“The best wines all want food. They may be the focus, they may be the accompaniment, depending on the situation, but they’re always good dancers.” —Chris Howell
The Cain Syrah wants food. This is a wine for the table and its place is with the savories of the middle courses. Not a salad wine, not a dessert wine, the Cain Syrah is not about fruit—it’s all about everything else. Think Umami. Think Earth and Herbs ….mmmm.
The best wines all want food. They may be the focus, they may be the accompaniment, depending on the situation, but they’re always good dancers. So plan a meal around the Cain Syrah. Think of something earthy, and savory like our Chef Matt Bennett’s Soy and Mirin Glazed Mushrooms with Toasted Almonds and Wild Rice recipe below. Roast beef will do; paté, even better.
For many people the Cain Syrah might come as a surprise, with its feral perfume, verging on floral. One might want to wear it rather than drink it. This wine is certainly not about the grape variety, Syrah—rather it is all about place—the Cain Vineyard. The good news is this: its like nothing else.
—Christopher Howell, Wine Grower
March, 2024
Soy and Mirin Glazed Mushrooms with Toasted Almonds and Wild Rice
—Pair with 2018 Cain Syrah—
Earthy mushrooms reflect earth tones in the wine, while bright lemon brings contrast and helps accentuate the wine’s fruit.
Ingredients
12 large crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon neutral oil
¼ cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup cooked wild rice blend
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon minced shallot
zest of 1 lemon, fine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Remove stem and gills from mushrooms. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add mushroom caps and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, flipping once. Add mirin and soy and reduce by about 1/3. Glaze the mushroom caps with the reduced soy/mirin. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
Combine remaining ingredients and spoon into mushroom caps. Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes.
Chef Matt Bennett has been cooking for the wine industry in the Napa Valley for almost 20 years. Be it an intricate food and wine pairing meal, a walk around wine release party, or cooking lunch for hungry workers during harvest time, Matt thrives on the power wine and food have to bring people together. When he’s not cooking, you’ll find Matt enjoying time with his wife and daughters at their home in rural Napa County, or perhaps exploring a new fishing destination.