Every late summer and early fall, at the first grape pressing, our Bouchaine Vineyard family gathers for a toast, as the grapes pass from the winegrower to winemaker.

For wineries in Napa Valley and throughout most of the world, the late summer and early fall months are the busiest and most intense, as the year’s grape harvest and crush get in full swing. At Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa’s Carneros region, our harvest always begins with the Bouchaine family (which includes those guests who just happen to be visiting and wine tasting with us that day) gathering in an excited circle next to our grape press; a toast is made, the grape press is started with the first load of grapes of the season, and the hopes and dreams from an entire vintage pass from the nurturing hands of the winegrower into the capable care of the winemaker.

Like most precious things in life, the finest wines require commitment, devotion, patience, as well as plenty of heart and soul. For a winemaker, he is fully aware that in a year or two, all his time and efforts will be justified when a discerning wine lover picks up the bottle and brings it home, carefully laying it away for storage until a memorable occasion, fully trusting that this very bottle will set the mood for a special evening, whether it be a candlelit dinner for two or a festive gathering of old friends and new.

What more can one say about wine that hasn’t already been said? What has already been said that isn’t worth reminding ourselves of? When enjoying a glass of distinctive wine with family and friends, notice how it inspires the sharing of words and laughter, how it brings to life the rhythms of the music flowing through the room, how it lends a luxurious feel to a gathering, and how it enhances and elevates the flavors of the food.

When it comes to wine and food pairings, savvy wine drinkers know that certain wines, while delightful on their own, have an undeniable affinity for particular foods. Traditional wine and food matches have earned their keep over the ages: red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat and seafood; again, heavier cuts of meat with bigger, more tannic wines, and vice versa. Some pairings are utterly heavenly and simply luxurious, for instance, the way an earthy Pinot Noir complements even earthier mushrooms—for many an epicure, very little else can surpass the seamless match of a glass of Pinot to a dish of wild mushrooms drizzled with truffle oil.

Wine and food pairing guidelines are useful, but let us be open to exploring and discovering new ways to bringing them together. In recent years, Asian-inspired and nuevo-Latino cuisine have grown in popularity, and although wine had not been served with the traditional offerings of these cuisines, people are discovering that items such as scallops sautéed in ginger-lemon olive oil balances beautifully with a citrus-laden Chardonnay touched with the merest hint of sweet oak, and that pork tenderloins with Jamaican seasoning bring out the spices of a classic Syrah. It’s remarkable how a well-crafted wine—layered with depth and complexity—can lend itself to an array of foods.

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