A Weekend in Napa (Part I)

Wine and Cheese pairing at Darioush, b’coz why not?

Ever paired a chardonnay with a fresh fromage blanc and a dash of turmeric salt? How about carrot hummus delicately sprinkled with pistachios to go with the chardonnay?

Seated in the private chamber of the Darioush winery for a cheese and wine encounter was by far the most intimate and unique journey I have had with wine. The elements of Persian culture were not only limited to the wine, architecture and hospitality of the vineyard — they blended and translated into the fine cheeses that were created with out of the box elements such as turmeric.

The marriage of perfectly sourced local ingredients with foreign spices was not forced, nor complex. It was nothing I would’ve imagined but yet it welcomed me with a sense of familiarity.

The special wine that featured in this pairing was Darioush’s 2015 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon — a royal vintage wine, with dark, solid tannins that rendered a powerful black fruit aroma mixed with oak and spices — delivering a complex wine with a remarkable finish! Undoubtedly, several grapes add to the exotic wine finally produced — including 10% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot blended with the 81% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine definitely topped my list and the experience of pairing it with a Wilde Weide fromagerie, produced from organic raw cow milk in the traditional Gouda method, with subtle tones of caramel and pineapple, all the way from Holland was surely rewarding.

All along, an indefinable connection grew in the cellar amongst us strangers — wine lovers, amateurs, tourists, ordinary people.

My next favourite cheese was Atika, the Miwok word for “two”, from Tomales Farmstead Creamery in California, produced from a blend of goat and sheep milks pressed into a firm wheel. Atika paired well with the 2015 Duel of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, it’s smooth and nutty profile cutting through the largesse and denseness of the black fruit combined with clove, peppers and a hint of dark chocolate and chai tea.

The french-oaked barrels lined up outside the private cellar and the dimly lit setting transformed an ordinary evening into a rather mesmerising event that you’ll take home. I know we need to think about that umami effect and whether the cheese cuts the acidity of the wine accurately or not. Yet, if you allow the wine and cheese to play with one another you would be surprised with the flavour notes you come across. After all, you wouldn’t behold a black sun if individual starlings stuck to their own dance routine instead of coming together…

Head to Part II to read about the winemaker’s journey extraordinaire! https://medium.com/@saigalsn/a-weekend-in-napa-part-ii-5c1b1276a3d3