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As our cooking changes with the seasons, the wines we drink do, too. So we’ve put together a pair of whites and a pair of reds to work with the kind of dishes to be enjoyed over the next few months. The wines, all made by smaller producers, were chosen because they have more character than most others of those in the same price range ($15-$24), and also because they represent good value.
The whites
Raw Bluffton oysters go well with a light, dry, white wine like a French Muscadet, but when they’re cooked, they need something with a bit more character. The B.R. Cohn 2007 Sonoma Chardonnay fits the bill. The owner, Bruce Cohn, succeeded first in music as a manager of a band (The Doobie Brothers), and then bought land in Sonoma in the ’70s, where he planted grapes and sold them to Sonoma producers. He started his winery in the mid ’80s. With winemaker Tom Montgomery, he produces wines that aim for balance and elegance.
This Chardonnay is smoothed rather than smothered with oak, avoids the intensity that comes with very ripe fruit, and has a hint of acidity that would work perfectly with oysters. Even though the style is lighter than that favored by many Sonoma wineries, the quality of the fruit gives the wine enough character so that the flavors won’t be lost against the food.
B.R. Cohn 2007 Sonoma Chardonnay:
Light, fresh and elegant. $18.99-$23.41
While a light Chardonnay might be less successful with our local flavorful South Carolina wild shrimp, the Schug 2007 Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc can hold its own. New World Sauvignon Blancs come in a great range of styles; some are so light they are almost insipid, while many from New Zealand have such powerful fruit flavors that they can overwhelm the accompanying food. Very few achieve the intensity and complexity typical of the best French wines from Sancerre in the upper reaches of the Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc has become the signature grape.
Walter Schug came to California from Germany in the early ’60s and worked with growers and as a winemaker at several highly regarded wineries before setting out on his own in the early ’80s.
He’s handed the daily operations over to his wine maker, Michael Cox, but remains active in defining the character of the wines. He has always aimed for wines that treat California grapes in a European way, and his Sauvignon Blanc is in the same style as the wines from Sancerre.
It has intense flavor without being excessively fruity, and an attractive combination of freshness and smoothness, especially if it’s not too cold.
Schug 2007 Sonoma Sauvignon Blac
Unusually intense for a Sauvignon Blanc, so best with more flavorsome dishes.
$15.99-$20.72
The reds
Venison will always call for a fairly powerful red, but what pairs best depends on the details of the cooking. The Steltzner 2006 Napa Valley Claret is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with enough Cabernet Franc and Merlot to soften the tannins and make the wine easy to drink now.
Dick Steltzner, who began his career as a grape grower in Napa in the ’60s, started making his own wine at the Markham winery the following decade, and gradually built up his own winery in the ’80s. The winemaker, Tim Dolven, has been working with the Steltzners since 2004, and has crafted this Claret in a style that is clearly reminiscent of Steltzner Claret from the early days of the winery.
The flavors of the grapes are gently blended for a smooth finish that avoids the overpowering fruit and tannins that make some Napa Meritages (as such blends are often called) hard to match with food. This wine would not overpower a lighter venison dish.
Steltzner 2006 Napa Valley Claret
A smooth Bordeaux-style blend that won’t obscure the food.
$19.99-$21.99
The Château Vessière, 2006 Costières de Nîmes Syrah/Grenache would be the choice for a dish with a rich sauce. Philippe Teulon is the seventh generation winemaker at a winery that has been in the family since the early 1700s and he’s a member of “Vigneron Indépendant,” a group of artisanal French winemakers committed to high standards of quality. The group’s logo is the small character with a barrel on his shoulder found on the bottle cap of the wine.
The Syrah/Grenache blend is typical for a Southern Rhône wine; it’s dark colored, and both more intense and less fruit-forward than a typical Californian Syrah; instead it’s almost spicy, with a strong finish from the tannins that makes it a better wine for rich sauces than the Steltzner Claret.
Chateau Vessiere, 2006 Costieres de Nimes
A wine with a more assertive flavor. Works best with rich sauces.
$14.99
