Pairing: Pulled-pork with Seghesio zinfandel

Our Wine of the Week, Seghesio 2013 Sonoma Zinfandel ($24), is a classic of the genre, a benchmark of the varietal to scores of both zinfandel lovers and zinfandel makers.

The wine is big and bold yet possesses engaging depth. On the palate, layers of dark fruit unfold, with sweet spices and an earthy, briary flourish keeping things interesting on the finish. You’ll notice blackberry, olallieberry, purple raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry and just a hint of black plum before the spices kick in.

The wine’s deep hue is contributed by what we can call a splash of petite sirah. Tannins are firm yet smooth, not rough or dusty.

At the table, the wine is perfect with classic Italian fare, from spaghetti and meatballs and ravioli to polenta with slow-cooked tripe, rich risottos and tomato-based fish stews. It also works beautifully with dishes that include chickpeas and parsnips. But the wine soars as a companion to foods off the grill, including bruschetta, sausage, skirt steak, flank steak, Korean-style ribs, classic barbecue and even figs wrapped in bacon.

For today’s recipe, I’m inspired by a delicious pulled-pork sandwich I enjoyed recently at Jack & Tony’s Restaurant and Whisky Bar in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. You can always order take-out, but it is not difficult to prepare something similar at home, though it is best if you make the sauce, which takes just a few minutes, the day before so that its flavors can merge and blossom.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Serves 6 to 8

Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

3 pounds Boston butt or pork shoulder roast

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 buns of choice, split

½ green cabbage, shredded

Make the sauce, preferably a day before serving it.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Set the pork on a clean work surface.

Put the salt, paprikas and black pepper into a bowl, stir and then rub all over the pork, using all the mixture.

Set the pork in an oven-proof container, add about ¼ inch of water and set on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until the pork is fall-apart tender; it will take about 4 hours. Check it occasionally and add water to keep the pork from burning.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a clean work surface and cover with a tent of foil. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Use your fingers, carefully, or two sturdy forks to pull the pork into small pieces. Alternately, use a cleaver to chop it into small pieces. Transfer the pork to a bowl, add about half the sauce, toss, cover with foil and keep warm.

Toast the buns lightly.

Put the cabbage into a bowl, season with salt and add just enough barbecue sauce to moisten it; toss well.

To serve, pile pork on the bottom half of each bun, top with cabbage, add the top half of the bun and enjoy right away, adding more sauce and more cabbage as you like.

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Not Strictly Traditional North Carolina Barbecue Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon medium-spicy red hot sauce, such as Texas Pete’s

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pour the vinegar into a glass bowl or similar vessel, add the syrup or sugar and stir well. Add the ketchup, salt, hot sauce, red pepper flakes and black pepper and stir again. Pour into 1 large or 2 medium squeeze bottles and refrigerate for one day before using.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 19 books to date, including the new “More Than Meatballs.” Email Jordan at catsmilk@sonic.net. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.