Pairings: Pasta with Louis M. Martini Cabarnet Sauvignon

Louis M. Martini 2014 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, our Wine of the Week, is beautifully balanced, with dark fruit and a flourish of sweet spices countered by a hint of toasty smoke and a silken texture.

Fruit flavors lean towards black currant, black plum, blackberry and dried Bing cherry, with spice evoking clove, nutmeg, allspice, cumin and a bit of licorice root.

When it comes to pairing the wine, the challenge is how to make it resonate with flavors we enjoy in the spring.

It is an obvious match with such cool-weather classics as braised short ribs, sausages with polenta, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and beef pot roast.

To pair it with lighter fare, think carrots and oil-cured black olives, both of which engage with this wine in a very appealing manner. You can even poach peeled and sliced carrots in some of the wine for a great side dish, ideal alongside grilled meats.

Eggplant, sweet red peppers, and dead-ripe tomatoes will be good matches, too, when their seasons arrive.

Put eggplant Parmigiana and ratatouille on your list for summer indulgences with this lovely and affordable red quaffer.

For today's recipe, I'm inspired by the delicious carrots currently available at our farmers markets.

With black olives as an additional bridge between the wine and the carrots, you have delicious pasta that both carnivores and vegetarians will enjoy.

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Fettuccine with Carrot Ribbons and Black Olive Butter

Serves 3 to 4

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 small shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons pitted and minced black olives, preferably oil-cured

- Black pepper in a mill

- Kosher salt

8-10 ounces dried fettuccine, preferably whole grain (see Note below)

3 medium carrots, trimmed and peeled

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, optional

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

- Estero Gold, Vella Dry Jack or similar cheese, in one chunk

First, make the butter. Put butter, shallot, garlic, cumin, olives and several turns of black pepper into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, scraping the sides as necessary, until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust for pepper and salt, adding a few pinches if the butter tastes at all flat. Transfer to a small dish, cover and let rest.

Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with water, season generously with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook according to package directions until just done. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it.

Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrots into lengthwise ribbons. Put about 2 tablespoons of the butter into a large sauté pan. When the pasta is almost ready, set the pan over medium heat and when the butter is melted, add the carrots and sauté gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until they just begin to soften.

Tip the hot pasta into the pan with the carrots, add 2 more tablespoons of butter and toss gently. Add the tarragon, if using, and the parsley and toss a final time. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. If the pasta seems dry, add more butter, toss to melt it and correct the seasoning a final time.

Working quickly, divide the pasta and carrots among individual pasta bowls or soup plates. Top with a nubbin of butter and several gratings of cheese and enjoy right away.

Leftover olive butter can be wrapped tightly in two sheets of wax paper, slipped into a freezer bag and frozen for several weeks.

Note: The match will be best if you use a whole grain pasta, such as those produced by Community Grains and available in several local markets. Buckwheat pasta works well, too.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook's” series. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com and visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.