Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Going into the New Year celebration, instead of champagne, what about a red wine of superlative taste and a delicious pairing?

For instance; the 2009 Gramercy Cellars, Montoya Temparnillo, a Spanish-style red wine, aged 15 months in American oak. This flamenco dance in a glass bangs in complex black fruits, swooshing the cheeks in swaths of earthen strawberries and cream, scattered in rubbed sage, cayenne pepper and a long truffled tongue. Hosting 97 percent Temparnillo and 3 percent succulent Syara Mourvedre, this wine is best served with grilled clean red meats and red sauced everything.

Winemaker and owner, Greg Harrington is the youngest American to pass the master Sommeliers exam and graduate with honors from Cornell Hotel School. His approach in the vineyard is minimalist believing less intervention is best, encouraging splendor in the grass.

When defining Harrington's professional list of Sommelier achievements, it's like reading a list of food and wine's who's who: Joyce Goldstein's Square One, Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans, Wolfgang Puck's Spago, The Bellagio, Las Vegas.

However, today it's Gramercy Winery of Walla Walla that has the heart and soul of this young wine genius and in the case of the Gramercy portfolio, Harrington's handcrafted wines show beautifully.

Greg, because you realize success is based on the guts it takes to step out of the box, not on who's who in the world of food and wine celebrity, yours truly Judith Henderson of Wine and Country Living, concurs with your purest wine philosophy and gives you 98 points of wine tasting perfection for the 2009 Gramercy Montoya Tampranillo. Congratulations Greg and team Gramercy! 509-876-2427.

Until next week, "Eat Art Drink Imagination!"

Splendid Red Sauce

8 fresh chopped tomatoes

¼-cup sun dried tomatoes

1-bay leaf

2-tablespoons basil leaf

1-teaspoon curry powder

1-tablespoon each: EVOO, butter, sugar

4 cloves smashed garlic

1 cup each: red wine, water (reserve)

In a sauce pot add all ingredients; simmer for 1 hour adding water as needed. Cool sauce, re-heat, add more water as needed; serve with clean beef steaks, pasta and a bottle of '09 Gramercy Montoya Tempranillo.

Judith's Cookbook, "Wine and Country Living" is ready for sale and distribution: 509-520-8748