Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Timeless

Winery: Markus Wine Co.
Cuvée: Zeitlos
Appellation: Lodi, California
Type: Red
Vintage: 2019
Grape Varieties: Syrah 77%, Cinsaut 12%, Petite Sirah 11%
Alcohol: 15.2%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $39

In early December last year, Susan, Towny, Mark, and I descended upon Sue and Rodney Tipton at their winery, Acquiesce, located in Acampo, California, in the Lodi wine region. Sue and Rodney are the consummate hosts — they fed us, entertained us, and set up one of the most incredible days of wine tastings that I have ever experienced.

Naturally, the testing started at Acquiesce, where we were able to sample the wines in their vinification room in different stages of the winemaking process, followed by a formal tasting paired with appetizers in their tasting room. Rodney is a wizard at identifying the perfect flavors to complement Sue’s spectacular wines.

The day continued with vineyard visits led by Randy Caparoso, an internationally-recognized wine journalist, photographer, and sommelier. Through his connections, we were able to visit what are believed to be the oldest Cinsaut vines (also spelled Cinsault) in the world (Bechtold Vineyard), planted in 1886. All the European vines were entirely wiped out by phyllloxera, a nasty little insect that feeds on the roots of the Vitis vinifera grapes. One reason these American vines did so well in Lodi is because they are planted in sandy soil, in which the phylloxera cannot survive.

Then back at their home, Sue and Rodney invited Markus Niggli, of Markus Wine Co., to do a tasting featuring seven of his wines: three white and four red. To keep this short, I will say that my heart (or, palate) stopped on Zeitlos. Tasting this wine, I had one of those spiritual moments in which the wine told me exactly what I needed to make: something in the game realm (I thought, perhaps, venison) with a drizzle of Mugolio (pine cone bud syrup from Puglia).

In the end, it ended up being Grilled Elk Tenderloin on Butternut Risotto Cakes… with the Mugolio drizzle, of course. It is an amazing pairing and my palate did not lead me astray; the syrup really speaks to the wine. You can get the recipe at Cocoa & Lavender and, as you will be wanting the Mugolio, it is easily found online with a simple search.

The wine is deep purple with plum and chocolate on the nose. Not surprisingly, my first taste brought notes of pine, which put the Mugolio into my head. Lots of fruit present — raspberry, blackberry, and prune — and some leather notes, as well. It has a nice long and peppery finish. I loved this wine — okay, all his wines — and especially loved the pairing. I remember thinking, “Autumn would be perfect for this wine,” and here we are. But Zeitlos — which is German for timeless — is good at any time of the year. As it’s name says, it is Zeitlos.