Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Like a Chagall painting, broad strokes of crim- son red and golden hues brighten the countryside. The winds of change are upon us with familiar fall smells of pot roast, cinnamon apples and nettles after a light rain. This is the time of year when anything is possible.

This Week's Wine: Cavu Cellars '09 Cabernet Sauvignon, $35 a bottle at Cavu Cellars. This wine is a deliberate red packed in complex tannins roll- ing in rich concentrates and a long silky finish. Es- sence of saddle leather swoosh the cheek, tongue wrapped in chicory and rose, a bouquet pairing well with coarse salted prime rib, blackened tofu steaks, rosemary pork chops and baked chicken paprika. I can't think of another American cab' that quite matches this vintage's up-front nature. The grapes for this wine were harvested from the leg- endary Les Collines Vineyards in Columbia Valley, a certified, sustainable organic grower who makes and uses his own organic mulch compost.

The Winemaker: For those that know him, Joel Waite is our good-humor man of wine, but there's more going on inside the mind of Joel. His choice of grapes is brilliant, teaming with the great grow- ers of the region to crush and punch. Joel is not only a qualified Washington State winemaker with growing portfolio of gold-awarded wines, but a culinary artist who depends on his palate to make Cavu wines specifically for food and pleasure.

The Wine Honor: To Joel Waite, whose tall good looks land him plenty of attention, but it's your focused food wines that has the public following your Sauvé Fare. So much so that yours truly, Ju- dith Henderson of Wine & Country Living, honors you with 98 Points of Wine Perfection for the Cavu '09 Cabernet Sauvignon. Congratulations Joel and Team Cavu! Cavu Cellars: 509-540-6350

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagi- nation!"

Chicory Apple Salad

Serves 4

1 each green red apple diced

1 cup chicory chopped

Juice of 1 orange

½ cup red grapes

Bleu cheese crumbles

Toss all ingredients together. Drizzle salad lightly in oil and white balsamic vinegar, paired with a bottle of Cavu Cellars '09 Cabernet Sauvi- gnon.

Hear Judith's Food & Wine Commentary and Recipes at: www.chefjudithhenderson.com