Pairings: Elegant cabernet sauvignon complements earthy lentils

Our Wine of the Week, Rodney Strong 2015 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($20), is a stand out, a suave, elegant wine that celebrates the varietal. It is generous with its gifts, from ripe black fruit, especially Bing cherry, black raspberry, and black plum, to sultry herbs and spices and flourishes of smokey vanilla.

Although flavors are full, round and even bold, the wine is not a bully. It is a polite wine, with a well-mannered structure. It evokes a gracious host, one who is adept at keeping the conversation going and making everyone at the table comfortable; it doesn’t elbow out anyone or anything, even the shyest guest. It lingers lightly on the palate until your next sip and never turns ponderous.

The wine has broad appeal at the table. All of the usual companions - red meat, halibut, black olives, slow-cooked stews and Gorgonzola cheese - cozy up with it beautifully. It is also a stellar match with certain root vegetables, especially carrots, and has an almost magical relationship with lentils, black beans, chickpeas and other earthy ingredients.

For today’s dish, I’ve combined sausages with braised carrots and lentils for a match that soars. Do not use spicy sausage or sausage made with chicken or turkey, as the pairing will fall flat. Instead, choose something traditional, such as the bratwurst made by Niman Ranch. If you have mint in your garden, a few leaves cut into thin ribbons will crown the match; if you don’t have it in your garden, don’t worry; it will still be delicious.

Sausages with Braised ?Carrots and Lentils

Makes 3 to 4 servings

4 (about 1 pound) traditional sausages, such as Niman Ranch bratwurst

3/4 pound carrots, preferably Nantes variety, trimmed and peeled

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups dry red wine

3 cups homemade chicken stock

1 star anise

1 cup black (beluga) lentils

1 thick slice of dry-smoked bacon, cut in 1/4-inch wide crosswise slices

2 tablespoons creme fraiche

6-8 very fresh mint leaves, slivered, optional

Set a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the sausages and cook, rolling them frequently, until they are lightly browned all over.

While the sausages cook, cut the carrots on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths. Set aside.

Transfer the browned sausages to a plate, return the skillet to medium heat, add the butter and, when it is melted, add the shallot and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, until they begin to soften and give off their aroma.

Add the carrots and sauté, tossing frequently, for about ?5 minutes, until they are lightly browned all around. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 cup of the wine, 1 cup of the chicken stock and the star anise, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to very low so that the liquid just barely simmers. Cook for 20 minutes, until the carrots are fairly tender.

Use tongs to transfer the carrots to a plate; set them aside.

Add the lentils, bacon and remaining wine and chicken stock to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer very gently for about 50 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Check the liquid now and then and add water if the lentils seem to be drying out; the size of the pan will determine if you need to add water or not.

After the lentils have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the sausages and the carrots to the pan.

When the lentils are tender, remove from the heat and let rest 5 or 10 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.

Use tongs to find and remove the star anise.

Use tongs to transfer the sausages to a clean work surface.

To serve, ladle into soup plates, making sure the carrots are distributed evenly.

Working quickly, cut the sausages into diagonal slices about 3/8 of an inch wide and set the slices atop the lentils and carrots.

Stir the creme fraiche to loosen it and drizzle a little over each portion. Scatter mint, if using, over the top and enjoy right away.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts “Mouthful, Smart Talk About Food, Wine and Farming” on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. on KRCB FM. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.