Grilled foods, barbeque ribs, and braised beef are some food pairings often suggested for Syrah.
Those pairings work with the big bold Syrahs and can work with the lighter style cool-climate Syrahs as well. That said, cool-climate Syrahs can often balance and enhance the food that the heavy-duty styles would find challenging.
An article published in Culture Magazine in 2014 by Tara Q. Thomas who wrote the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine Basics" spoke to pairing Syrah with cheese. She described syrahs, grown in cool areas like the Rhone Valley in France, as "frisky".
The McEvoy Ranch 2014 Red Piano Syrah is grown under optimal conditions for cool-climate Syrah on our 100% certified organic estate vineyards in the Petaluma Gap appellation. The color and flavor notes depict all the things we love about cool-climate Syrah.
Her pairing suggestion for a "frisky" Syrah is a cheese produced by a true heritage cheesemaker from Sonoma County. Vella Cheese Company started making cheese in 1931 and is famous for an aged dry "jack" cheese that is full-flavored and grates like a parmesan. The cheese Tara recommended for cool climate style Syrahs was Vella's Mezzo Secco - a partially dry "jack" cheese. If you are in the area and can pick up a bottle of the 2014 Red Piano Syrah - drop by your local cheese shop and purchase some Mezzo Secco to go along. If you need a substitute any firm Alpine-style cheese will work well.
We made only 275 cases of this wine so get your frisky on and make this pairing your end of Summer treat!
