A bit of know-how makes the most of wine

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Friday, February 15, 2008

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The equipment is low key: a waiter’s corkscrew, a wine glass and a sense of adventure. For what it would cost for dinner and a movie, you could invest in a couple bottles of wine and create the neighborhood’s newest club.

Long touted as the French’s secret weapon against heart disease, wine also earns its place at the dinner table as a natural enhancement to the flavors of foods served at meal time and dessert. But if you’re less than knowledgeable about wine, a little homework at the local Rapid City wine shops provides a fun way to meet new people, talk to sommeliers or shop owners and find that perfect vintage of wine.

Erich Orris, president of Vino 100 & the Tinderbox, offers more than the Cabernet Sauvignon from Pacific Estates, a California winery, when he uncorks its bottle.

From the presentation of the cork to the first taste and the eventual glass of wine, traditions dating back to old world hospitality are practiced as a matter of course.

These rituals make sense and offer a glimpse into the background of wine practices.

“From there on out, you want to enjoy the wine,” he said.

At the recent Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce’s “It’s Grape to Go Global” food and wine event, Orris brought boxes of Valdivieso Merlot, Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon and Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec for guests to sample.

The affordable Valdivieso, about $11 a bottle, comes from Chile. Orris says the flavor is bright and has several nice qualities to it. It can be served with roasted game meats, a highly seasoned chicken dish or well-spiced pasta.

“It needs to have some flavor to it,” Orris said of the food served with the wine.

The magnum of Maipe, pronounced mae-ee-pay, comes from Argentina. At 1.5 liters, the wine runs at about $28 and is suitable for just about any dinner of beef or lamb.

“It’s robust. It has quite a bit of oak to it. For serving foods, I’d drop the pasta dishes, but it can be served with red meats and perhaps lamb,” Orris said.

The Trapiche comes from the Mendoza Valley of Argentina. The South American wine costs $20.

“It’s got a lot of prominence. Full bodied, quite dry, it goes with heavier game meats, venison roasts, beef or buffalo,” he said.

The tannins in the wine are perfect for breaking up the meats’ proteins or fats, he said.

On the domestic side, Andy Schneider, sommelier and owner of Canyon Lake Liquors, brought along two red wines and one white wine, all from California, to the “Grape to Go Global” event.

Having tasted more than 2,200 wines over four years, Schneider has trained to know what wines taste good with what varieties of foods.

For the Saturday evening meal of buffalo medallions with caramelized onions, Schneider paired it with Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc. “You pair to the main tastes,” he said.

Often the wines served with buffalo, a lean, red meat, would fall into the red wine category, Schneider concurred. But he also knows enough about wine and food pairings to break the rules and bring an interesting choice to the table.

“You wouldn’t typically put it with a buffalo. You would usually have a big hearty red wine. But it will work with the caramelized onion; it won’t clash at all,” Schneider said.

For those who wanted the reds, he brought from an old California vineyard a lighter- bodied red wine call Con Cannon.

“We’re going to feature Pinot Noir, the grape varietals. It’s very versatile with food pairings,” he said. “We wanted to offer two different stylistic reds with this.”

Ten Mile out of Oakville, Calif., offers a blend of grape varietals as well as a more traditional selection. “It’s going to have a much bigger body and work beautifully with the buffalo,” Schneider said.

The Rapid City sommelier would pair the last wine with venison, steak and hamburger. “You would definitely want a hunk of meat in front you,” he said.

If you go

n What: Friday Night Wine Tasting

n When: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 15 and Feb. 29

n Age: 21 and older

n Where: Canyon Lake Liquors, 4244 Canyon Lake Drive

n What: Hookah Event

n When: 2 p.m. Feb. 17; 6 p.m. Feb. 21

n Age: 18 and older

n Where: Vino 100 & the Tinderbox, 520 Seventh St.

n Other: Introduction to an ancient smoking implement originated in India, the evening will feature two different tobaccos.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.