A softer merlot with turkey gumbo

With alcohol under 14 percent, tannins that are soft and silky and fruit that is integrated with other characteristics, perhaps this wine represents a sea change in how the varietal is handled. We can hope; merlot is a pretty wine that engages with a broad range of flavors when it is made well.

A smoky quality runs through this wine, weaving among notes of black tea, Vietnamese cinnamon, dried blackberries, Tahitian vanilla and a suggestion of something along the lines of dried ginger or a well-aged Madeira.

I should probably say something about the wine’s name; the initials SKN stand for Screw Kappa Napa, one of the labels produced by Three Loose Screws Wine Company, in turn a division of Don Sebastiani and Sons.

To their credit, the whimsical name is understated on the label. Some wines with particularly clever names disappoint in the glass, but not this one; it delivers and the name does not get in the way.

One of the wine’s best matches is black beans, either in chili or in soup, preferably with cornbread alongside. It is also excellent with black bean tamales and black bean pot pie, a favorite winter dish.

Today’s recipe would have featured black beans were it not for the reality of all those turkey carcasses we’ll have by Friday morning. They are impossible to ignore, or resist.

Turkey risotto is lovely with this wine but even better, I think, is turkey gumbo.

When you get the roux right — it takes a bit of practice and you shouldn’t be afraid to throw out your first attempt if it doesn’t go well — the texture is so rich and velvety that it makes the perfect cushion for this wine.

Turkey Gumbo

Makes 6 to 8 servings

8cups turkey stock (see Note below)

½cup duck fat, peanut oil, or clarified butter

½cupall-purpose flour

1yellow onion, cut into small dice

1green bell peppers, cut into small dice

4large celery ribs, cut into small dice

2tablespoons file powder (ground dried sassafras, also known as gumbo file)

2teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

½teaspoon garlic powder

½teaspoon ground black pepper

¼teaspoon ground white pepper

1/8teaspoon chipotle powder or ground cayenne

1pound andouille, kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into medium dice

6 to 8garlic cloves, minced

2turkey thighs, cooked, skinned, boned and cut into medium dice

6½ to 7cups steamed white rice (from 2 cups raw rice), hot

—Fresh sage leaves and minced fresh sage, for garnish, optional

Put the turkey stock in a large pot, set it over medium heat, bring it to a boil and cook until it is reduced to just three cups. Set the stock aside.

Put the fat, butter or oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven set over medium high heat. When it just begins to smoke, use a long-handled wooden spoon or to stir the flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, into the hot oil. Stir constantly as the flour begins to color. (If black specks appear, the flour has burned; discard the mixture and begin again.)

When the mixture is a very dark reddish-brown, remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the onion, green pepper and celery, holding your head back and protecting your stirring arm so that the cloud of hot steam that rises does not burn you.

Continue to stir as the roux cools and ceases to darken, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the file powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the garlic powder, the black and white pepper and the chipotle powder or cayenne.

Return the pot to the heat.

Bring the stock to a boil and add the roux, a large spoonful at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the sausage and garlic, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey, simmer 20 minutes more. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.

Ladle gumbo into individual soup plates and top each portion with a generous scoop of rice. Garnish with sage leaves and minced sage, if using, and serve immediately.

Note: To make turkey stock, put the carcass and any meaty bones, along with the neck and gizzard, into a large soup pot and cover with water.

Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam that forms on the surface.

Reduce the heat and boil without stirring for several hours, until the carcass falls apart. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Clean the pot, return the strained stock to it, set over medium heat, season to taste with salt and simmer until reduced to just 8 cups.

Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or packing into freezer bags and freezing for up to one year.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts “Mouthful” each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com.