Paradigm in the Big Apple

Paradigm is a small winery in the Oakville appellation. On a day when our own Tasting Room was closed, we took a "field trip" to Paradigm and took a short walk through the vineyards with owner, Ren Harris. We tasted the current releases of Cab and Merlot, but the Cab Franc caught our interest. Considering it a "special occasion wine", we took it with us to New York.

Normally, I would pair the obvious Sangiovese or similar Italian varietal with Italian food, but the 2006 Paradigm Cab Franc paired beautifully with the rustic northern Italian fare at La Messeria in the Theatre District. After a glass of Prosecco, the Paradigm tasted rich and complex. It had enough acidity to hold up to the cheesy eggplant appetizer and enough earthiness to compliment the tagliatelle.

With ripe black cherry and juicy plum flavors up front, the mid-palate delivers subtle nuances of sage, cola and herbs, and leads to a long complex finish. This wine was particularly delicious with the main course, a delightfully spicy and perfectly roasted rabbit. Definitely worth lugging across the country!

Eating in with Paradigm

I lived in San Francisco for three years before making the leap to the Napa Valley, and there's a lot that I don't miss (the noise, the traffic, the lack of landscape), but I can't forget how easy it was to order in. You could get the customary Chinese food and pizza delivered, or you could

walk to the nearest restaurant and have your favorite dish ready in moments. Here, it's a little different. Some restaurants don't do take-out (Mustards, Press). And quick-food places like Dean & Deluca close by 7 pm.

Rutherford Grill might not be the healthiest fare, and last time they sent us home with all the sides and no meat, but the restaurant is nearby and they have our to-go order ready in about 20 minutes. When we placed an order on Sunday night, they didn't forget anything and they even included a complimentary order of cornbread (probably my favorite item on the menu).

For this mouth-watering spread of smoky ribs, roasted salmon, buttery mashed potatoes, juicy heirloom tomatoes, and cole slaw, we opened a bottle of 2005

Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon. Many varietals would have been a good match (Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Rosé), but we decided on the Paradigm for it's convenient half-bottle size. This is a complex and polished Cab, with balanced fruit, earthiness, and long finish. Cherry-cola flavors and smooth tannins worked well with the ribs, but weren't overpowering for the salmon. The wine's textbook Oakville acidity nicely complimented the tomatoes.

Paradigm is a boutique winery off of Dwyer Road in Oakville; on the property, they grow Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel and 1 acre of Petite Verdot (totaling 55 acres). The owner, Ren Harris, was kind enough to walk os through the vineyards, explaining soil types, watering methods, and canopy management. The wines are all very finely crafted by Heidi Barrett and quite delicious!