By Bruce Neyers

Thursday 13th February, 2025

I recently discovered the perfect dish for our Roberts Road Pinot Noir. I only had to be patient with Barbara, as she has slowly established a relationship with the Rancho Gordo Bean Company here in the Napa Valley. Last week, she made a dinner that was in part inspired by her friend and former colleague David Tanis – Red Beans and Rice with a Ham Hock. The Red Beans were of course from Rancho Gordo in Napa. I’ve enjoyed Pinot Noir – from both France and California — in virtually every venue imaginable, from Paris to Honolulu, and tried it with an enormously wide range of different foods from many parts of the world. Seldom, though, has it lit up the room as much as with this single dish. I felt like I had poured a glass of wine unlike anything I’d tasted before. The texture, the flavor, the finish, and that most magnificent of all characteristics of Pinot Noir – the long, silky aftertaste – all approached perfection. Not surprisingly I cleaned my plate, and we emptied the bottle. The Roberts Road Pinot Noir comes from the Sangiacomo Family’s vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA, vines planted along the Petaluma River in southeastern Sonoma County. The soil is basalt, mixed with clay and gravel. The summer climate is almost inhospitably cold. The plant material is a direct descendant of vines grown in Vosne-Romanée, in the heart of Burgundy. Tadeo makes a traditional Pinot Noir from the small crop, and the result is so good it’s almost historic. The abnormally cold climate allows the grapes to ripen slowly. As a result, they are harvested late in the growing season, and are fully ripened to their core. At the same time, there is sufficient natural fruit acidity to produce a wine that is both flavorful, and balanced. Serving it with an exotic dish of Red Beans and Rice improved the quality of my life. I’m eager to try it again. Moreover, it’s simple to make. Take a look at Barbara’s recipe and see for yourself.

About 40 years ago, I was fortunate to meet a young writer from Los Angeles named Colman Andrews. Over the intervening years, he’s been a respected restaurant critic, a prominent author — with nine books on food to his credit — an important wine journalist, and a successful magazine editor. He recently tasted our 2022 Pinot Noir ‘Roberts Road’, and sent me the following observation:

Bruce – As my old friend Roy Brady would have said

‘Your Roberts Road Pinot Noir was mighty tasty!’

Now that’s a wine review I plan to treasure.

February 2025

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• • 1 pound dried red beans soaked overnight
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • ¾ cup chopped celery
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ pound andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 2 pounds smoked ham hocks
  • 10 cups chicken stock
  • Italian parsley minced
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 cups cooked white rice

Preparation

1. Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot sauté the onions, green bell pepper and celery in the olive oil stirring until soft. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and Creole seasoning and cook until the sausage is browned.
3. Add the ham hock and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the beans and chicken stock, stirring well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the dried thyme and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. If the beans become too dry, add more chicken stock or water.
6. Mash about one-fourth of the bean mixture against the side of the pot with a heavy spoon to thicken the juices.
7. Remove the ham hock and let cool slightly. Slice the meat from the bone, discarding the skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot and heat through.
8. Spoon the hot rice into bowls and top with the beans. Garnish with minced Italian parsley.