Syrah Maker Matches Flavor and Style For Traditional Holiday Entertaining.

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. -- Two hours north of Los Angeles, Bridlewood[R] Winemaker David Hopkins crafts Syrah wines that resonate with the rich, spicy flavors of the winter holiday season. Hopkin's motto is "follow the flavor", and at this time of year, those flavors are a perfect match for holiday meals.

Bridlewood Culinary Director Joe Rovtar thinks "brining" is the best way to prepare white meats for the holiday table and bring out the best of both the food and the wine. "David's Syrah is loaded with luscious fresh fruit and spice flavors, round in the mouth with a nice tart finish, like a boysenberry pie. To pair up with that kind of intensity, I like to season the meats BEFORE cooking to infuse matching flavors and improve the texture."

Brining is an ancient technique for preparing and preserving foods, involving soaking the meat in salted water laced with herbs and spices. The flavors migrate into the meat, while the salt works on the muscle fibers to tenderize them. Ham is the most common brined meat today, but the technique works wonders with any type of pork roast, chicken, or turkey.

Rovtar says, "To accentuate the flavors in David's Central Coast or Estate Syrah, I'd make a basic brine of water, salt, and brown sugar, then add a packet of mulling spices right off the grocery shelf. The mulling spices have clove and cinnamon and other ingredients that will hit the same notes as the oak barrel finishing in the Syrah." For an extra dimension with pork, Rovtar suggests making the basic brine with half water, half apple juice.

Winemaker David Hopkins says, "I make wines to be enjoyed with food. I focus on Syrah because Syrah is so good with food, so versatile, and such a good partner. Syrah really is a perfect choice for a holiday meal."

A Guide to Basic Brining:

For a gallon of brine solution, use 1 cup of kosher or sea salt (no iodine), and an equal amount of brown sugar. Bring the water to a boil, stir in the salt and sugar to dissolve, then add the spices and let it cool.

Add the poultry or pork when the brine is cool. Submerge the meat in the fluid, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Rule of thumb: 2 hours per pound in the brine.

For a crispy skin on turkey, remove it from the brine 12 hours before cooking, dry it off, wrap it in plastic, and return it to the refrigerator until ready to enter the oven.

California Table Wine [c]2006 Bridlewood Winery, Santa Ynez, CA. All rights reserved.