Sonoma coast pinots perfect with mushrooms

<p>As the days grow noticeably longer and, for better or worse, winter breezes carry suggestions of spring, thoughts turn to pinot noir, the most delicate and most versatile of all red wines. Pinot noir is as compatible with the slow-cooked soups and stews of mid-December as it is with the delicate foods of early spring.</p><p>In Sonoma County, we have some of the finest pinot noirs in the world. The Russian River Valley viticultural area enjoys a global reputation for its pinot noirs, while both Sonoma Coast and Los Carneros are increasingly recognized as premier climates for what is frequently called the heartbreak grape, a reference to the varietal's fragility and, in those fabulous years when everything goes right and nothing goes wrong, its incomparable beauty.</p><p>Long an enthusiastic fan of the varietal, I recently tasted one of the best pinot noirs I've had in a decade or longer, Copeland Creek 2005 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($27). There is not much of it, retail availability is limited and its maker, Don Baumhefner, no longer has access to the vineyard. But the wine is utterly enchanting and anyone who loves classic pinot noir in all its elusive, ephemeral glory should have an opportunity to enjoy it.</p><p>A close observer will understand from the moment the wine is poured that a special experience is unfolding. The wine is translucent, like an expensive ruby held up to winter sunlight. Neither opaque nor purple nor inky, this is the visual quality lovers of the varietal long for and find so rarely these days, when so many pinot noirs are over-extracted beyond recognition.</p><p>As you lift the wine toward you, you are struck by the extraordinary beauty of the bouquet. It is all that pinot thing, pinessence, I like to say, a musky, earthy aroma that first beckons to you and then embraces you. Surrender willingly.</p><p>The wine's texture is long, lean and delicate -- think velvet as it moves over taffeta. And it has tantalizing flavors, a mixture of violets warmed by a spring sun, soft red berries and cherries just this side of sweetness and an earthiness suggestive of both rich damp topsoil and wild mushrooms. I cannot imagine a prettier wine.</p><p>These qualities, along with a bright acidity and just 13.5 percent alcohol, result in a wine that can be fully appreciated on its own, preferably near dusk on a foggy day. It is also as versatile as a wine can be. You can just as easily enjoy this wine with oysters on the half shell -- it sounds blasphemous, I know, but with a red wine vinegar mignonette or a little cocktail sauce, it's a great match -- as you can with seared duck breast.</p><p>If you happen to have fresh white truffles around, lucky you; shave some over roasted asparagus topped with a perfectly poached egg and savor it with this wine.</p><p>Although Don Baumhefner is not a household name, it probably should be, considering his long involvement in Sonoma County wine. He worked with the legendary Joseph Swan from the late 1970s until Swan's death in 1988. When John Ash &amp; Co. opened in Montgomery Village in 1980, Don was at the helm of the restaurant's retail wine shop. While his wife, Kay Baumhefner, was chef at Petaluma's Opera House Cafe in the mid-1980s, Don tended bar and crafted the restaurant's wine list.</p><p>I met him at John Ash &amp; Co. in the early 1990s, at a tasting of California pinot noirs from the late 1960s and 1970s. And although I can't claim that everything I know about pinot noir comes from him, nothing I have learned since that first tasting eclipses what I learned that evening.</p><p>"Ninety-eight percent of all pinot noir should be thrown out," he declared at the beginning of the tasting, capturing my attention instantly. "The rest are the finest wines in the world."</p><p>I've never forgotten those words and I've never found reason to disagree with them. I should probably add that he was not making pinot noir at the time.</p><p>For today's recipe, I'm focusing on a simple yet favorite mushroom pasta, in part because mushrooms and pinot noir are made for each other. But in this case, not just any mushroom will do. For the very best match, find some Hen-of-the-Woods, available at farmers markets and, occasionally, at better supermarkets. A wine such as this one deserves the effort.</p><p>Pappardelle with Oven-roasted Hen-of-the-Woods, Creme Fraiche and Fontina</p><p>Makes 2 to 3 servings</p><p>-- Kosher salt</p><p>8 ounces dried pappardelle </p><p>3 tablespoons butter, preferably organic</p><p>8 ounces Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms (see Note below)</p><p>-- Black pepper in a mill</p><p>2/3 cup dry white wine</p><p>3 tablespoons creme fraiche</p><p>2 ounces Italian fontina</p><p>1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives or minced fresh Italian parsley</p><p>Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.</p><p>Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water, season with about 2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, add the pappardelle and stir gently until the water returns to a boil and the coils unfold. Cook according to package directions until just done, usually and 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a warm wide shallow bowl.</p><p>Meanwhile, put the butter into a medium saute pan and set in the oven for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is melted and bubbling. Carefully set the pan on a heatproof work surface, add the mushrooms and turn gently to coat with butter. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine and return to the oven.</p><p>Cook the mushrooms until they are completely limp, about seven minutes. Add the creme fraiche and fontina and cook for two minutes more. Remove from the oven.</p><p>Working quickly, stir the mushrooms two or three times to integrate the sauce. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta and use two forks to gently lift the pasta several times to allow the juices to coat it. Season with several turns of black pepper, sprinkle with chives or parsley and serve immediately.</p><p>Note: Hen-of-the-Woods are also known as Sheep's Head and Maitake mushrooms. Its earthy flavor is enhanced by an irresistible texture created by the dozens of thin little branches that give it its English name. Although there is no direct substitute, this dish is excellent with black chanterelles. Trumpet Royale, Velvet Pioppini and Nebrodini Bianco, all produced by Gourmet Mushrooms in Sebastopol, are also outstanding in this dish.</p><p>Michele Anna Jordan can be contacted via e-mail at michele@micheleannajordan.com.</p>