Wine & and Food: AYA Syrah

Wine Name: AYA Syrah 2011

Wine: AYA	Type: Syrah
Country: Argentina	Region: San Juan
Rating: Good	Price: $17
Recommendation: Recommended

This week we prepared one of my favorite dishes, the Spanish Paella, I’m not sure if the recipe I used is truly a traditional Spanish one, but the result was pleasing for my first effort at cooking Paella. For the wine, I went to my expert contact, Matt at the Specs on the corner of Williams Trace Blvd and Highway 6 in Sugar Land, and he recommended an Argentinian Syrah.

The wine is a deep dark crimson color, with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and a slightly smoky overture. The flavor is fruity, with some cherry coming through. It is also slightly spicy with hints of black pepper. The wine is smooth and easy drinking but would be best paired with medium to strong flavored foods, including red meats and tomato dishes.

The wine comes from San Juan, in the mid north west of Argentina. The San Juan region is several hours drive, almost due west from Buenos Aires towards the foot of the majestic Andes Mountains. The region has mild winters and warm to hot summers and is very dry, with the vineyards relying heavily on irrigation from the nearby San Jaun and Jáchal rivers. The region is the second largest wine producer in Argentina behind the more famous Mendoza province.

One of the big quandaries with Paella is, should the accompanying wine be a red or a white? The dish includes seafood and chicken as well as prosciutto ham and Chorizo sausage. The good news is that either red or white will work just as well, and it all really depends on your personal preferences. I will be interested in hearing your feedback.

Cooking the meal is not overly complex however, there are many steps so I would recommend going through and preparing all the ingredients, including chopping etc, prior to starting the cooking so you can concentrate on the cooking process.

I really enjoy preparing meals using as much in the way of fresh ingredients as possible and I love the way the various colors and aromas come together as the meal progresses. Paella is a great example of the fusion of different colors as you will see from the photo’s.

Herb Blend:

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

1 cup water

1 teaspoon saffron threads

3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half

2 links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 (4-ounce) slice prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice

1 cup frozen green peas

8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Herb blend

Combine the first 4 ingredients, set aside.

Paella

Combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.