Column #1 

Written by: Johnny Noakes Sommelier/Manager at Maximum Beverage 

Recipe by: Chef David Repp 

Wine Walk-About: France--The Northern Rhone 

As your intrepid guide on this vinous adventure, I’m here to dive headfirst into the world of wine from the vineyards of Tuscany to the hot arid vineyards of Paso Robles and everywhere in between. All accompanied by the tantalizing creations of top chefs, and occasionally yours truly. 

We’re not here for the stuffy and the mundane. No, we’re on a mission to shed light on the hidden treasures of the wine world, casting aside the pretense and mediocrity that often plague it. But fear not my fellow gastronomes, for amidst the sips and swirls there will be laughter, there will be revelry and just maybe a nugget or two of culinary enlightenment. So, grab your fork and knife, a pristine wine glass and some bail money, the bus is about to depart. 

The Rhone Valley—more specifically the Northern Rhone, or as the French call it, Septentrionale, Latin for “of the north.” Here, expensive red wine (Syrah) is king and the steep, terraced terrain plays folly to the unprepared or over-served. 

What Chef Repp and I want to show you is a taste of the region both in your glass and on your plate—a mere peak inside the AOC’s (appellation d'origine contrôlée certification for wines) of Côte-Rôtie and Cornas that will spur you on to learn more…or maybe not. Either way you will drink and eat like royalty. 

At the end of the German occupation of France, a group of American and French soldiers were moving north from the Mediterranean, drawing ever closer to the Rhone Valley. Under the suggestion of the French command, they decided to split apart from the American forces to search and explore for enemy remnants and artillery. Oddly enough the French took the east side of the Rhone River and the Americans took the western side of the Rhone. Seems like a simple random decision at first, but as you dig deeper you will find some of the greatest vineyards in France just happen to be on the east side. The French would never have left the Americans to trample through the best vineyards of the Rhone Valley all the while recklessly consuming some of the most expensive wines like so much cheap beer. The French were simply protecting their national treasure that had almost been stolen away by Germany. 

The varietal and terroir being protected was Syrah and the Northern Rhone respectively. Syrah with its earthy notes of leather, blackberry and peppery spice is dark ruby to purple in color, can be tannic and at times unruly in its youth on the palate. Vines range from upward of 40 years old, having wild depth and concentration which is then only capable of being tamed by Father Time into a harmonious lengthy wine that can stand up to any form of wild game or beef you can throw on a plate.  

Then ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson once remarked on the wines of Côte-Rôtie, "There is a quality which keeps well, bears transportation and that cannot be drunk under four years." He couldn’t have been more spot on in his observation. This wine needs time before approaching. 

As we drive into Côte-Rôtie (French translation: roasted hillside) you will notice the dangerously steep and terraced western slopes of the valley of Ampuis where the grapes must be carefully hand-picked by sure-footed workers walking over a soil of granite and schist for the most part…no wine drinking until after the day is done as some of the inclines can approach 60 degrees.  Harvester’s dying from falls is not all that uncommon. No wonder these wines are so expensive. The wines from this region come from Côte Brune and Côte Blondes. Wines will usually be a blend of these areas as to create a wine with the power of Brune and the elegance of Blondes. Another advantage gifted only to Hermitage and the Northern Rhone by French law is the ability to blend a white varietal into the red. This is always Viognier and can be as much as 20 percent but usually falls under 10 percent. Viognier offers weight and a livelier nose to Syrah.  

This wine AOC most likely pre-dates the Romans, but until Marcel Guigal in the 1980’s brought this region and its magical wines to the forefront of the general wine world it remained a closely guarded secret of wine snobs the world over. The wine is expensive with extreme weather, terrain and limited acreage assuring that costs stay high. 

Now onto one of my favorite wine regions in the world that no one really talks about accept wine geeks like me. That AOC is Cornas, south of Crozes-Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. With chalk, sand and stone soil throughout the region its steep terraced, southeast facing geographical location shields it from the cold and unpredictable Mistral winds that batter Côte-Rôtie. Unlike Cote Rotie and Hermitage, Cornas is not allowed to blend the white varietal Viognier. So, all you get is Syrah. What Cornas offers however is more of a masculine, untamed, smack you in the teeth Syrah with loads of leather and spice all wrapped up in a dense purple package in your glass. Mind you that this wine is not for everyone as it is big and a bit unruly. Cornas by comparison to Côte-Rôtie is a bargain and should be consumed 8-10 years from the bottle vintage. Harder to find, yes but worth the search. Oh yeah, pair this wine with some sort of red meat. Which brings us to the next bit of business. 

Chef David Repp is part owner/Chef of Cass Cay Restaurant in Punta Gorda Fla.; and Mila’s on the Manatee in Palmetto Fla. 

As always, your wine/spirit and craft beer connection await at all three Maximum Beverage locations where we are fully stocked with Northern Rhone wine and have been serving the greater Hartford community for over 20 years. Or swing by the West Hartford store that I manage where you might just catch me holding court, ready to field your questions, comments and of course fill your tasting glasses. 

Visit us on the web www.maximumbev.com and like us on Facebook & Instagram. 

First Step: Open the bottle of Northern Rhone Wine and decant for at least an hour. 

ROASTED RACK OF VENISON 

Serves 4: 

3LB rack of venison 

1/4 cup Olive oil 

4 cloves of garlic chopped 

¼ cup fresh chopped rosemary  

4 Tbls Dijon mustard or enough to cover the rack 

5 slices of thick cut bacon 

1-1/2  cups red wine (Syrah) 

4 cups beef or veal stock 

1 cup of each: Celery, Carrots, Onion 

Method: 

1) Marinate the venison with the canola oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary 4 hours or overnight before cooking. 

2) Preheat the oven to 425 

3)  Heat a large sauté pan to screaming hot. Season the venison liberally with kosher salt and pepper. 

4) Add 1 Tbls canola oil to the pan and sear the venison rack to create a nice brown crust, about two minutes a side. 

5)  Remove the venison and smother the top with the Dijon mustard. Place the bacon lengthwise over the mustard. 

6) Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pan. Place the venison over them and pour in the red wine 

7) Roast the venison for 30 minutes at 425 then raise the temperature to 500 degrees and roast for 15 minutes more until medium rare. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. 

8) Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of red wine and then add 2 cups of low sodium beef broth to the pan reduce by half on high heat and strain. (For thicker sauce whisk in 1-2 Tbls of wonder flour (super fine flour)  

Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta and roasted Brussel Sprouts. Done!