Red, White and You

Serious diners are always in search of flavor adventures-new foods, new wines and, especially, bold new pairings of the two. To tempt your palate this month, we asked five Southwest Florida wine connoisseurs to get creative with inspiring new combinations. Along the way, we discovered rejuvenated regions in Spain and France, new hybrid grapes produced in Australia-and even chilled vineyards in Canada that are creating delicious, concentrated wine. Matching these flavorful wines with your dinner or dessert and steering clear of the conventional wisdom-red wine with beef, white with seafood-will only make your dining experience more memorable, insists the Ritz-Carlton's new sommelier, Patricia Borgardt. "If you've never heard of it, try it," she says.

Along with Borgardt, we spoke with the sommelier for Naples' In Good Spirits, Michael Bevacqua; the co-owner of Bacchus of Naples, David Contreras; Haskell's Wine & Spirits owner, Jack Farrell; and The Bonita Bay Group's new wine director, Hans Holzmann. The wines recommended here are available in restaurants and wine shops throughout Southwest Florida. So next time your server recommends the basic merlot or cab with your entrée, why not raise his eyebrows with a call for something unusual?

The Red-Meat Entree

The classic: A good cabernet sauvignon is the benchmark when it comes to balancing beef with wine. The tannins help the red meat to tenderize. But if you have top-quality beef, you can use grapes with softer tannins and experiment with pairings.

Break the rules: Is pairing beef with white wine such a faux pas? No, insists Borgardt, who recommends rich Rhône Valley white blends for those who don't want the usual cab with their steak. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape region in the southern Rhône Valley of France is known for its red wine. But its whites are also full-bodied and rich, making them excellent with that tasty fillet. "[They are] loaded with apricot and honey notes, making them great with rich dishes,"

says Contreras.

Or try California's version of the Rhône Valley with John Alban's blends. Hailing from a vineyard in the Edna Valley in California that specializes in Rhône-styled wines, Alban gives a New World twist to Rhône Valley whites. "France can't make it like California does," says Holzmann. "With your pepperiest, heaviest steak, this will cut through everything you've got."

Still not ready to make the leap to white wine with red meat? Then try some unusual and spicy reds, especially those from the Toro region of Spain, where young winemakers like Pablo Álvarez are creating some delicious and food-friendly blends in a New World style. They have layers of flavor and aromatics like blackberries and cedar, but are earthy, herbal and spicy, and pair perfectly with your red meat entrée, says Borgardt.

Try these

Rhône Valley Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc: Château de Beaucastel Roussane Vielles Vignes 2003 ($114)

Rhône Valley red: Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 2003 ($123)

Rhône-style white: Alban Vineyards Roussanne 2003 ($40)

Toro: Pablo Álvarez's Bodegas Pintia 2002 ($50)

Toro: Bodegas Numanthia-Termes 2003 ($99)

The Seafood Entrée

The classic: Most diners pair fish entrées with chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. The acidity of the seafood matches the acidity of the wine so that no single flavor remains in your mouth for the whole meal.

Break the rules: A year ago, Rieslings were viewed as tart and tacky, but "people are waking up to Riesling," says Holzmann. Borgardt agrees. "German wines are going back to the traditional style and people are awakening to see what a great grape Riesling is," she says. Most Rieslings have a floral flavor, but some even have a taste of fruit, which pairs well with trout and other fish fillets. And while Contreras believes German Rieslings are among the best values on the wine market today, Australian (or Canadian) Rieslings are also getting their calling in local restaurants and wine shops. They are naturally sweet, with peach and apple flavors that pair exceptionally with spicy seafood dishes, sushi or shellfish.

Or try a grape you don't know, like Albariño from Spain. Albariño wines have a lot of the flavor and fragrances of a Riesling-pears, apples and almonds, and sometimes floral or spice notes linger-but they have a crisp acidity like sauvignon blanc, making them perfect to pair with shellfish or cod. "It's not a scary jump, but it takes you in a new direction," says Borgardt. "You come away with more than just a terrific aftertaste." Another reason why we love this wine: It tingles on your tongue, making it the perfect match for seafood dishes. "Delicious and very accessible," Farrell agrees.

Try these

German Riesling: Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Kabinett 2003 ($74)

German Riesling: Dr. H. Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Kabinett 2004 ($30)

Australian Riesling: Grosset Polish Hill 2004 ($89)

Albariño: Rias Baixas Mar de Frades 2004 ($20)

Albariño: Adegas Morgadío 2004 ($20)

For the Vegetarian

The classic: There are no rules here. But local restaurants usually pair any wines from the Alsace region of France with vegetables. Fruity but dry, they are made to drink alongside artichokes, white asparagus or other vegetables. "A lot of vegetarians get afraid of pairing with wine," says Borgardt. "The whole concept is a new horizon."

Break the rules: A great place to start is Australia, where vineyards are experimenting with different types of grapes from tarrango to sémillon and creating exotic hybrid blends of shiraz and other tasty reds. "They're fun, fun wines," says Bevacqua. "A floral bouquet." There's body to Australian wines, yet a softness that will accept easy-to-eat food like vegetables. "You're not looking for something with powerful flavors that you need to blend with meat. You're deriving a whole new kind of pairing experience," says Bevacqua.

Want to be even more adventurous? Sherry is also a terrific companion to vegetables. Often overlooked and considered simply a rich dessert wine, sherry wines cover the whole spectrum of dry to sweet, making it easy to pair with any spices or sauces you top your vegetables with. This versatile wine also works well with pickled vegetables or a great French onion soup. Sherry is made from three different grapes, but has a number of different styles, among them: fino and amontillado are dry; manzanilla is almost salty; and oloroso is rich and nutty but not sweet. "They are great food companions, and people don't tend to think of them like that," says Borgardt.

Try these

Australian sémillon: Brokenwood 2002 ($49)

Australian shiraz blend: Rouge Homme Shiraz Cabernet 2002 ($20)

Sherry: Bodegas Dios Baco Fino ($21)

Sherry: Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado ($49)

Sherry: Hidalgo NV La Gitana Manzanilla ($12)

Ah, Dessert!

The classic: Any Château d'Yquem. In a class all its own, this winery makes long-lasting and powerfully flavored wines that coat the palate and balance the taste of a rich treat at the end of your meal.

Break the rules: Add some serious flavor to your dessert and try icewine. Canada is becoming the new hot spot for this acquired taste, with two great wineries in the Niagara area. The grapes are left in the vineyards until there is a hard frost. Then they are picked while still frozen and pressed before they thaw to create an intensely concentrated juice that pairs well with fruit-based desserts. Now vineyards can cryogenically freeze the grapes. But either way, your crème brûlée will never be the same.

If you're a chocolate lover at heart, add a burst of raspberry flavor to your sweets. Framboise (or raspberry) wine is pure fermented raspberry and has no grape base. "It's like liquid fruit," says Borgardt. "With chocolate, it will change your religion." The concentrated taste gives your palate a break from the chocolate, and leaves you wanting more dessert. But if you're really looking to break the rules, try an exotic grape from the Viñedo de los Vientos, "Vineyards of the Winds," on Uruguay's Atlantic coast. "The grape tannat is massively endowed and oozing with layers of super-ripe, concentrated fruit and sweet aromas of cassis and vanilla," says Contreras. An exotic wine to pair with that exotic dessert.

Try these

Icewine: Inniskillin Vidal 2004 ($155)

Icewine: Cave Spring Niagara Peninsula 2004 ($60)

Raspberry wine: Bainbridge Island ($15)

Raspberry-flavored wine: Bonny Doon NV Framboise, Infusion of Raspberry ($15)

Uruguay: Viñedo de los Vientos 2000 ($20)

*All prices may vary according to time and place of purchase.