Winesday

Peter: This wine takes me back to my first visit to Napa Valley with The Pope. So smooth and drinkable; the only acid I'm getting is probably a holdover from the 15lbs of crawfish that I ate yesterday. To steal a trademark saying from La Papa, "This wine tastes like eating grapes." I just want something simple and delicious. Thinking about the crusty double-cut pork chop from Rue 127.

Rene: Simple, luscious, and fruity but not overly so. Very well balanced wine. Could drink this all day and night. Dark purple, rich wine with a wee bit of spice in the back. Certainly not overrun with tannins. While a steak seems like a natural fit, for some reason I keep thinking Italian. Specifically the pasta alla amatriciana from a Mano. Also, something crazy in the back of my head says it would be perfect with a roast beef po-boy from Parkway.



Joe the Wine Guy: What you are drinking there is a 2005 Newton Unfiltered Merlot that begins with notes of sage and juniper berries. Then red and black cherry aromas accented by appealing earthy flavors give way to fine-grained tannins with compliments of cocoa powder, spice, and anise on the finish. Retails for $52 and you can find it at Besh Steakhouse, Le Foret, Gattuso's, and Elio's.