Sequoia Grove Winery has been crafting exceptional Napa Valley wines since 1979, each exhibiting the true expression of varietal and terroir. As one of Rutherford’s premier Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Sequoia Grove believes that this varietal, for which Napa Valley is most well-known, can, and should, be enjoyed with a variety of cuisines. “Our staff and our in-house chef like to debunk the long- held belief that Cabernet can be paired only with red meat,” said Steven Bowden, VP of Sales and Marketing. “We strive to demonstrate our winemaking and pairing philosophy at every opportunity. We en- courage  members  and  guests  to discover unexpected flavor combinations through our wine and food pairings, for which Sequoia Grove is a valley innovator.”

Each of Sequoia Grove’s Napa Valley wines – especially its Cabernet Sauvignon – is made with food in mind. And in-house chef, Britny Maureze, carefully pairs each wine with a wide range of flavors and textures inspired by the wines’ plush fruit, balanced structure, and intricate herbaceous details. Maureze, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of  America,  builds both contrasting and complementary flavors to gently amplify the complexity of each wine. Her unconventional pairings challenge traditional approaches, making Sequoia Grove’s food and wine  tastings  ‘best-in-class’  experiences, unlike any others in Napa Valley. Pairings are always seasonally specific and artfully presented, each dish inspired by one of their vineyard-designate wines and created to perfectly complement that particular wine. For instance, a recent seasonal pairing matched up Sequoia Grove’s Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with butternut squash gnocchi. The gnocchi bathed in butter braised leeks provided a decadent, satisfying texture to stand up to structured Cabernet. Pomegranate seeds added a lively, fruity pop to bolster the fruit in the wine, crispy brussels sprout leaves and toasted almonds offered crunch and nuttiness, complementing roasted barrel undertones. Sage brown butter tied everything together by softening tannin and allowing more robust expression of detail and complexity. This ‘think  outside  the box’ approach has garnered Sequoia Grove significant accolades, including repeated People’s Choice Awards from OpenTable.

Maureze does feature some red meat with her pairings, but always with a creative twist. Sequoia Grove guests will never see a ‘Don’t Try This at Home’ qualifier while at the winery. Maureze and the team of wine educators are proponents of trying pairings at home. Maureze conceded that a perfect at-home pairing can be intimidating, but she said it’s really not so difficult. “Starting with great ingredients and a solid recipe makes it easy to try your hand at a winery- caliber pairing in the comfort of your own home,” said Maureze. “Try a high-quality lamb chop with your favorite dusty and decadent Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. This lamb dish is sure  to  balance  out any unruly acidity in the wine with both creaminess from the yogurt and the  fat on the chop. Grilling the meat provides a smoky characteristic that can bring out similar flavors in the wine from the toasty French oak, and the pepper and coriander pop on the palate with a nice bit of spice. Cheers!”

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS with CHERMOULA YOGURT

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 single rib lamb chops, about 1/2-inch thick
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS: Season lamb chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over  high heat, about 3 minutes. Add the lamb chops. Cook about 2 minutes on each side, aiming for an internal temperature of 135 degrees. Remove to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve with chermoula yogurt.

Chermoula Yogurt – Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup (packed) cilantro leaves with tender stems
• 1 cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems
• 1/2 cup (packed) mint leaves
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS: Puree all ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; chill in  an airtight container.

Visit sequoiagrove.com for more great recipes.

8338 St. Helena Highway, Napa, CA 707-944-2945 • www.sequoiagrove.com