Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva is one full-bodied red wine that won't be butted out when served with the dish described below.With the last vestiges of winter quickly retreating, you still have some time to prepare meals that require full-bodied red wines and hearty appetites. Of course, you have many choices, but today I’ll give you a recipe for one of my all-time favorite cold-weather dishes. Ironically, as I write this, the sun is shining, flowers are beginning to pop out of the ground and the temperatures are in the mid 60’s. Oh well, you can always grill the sucker!

Remember the obnoxiously salacious dance a couple of decades back called “The Butt?” Well, I call this meal “Doin’ the Butt!” since the main ingredient is pork shoulder which is incongruously called the butt. This humble piece of pig meat is used to make sausages of all types as well as that American culinary staple – barbecue. Today, I’m going to share a recipe with you which involves brining and slow roasting a pork butt so that the meat literally falls off the bone You may wonder why I suggest taking the extra step of brining the meat. Well, brining not only moistens and tenderizes the meat, it also adds wonderful flavors throughout the entire roast...

In this Wild and Wonderful wine backwater, I am hailed by many of my friends (?) as THE West Virginia wino. So it always comes as a shock when folks consider me an expert. This aversion to any type of recognition is probably the result of my Catholic school education, where guilt was the only attribute held in higher esteem than humility. Anyway, several years ago I was introduced, by the overly exuberant host at a wine dinner, as a connoisseur and a gourmet. After smiling uncomfortably and bumbling through the event, I quickly excused myself and rushed to the nearest dictionary to find out just how those terms are defined by Mr. Webster. Webster's New World Dictionary defines connoisseur as "one who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination, especially in the fine arts." A gourmet is described as "one who likes and is an excellent judge of fine foods and drinks." In looking up 'gourmet,' I spotted the word 'gourmand' right above it in the dictionary and quickly decided that term more accurately describes my approach to eating and drinking.

A gourmand is defined as...

Over the years, I’ve discovered that one of the very best excuses for getting out of “real” work (such as shoveling snow, moving furniture or cleaning the basement) is to cook dinner for the family. My wife, who must have been a hostage negotiator in a former life, made it clear to me that the only way this would be an acceptable trade-off was if I agreed to clean the kitchen up after working my culinary magic. So, after formally signing an agreement witnessed by my children, our local clergyman and the family cat, I am now permitted kitchen privileges once a weekend.
Here’s what I concocted on recent Sunday. I truly love to match full-flavored, spicy foods such as stews, pot roasts or stuffed meats with full-flavored red wines. Today, I’m going to share a recipe with you that is absolutely delicious, particularly if you can tolerate a good dose of garlic and a little heat.

1. Start with two one-half pound pieces of pork tenderloin. With a sharp knife, cut each piece length-wise in half. Then, butterfly the remaining pieces (length-wise) and put a sheet of wax paper under and over each piece. With a mallet, pound the meat to about one-eighth inch thickness (if you have trouble waking your teenage children, this will do the trick).
2. Next, roast a tablespoon of cumin seeds over medium heat in a sauce pan, stirring regularly for about one minute until the smoky flavors are released and wonderful smells permeate the kitchen. Then, in a mortar and pestle, grind the cumin fine and add one-quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of black pepper and salt and a tablespoon of chili powder. Rub this mixture into the pieces of flattened pork and let meat sit in the refrigerator over night or for at least three hours.
3. For the stuffing, sauté (in three tablespoons of olive oil) one green and one red bell pepper (cut in one-half inch long strips), one-half chopped onion, three cloves of minced garlic and one small can of chopped green chilies. Remove from the heat when vegetables begin to soften. Then salt and pepper to taste and add one cup of diced Monterey jack cheese and one-half cup of unflavored bread crumbs. Microwave or cook two links of chorizo or Italian sausage, drain off fat, chop into small pieces and add to the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator.
4. When the stuffing is cool, portion it evenly on the flattened pork tenderloin and roll them up, securing with butcher’s string or toothpicks. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast the pork rollups in a covered pan for about 35 minutes. Remove the meat and deglaze the roasting pan with a half cup of red wine, and then spoon over the sliced tenderloin rolls. Serve the meat with spicy rice or garlic mashed potatoes.

You’re going to need a fairly full-bodied red wine to accompany this dish. Here are some that I would consider: 2004 Infinitus Tempranillo (inky-purple and rich from the Jumilla region of Spain - $14); 2004 Marietta Old Vines Zinfandel (the big brother to Marietta Old Vines Red - $17); 2002 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Valpolicella (not your usual lighter-styled Valpolicella – this one is full and rich - $20); and 2002 d’Arenberg Laughing Magpie (this Australian Shiraz-Viognier blend is a spicy mouth-full - $22).

Ask an Italian what wine they consider to be best, and they will invariably point to a winery down the street or to a vineyard on the hillside adjacent to their village. This is a country around which wine and food are the central components of everyday life, and citizens are justifiably proud of what is grown in the fertile soil of this ancient land.

Guys, trust me on this: women take Valentine’s Day very seriously! Hey, I’m no Dr. Phil (and I’m certainly not Dr. Ruth), but I do know that there will be serious consequences if you forget to do something special for your significant other on February 14.

I learned this the hard way a couple of decades ago when I arrived home after a hard day at work to find a candle–lit dinner table with a carafe of red wine, soft-jazz on the stereo and a Hallmark card the size of an armadillo waiting for me when I walked through the door. There was also a heart-shaped gift on the kitchen counter,and the wonderful smells of freshly baked bread. Was I in the right house? Was I in the Twilight Zone?

EDITOR'S NOTE: We have even more 'spirited' advice for Valentine's Day over at Rich Ireland's "Beers To You" gazzblog.

I know you’re just itching to get to the wine shop this weekend to spend a little hard-earned cash on some serious vinous elixir, so take a look at what I ‘m suggesting below.

2005 Melville Estate Pinot Noir ($30): Melville is a small producer in the Santa Rita Hills area in the cool, Pacific Ocean- influenced Santa Ynez Valley. You may recall this area from the movie “Sideways” or from your own personal experience with the delicious Pinot Noirs produced here. The bright red color of the ’05 Melville may mislead those expecting a lighter-styled version of Pinot Noir. However, once you put the Pinot Noir in your mouth, you realize this is a much more complex wine with layers of flavor. The nose is a combination of cinnamon spice with nuances of caramel and the flavors are of black cherries, spice and just a hint of earth. This wine begs for roasted pork tenderloin in a slightly sweet sauce made from dried cherries or cranberries.

Let’s face it, not many of us venture outside when the ambient air temperature descends to single digits. This is an exceptionally bleak time of year when the only product selling more than adult beverages is anti-depressant medication. So what can you do to lift your spirits and alter your mood without a prescription?

How about this: create your own bacchanalian extravaganza this weekend. Just fire up the grill, put a pot of chili on the stovetop or put together a huge pan of lasagna or baked pasta with Italian sausage, peppers and a couple of pounds of mozzarella! Then wash it all down with your favorite beverage. I know , to some hop-heads it’s almost un-American to drink anything other than that foamy malted beverage with the menu suggestions above -- but I suggest you uncork a few bottles of wine instead.

One of Peter Meyer’s disciples was Bill Sohovich, owner of Soho’s (above) and Blossom and a culinary pioneer in his own right. Photo by Walker DeVilleAs a native of Clarksburg, W.Va., I am genetically predisposed to seek out and find good food. It is in my DNA! So when I moved to Charleston a few decades ago, I was shocked to find that the Kanawha Valley was a culinary wasteland. Back then, there were only three fine dining establishments in Charleston. Catering to traveling salesmen on expense accounts, the “Heart of Town,” Ernie’s Esquire and “Top of the Inn” restaurants served up gigantic portions of prime rib washed down with barrels of beer and a mind-boggling assortment of “high balls.” Wine lists consisted of Lambrusco, Lancer’s Rose and Vito’s Thunder Mountain Chablis - and only artsy types or effete snobs ever dared order wine with their dinner.

Yes, there were a whole host of fast food and chain restaurants where most of the rest of us dined (on those once-a-week occasions when our meager budgets permitted a night out). But there were really no fine dining establishments, and hardly any ethnic food restaurants – except for a couple of Chinese places and Joe Fazio’s.Look, I’m really not a food or wine snob, but the restaurant choices were very limited back then. Okay, so Charleston is not quite culinary nirvana yet, but, in my humble opinion, we’ve come a long way, baby! The wine lists have evolved, too. Now, even the chain restaurants have decent lists while the finer dining establishments’ selections provide a variety of choices for the knowledgeable wine consumer.

The label for Michele Chiarlo 2005 Moscato D'Asti Nivole, available at the Capitol Market wine shop

I must admit to an inauspicious introduction to the ‘fruit of the vine.” It was during a time when automobiles had fins, Motown was in its prime and most wine came in large jugs with screw cap closures. Guys were always looking for an angle – if you know what I mean – and so I decided to demonstrate my sophistication to my date at the fraternity party by introducing her to the sensory aspects of a wine called “White Pheasant.”

This beverage, possibly made from grapes, but certainly infused with rocket fuel, was enclosed in a half-gallon green jug with a label featuring a picture of what looked like a demonic white condor. I’m pretty sure my date was impressed because she proceeded to slake her mighty thirst with countless cups of the Pheasant. On the way back to her dorm - in my father’s new Chevrolet- she proceeded to redecorate the interior of the car.

I know. You’re wondering where I’m going with this. Well, here’s my point: don’t be deterred by a negative first experience with wine! Many people look down their respective noses at sweet wine, proclaiming that only college co-eds or winos drink the stuff. This is either a reflection of their own personal experience (see above) or actual inexperience in pairing a delicious sweet wine with a lovely desert. If you are one of those sweet wine nay-sayers, try this combo below and let me know what you think.

There is an Italian dessert wine made from the delicate and delicious Muscat grape which has appealing apricot and melon flavors with just the slightest hint of effervescence. The wine is Michele Chiarlo 2005 Moscato D'Asti Nivole and comes in a half bottle. It retails for about $12 and is a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate-based desserts. “Nivole” means “clouds” in Italian, and its light and billowy texture perfectly describes this wine, which is produced in the Piedmont region of that wonderful nation of vines. You should be able to find it at wine shops in the area, and perhaps even in some grocery stores. I know it is available at the Capitol Market wine shop in Charleston. So forget about those preconceived notions (or bad first experiences) and give “La Dolce Vino” a chance.

It's January. Cold, gray, dreary January! Things could get depressing were it not for my penchant to match ugly days with great food and wine. I'm actually thinking about Arizona and the Sonoran dessert. I'm getting inspired! Here it comes...I've got it: Grilled lamb over mesquite coals washed down with a bottle of Zinfandel so big and juicy it'll make your teeth itch! Okay, so I'm taking a few liberties with conventional Southwest cuisine by substituting lamb for beef, but I think you're going to like this.

"The nose is quite developed, the tannins are still hard, but the fruit seems overripe and flabby, and the finish is a bit short."

Huh?

You're probably wondering about my qualifications to write this blog. So here's all I can say about my credentials – such as they are. After a trip to the California wine country in 1981, I was asked to write a wine column for the Charleston Daily Mail. I wrote that weekly column until 1989 and also did a wine commentary gig on West Virginia Public Radio during that same time period.

The commentary, which lasted only a few months and was produced by Mountain Stage's Andy Ridenour, was cancelled when one person wrote to say that Public Radio should not be advocating the use of alcoholic beverages. That was it – one person. Who says a single voice can't make a difference?

Welcome to 'Wine and Dine,' a new Charleston Gazette blog about wine selection and advice, along with tips on pairing wine with food. John Brown is a seasoned wine columnist, whose writing on wine will also be seen in the Sunday Gazette-Mail on a regular basis. Also, we will be rolling out some wine tips on video and taking some multimedia journeys in search of the best places to enjoy wine in the West Virginia region. We welcome your feedback on this new blog, either in the 'Comment' section below each post or by sending your comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Douglas Imbrogno | thegazz.com editor