The Alchemy of Red Wine and Braised Beef
A Recipe, Revisited
by Jane Augustine
Chris Lee’s beef braised with red wine and chocolate
© Michael Bargo
© Michael Bargo
Thierry Germain in his vines
© Gail Skoff
Dominique Hauvette
© Gail Skoff
Lorenzo Mocchiutti of Vignai da Duline
© Gail Skoff
Didier Barral
© Gail Skoff
Since we launched our first wine club over fifteen years ago, members have received tailor-made recipes inspired by our selections. This series, “A Recipe, Revisited,” features one such recipe from the archives, chosen, prepared, and reimagined with new pairings by one of our writers.
Chris Lee’s beef braised with red wine and chocolate
© Michael Bargo
© Michael Bargo
Thierry Germain in his vines
© Gail Skoff
Dominique Hauvette
© Gail Skoff
Lorenzo Mocchiutti of Vignai da Duline
© Gail Skoff
Didier Barral
© Gail Skoff
Since we launched our first wine club over fifteen years ago, members have received tailor-made recipes inspired by our selections. This series, “A Recipe, Revisited,” features one such recipe from the archives, chosen, prepared, and reimagined with new pairings by one of our writers.
The Alchemy of Red Wine and Braised Beef
A Recipe, Revisited
by Jane Augustine
In the Adventures Club bulletin from 2011, where I found Chef Chris Lee’s recipe for beef braised with red wine and chocolate, Chris muses that rustic French stews are typically quite soupy and made to be sopped-up with lots of country bread. The French actually have a word for the act of sweeping bread across one’s bowl or plate to capture every last bit—saucer, meaning, “to mop up the sauce.” Needless to say, this word, and what it reveals about the French—their customs and priorities—is unbearably endearing to me; any recipe that requires “saucing” is one I want to make.
Chris originally created this recipe to pair with a bottle of 2006 Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol Rouge. I thought about other wines that share similar qualities to a mineral-driven Bandol, and ones that evoke elements found in the recipe’s flavorful ingredients—Tellicherry peppercorn, clove, allspice, and dark chocolate—and I began to dream up peppery reds, with velvety dark fruit and bright, bittersweet notes. While there are plenty of reds in the Kermit Lynch portfolio that walk this line between ripeness and freshness, a few growers specifically came to mind.
Thierry Germain, the Cabernet Franc whisperer, masterfully pulls off this feat of balancing phenolic ripeness with tension and purity. Dominique Hauvette, a mystic in her own right, makes her pure Grenache cuvée in Provence’s Alpilles mountains, resulting in a weightless and high-toned wine that’s perfumed and complex. The wines of Didier Barral in Faugères boast a blend of Languedoc varieties that taste alive with both energy and depth. There are a few great budget-conscious options to consider as well, like the moody Cahors from Clos la Coutale, one of our all-time best sellers, or Massimo Benevelli’s Langhe Nebbiolo. The tannins in his wine are always fine and mature, like a robust powdered cocoa.
Back in the kitchen, as I’m browning my last batch of beef, it strikes me that by dinnertime I’m going to have a heaping pot of delicious food and will want to share the wealth. I text some friends: “I’m making braised beef and it’s a lot! Pairing it with some wonderful wines in the name of research…can you come for dinner?” A few hours later, my table is full and Chef Lee’s Braised Beef is ready to meet the world. The meat was tender and caramelized, the carrots and shallots were soft and creamy, and a hint of chocolate brought depth and earthiness to every bite. As I sipped the reds I’d opened, I basked in the lingering scent of warm spice coming off the kitchen and thought how nicely the atmosphere in the room mingled with the aromas in my glass.
You can find Chris Lee’s recipe for Braised Beef with Red Wine & Chocolate here.
Wines In The Collection
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Its dark fruit is boldly mouth-filling, yet smooth and juicy, even crunchy when served fresh out of the cooler. One of the shop’s top pizza and BBQ bottles.
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont
Intermingling orange zest with roses, red fruits, and a fine tannin, it is utterly enchanting.
Clos La Coutale France | Southwest
Today, the 2023 is a robust, tightly coiled rouge balanced by notes of dark fruit, plum, earth, and eucalyptus.
Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Simultaneously rustic and graceful, dark and light on its feet, this red shows succulent notes of mixed red and black fruit, spices, and leather.
Thierry Germain France | Loire
Thierry has perfected the art of coaxing this Cabernet Franc’s soulfulness and elusive finesse into bottle.
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
This fragrant red from the island’s south echoes the earthy, meaty complexity found in chewy cuts of coppa that inevitably surface toward the end of a tasting at Canarelli.
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli
Lovely now with a slight chill, their Refosco has a stimulating, stony backbone that ensures a slow evolution through the years.
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
A thoroughbred of pure Grenache, this unbridled rouge is fresh and lithe, teeming with juicy dark fruit and ample goût de terroir.
Italy | Le Marche
Its dark fruit is boldly mouth-filling, yet smooth and juicy, even crunchy when served fresh out of the cooler. One of the shop’s top pizza and BBQ bottles.
Italy | Piedmont
Intermingling orange zest with roses, red fruits, and a fine tannin, it is utterly enchanting.
France | Southwest
Today, the 2023 is a robust, tightly coiled rouge balanced by notes of dark fruit, plum, earth, and eucalyptus.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Simultaneously rustic and graceful, dark and light on its feet, this red shows succulent notes of mixed red and black fruit, spices, and leather.
France | Loire
Thierry has perfected the art of coaxing this Cabernet Franc’s soulfulness and elusive finesse into bottle.
France | Corsica
This fragrant red from the island’s south echoes the earthy, meaty complexity found in chewy cuts of coppa that inevitably surface toward the end of a tasting at Canarelli.
Italy | Friuli
Lovely now with a slight chill, their Refosco has a stimulating, stony backbone that ensures a slow evolution through the years.
France | Provence
A thoroughbred of pure Grenache, this unbridled rouge is fresh and lithe, teeming with juicy dark fruit and ample goût de terroir.
More Collections
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Pairing Pinots in Spring
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Garden of Variety
As the Loire River winds through the region known as le jardin de la France, it creates a myriad of microclimates and a rich variety of soils, yielding impressive diversity even among the same grapes...
Arthur Ostertag
Arthur’s wines were the revelation of the trip. For months after, in the group chat with everyone on the tour, my screen would light up with shots of his wines—those incomparably elegant bottles with the stunning labels—standing tall atop the tables of every restaurant the other growers were dining in, in their hometowns or around the world. Arthur was officially the breakout star of the trip...
Unheated Rivalry
It’s a bit funny to write about two equally fantastic Bandols made by men with quite opposite personalities. I don’t imagine their interpretation of the métier is that different—make wines that express their terroir—but a vigneron always leaves their mark, and that fascinates me…
A Primer on Vouvray
Vouvray’s wine is a product of what we call the Chenin Blanc grape, but I prefer the local name, Pineau de la Loire, and [René] Loyau is of the opinion that the original plantings of Pineau were Pinot, the Chardonnay, imported to Vouvray from Burgundy. Over sixteen centuries or more, the plant evolved ever so slowly as it adapted to Vouvray’s soil and climate. Even today, Loyau says, certain Vouvrays show a striking aromatic kinship to the Chardonnays of the Côte d’Or…
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.