Pairing: A flawless wine, a warm lentil salad

A blend of syrah, petite sirah and zinfandel, the wine draws out the best qualities of each of these varietals, Flavors range from Santa Rosa plum, black cherries and juicy ripe apricots to sweet spices, including allspice, cardamom, clove and nutmeg. There is the slightest suggestion of licorice root.

But there is something else, too, an engaging clarity, a brightness, that I find particularly appealing. The wine reminds me of a beautiful lake, its surface smooth as glass, at midnight, a full moon high overhead. It's that kind of clarity.

Roots Red is extraordinarily food-friendly, beautifully suited to a wide range of dishes and culinary styles. It will work as well with a sophisticated menu as it will with rustic, casual foods. It is fabulous with burgers, ribs and chili; it works very well with rare lamb and rare duck breast, and as summer's vegetable ripen, you'll want to enjoy it with sweet peppers, heirloom tomatoes and eggplant.

The classic foods of Provence are well suited to this wine, too; a daube, braised shoulder of lamb, roast duck, rabbit stew, even a hearty bouillabaisse will be flattered by this wine. For inspiration for today's recipe, I turned to a favorite book, “Lulu's Provencal Table” by Richard Olney (Harper Collins, 1994); it was a very simple recipe for lentil salad that caught my eye.

Lulu Peyraud, proprietor of Domaine Tempier, is very precise in her instructions: The lentils must be seasoned with only garlic and the vinaigrette should have nothing but vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. I've retained the spirit of the recipe but have added a favorite condiment, anchovies in vinegar, because I think it forms an excellent bond with the wine. Serve this salad alongside almost any grilled meat or sausage; it is also quite good with roasted chicken.

Warm Lentil Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette and Anchovies

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1small tin oil-cured anchovies, drained

3tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar

1¾cups small French lentils (lentilles du Puy, lentilles vertes), soaked in water for 3 hours and drained

—Boiling water

1garlic bulb, cloves separate, crushed and peeled

—Kosher salt

4 to 5tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

—Black pepper in a mill

—Sourdough hearth bread, hot

Put the anchovies in a small bowl, use a fork to separate them and pour 2 tablespoons of the vinegar over them. Set aside.

Put the lentils into a heavy shallow pan; if you have an earthenware poelon, a shallow French pan, use it. Cover generously with cold water, bring to a full rolling boil and drain. Return the lentils to the pan, cover by about 1½ inches of boiling water, add the garlic and simmer gently, covered for 45 minutes. Season with salt and continue to cook until the lentils are tender but intact; cooking time should range from 60 to 70 minutes or a bit longer, depending on the age of the lentils.

Drain the lentils, saving the cooking liquid for soup, if you like.

Return the drained lentils to the poelon, if using, or to a wide shallow serving dish that has been warmed. Add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss, taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter the anchovies and vinegar over the salad and serve warm, with the hot bread alongside.

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.