Pairing: Merlot a match for autumn stews

Our Wine of the Week, Decoy 2014 Sonoma County Merlot ($25), is a shapely wine, with a silky elegance, sassy fruit, and refined tannins.

Fruit flavors show themselves first, with blackberry, black cherry and blueberry vying for attention.

As these flavors settle down a bit, sweet spices, milk chocolate, new leather and hints of cool topsoil emerge.

Fruit flavors return on the long, concentrated finish.

The wine is rich yet also invigorating; it is not at all overbearing, as some merlots can be.

Tannins will not sear or scour your palate.

At the table, you'll enjoy the wine with slow-cooked stews of almost any kind, from pumpkin and mushroom to lamb, beef, and venison.

Homemade chicken pot pie, Teriyaki steak, ham with red-eye gravy and grits, turkey gumbo, and black bean chili all flatter the wine, which also is excellent with creamy polenta topped with a rich tomato sauce.

Enjoy it, as well, with pork roast, and if you happen to have some blueberry chutney around, the match will soar.

Today's recipe is simple, humble, and absolutely delicious. It makes a great dinner on a weeknight and can be served as a first course.

Follow it with seared rare duck breast glazed with blueberries and you'll have a feast worthy of this wine.

Lentil Soup with Bacon, Sieved Egg and Red Onion

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

6 bacon strips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into small dice

2 celery stalks, cut into small dice

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup fresh tomato pulp or canned diced tomatoes

4 cups beef stock, preferably

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

1 hard-cooked egg, grated on a small blade

3 tablespoons minced red onion

Soak the lentils overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse.

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet until it is crisp; transfer it to absorbent paper to drain and pour 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into a heavy soup kettle.

Add the olive oil, set over medium heat, and sauté the onions until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the celery and carrots and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic, stir, sauté 2 minutes more, add the tomato pulp, lentils, beef stock, red pepper flakes, and 4 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the lentils are completely tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Crumble the bacon and set it aside. Taste the soup and correct for salt and pepper. For a smooth soup, puree with an immersion blender.

Ladle into warm soup plates, top with some of the bacon, egg, and red onion, and enjoy right away.

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.