Mayo Family Winery Redux

December , 2006 wine pairings: Proscuitto and Blue Cheese "candy cane" (top) with 2004 Syrah, Page-Nord Vineyard (left); Beef tenderloin medallion w/ spiced currants and chocolate snowdust (right) with 2004 Meritage, Los Chamizal Vineyard (middle); Rudolph's pot roast (left) with 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Delaney Vineyard (right).

We have written before about the Mayo Family Winery in Sonoma County. It was time to go back to the reserve room and try their new tasting menu. It’s an eye- and taste-bud-opening experience for neophytes and perhaps a few sophisticated oenophiles, too.

The host introduced each bottle while the chef labored in the kitchen to produce a pairing dish that would contrast or complement the wine. We sipped the wine, becoming accustomed to its taste, sampled the food, and finally re-tasted the wine and were astonished by how our perception of its flavor had changed. Invariably the change was for the better.

The price of the experience is still a bargain and may even be a loss leader at $25 per head. We took home a case. After all, it’s Christmas. © 2007 Stephen Yuen

December, 2006 wine pairings: Beet and goat cheese ginger bread (top) with 2005 Sauvingon Blanc, Emma's Vineyard (left), Coconut prawn and egg nog tart (right) with 2005 Viognier, Sunnyview Vineyard (middle); Ahi Tuna and Shiitake "ornament" (left) with 2005 Pinot Noir, La Cruz Vineyard