Berger: New Rosso pizza pairings at Paradise Ridge Winery

After questions about what wine goes with Thanksgiving dinner, the topic of wine and food pairings is one of the most disliked ideas by winemakers.

Dan Barwick, winemaker for Paradise Ridge Winery, is among the few I have met who still cares that his wines are paired with the proper foods. Barwick is a purist at heart and his wines are made to work with food.

Alcohols are modest. Acids are higher than many wineries,’ and the dramatic flavors he coaxes from his fruit - most of them subtle but precise - are due to his vision that Russian River Valley is among the best places in California to make such wines.

It’s not just a coincidence that Barwick loves this style of wine. He took over as winemaker at the Walter Byck-owned winery high above Santa Rosa situated in the heart of the eastern Russian River Valley just off Fountaingrove Parkway.

The 156-acre ranch has only 16 acres of grapes, but the recent plantings were done with a keen eye just after Barwick took over. Some of the best wines are coming off younger vines.

Today, the sculpture-graced property is one of Sonoma County’s jewels, having hosted weddings and offering its spectacular view to those who visit the tasting room well above the valley floor.

“And yet 95% of the residents of Santa Rosa have no idea we’re here,” said Barwick the other day on a cloudless afternoon, just two hours after the daily Russian River Valley fog had lifted.

What brought me to Paradise Ridge was a new program that Barwick has just finalized - it’s so new it’s not even on the winery’s website yet. It’s one that brings wine and food back together in a unique way.

Barwick said he was at Rosso Pizzeria in Santa Rosa some months ago trying a few of his wines with the pizza that some Santa Rosa residents consider the best in town. He and owner John Franchetti began chatting.

Is there a more beloved food than pizza? Barwick asked idly. Everyone loves pizza, he said.

Franchetti noted, though, that there are a lot of variations of pizza, and he suggested one that he thought would work with a pinot noir. He went to the kitchen and made it. And Barwick noted that it went better with his chardonnay!

The two then began experimenting and came up with a pizza with four separate quadrants that work with a wide variety of Paradise Ridge wines, including sauvignon blanc.

That led the winery to install a wood-fired pizza over on a part of the property that looks west.

I participated in a test of the concept last Wednesday and was impressed by the “arduous” homework Dan and John had done.

The result will be on view (and taste) to the public every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the winery starting sometime in late June and going through October.

Called Pizza in Paradise, the concept will pair Rosso pizzas and wines from the winery for guests. Prices are not yet finalized, nor are other details. But the pizzas are astounding.

Meanwhile, the winery’s latest offerings are superb and worth a try - if you can find them. About 90% of the wines are now sold through a winery club or at the tasting room Call 707-528-9463 for details on the pizza events.

Wine of the Week: 2014 Paradise Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley ($25) – The elegant aroma of citrus peel, lime, and tropical fruit leads to a nicely crisp mid-palate and a still-youthful finish. It’s great now, but will be better in two to three months

Sonoma County resident Dan Berger publishes “Vintage Experiences,” a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com.