A Wine-Country Shootout

According to the rules of cowboy myth and melodrama the high-noon shootout was typically a savage, sadistic affair.

It was, of course, often inspired by drink, seldom justified, almost always deadly, a confrontation appropriately epic even if it was a little messy.

The Napa Valley may no longer qualify as the wild, wild west, but the shootout remains an intoxicating prospect, one we couldn’t resist.

So, on June 16th we settled a long-simmering feud the old-fashioned way when a shootout between two disparate wines became reality. The first Petite Syrah-Cabernet shootout was neither savage nor sadistic. And it was certainly not deadly.

But justified?

The feeling at Quixote was absolute. It was time to settle, once and forever, an issue that threatened to split the Napa Valley.

When the subject is grilled lamb, which wine provides the perfect match - petite or cab?

The debate had been gaining currency since, well, since we began it. So on Monday, June 16th, just past high noon, the question was posed before a gathering of 70 sommeliers, wine writers, trade reps and just plain wine lovers at the Plumpjack Winery in Oakville.

The idea was the brainchild of our owner Carl Doumani, who has long maintained that Petite Syrah is the superior choice when lamb is served. To prove his point, he invited our friends at Plumpjack to the challenge and Plumpjack General Manager John Conover accepted.

So, for three hours we ate, we drank and we debated - mostly with tongues in cheek.

The gathering of judges was presented three excellent wines - our 2004 Quixote Petite Syrah, Plumpjack’s 2005 Napa Cabernet and Cade’s 2005 Cuvee. Cade is Plumpjack’s new sister winery located on Howell Mountain.

Participants had the opportunity to taste each wine with a leg of lamb that was organically farmed, marinated in garlic, lemon and olive oil with salt and pepper then perfectly grilled.

So, how did we do?

“The petite is the perfect match,’’ said Mary Lou Lackey, whose husband Wayne owns and operates Wine Country Helicopters.

Chef Rick Warkel, who prepared the lamb, declared the shootout a draw, but most were more decisive.

“Loved the Quixote with and without the food,’’ one voter wrote. “Best with the lamb,’’ wrote another. “They were all superb, but with the lamb the petite was numero uno,’’ was another’s take.

Joey Altman, host of View From the Bay on San Francisco’s Channel 7, offered, arguably, the most incisive critique.

“I liked the Plumpjack and the Cade,’’ he said. “But the Quixote paired better. It resonated with the lamb and all the ingredients on the plate. The frequency and the intensity of the flavors were perfect. John’s big mistake was letting Carl pick the meat.’’

In the end, we feel we proved our point, moving petite syrah to higher ground and affirming again that ours is a star’s trek, the destination where no petite syrah-growing man has gone before.

“This was a setup,’’ Conover said, effectively throwing down the gauntlet. “Next time we’re doing beef.’’

Sounds like another excellent idea. Beef and an appropriately aged petite. Let the debate begin.

By Lew Price on June 23, 2008 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )