Pair earthy wines with stew

On cold winter evenings, stew is the meal to drive away the chills. Last week, beef stew was the preference. This time, it's venison stew.

Now comes the choice of drink; wine, of course.

But what works for these hearty dishes?

Jim Compton at J. Emerson's Fine Wines & Cheese on Grove Avenue has some suggestions.

"Full-bodied wines with good acidity to cut through the richness are perfect for hearty stews," Compton said. "The earthier the better, and the flavors should be straightforward, somewhat austere and not a muddle of different tastes in your mouth. Save those types of wines for cocktail parties.

"Nothing goes better with a stew than a Rhone or perhaps a Barbaresco. Petite Sirah from California or a Grenache-Syrah-Carignan-Cabernet blend from Montsant in Spain would be nice as well."

Compton quickly gives a nod to one of the above as his favorite to match with a stew.

"No question," he said, "it would be Rhone wine -- the austerity, the little bit of spiciness from the Syrah to stand up to whatever spices might be in the stew, as well as the fact that they've got the structure to match the fat that comes with the stock of the stew."

Syrah, called Shiraz in Australia, is often the dominant grape in wines from the Southern Rhone Valley of France. Northern Rhone wines usually are blends made from a large number of wines, including Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Carignan. And Barbaresco is an Italian wine made from the Nebbiolo grape.

"These wines have stronger and deeper tannins, and the fruit is muted and subtle," Compton said. "Where the fruit is more obvious, like Barbaresco, it is offset by great acidity. These wines can be earthy, spicy and a bit rustic, a perfect complement to a seasoned stew with a variety of spices and vegetables.

"The Rhones will have dark cherry, currant and earthy aromas and flavors. The Petite Sirah will have spicy, brambly fruit flavors, herbs and hints of earth. Barbaresco will have sweeter fruit notes and oak-derived flavors, but the acidity and tannins make it a great match for stew."

Brunswick stews have a great wine match, too.

"A Rhone wine would go beautifully with that type of stew," Compton said. "If there's game in the stew, all the more reason a Rhone would go well with it. Those wines were kind of built around those kinds of foods."

And if you're in the mood to sit and sip?

"A Shiraz, in general, is nice for a sipping wine," Compton said. "They play better by themselves; they don't need food. The ones with a little higher alcohol can warm your soul a little bit on a cold night."

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