Wine is not sheltered from the tides of fashion. In just the second half of this century, we`ve seen popular taste swing from sweet to dry and from red wines to white. Grapes, too, go in and out of fashion. Over the past decade, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon have held the spotlight to the exclusion of most other varieties.
Yet there are ripples-if not waves-on the reflecting pool of fashion. These include determined attempts to master the mischievous pinot noir, experiments with Italy`s sangiovese and nebbiolo and a growing fascination with grapes from France`s Rhone Valley. In California, winemakers
experimenting with Rhone varieties such as viognier (white) and mourvedre and syrah (red) have been dubbed the ”Rhone Rangers.”
Syrah is a ”hot” grape. While plantings are limited, enthusiasm is high. It has, according to Jancis Robinson`s erudite ”Wines, Grapes and Vines,” ”the oldest charted geography, as well as history, of the noble grape varieties.” To capsulate, it probably was brought from Shiraz (in what now is southern Iran) to France by Phoenician traders or Roman legions. In the northern Rhone valley, the syrah made long-lived, complex, fascinating wines; in Provence, southern Rhone and the Midi, it was used for blending.
To taste the essence of syrah`s concentrated fruity flavor, seek out wines from the Rhone appellations of Hermitage, Cote Rotie, St. Joseph, Cornas and Croze-Hermitage. Look for 1985 and 1986 or lay away some 1988. (The earthy E. Guigal 1985 Hermitage has been a good buy at Gold Standard for $15.99.)
Farther south, syrah, according to Hugh Johnson, adds ”structure, color, refreshment and aging potential” to the reds of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Cotes-du-Rhone. Although syrah has never been a major component in these wines, a larger percentage has been used recently to make the wines smoother and more acceptable to the so-called international palate.
It wasn`t until the mid-1970s that Joseph Phelps produced the first California syrah. Now he has company. Acreage jumped from barely 100 in the mid-`80s to almost 350 by 1990. In addition to Phelps` Vin du Mistral, look for Meridian, Kendall-Jackson, Qupe, Zaca Mesa and the distinctive black 500- liter bottle from R.H. Phillips.
(The more widely planted petite sirah is not syrah at all, but a French grape called the durif in its native country.)
In Australia, the syrah is known as the shiraz and is the most widely planted red-wine grape. Quality ranges from mundane to magnificent. The best example of the latter is Penfold`s pricey Grange Hermitage. Cabernet sauvignon-shiraz blends are popular too.
In any country, syrah belongs with the rich, hearty dishes that follow or cheeses such as gruyere, cheddar and reblochon.
DUCK IN SYRAH WINE WITH PRUNES
Nine or ten servings
3 ducks, defrosted if frozen
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 large onions, sliced
8 cloves garlic, peeled
10 to 12 peppercorns, crushed
2 bouquets garni (celery, a bay leaf, parsley and thyme tied in cheesecloth)
3 bottles of red Rhone wine, California syrah or shiraz
24 to 30 dried prunes, steeped in hot tea until soft
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
Chicken broth (if needed)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. The night before or the morning of the meal, prepare the ducks. Cut each into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, both breasts cut in half). Chop carcass and wingtips into small pieces. Place all the duck pieces in a large bowl, cover with carrots and onions, add garlic, peppercorns and 1 bouquet garni. Pour in enough wine to just cover the duck pieces. Set aside in a cool place or, if marinating overnight, refrigerate and remove the next day.
2. When ready to cook, drain the duck pieces, duck bones and vegetables, using a large strainer set over a bowl. Dry duck pieces with paper towels. Drain the tea-soaked prunes and transfer to a small pan. Cover with some of the reserved wine, bring to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large, flameproof casserole, heat 1 tablespoon butter and the oil. Slowly brown the duck pieces, skin side first, until golden brown on both sides. Work in batches so they won`t be crowded. Reserve.
4. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using the same fat, brown the duck bones, then remove; add the vegetables, cooking and stirring until they are tender, then remove them. Pour off excess fat, then stir in the remaining tablespoon butter. When melted, add the flour and stir over moderate heat until slightly browned. Off the heat, pour in the wine used to cook the prunes and whisk until smooth. Add remaining reserved wine and simmer for a few minutes.
5. Add duck pieces, browned bones and vegetables. If the wine doesn`t completely cover everything, add chicken broth to cover. Place the remaining bouquet garni in the middle of the pot, season with salt and pepper. Cut a circle of parchment paper and place it over the stew. Bring liquid to a boil, cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
6. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the point of a sharp knife easily pierces the meat. Remove duck pieces to a dish with a little juice. Cover until needed.
7. Remove and discard duck bones, leaving the vegetables. Raise heat and reduce liquid until about 3 1/2 cups remain. Strain the sauce and degrease it. Pick out garlic cloves and discard other vegetables and bouquet garni. Puree garlic and stir into the sauce. If necessary, reduce sauce until about 3 cups remain.
8. About 10 minutes before serving, reheat duck pieces in sauce. Serve with rice and garnish plates with reserved prunes.
-Adapted from ”Food and Friends” (Viking), by Simone Beck
VEAL SHANK WITH FENNEL AND RADICCHIO
Four servings
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cross-cut veal shank pieces (osso buco), tied around the middle
3 cups red Rhone wine, California syrah or shiraz
4 medium-size heads radicchio
2 large bulbs fresh fennel, trimmed of stalks and cut in half
1 cup roasted shallots+
4 cups veal stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon minced garlic
+To prepare roast shallots, heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat 14 to 16 unpeeled shallots with vegetable oil, place in a baking pan or skillet and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool and remove shallots from their skin.
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Add the veal shanks and brown on all sides. Transfer shanks to a warm dish and set aside.
2. Add wine to the skillet and cook, still on high heat, until the wine is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the shanks, radicchio, fennel and shallots in the skillet. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Float a sheet of aluminum foil, dull side down, on the surface of the stock. Cover the skillet with a lid, place on the lower rack of the oven and cook until tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Shanks are done when a skewer inserted into the thickest section of the meat can be removed without resistance.
4. Remove 1 1/2 cups stock to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until thickened to coat the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper.
5. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, mint and garlic. Transfer the veal shanks to serving plates and remove the string. Arrange the vegetables across the plates, spoon the reduced sauce over the shanks and sprinkle with the herb mixture. Serve with the same wine used in cooking.
-Adapted from ”Cooking for all Seasons” (Macmillan), by Jimmy Schmidt
