Pairing: Fruit-forward zin shines with short ribs

Our Wine of the Week, Robert Biale Vineyards Napa Valley R. W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel ($60), is elegant, complex and a tad audacious.

The wine possesses layers of flavor, beginning with delicate yet forward fruit - especially blackberries, black raspberries and blueberries - and following with savory herbs such as sage, savory and thyme and sweet spices. The wine's lingering finish adds flourishes of toffee to the mix. It is big, bold and more than a little dramatic. It will thrill lovers of zinfandel.

You can certainly enjoy the wine with all of the usual foods that go well with the varietal, from black olives, chickpeas, white beans and lentils to chili, grilled chicken, duck meatballs, braised beef and lamb, and creamy polenta with goat ragu.

This wine pairing is inspired by the blueberries I froze at the season's peak. Blueberry barbecue sauce is a perfect match, especially when you spike the sauce with a bit of fragrant craft gin You can, if you prefer, make the sauce a day or two before serving it, though it is easy enough to prepare that you can do it while the short ribs cook

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Braised Short Ribs with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

For the ribs:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds bone-in short ribs

- kosher salt

- black pepper in a mill

1 yellow onion, trimmed and cut into thin rounds

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups beef stock

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 bay leaves

3 whole cloves

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 shallots, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

- kosher salt

4 cups blueberries

1 cup dry red wine

4 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

- white pepper in a mill

- red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, pressed

3 ounces craft gin, such as Spirit Works

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Pour the olive oil into a deep oven-proof pot set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add several short ribs and brown them on all sides; it will take 8 to 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, transfer the browned ribs to a platter and continue until all are browned. Sauté the onion in the same pot until soft and fragrant, about 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper, add the whole garlic cloves, and sauté for 2 minutes more.

Return the short ribs to the pot, add the red wine, beef stock, vinegar, bay leaves and cloves; if necessary, add just enough water to cover the meat. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. Turn the meat once during cooking. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the meat is very tender and buttery, about 30 to 45 minutes more. (Alternately, you can cook the ribs on top of the stove over very low heat for about the same amount of time.) Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm. Return the pan to high heat and reduce the cooking liquid until about 1 cup remains. Remove from the heat. Skim off surface fat and pour through a strainer into a small pitcher. Keep warm.

While the meat cooks, make the sauce.

Put the coconut oil into a medium sauce pan set over medium heat, add the shallots sauté until soft and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes; do not let brown. Stir in the ginger, season with salt and add the blueberries, red wine, half the sugar, honey, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Season with several turns of white pepper and pinches of red pepper flakes.

Increase the heat and when the liquid simmers, reduce it to low and simmer gently until the blueberries soften and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

Taste and correct for acid-sugar balance, adding more sugar, 2 teaspoons at a time, or a teaspoon of vinegar at a time, until balance is achieved. This step is crucial, and you must taste several times to find the sweet spot.

Stir in the freshly pressed garlic and the gin and remove from the heat.

For a smooth sauce, puree with an immersion blender and pass through a fine sieve or strainer. For a chunky sauce, leave it as it is.

Set aside until ready to use.

The sauce will keep, refrigerated and covered, for a week or two. Warm before using.

Slather sauce over the ribs and use a pastry brush to slather barbecue sauce on them. Enjoy right away, with the extra barbecue sauce alongside.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 24 books to date. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.