Pairing: Barbera a manly match for meat

Enotria 2012 Mendocino County Barbera, our Wine of the Week, is big and brawny, a rugged wine that reflects the mountain terrain where it is grown. Yes, it is a manly wine, a weight-lifter, a tractor driver at the end of a hot day. Don’t let these beefy qualities fool you, though. There’s an elegance to the wine, as well, a suave complexity.

From its appearance in the glass, dark and rich, to its juicy berry flavors and restrained tannins, the wine is beautiful, elegant and even refreshing, thanks to exuberant acidity that kicks in just before the clean, mildly spicy finish.

You’ll want this quaffer around as nights cool, as it is a perfect companion to braised lamb shanks, almost any kind of lasagna, slow-cooked stews and sauces, and all manner of game, including boar and venison. Vegetarians will enjoy it with eggplant, roasted tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, roasted sweet peppers, buckwheat noodles, quinoa and such hard cheeses as Montgomery Cheddar.

The wine is also an excellent choice with liver, something people either love or love to hate. If you love it, you’ll find that beef liver with bacon and onions is a fabulous match. Chicken livers typically have a wider audience than beef liver, and this wine nestles nicely with them in this dish, with its layers of sultry flavors. The most important thing to remember as you prepare this is not to overcook the livers; if you do, they will be dry and unpleasant.

Pappardelle with Chicken ?Livers & Roasted ?Sweet Peppers

Serves 3 to 4

- Kosher salt

6-8 ounces dried pappardelle

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

3/4-1 pound organic chicken livers, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into thick slices (see Note below)

- Generous pinch or two of ground allspice

1 large red sweet pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into medium julienne

5-6 fresh sage leaves, minced

1/4 cup heavy cream

- Black pepper in a mill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- Sage leaves, for garnish

Fill a large pot half full with water, add a generous tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, add the shallots, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.

Add the chicken livers and let cook without turning for 2 minutes; turn and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt, add the allspice, roasted pepper, sage, and cream and toss together quickly. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Drain the pasta, do not rinse it, put it into wide shallow serving bowl, add the chicken livers and all the pan juices, and season with several turns of black pepper. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over everything, garnish with sage leaves, and enjoy right away.

Note: Organic chicken liver is easy to find locally. If you can get duck liver, use it in this dish, as it will make an even finer match with the wine.

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.