sommelier, by now completely familiar with my culinary musings when tasting their wines, invited me to tell her what I would accompany the meat with. As we sat, teasing our taste buds with the imaginary feast, a dashing man came in and sat down next to me and ordered a full tasting. I waited as his first glass was poured before musing further about the menu. "Jen, I think that this wine has such complexity that I would want to pair it with some roasted winter veg like parsnips, carrots, fennel bulb, and carrots and seasoned with a little pink Himalayan salt and herbs. Of course, there would need to be a hearty potato of some sort, but I am thinking something simple so as not to distract from the wine... perhaps some roasted potatoes with a hint of garlic and salt?"

As I was about half way through the imaginary feast, Carl came in and said, "Oh, I've missed the main meal have I?" The man sitting next to me chuckled and said, "Evidently, so did I and I am curious as to what the main dish is because the side dishes sound divine!" Jen and I chuckle and I repeat the main menu again for them. We did a round of introductions starting with a bit about the winery. Jen and Carl are the owners and they introduced me. "Mark, this is our chef friend Katherine who always comes in and makes us hungry and drool! Karina, this is Mark and he just moved here from Wisconsin."

Mark turned to me and we just started talking as if we had known each other for years. It was oddly exciting to feel as if I knew him and yet equally enchanting to meet someone with whom I was completely comfortable talking to at a first meeting. Mark asked me how long I had lived in the area and that led to me telling him I have horses on my property just about 2 miles from the winery. Having come from Wisconsin, Mark turned out to be a retired rancher who had, in years past, raised champion Clydesdales. Now he'd done it! I pulled out my phone and showed him pictures of my Shire stallion and we started talking horses for a while.

Meanwhile, our hosts kept the wine flowing and Mark had finished his tasting. With a tasting comes a glass of the wine you liked most. I asked him, "Now that we have talked food and horses over wine, which one will you choose for the full glass?" Mark didn't miss a beat, "I liked them all and am having trouble deciding. Which is your favorite?" I answered with, "I often have the dilemma of choosing as well, but today is a Merlot day." Mark then ordered 2 glasses of the 2015 Merlot for us. "Why, thank you Mark, that's very kind of you."

When the wine arrived, I asked Mark if he had seen the wine cave Jess and Charlie had built. He hadn't, so we took our glasses outside and I took him down to the cave. We didn't get far as it was the usual, gorgeous, Southern California spring weather and there were others seated around the veranda. We were hailed by others who knew me so we decided to got chat for a bit. Tom and Sue wanted to know the latest on my annual harvest festival party as I had just completed the menu. "Mark, this woman does a 4 course feast every year here in the wine cave. She caters the event herself!" Mark replied, "I've been listening to her talk about meals she would create to go with the wines here and I have no doubt that such a meal would be the event of the year to attend!" I mentioned to them we had been going down to the cave so Mark could see just what a magical place it is when they hailed us. "Once I tell you what we will be eating, I'll take Mark down to see the cave."

"You see Mark, I found this place about 2 weeks after it opened and they showed me the wine cave the second time I came over. I had been looking for a venue to have a big celebration. I wanted to thank all my friends for putting up with me for the year and it was such a success I've made it an annual event! "By the way, everyone is also encouraged to come in renaissance style costume which means, anywhere from the 1500's to the later 1800's. All the while, Mark and I kept exchanging covert glances, shy smiles, and the usual first date kind of behaviors. It felt as if we were on a date, but that we also had been together before. Our conversation was effortless and it seemed to have a magical quality to the chance meeting.

Sue interrupted a bit of flirtatious minutia and said, "Ok, what are you starting us off with this year?" I laugh and start telling them the menu. "This year it is a British Isles themed dinner. Hors d'oeuvres this year are: Smoked Salmon with avocado fromage fraise, haggis atop neeps on a tattie scone triangle, Scotch quail eggs with wild boar sausage, and asparagus spears with lemon pepper wrapped in smoked salmon. All these will be served with the Sauvignon Blanc. Second course will be chestnut soup with sage and sherry paired with the Chardonnay. For the main meal we will be having roasted goose with chestnut, apple, and prune stuffing served with Cumberland sauce accompanied by a winter medley of veg topped with a whisky sauce. The mix will be fingerling potatoes in several colors, heirloom carrots, rutabaga, Brussel's sprouts, turnips, and pearl onions. This part of the meal will be served with the Merlot. Yes, I know, goose should have a white wine, but this preparation calls for a more robust wine! For dessert we have a duo because I can't decide which I want! I am serving a traditional Christmas pudding with all the fruit, coins for luck, and flambed with brandy as well as a sticky toffee pudding accompanied by the port style dessert wine."

We chatted for a bit longer about the move Mark had just made, some of his plans for his life in California and then it became clear that both of us are single and in a position to pursue a relationship. Mark and I made our goodbyes and I took him down to the wine cave. It is a magical place as you wend down a half wind stone stair and are greeted by medieval style, heavy wood doors with iron hinges. "Wow! Now that is what I call a door" Mark stated. "Wait till you see the inside" I replied. I opened the door and allowed Mark to go first. When you enter the cave a huge, solid wood, 20 person table greets you. The kind that would grace a castle dining room. It had to weigh several hundred pounds! Lining the walls are hundreds of bottles of wine, a few wine barrels. and the entire place has an indescribable atmosphere.

I let Mark have a few moments to soak in the ambiance before stepping in myself. As I turned to partially close the door Mark turned suddenly and we were practically nose to nose. I'm sure my face had a slight panic on it mixed with the pheromones emanating off me. It was quite heady being so close, disconcerting, and exciting. We both stood still, not breathing for a few seconds and then he kissed me. Gentle, ever so softly, asking, not demanding. We both broke it off and flushed with the knowledge we had just taken a chance meeting, turned sort of date, over a glass of Merlot, to a whole different level.

"You are absolutely right Katherine. This place is magical" Mark broke the silence first. "Tt seems the universe has spoken Mark. Would you perhaps, be inclined to experience the Winter Solstice Harvest Festival this year?"