Pair this racey red with a bloomsdale spinach salad in a sherry vinaigrette garnished with carpaccio of tuna or beef. Speaking of beef, a rare steak in any number of variations (tri-tip, hanger, New York, filet) would be quite delish. But more exotic fare such as chicken tikka masala or Tandoori lamb chops will also work wonderfully well. While the zesty ‘06 is excellent right now, aging it for 2-3 more years would be all to the good.

Red Wine of the Earth - A blend of syrah, grenache, cinsault with just a soupçon of mourvèdre and carignane, making for a bright and wonderfully gamey wine. Very youthful with toasty notes of cherry, birch, sassafras and pomegranate.